A fun introduction to computing terminology that could serve as springboard to more complex ideas.
Readers learn the basics of computer science in this STEM-centered alphabet picture book.
If there’s one thing that’s ever-present in children’s literature, it’s the alphabet, but modern kids also need to learn about science, technology, engineering, and math. In this book, Merrigan explores building blocks of computer science by alphabetically traversing through 26 words with the help of quirky insect characters. From “A is for Algorithm” to “Z is for Zip,” she covers everyday computing terms as well as more specific coding vocabulary. Every letter is accompanied by an explanation in the form of a short rhyming couplet. Some are easy for beginners to grasp, while others require preexisting coding knowledge: “J is for Java, a language with heart, / object-oriented, clean, and smart” is a succinct summary of Java, but readers may not know what “object-oriented” means or how it distinguishes Java from other languages. As a result, Merrigan’s intended audience is hard to gauge, and the book may need to be reread multiple times as younger readers puzzle out each term. Hryvtsova’s brightly colored cartoon illustrations feature computer bugs in insect form, demonstrating each term with a sense of joy and wonder that may inspire readers to try coding themselves.
A fun introduction to computing terminology that could serve as springboard to more complex ideas.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781738064649
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Smartbugs Coding
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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