Sure to hook those who already love science—and lure in skeptics.
Scientific inquiry served up in a witty, visual style, with enough fart jokes to satisfy any young reader.
Even kids who are not turned on by a traditional science curriculum will be inspired by this approach. The author’s intention of making science friendly and accessible to different learning styles is immediately apparent from the quiz-show format. The book includes 30 attention-grabbing questions, each presented with four possible answers, encouraging readers to consider and speculate. The questions include the one used for the title and such intriguing puzzlers as “Which creature had the strongest bite ever?” and “How long would you need to fart to produce gas with the equivalent energy of an atomic bomb?” In a chatty, kid-friendly style similar to that of the Magic School Bus series, the author, a popular British scientist, youth science advocate, and TV personality, encourages children to ask questions and not be afraid of making mistakes. Each question is presented comic-book style in a speech bubble followed by several pages of in-depth facts about the topic. This highly illustrated volume is visually arresting, with striking, thick-lined, grayscale art taking up the majority of each page. The varied typeface uses bold and all caps for emphasis, and the text is often laid out creatively, such as within the open jaws of a crocodile. Ethnic diversity is indicated in the drawings.
Sure to hook those who already love science—and lure in skeptics. (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0452-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information.
Two youngsters embark on a journey peppered with history, trivia, and skits while teaching money lessons.
Meet Mellody and John, the young stars of this currency showcase. Their very first dialogue offers a taste of the intriguing information to come, from the ancient Mayans’ use of cacao beans as payment to the origins of the piggy bank. The book offers a chronologically and geographically broad timeline of the history of money, encompassing the past 3.9 billion years (starting with meteorite crashes that scattered metals—“the very first bank deposit”) and referencing practices across five continents. Readers will find themselves eagerly sharing the facts gleaned here, including the centuries-old origins of terms and expressions still used today. Mellody and John’s fun banter crucially reflects their experiences with money, such as their families’ differing attitudes toward allowances. Both are savers as well as givers, sharing stories about giving to charity. In one especially entertaining section, a cat and a bunny converse in money-related catchphrases that are separately defined at the bottom of each page. Stevens’ watercolors are appropriately realistic and appealing, whether depicting Mellody’s pretend bank or Elizabeth II’s butler ironing a 10-pound note. Messages about money’s use as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself, ensure that readers will think about their own purposes for their savings. Mellody and John are Black.
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781536224719
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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