Paddle past this one; hike instead.
A guide to canoeing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding for kids.
The emphasis on fun in the subtitle says a lot about how useful this guide will be to newbie paddlers. The opening sets up a first-world versus third-world dichotomy that may seem patronizing. While the guide does solidly cover the parts and uses of each watercraft, the descriptions are wishy-washy, and the pictures don’t always match. For example, “A kayak has a deck that covers the top of the boat” appears opposite a photo of two children on sit-on-top kayaks. Some advice offered here is solid, including using dry bags for gear, cleaning boats of all water plants, and wearing PFDs. Some is superficial: Several paddling strokes are mentioned, but only one is shown. And some is not good. A float plan is important, but taping it to a car window might lead to theft, and packing nose plugs in case of capsizing suggests that paddlers will have time to don them before tipping over. Companion guide Hiking is the stronger title that will provide readers with the knowledge they need to truly get out in the wild. Recommendations about clothing, shoes, and gear are balanced with reality: “If sneakers are all you’ve got, go for it.” Other excellent advice includes not relying on a cellphone, drinking only water from home (nothing is said about found berries and plants), and using trail etiquette. Both books include ideas for places to hike and paddle, emphasizing state and national parks. Neither teaches kids anything about using the embedded compass (“Take a class!”), exposing it as a mere gimmick.
Paddle past this one; hike instead. (table of contents, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 15, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-63322-530-5
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Walter Foster Jr.
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both.
Flash, Batman, and other characters from the DC Comics universe tackle supervillains and STEM-related topics and sometimes, both.
Credited to 20 writers and illustrators in various combinations, the 10 episodes invite readers to tag along as Mera and Aquaman visit oceanic zones from epipelagic to hadalpelagic; Supergirl helps a young scholar pick a science-project topic by taking her on a tour of the solar system; and Swamp Thing lends Poison Ivy a hand to describe how DNA works (later joining Swamp Kid to scuttle a climate-altering scheme by Arcane). In other episodes, various costumed creations explain the ins and outs of diverse large- and small-scale phenomena, including electricity, atomic structure, forensic techniques, 3-D printing, and the lactate threshold. Presumably on the supposition that the characters will be more familiar to readers than the science, the minilectures tend to start from simple basics, but the figures are mostly both redrawn to look more childlike than in the comics and identified only in passing. Drawing styles and page designs differ from chapter to chapter but not enough to interrupt overall visual unity and flow—and the cast is sufficiently diverse to include roles for superheroes (and villains) of color like Cyborg, Kid Flash, and the Latina Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz. Appended lists of websites and science-based YouTube channels, plus instructions for homespun activities related to each episode, point inspired STEM-winders toward further discoveries.
Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both. (Graphic nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77950-382-4
Page Count: 160
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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