A slim, glossy discussion of endangered species that lacks the scientific precision and adequate documentation to be effective. After opening with the 16th- and 17th-century obliteration of the dodo population, the authors cover the methods that saved the black-footed ferret from extinction; this century's conversion of zoos to nature parks; captive breeding programs; computerized matching and interbreeding in zoos around the world to maximize gene diversity; the freezing of sperm, eggs, and embryos for later implantation; and educational efforts around the world. The text falls prey to oversimplifications and teleology: ``They [scientists] suggest that deadly new epidemics such as AIDS may be nature's reaction to human overpopulation and the resulting upset of the balance of nature.'' (Was the Black Plague nature's reaction to overpopulation in the Middle Ages?) The statements are not attributed or documented; phrases such as ``they suggest'' are too vague. Elsewhere, the authors state, ``Large mammals are called keystone species,'' when a more accurate definition (by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, in Biodiversity, p. 1472) is ``a species that plays a crucial role in creating habitat for other living things.'' A discussion of inbreeding links science and social taboos: ``Most human societies prohibit brother-to-sister and cousin-to-cousin marriages. Long ago, people noticed that the youngsters of such pairings were more likely than others to suffer from various physical disorders.'' With attractive full-color photographs, the book is visually appealing, but many worthy facts founder in faulty contexts. (glossary, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Dec. 26, 1996
ISBN: 0-8225-2856-8
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Lerner
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
A 10-year old girl learns to adjust to a strange town, makes some fascinating friends, and fills the empty space in her heart thanks to a big old stray dog in this lyrical, moving, and enchanting book by a fresh new voice. India Opal’s mama left when she was only three, and her father, “the preacher,” is absorbed in his own loss and in the work of his new ministry at the Open-Arms Baptist Church of Naomi [Florida]. Enter Winn-Dixie, a dog who “looked like a big piece of old brown carpet that had been left out in the rain.” But, this dog had a grin “so big that it made him sneeze.” And, as Opal says, “It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor.” Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal meets Miss Franny Block, an elderly lady whose papa built her a library of her own when she was just a little girl and she’s been the librarian ever since. Then, there’s nearly blind Gloria Dump, who hangs the empty bottle wreckage of her past from the mistake tree in her back yard. And, Otis, oh yes, Otis, whose music charms the gerbils, rabbits, snakes and lizards he’s let out of their cages in the pet store. Brush strokes of magical realism elevate this beyond a simple story of friendship to a well-crafted tale of community and fellowship, of sweetness, sorrow and hope. And, it’s funny, too. A real gem. (Fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0776-2
Page Count: 182
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2000
SEEN & HEARD
Entrancing and uplifting.
A small dog, the elderly woman who owns him, and a homeless girl come together to create a tale of serendipity.
Piper, almost 12, her parents, and her younger brother are at the bottom of a long slide toward homelessness. Finally in a family shelter, Piper finds that her newfound safety gives her the opportunity to reach out to someone who needs help even more. Jewel, mentally ill, lives in the park with her dog, Baby. Unwilling to leave her pet, and forbidden to enter the shelter with him, she struggles with the winter weather. Ree, also homeless and with a large dog, helps when she can, but after Jewel gets sick and is hospitalized, Baby’s taken to the animal shelter, and Ree can’t manage the complex issues alone. It’s Piper, using her best investigative skills, who figures out Jewel’s backstory. Still, she needs all the help of the shelter Firefly Girls troop that she joins to achieve her accomplishment: to raise enough money to provide Jewel and Baby with a secure, hopeful future and, maybe, with their kindness, to inspire a happier story for Ree. Told in the authentic alternating voices of loving child and loyal dog, this tale could easily slump into a syrupy melodrama, but Pyron lets her well-drawn characters earn their believable happy ending, step by challenging step, by reaching out and working together. Piper, her family, and Jewel present white; Pyron uses hair and naming convention, respectively, to cue Ree as black and Piper’s friend Gabriela as Latinx.
Entrancing and uplifting. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-283922-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
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