A dandy demonstration of how vividly information can be presented when numbers and pictures are linked in inventive ways.
Chock-full of ingeniously designed infographics, this quick but memorable comparative survey of the animal kingdom offers fresh insights on nearly every page.
The 26 single-topic spreads range from looks at major classes and phyla to animal senses, records and conservation. Each features a cleanly laid-out mix of graphic-style animal shapes and explanatory captions or introductory hooks (“There are more animals in your bed than in any zoo in the world”). Though some of the images are straight-up illustrations, far more often they are sized, ordered or arranged to reflect adjacent statistics or other measures—as percentages of endangered species, the frog silhouette representing amphibians (41 percent) is nearly twice the size of the mammalian elephant (25 percent), for instance. Some graphics, such as a chart comparing daily food intake and waste production in terms of body weight, are as droll as they are informative (picture, if you can, a blue whale and an elephant sitting on toilets). Others convey multilayered messages, such as the six animals (none, pointedly, human) perching atop bars that resemble pedestals in a chart of average time males devote to child care.
A dandy demonstration of how vividly information can be presented when numbers and pictures are linked in inventive ways. (index, further reading) (Nonfiction. 8-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7534-6887-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Kingfisher
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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
What happens to the dogs when dogfighting rings are broken up and the trials are over? Typically, the dogs are put to sleep, thought to be too dangerous to re-enter society. Because of the wide publicity of the Michael Vick case, animal activists were able to work to rescue all but one of his dogs; this is the story of one that survived. The little black pit bull puppy, later named after World War II hero Audie Murphy, thrives in his foster home. Soon he goes to live with a family that wants to train him for agility competitions. Audie needs surgery on his bad knees though, so not only does he still need to learn how to be a safe and social dog, he also has to recover from an operation. Audie goes through Canine Good Citizen classes and does so well he eventually helps train other dogs. He also excels in his agility training once his knees have healed. Color photographs chronicling Audie’s journey are placed on vibrantly colored pages; Muñoz captures the dog’s personality in frame after frame. Patent's text is straightforward, expertly providing just the right level of background and choosing kid-friendly details to illustrate Audie's experiences. Ample backmatter provides further background and resources. Audie’s inspirational story is a case study in rehabilitation, one sure to appeal to animal loving children. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8027-2272-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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