Engaging and appealing for anyone with an interest in canines.
Dogs perform work with humans in an impressive variety of ways.
Several characteristics of dogs—including their strong senses of smell and hearing, strength, steadfastness, and loyalty—make them particularly adapted to working alongside humans in solving problems or providing protection. This fascinating account starts with a look at the traits of six popular working-dog breeds (German and Australian shepherds, Labrador and golden retrievers, Malinois, husky). Gentle, straightforward spot and full-page illustrations, pleasant and welcoming, create a classic look that will last longer than photographs might. Humans pictured are mostly light-skinned, though some people of color appear. The clear, simple, colorful layout and succinct text in this Swiss import, translated from French, offer capsule descriptions of dogs who herd, pull sleds, guard, guide, hunt, rescue, and assist police, followed by slightly less familiar dog jobs: water rescue, truffle hunting (important character trait: This dog “resists temptation” to eat its finds), medical response and therapy, protection from domestic violence (in a program in Spain), and detection of cancer, water leaks, pests, and fire accelerants. Unusual jobs include dogs serving as mayors and retrieving balls for tennis matches. Skills, special vests and equipment, rewards and motivation, and a career trajectory (from puppyhood to retirement) are outlined. Information on working dogs throughout history, mythical canines (Aralezes in Armenian lore, Cerberus from Greek mythology, for instance), and a few famous dogs fill out this comprehensive introduction.
Engaging and appealing for anyone with an interest in canines. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-3-907293-71-3
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Helvetiq
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
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
Pretty but insubstantial.
Zommer surveys various bird species from around the world in this oversized (almost 14 inches tall tall) volume.
While exuberantly presented, the information is not uniformly expressed from bird to bird, which in the best cases will lead readers to seek out additional information and in the worst cases will lead to frustration. For example, on spreads that feature multiple species, the birds are not labeled. This happens again later when the author presents facts about eggs: Readers learn about camouflaged eggs, but the specific eggs are not identified, making further study extremely difficult. Other facts are misleading: A spread on “city birds” informs readers that “peregrine falcons nest on skyscrapers in New York City”—but they also nest in other large cities. In a sexist note, a peahen is identified as “unlucky” because she “has drab brown feathers” instead of flashy ones like the peacock’s. Illustrations are colorful and mostly identifiable but stylized; Zommer depicts his birds with both eyes visible at all times, even when the bird is in profile. The primary audience for the book appears to be British, as some spreads focus on European birds over their North American counterparts, such as the mute swan versus the trumpeter swan and the European robin versus the American robin. The backmatter, a seven-word glossary and an index, doesn’t provide readers with much support.
Pretty but insubstantial. (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-500-65151-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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