Unsubtle empowerment for young environmentalists.
Almost–fourth-grader Cricket and her friends have a second adventure learning about, and helping, wildlife in Waterton (Ospreys in Danger, 2014).
From the start, readers are immersed in Cricket’s life as the daughter of a Canadian wildlife ranger: Dad lets Cricket ride with him to the scene of a “bear jam,” a traffic snarl caused by tourists gaping at a bear. It is close to the migration time of two-toed salamanders, and Cricket learns from a scientist that the creature’s population has been shrinking. Can Cricket and her friends help? The text’s simplicity is on target for beginning readers. Throughout the 10 short chapters—each headed by a sketch of an endearing-looking salamander—didactic conversations and experiences provide facts about bears, cats, deer, orcas, and especially Alberta’s two salamander species. The information is sound, but contrasting attempts at realistic conversation and especially at humor feel forced. The black-and-white pencil art is detailed and attractive, but it confirms the characters’ lack of diversity—faces are white, even in crowd scenes. The fact that the scientist studying the two-toed salamanders is a woman is almost a blow to feminism, since it is Cricket’s brother who figures out an invention to help the struggling creatures and then Cricket and her friends who manage to raise funds for the endeavor. Still, simple, accurate descriptions of specific research methods and of salamander features shine.
Unsubtle empowerment for young environmentalists. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: April 26, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1123-2
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the...
Using science and technology, third-grader Ada Lace kicks off her new series by solving a mystery even with her leg in a cast.
Temporarily housebound after a badly executed bungee jump, Ada uses binoculars to document the ecosystem of her new neighborhood in San Francisco. She records her observations in a field journal, a project that intrigues new friend Nina, who lives nearby. When they see that Ms. Reed’s dog, Marguerite, is missing, they leap to the conclusion that it has been stolen. Nina does the legwork and Ada provides the technology for their search for the dognapper. Story-crafting takes a back seat to scene-setting in this series kickoff that introduces the major players. As part of the series formula, science topics and gadgetry are integrated into the stories and further explained in a “Behind the Science” afterword. This installment incorporates drones, a wireless camera, gecko gloves, and the Turing test as well as the concept of an ecosystem. There are no ethnic indicators in the text, but the illustrations reveal that Ada, her family, and bratty neighbor Milton are white; Nina appears to be Southeast Asian; and Mr. Peebles, an inventor who lives nearby, is black.
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8599-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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