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
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 intriguing package for curious readers that both celebrates and informs.
Fascinating facts about rivers.
In the vein of the publisher’s Amazing Islands, by Sabrina Weiss and also illustrated by Hyndman (2020), this volume describes freshwater waterways around the world. Opening with a page of general definition, Agnone and Hyndman go on to use more than 100 examples of rivers from around the world to explain topics such as source and flow, what and who can be found in and around rivers, how they’re used, how they’ve been spanned or channeled, threats, and gems, ores, and other treasures. There are plentiful examples of wildlife, human activities, and natural wonders, including caves, waterfalls, ice pancakes—even a river that reverses its flow seasonally. The Colorado, Tigris and Euphrates, Amazon, Yangtze, and Li rivers get chapters of their own. Each big subject is addressed in short, titled paragraphs set on colorful, stylized illustrations on a double-page spread. The layouts are varied, with close-ups and vignettes as well as maps and broad river scenes. There is interesting use of shadow and texture. The people shown are racially diverse. At the center of the book, a foldout map of the continents of the world shows all the rivers described. Sadly, the index doesn’t include them all. The text may be challenging for some readers, but the presentation has plenty of browser appeal. There’s an extensive list of sources, all available on the internet.
An intriguing package for curious readers that both celebrates and informs. (Nonfiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-912920-26-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: What on Earth Books
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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