Combining specific but not heavily technical descriptions with plenty of bright, sharply reproduced color photos, this outstanding up-to-the-minute-and-beyond account of our ages-old study of the solar system will sweep readers up in the wonder and excitement of each new discovery. Writing with Joy Hakim–like vigor—“Copernicus decided that Ptolemy’s system was too ridiculously complicated to be true”—Carson opens with ancient views of the heavens’ five “wandering stars.” She closes with a quick-facts “Field Guide to the Solar System” and in between follows the development of early modern astronomy, traces the international space effort decade by decade and finally looks to upcoming space missions planned for the next decade or so. She also introduces scientists of the past and present (asking many of the latter what first sparked their interest in space), and offers nearly two dozen inexpensive projects or activities. By far the most complete, current and evenhanded look at the space program’s successes and failures for younger audiences, this meaty, compelling invitation to explore the high frontier will soar off shelves. (multimedia resource lists, index) (Nonfiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 1-55652-593-1
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201835-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
The Pumpkin Book (32 pp.; $16.95; Sept. 15; 0-8234-1465-5): From seed to vine and blossom to table, Gibbons traces the growth cycle of everyone’s favorite autumn symbol—the pumpkin. Meticulous drawings detail the transformation of tiny seeds to the colorful gourds that appear at roadside stands and stores in the fall. Directions for planting a pumpkin patch, carving a jack-o’-lantern, and drying the seeds give young gardeners the instructions they need to grow and enjoy their own golden globes. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1465-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
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