A limited but lively once-over for young dinophiles.
The resident expert of PBS Kids’ Dinosaur Train explains what fossil hunters do and study.
Sampson’s animated descriptions of where fossils are found, how paleontologists dig them up and transport them to museums for reconstruction and research, and what can be learned about dino diets and prehistoric habitats from teeth or other features offer a simplified but enticing view of the work and some of its rewards. Though the author leaves out any direct mention of the academic training that professional paleontologists must undergo, he mentions several techniques and activities that won’t be beyond even younger amateurs—and also touts the general value of getting outdoors and “playing in nature.” Children with a modicum of familiarity with the subject will find the exclamation mark–strewn text patronizing, and they will yawn at the hyped revelation at the end that turns out to be the less-than-fresh news that birds are dino descendants. The enthusiastic text is accompanied by photos of scientists (all apparently white, nearly all male) at work in field and lab, with occasional portraits of fleshed-out dinosaurs in prehistoric settings to crank up the drama.
A limited but lively once-over for young dinophiles. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2728-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Review Posted Online: March 5, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2017
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the...
Using science and technology, third-grader Ada Lace kicks off her new series by solving a mystery even with her leg in a cast.
Temporarily housebound after a badly executed bungee jump, Ada uses binoculars to document the ecosystem of her new neighborhood in San Francisco. She records her observations in a field journal, a project that intrigues new friend Nina, who lives nearby. When they see that Ms. Reed’s dog, Marguerite, is missing, they leap to the conclusion that it has been stolen. Nina does the legwork and Ada provides the technology for their search for the dognapper. Story-crafting takes a back seat to scene-setting in this series kickoff that introduces the major players. As part of the series formula, science topics and gadgetry are integrated into the stories and further explained in a “Behind the Science” afterword. This installment incorporates drones, a wireless camera, gecko gloves, and the Turing test as well as the concept of an ecosystem. There are no ethnic indicators in the text, but the illustrations reveal that Ada, her family, and bratty neighbor Milton are white; Nina appears to be Southeast Asian; and Mr. Peebles, an inventor who lives nearby, is black.
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8599-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
A launch-pad fizzle.
Flaps and pull-tabs in assorted astro-scenes reveal several wonders of the universe as well as inside glimpses of observatories, rockets, a space suit, and the International Space Station.
Interactive features include a spinnable Milky Way, pop-up launches of Ariane and Soyuz rockets, a solar-system tour, visits to the surfaces of the moon and Mars, and cutaway views beneath long, thin flaps of an international array of launch vehicles. Despite these bells and whistles, this import is far from ready for liftoff. Not only has Antarctica somehow gone missing from the pop-up globe, but Baumann’s commentary (at least in Booker’s translation from the French original) shows more enthusiasm than strict attention to accuracy. Both Mercury and Venus are designated “hottest planet” (right answer: Venus); claims that there is no gravity in space and that black holes are a type of star are at best simplistic; and “we do not know what [other galaxies] actually look like” is nonsensical. Moreover, in a clumsy attempt to diversify the cast on a spread about astronaut training, Latyk gives an (evidently) Asian figure caricatured slit eyes and yellow skin.
A launch-pad fizzle. (Informational pop-up picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 979-1-02760-197-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
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