A solid introduction to some complicated science.
A nighttime hike offers an opportunity to learn more about the moon.
Within the framework of a parent-and-child outing, Wells introduces all kinds of moon-related information: its gravity pulls Earth’s tides; it’s been visited by both crewed and uncrewed missions; a collision between an asteroid and the Earth is thought to have formed the moon. Wells, the author of numerous science-related titles for primary-grade readers, also discusses the reasons why seasons occur, Earth’s metal core and magnetic shield, and tectonic plates as statements of scientific fact. Corrigan’s cheery, animation-style illustrations show a happy, brown-skinned parent and child walking with their dog through the woods to their destination, a beach bonfire where they roast marshmallows. Along the way, there are illustrations of the Earth and moon orbiting the sun, changing moon phases, the asteroid collision, and the tectonic plates of Earth’s crust. In some images, the child reappears, watching Galileo looking at the moon; appropriately suited, the child is seen exploring the moon, too. The science gets a little lost at times: The crescent moon is shown both waxing and waning in the course of the evening walk, and the frozen water molecules found on the moon are signified by a snowflake. While the pictures will appeal to younger children, the vocabulary is challenging; this might work best as a read-aloud by a scientifically literate caregiver. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A solid introduction to some complicated science. (glossary, selected sources) (Informational picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8075-5275-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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