This engaging history of the bicycle is sure to pique young riders’ interest while it enriches their knowledge.
A concise, inclusive history of the evolution of the bicycle.
The bicycle, the story begins, may have been invented because of a volcanic eruption in Indonesia in 1815. The ash that spewed into the atmosphere changed the weather worldwide; crops didn’t grow, and it cost so much to feed their horses that people gave them up—and the only other option for getting around was walking. In Germany, Karl Drais invented a two-wheeled “running machine” that was pushed along by its rider’s feet (no pedals), and from this idea, the germ of today’s bicycle was formed. It took several other innovations, developed in different countries, to perfect a bicycle that was easy to ride and safe. The multicountry perspective (Germany, England, France, America, Ireland, and China are all mentioned) is a refreshing angle; also welcome is the information on ways bicycles were and are used, their efficiency, and the etymology of bicycle names and terms. The illustrations are full color, mostly double-page spreads, and are notable for their well-thought-out design placement that allows one picture to effectively illustrate the different texts on the verso and recto pages. Racially diverse people, a person in a wheelchair (mounted on a bike pedaled by another person), a person using an arm-pedaled bike, and a recumbent cyclist are included in the illustrations. Simultaneously publishing in the Eureka! The Biography of an Idea series are companion titles Camera, by Laura Driscoll and illustrated by Hector Borlasca; Glasses, by Houran and illustrated by John Joven; and Light Bulb, by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld and illustrated by Stephanie Dehennin. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This engaging history of the bicycle is sure to pique young riders’ interest while it enriches their knowledge. (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-63592-393-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
A gleeful game for budding naturalists.
Artfully cropped animal portraits challenge viewers to guess which end they’re seeing.
In what will be a crowd-pleasing and inevitably raucous guessing game, a series of close-up stock photos invite children to call out one of the titular alternatives. A page turn reveals answers and basic facts about each creature backed up by more of the latter in a closing map and table. Some of the posers, like the tail of an okapi or the nose on a proboscis monkey, are easy enough to guess—but the moist nose on a star-nosed mole really does look like an anus, and the false “eyes” on the hind ends of a Cuyaba dwarf frog and a Promethea moth caterpillar will fool many. Better yet, Lavelle saves a kicker for the finale with a glimpse of a small parasitical pearlfish peeking out of a sea cucumber’s rear so that the answer is actually face and butt. “Animal identification can be tricky!” she concludes, noting that many of the features here function as defenses against attack: “In the animal world, sometimes your butt will save your face and your face just might save your butt!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gleeful game for budding naturalists. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781728271170
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.
Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.
Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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