A rich mix of nature and culture, pointing out connections between the two.
Values and practices of the British Columbian Gitxsan Nation are reflected in glimpses of a raven’s natural place and behavior in this latest series entry.
Nox Gaak, a mother raven, cares for two new chicks under a succession of moons with help from the flock—teaching them how to hunt and store food (while noting that forgotten caches can nourish and renew the woodland), stretching wings to soar acrobatically, and, beneath January’s “K’uhloxs,” or “Stories and Feasting Moon,” leading a wolf pack to a moose carcass that is too frozen for ravens to scavenge alone. A delectable description of Spring’s “hagwiltsum,” or salmon chowder, which includes “potatoes, onion, rice, seaweed and, more recently, a touch of curry,” is just one of the frequent references to cultural lifeways embedded in the natural history, and further detail about the Gitxsan Nation, presented with a map and a list of the annual cycle of moons, caps the narrative. Donovan’s illustrations are both stately and naturalistic, with the heavy lines and flatly applied colors of woodcuts. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A rich mix of nature and culture, pointing out connections between the two. (Informational picture book. 9-11)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-77492-003-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HighWater Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
In this glossy photo essay, the author briefly recounts the study and exploration of the moon, beginning with Stonehenge and concluding with the 1998–99 unmanned probe, Lunar Prospector. Most of the dramatic photographs come from NASA and will introduce a new generation of space enthusiasts to the past missions of Project Mercury, Gemini, and most especially the moon missions, Apollo 1–17. There are plenty of photographs of various astronauts in space capsules, space suits, and walking on the moon. Sometimes photographs are superimposed one on another, making it difficult to read. For example, one photograph shows the command module Columbia as photographed from the lunar module and an insert shows the 15-layer space suit and gear Neil Armstrong would wear for moonwalking. That’s a lot to process on one page. Still, the awesome images of footprints on the moon, raising the American flag, and earthrise from the moon, cannot help but raise shivers. The author concludes with a timeline of exploration, Web sites, recommended books, and picture credits. For NASA memorabilia collectors, end papers show the Apollo space badges for missions 11–17. Useful for replacing aging space titles. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-57091-408-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
Thousands of years ago, the Komodo dragon may have inspired dragon legends in China and beyond. In more recent times, researchers from all over the world have traveled to the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia to study the Komodo dragon. This lively if somewhat haphazardly organized account focuses on the efforts of contemporary researchers, presents some of their cooler findings (female dragons can reproduce through parthenogenesis; their saliva is laced with deadly bacteria) and profiles a few captive specimens. Mostly color photographs from a variety of sources adorn almost every page, and captions add to the information. Learning about the Komodo dragon is not for the faint of heart, and the photos show the wild beasts in all their gory glory. The extensive backmatter includes brief facts about Indonesia, more information on the Komodo dragon life cycle and its use of smell and conservation information. A portion of the sales will be donated to the Komodo Survival Program. (bibliography, further reading, glossary, websites, index, author’s note) (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59078-757-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
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