Sweet, artfully conjured, and likely to elicit strong reactions on several levels.
In this reconstruction of a historical incident, a captive polar bear travels from the frozen north to a menagerie on the Thames.
Building on scanty records of a gift sent from Haakon IV of Norway to Henry III of England in the 13th century, Fletcher focuses less on such specifics as how the bear was captured or kept under control (while, apparently, being allowed to dive at will into the Thames for fish!) and more on how it might have felt to be snatched from the icy waters of her native clime, transported on a ship, and caged among other captive animals in the Tower of London. In compositions that generally echo those of medieval manuscript pages, Green likewise takes an anthropomorphic slant on the tale—skipping fussy realism (the visuals don’t depict, for instance, how the bear was caught) but explaining in a note that she wanted to capture the bear’s feelings at each stage of the journey and depicting her looking angry, confused, and, in a final dive into cold (albeit fresh) waters, smiling in relief from a sense of being home. Is this a story about the mistreatment of animals? Yes, in part…but its evocation of the emotional effects of being displaced and taken across the sea to a “strange and loud and lonely” world may carry more immediate resonance to young audiences encountering similar experiences. The author separates fact from fancy at the end, allowing that the bear’s gender and even species are speculations, and closes with quick histories of the Tower of London and the menagerie. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sweet, artfully conjured, and likely to elicit strong reactions on several levels. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-18189-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Anne Schwartz/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
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
A lighthearted first look at an increasingly useful skill.
Grown-ups may not be the only audience for this simple explanation of how algorithms work.
Taking a confused-looking hipster parent firmly in hand, a child first points to all the computers around the house (“Pro Tip: When dealing with grown-ups, don’t jump into the complicated stuff too fast. Start with something they already know”). Next, the child leads the adult outside to make and follow step-by-step directions for getting to the park, deciding which playground equipment to use, and finally walking home. Along the way, concepts like conditionals and variables come into play in street maps and diagrams, and a literal bug stands in for the sort that programmers will inevitably need to find and solve. The lesson culminates in an actual sample of very simple code with labels that unpack each instruction…plus a pop quiz to lay out a decision tree for crossing the street, because if “your grown-up can explain it, that shows they understand it!” That goes for kids, too—and though Spiro doesn’t take the logical next step and furnish leads to actual manuals, young (and not so young) fledgling coders will find plenty of good ones around, such as Get Coding! (2017), published by Candlewick, or Rachel Ziter’s Coding From Scratch (2018).
A lighthearted first look at an increasingly useful skill. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781623543181
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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