An engaging mix of facts and fancy.
An introduction to the Australian wombat, delivered with humor and occasional interruptions from a snake.
The snake from Cushman’s Animals Go Vroom! (2021) barges in to add to the fun of this collection of facts about wombats. A fairly straightforward exposition, offered in relatively simple sentences, is accompanied by humorous speech-bubble commentary by the wombat, other marsupials, and the snake. (The snake is the only animal not identified in the backmatter, where Cushman has included a variety of other Australian animals, inviting readers to find them in earlier spreads.) These googly-eyed anthropomorphic animals, drawn with pencil and digitally colored, are shown in fanciful day and nighttime scenes. Often there are cutaway views showing these nocturnal burrowers’ underground activities. The narrative begins by defining marsupial and pointing out an important characteristic of wombats—they can be elusive. It also describes where they live; when they’re active; the differences among species; their backward-facing pouches and tiny, nearly helpless babies; diet; physical adaptations including ever growing teeth and an armored backside; burrows; and, most importantly, their poop. Sidebars provide a more detailed definition of a marsupial, a map, a description of a wombat baby’s early life, and information on how their poop becomes cube shaped. This last explanation will probably be the highlight of most readers’ experience—something they won’t forget. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An engaging mix of facts and fancy. (facts about various wombat species, photos, glossary, further reading) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 23, 2023
ISBN: 9780063234437
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on.
Sharpson offers so-fish-ticated readers a heads up about the true terror of the seas.
The title says it all. Our unseen narrator is just fine with other animals: mammals. Reptiles. Even birds. But fish? Don’t trust them! First off, the rules always seem to change with fish. Some live in fresh water; some reside in salt water. Some have gills, while others have lungs. You can never see what they’re up to, since they hang out underwater, and they’re always eating those poor, innocent crabs. Soon, the narrator introduces readers to Jeff, a vacant-eyed yellow fish—but don’t be fooled! Jeff’s “the craftiest fish of all.” All fish are, apparently, hellbent on world domination, the narrator warns. “DON’T TRUST FISH!” Finally, at the tail end, we get a sly glimpse of our unreliable narrator. Readers needn’t be ichthyologists to appreciate Sharpson’s meticulous comic timing. (“Ships always sink at sea. They never sink on land. Isn’t that strange?”) His delightful text, filled to the brim with jokes that read aloud brilliantly, pairs perfectly with Santat’s art, which shifts between extreme realism and goofy hilarity. He also fills the book with his own clever gags (such as an image of Gilligan’s Island’s S.S. Minnow going down and a bottle of sauce labeled “Surly Chik’n Srir’racha’r”).
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9780593616673
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.
Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”
Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
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