Complex information sensibly organized and beautifully presented.
From egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult, learn about lepidoptera.
The creator of What’s Inside a Flower (2021) returns with equally engaging answers to readers’ questions about caterpillars, moths, and butterflies. What’s particularly attractive about this invitation to look more closely at the natural world are Ignotofsky’s signature graphics, stylized illustrations with flat colors and intricate details. Carefully organized information is arranged in short bits against a background of informative images. Many pages could easily be stand-alone posters. Varied page design helps with the organization and makes the whole more absorbing. Ignotofsky labels nearly every one of the over 80 species pictured as caterpillars, pupae, or adults, with the common name in tiny but legible uppercase lettering. These pages deserve to be pored over. To begin, the author/illustrator explains the stages of a caterpillar’s life and the transformation we call metamorphosis. What may astonish young readers most is the answer to the title question: Inside the cocoon or chrysalis, a caterpillar’s body becomes “soup-like,” turning into “a brand-new body…with wings, big eyes, and a different mouth.” Ignotofsky goes on to describe the physical details and behavior of the adults that emerge. She concludes by noting how important these insects are as pollinators and encouraging her readers to help protect them. Racially diverse humans appear in a few scenes. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Complex information sensibly organized and beautifully presented. (sources and resources) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593176573
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Another playful imagination-stretcher.
Markle invites children to picture themselves living in the homes of 11 wild animals.
As in previous entries in the series, McWilliam’s illustrations of a diverse cast of young people fancifully imitating wild creatures are paired with close-up photos of each animal in a like natural setting. The left side of one spread includes a photo of a black bear nestling in a cozy winter den, while the right side features an image of a human one cuddled up with a bear. On another spread, opposite a photo of honeybees tending to newly hatched offspring, a human “larva” lounges at ease in a honeycomb cell, game controller in hand, as insect attendants dish up goodies. A child with an eye patch reclines on an orb weaver spider’s web, while another wearing a head scarf constructs a castle in a subterranean chamber with help from mound-building termites. Markle adds simple remarks about each type of den, nest, or burrow and basic facts about its typical residents, then closes with a reassuring reminder to readers that they don’t have to live as animals do, because they will “always live where people live.” A select gallery of traditional homes, from igloo and yurt to mudhif, follows a final view of the young cast waving from a variety of differently styled windows.
Another playful imagination-stretcher. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781339049052
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.
An introduction to gravity.
The book opens with the most iconic demonstration of gravity, an apple falling. Throughout, Herz tackles both huge concepts—how gravity compresses atoms to form stars and how black holes pull all kinds of matter toward them—and more concrete ones: how gravity allows you to jump up and then come back down to the ground. Gravity narrates in spare yet lyrical verse, explaining how it creates planets and compresses atoms and comparing itself to a hug. “My embrace is tight enough that you don’t float like a balloon, but loose enough that you can run and leap and play.” Gravity personifies itself at times: “I am stubborn—the bigger things are, the harder I pull.” Beautiful illustrations depict swirling planets and black holes alongside racially diverse children playing, running, and jumping, all thanks to gravity. Thorough backmatter discusses how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity and explains Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. While at times Herz’s explanations may be a bit too technical for some readers, burgeoning scientists will be drawn in.
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe. (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: April 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668936849
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
