This quirky selection shows the lively inner life of a less-than-successful inventor who followed her dreams.
What should you do when a house gets dirty?
An idea began to percolate in Frances Gabe’s mind after she hosed off a jam-spotted kitchen wall. An avowed hater of housework during a time when women were questioning their roles as homemakers, Frances wondered how she could create a house that would clean up after itself. This unusual biography, with chatty text and appealing, retro-styled illustrations, has a distinctive focus; it depicts the development of an idea that—at least so far—has not been embraced. Through innovative thinking, resilience, a feminist sensibility, and a touch of zaniness, Frances—who had only a high school education—did succeed in making a house that washed itself, but despite the attention the house garnered, it was deemed impractical (indoor raincoats and multiple machines were seen as too much). Still, her enthusiasm, purpose, and originality shine through in this gently humorous selection, showing that effort is worthwhile, and besides, “maybe one day a young inventor will figure out how to build on Frances’s ideas—and go out and do something about it.” Frances was white, but the young girl staring determinedly at building blocks opposite this statement is a child of color.
This quirky selection shows the lively inner life of a less-than-successful inventor who followed her dreams. (author’s note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1943147-65-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Innovation Press
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.
Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”
Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
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
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