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HOW DO SATELLITES STAY IN SPACE?

Name: HOW DO SATELLITES STAY IN SPACE?
Author: Jessica Taylor
ISBN: 978-1-4867-2277-8

A BOOK ABOUT HOW SATELLITES WORK

From the How Do? series

by Jessica Taylor ; illustrated by Srimalie Bassani ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 2022

A friendly, enlightening text for future scientists or anyone curious about space.

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An out-of-this-world exploration of how satellites work.

Logically, the book begins with a definition of a satellite, and although there is a glossary, other important science words are clearly explained in context or with relatable comparisons, such as referring to a rocket with payloads as a bus with passengers. Taylor uses a question-and-answer format, and though some pages are packed with information, they’re made more accessible by humorous text (“How do satellites get into space? Do scientists use a giant slingshot to launch them into the sky?”) and playful cartoons that include speech-bubble comments by spacewalking astronauts, satellites, and a flamingo floatie in space and plenty of interesting diagrams and fun factoid inserts. The text concludes with a section on relevant STEM careers and photos of scientists at work. Variations in format and color—the deep blues of the sky and space are replaced with a more neutral palette for scenes set in a lab and at testing sites—make page turns a treat. Although humor also leads to unrealistic illustrations of workers repairing satellites in space without protective clothing and clean-room suits, also called bunny suits, shown with rabbit ears, this is a solid introduction to satellites. People depicted in both the photographs and the illustrations are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A friendly, enlightening text for future scientists or anyone curious about space. (Informational picture book. 7-10)

Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-4867-2277-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Flowerpot Press

Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
HOW DO YOU BECOME AN OLYMPIAN?
by Madeleine Kelly ; illustrated by Srimalie Bassani

- BOOK REVIEW
HOW DO SCIENTISTS ASK QUESTIONS?
by Madeline J. Hayes ; illustrated by Srimalie Bassani

- BOOK REVIEW
HOW DO BIRDS SING A DUET?
by Clayton Grider ; illustrated by Srimalie Bassani

- BOOK REVIEW
WHO WE WERE IN THE DARK
by Jessica Taylor

- BOOK REVIEW
A MAP FOR WRECKED GIRLS
by Jessica Taylor

- BOOK REVIEW
WANDERING WILD
by Jessica Taylor

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1001 BEES

by Joanna Rzezak ; illustrated by Joanna Rzezak ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 18, 2021

Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
1001 BIRDS
by Joanna Rzezak ; illustrated by Joanna Rzezak

- BOOK REVIEW
1001 ANTS
by Joanna Rzezak ; illustrated by Joanna Rzezak

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I AM GRAVITY

by Henry Herz ; illustrated by Mercè López ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2024

An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.

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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)