An incredible, brilliantly told story of persistence, advocacy, and love.
The history of the smallest of Hawai‘i’s eight main islands—and the activists who worked tirelessly to safeguard it.
In an author’s note, Hurley explains that, like many Native Hawaiians, she was taught that Kahoʻolawe was merely a “barren rock.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Though Kahoʻolawe isn’t “as lush as the other Hawaiian islands,” wildlife thrives here, as did the Polynesian wayfinders who settled here years ago. But the arrival of newcomers who often brought with them invasive species—goats brought by Capt. George Vancouver in 1793, for instance—disrupted the environment. When World War II began, the U.S. military took over Kahoʻolawe for target practice; people were kept away. Hawaiian residents were told that the island was suitable only for military testing, but in the 1970s, activists started to advocate for its protection, guided by the principle of aloha ʻāina, or “deep love of the land.” In 1993, the state of Hawai‘i assumed control of the island. Hurley’s robust prose paints a vivid portrait, with each page ending in a brief statement from the island’s point of view. Sidebars offer more in-depth information about island ecology and history, while Orme’s energetic, painterly illustrations fill the page with strikingly rich textures. Together, text and art offer a powerful counternarrative to misconceptions about the island: “The people love Kahoʻolawe. And Kahoʻolawe loves the people.”
An incredible, brilliantly told story of persistence, advocacy, and love. (list of Hawaiian sayings, author’s and illustrator’s notes, photographs, timeline, glossary, ways to help, resources, selected references) (Informational picture book. 7-11)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9798765605011
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: today
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
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
BOOK REVIEW
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
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