The only way this underpowered squib leaves the launch pad is by toppling off.
The true story of an interstellar message in a bottle.
This deceptively titled Dutch and Belgian import opens with an iffy claim that there are nearly as many stars in the universe as grains of sand on Earth (actually, according to published estimates, the numbers aren’t even close, though depending on how one measures, which is actually greater varies). It goes on to deliver a perfunctory overview of unsuccessful (so far) efforts to find extraterrestrial life that fails to unpack statements like “some of the moons of Jupiter might be inhabitable for humans” or even to mention the long-running SETI Project. All of this serves as preface to a short account of how the prospect of the Voyager probes’ launches in 1977 prompted a team led by Carl Sagan to gather earthly images and sounds, recorded on golden disks “attached” to the probes (which are repeatedly referred to as satellites) as a quixotic greeting to the universe. What were the final selections? Readers will come away little the wiser: “115 pictures of people, handmade things, and nature,” “55 greetings in different languages,” and “music from all over the world.” Sneyers’ illustrations are equally unforthcoming, being mostly a mix of vaguely scientific sketches, fanciful alien figures and space scenes, and UBOs (unidentified blobby objects). NASA’s Voyager website will do a better job of satisfying readers curious about what went onto those now-distant golden disks, and Curtis Manley’s Just Right, illustrated by Jessica Lanan (2019), offers an answer to the titular question (or at least current best guesses). (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.4-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 75% actual size.)
The only way this underpowered squib leaves the launch pad is by toppling off. (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-60537-629-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.
An introduction to gravity.
The book opens with the most iconic demonstration of gravity, an apple falling. Throughout, Herz tackles both huge concepts—how gravity compresses atoms to form stars and how black holes pull all kinds of matter toward them—and more concrete ones: how gravity allows you to jump up and then come back down to the ground. Gravity narrates in spare yet lyrical verse, explaining how it creates planets and compresses atoms and comparing itself to a hug. “My embrace is tight enough that you don’t float like a balloon, but loose enough that you can run and leap and play.” Gravity personifies itself at times: “I am stubborn—the bigger things are, the harder I pull.” Beautiful illustrations depict swirling planets and black holes alongside racially diverse children playing, running, and jumping, all thanks to gravity. Thorough backmatter discusses how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity and explains Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. While at times Herz’s explanations may be a bit too technical for some readers, burgeoning scientists will be drawn in.
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe. (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: April 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668936849
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lighthearted first look at an increasingly useful skill.
Grown-ups may not be the only audience for this simple explanation of how algorithms work.
Taking a confused-looking hipster parent firmly in hand, a child first points to all the computers around the house (“Pro Tip: When dealing with grown-ups, don’t jump into the complicated stuff too fast. Start with something they already know”). Next, the child leads the adult outside to make and follow step-by-step directions for getting to the park, deciding which playground equipment to use, and finally walking home. Along the way, concepts like conditionals and variables come into play in street maps and diagrams, and a literal bug stands in for the sort that programmers will inevitably need to find and solve. The lesson culminates in an actual sample of very simple code with labels that unpack each instruction…plus a pop quiz to lay out a decision tree for crossing the street, because if “your grown-up can explain it, that shows they understand it!” That goes for kids, too—and though Spiro doesn’t take the logical next step and furnish leads to actual manuals, young (and not so young) fledgling coders will find plenty of good ones around, such as Get Coding! (2017), published by Candlewick, or Rachel Ziter’s Coding From Scratch (2018).
A lighthearted first look at an increasingly useful skill. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781623543181
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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