Eleven animal mysteries that were the subjects of magazine pieces in “Highlights for Children” have been gathered and updated in this volume. Among the topics are how horses sleep, how cats survive high falls, how snakes use their tongues to smell, and how the giraffe gets blood to the brain. Myers provides background information, states the science question, and describes the ingenious ways scientists work. In some cases, the findings on one animal are generalized, e.g., by studying how the enormous, cold blooded leatherback turtle maintains body heat, scientists speculate on how the dinosaurs—also thought to be cold-blooded—grew. Some readers may feel uneasy about hummingbirds kept in restraints while their heartbeats are measured, antelopes forced to run on treadmills while wearing gas masks, and fireflies chopped up for the study of luciferin—practices that the author describes without endorsing. The text is challenging; Myers bases his writings on resources rarely available to young readers, all listed in the bibliography. For motivated science enthusiasts, much of the information will be fascinating. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-56397-761-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201835-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
The Pumpkin Book (32 pp.; $16.95; Sept. 15; 0-8234-1465-5): From seed to vine and blossom to table, Gibbons traces the growth cycle of everyone’s favorite autumn symbol—the pumpkin. Meticulous drawings detail the transformation of tiny seeds to the colorful gourds that appear at roadside stands and stores in the fall. Directions for planting a pumpkin patch, carving a jack-o’-lantern, and drying the seeds give young gardeners the instructions they need to grow and enjoy their own golden globes. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1465-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
