An attractive handbook for beginning nature enthusiasts.
A key to identifying 40 tree species found in the contiguous United States.
After an introduction that invites readers to a “tree ID adventure,” Brower, a Master Gardener, begins with a popular craft project: leaf rubbings. She then explains how to identify trees in language that the intended audience may find challenging; fundamental words are bold-faced and defined in the glossary. The author instructs readers to look closely at the leaves—their patterns, shapes, edges, and layout—and also at the bark. Then, using the table of contents as a two-part key, readers can find the group the leaves fall into (simple smooth, simple serrated, etc.) and look for the trees in that section. Spread by spread, what follows are entries on 40 tree species, from Eastern redbud to white fir. Each entry features an illustration, as well as the tree’s size and scientific name, a general description, a close-up of some of its parts, a map showing the part of the U.S. where the tree is native, the tree’s habitat and range, a fun fact, and info on its bark, leaves, flowers, and fruits. The trees include a majority of the most common in the lower 48 states, as well as the American chestnut, now sadly “harder to find.” Perhaps because the leaves, which are crucial to identification, aren’t always shown in detail, this offering feels a bit incomplete. Still, overall it will leave youngsters primed to look more carefully at trees, and readers of all ages will find plenty of sound information.
An attractive handbook for beginning nature enthusiasts. (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781423668015
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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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