A genial, if overly ambitious, catalog of…some stuff.
A wide-angled view of matter—what it is, and some of the things we make with it.
Tomecek begins with pithy overviews of such basics as atomic structure, elements, and electricity before recapping watershed events in our planet’s history from the Big Bang to the successive appearances of rocks, water, air, dirt, and life (“The Coolest Feat”). From there, it’s on to a history of technology, with nods to a handful of crucial inventions such as cooking, clothing, paper (“The Write Stuff”), disinfectants, and modern audio equipment. When it comes to the chemistry of soap, cell biology, and some of Tomecek’s other “favorite” things (as he puts it), he takes relatively deep dives into the finer details. More often, though, he makes do with superficial once-overs—particularly in a final chapter headed “Problems With Stuff,” where he offers glib solutions to issues with microplastics, nuclear waste, and sustainability. Still, rather than pretend to offer a systematic treatise, he invites readers to dive in where they will and folds in frequent cross-references to give his arbitrary entries at least a semblance of linkage. A racially diverse cast of humans figure prominently in the mix of stock photos and cartoon diagrams and spot art.
A genial, if overly ambitious, catalog of…some stuff. (glossary, note on the research, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 7-10)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781804661420
Page Count: 128
Publisher: What on Earth Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
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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