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
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information.
Two youngsters embark on a journey peppered with history, trivia, and skits while teaching money lessons.
Meet Mellody and John, the young stars of this currency showcase. Their very first dialogue offers a taste of the intriguing information to come, from the ancient Mayans’ use of cacao beans as payment to the origins of the piggy bank. The book offers a chronologically and geographically broad timeline of the history of money, encompassing the past 3.9 billion years (starting with meteorite crashes that scattered metals—“the very first bank deposit”) and referencing practices across five continents. Readers will find themselves eagerly sharing the facts gleaned here, including the centuries-old origins of terms and expressions still used today. Mellody and John’s fun banter crucially reflects their experiences with money, such as their families’ differing attitudes toward allowances. Both are savers as well as givers, sharing stories about giving to charity. In one especially entertaining section, a cat and a bunny converse in money-related catchphrases that are separately defined at the bottom of each page. Stevens’ watercolors are appropriately realistic and appealing, whether depicting Mellody’s pretend bank or Elizabeth II’s butler ironing a 10-pound note. Messages about money’s use as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself, ensure that readers will think about their own purposes for their savings. Mellody and John are Black.
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781536224719
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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
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