More than informative, this ecological adventure calls for action.
From microscopic organisms to apex predators, all life relies on Earth’s rich resources.
In this scientific exploration of the world, Ignotofsky (Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win, 2017, etc.) shows how living things interact with one another. The first part of the book covers concepts such as ecological organization, preparing readers to embark on an adventure from continent to continent. Every continent features a selection of specific ecosystems—North America’s redwood forests and mangrove swamps, for example—and highlights how each one benefits the world at large as well as what threats they face from human influence. After the world tour, Ignotofsky moves on to the cycles of nature and how humans interact with the environment. Although the book stresses the serious threats the environment faces, the tone encourages further education and action to help slow the destruction caused by climate change. Labeled, full-page illustrations sit side by side with the text, inviting readers to stop and explore. Diverse humans appear throughout the book, but while only showing up in a single instance, the depiction of a Native American scientist looks stereotypical despite the lab coat due to a long black braid; furthermore, what could be seen as a stylized cheekbone might well strike other readers as war paint. The text is divided into sections that make the book an accessible learning tool. Even with the distinct sections, however, Ignotofsky always returns to the larger theme of a connected world.
More than informative, this ecological adventure calls for action. (glossary, sources, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-399-58041-3
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-05921-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
This glossy, colorful title in the “I Want To Be” series has visual appeal but poor organization and a fuzzy focus, which limits its usefulness. Each double-paged layout introduces a new topic with six to eight full-color photographs and a single column of text. Topics include types of environmentalists, eco-issues, waste renewal, education, High School of Environmental Studies, environmental vocabulary, history of environmentalism, famous environmentalists, and the return of the eagle. Often the photographs have little to do with the text or are marginal to the topic. For example, a typical layout called “Some Alternative Solutions” has five snapshots superimposed on a double-page photograph of a California wind farm. The text discusses ways to develop alternative forms of energy and “encourage environmentally friendly lifestyles.” Photos include “a healer who treats a patient with alternative therapy using sound and massage,” and “the Castle,” a house built of “used tires and aluminum cans.” Elsewhere, “Did You Know . . . ” shows a dramatic photo of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but the text provides odd facts such as “ . . . that in Saudi Arabia there are solar-powered pay phones in the desert?” Some sections seem stuck in, a two-page piece on the effects of “El Niño” or 50 postage-stamp–sized photos of endangered species. The author concludes with places to write for more information and a list of photo credits. Pretty, but little here to warrant purchase. (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-15-201862-X
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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