An elegant introduction to caribou and the language of the people who depend on them.
Follow caribou as they grow in this bilingual English-Inuktitut board book.
Caribou hold enormous economic and traditional significance to the Inuit people, and this board book affirms their vital role in the community. Opening with a vulnerable “nurraq,” or “baby caribou,” the text defines the animal in three terms, first with Inuktitut syllabics, then with the Romanized version of the syllabics, and finally, the English translation of the word. Standing alone against a white background, the lanky baby caribou is gauzy and lightly shaded, a mostly naturalistic animal imbued with a touch of softness. It’s followed by a full-bleed, double-page spread showing mother and baby amid a luminously colored, sweeping boreal landscape. As the book progresses, readers meet six specific iterations of caribou throughout their life spans, such as “nurraviniq,” or “young caribou (male or female),” ending with a “pangniq,” or “bull caribou.” Each stage is accompanied by a handsome introductory portrait and then a tableau set against mountains, grassy meadows, or snowy expanses, demonstrating the Arctic environment’s rugged beauty and diversity. Though no humans appear in this picture dictionary, the respect for both the Inuit language and the caribou itself is abundantly clear, and this book will be useful for native speakers and for those learning about Inuktitut.
An elegant introduction to caribou and the language of the people who depend on them. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77227-280-2
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020
A book about engineering notable mostly for its illustrations of diverse characters. (Board book. 1-3)
Babies and engineers have more in common than you think.
In this book, Alexander highlights the unlikely similarities between babies and engineers. Like engineers, babies ask questions, enjoy building, and learn from their mistakes. Black’s bold, colorful illustrations feature diverse babies and both male- and female-presenting adult characters with a variety of skin tones and hair colors, effectively demonstrating that engineers can be any race or either gender. (Nonbinary models are a little harder to see.) The story ends with a reassurance to the babies in the book that “We believe in you!” presumably implying that any child can be an engineer. The end pages include facts about different kinds of engineers and the basic process used by all engineers in their work. Although the book opens with a rhythmic rhyming couplet, the remaining text lacks the same structure and pattern, making it less entertaining to read. Furthermore, while some of the comparisons between babies and engineers are both clever and apt, others—such as the idea that babies know where to look for answers—are flimsier. The book ends with a text-heavy spread of facts about engineering that, bereft of illustrations, may not hold children’s attention as well as the previous pages. Despite these flaws, on its best pages, the book is visually stimulating, witty, and thoughtful.
A book about engineering notable mostly for its illustrations of diverse characters. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-31223-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Adults looking for an easy entry into this subject will not be disappointed.
This book presents a simplified explanation of the role the atmosphere plays in controlling climate.
The authors present a planet as a ball and its atmosphere as a blanket that envelops the ball. If the blanket is thick, the planet will be hot, as is the case for Venus. If the blanket is thin, the planet is cold, as with Mars. Planet Earth has a blanket that traps “just the right amount of heat.” The authors explain trees, animals, and oceans are part of what makes Earth’s atmosphere “just right.” “But…Uh-oh! People on Earth are changing the blanket!” The book goes on to explain how some human activities are sending “greenhouse gases” into the atmosphere, thus “making the blanket heavier and thicker” and “making Earth feel unwell.” In the case of a planet feeling unwell, what would the symptoms be? Sea-level rises that lead to erosion, flooding, and island loss, along with extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, blizzards, and wildfires. Ending on a constructive note, the authors name a few of the remedies to “help our Earth before it’s too late!” By using the blanket analogy, alongside simple and clear illustrations, this otherwise complex topic becomes very accessible to young children, though caregivers will need to help with the specialized vocabulary.
Adults looking for an easy entry into this subject will not be disappointed. (Board book. 3-4)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4926-8082-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
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