Entomology looks enticing in this collection of crawlies.
From delicate dragonflies to poop-policing dung beetles, bugs are amazing.
The title of zoologist Rafik’s book points to humans’ unfortunately common tendency to react with disgust to creepy-crawlies. But this introduction to some compelling critters will have readers rethinking their assumptions. The more than 40 creatures featured are grouped into categories such as “Masters of Disguise” and “Daring Defense.” Some will be familiar, but many, like the owl butterfly, jewel beetle, giraffe weevil, volcano snail, diabolical ironclad beetle, pinktoe tarantula, and web-slinging wasp, are likely to be new to readers. Rafik’s goal of making bugs seem less gross might fail when it comes to the tongue-eating louse (luckily a hazard only to fish) or the devious and aptly named assassin bugs, which use their long, sharp mouths to “stab their prey and suck out their insides.” (Though they’re dangerous to creatures such as ants, they’re essential to ecosystems.) The text is deeply informative; Rafik flavors his facts with fascinating tidbits (e.g., bugs predate dinosaurs) and colloquial expressions (“Yummy!”). Text in a large font introduces each insect, while text in a smaller font text packs in additional data, including definitions. In the accurately detailed, watercolorlike art, these critters come off as mild and personable rather than scary.
Entomology looks enticing in this collection of crawlies. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9780711293441
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Words & Pictures
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
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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