A serviceable science text for curious and nerdy readers.
The Man of Steel helps kids learn about science.
Superman can fly, see through walls, outrun bullets, and stop runaway trains. His powers may be out-of-this-world, but the science behind each power is rooted in reality. In this science book readers learn about flight, X-rays, speed, strength, and more. The text is broken down into examinations of each power Superman has at his disposal and expands upon it with real-world science. Young readers curious about flight will learn about physics, aerodynamics, the history of humans in flight, etc. Readers interested in Superman’s supervision can read about human and animal eyes, various technological enhancements of sight, and so forth. The information is presented in easily digestible paragraphs that can be read discretely. Small scientists can read about one area or several with ease. The book’s layout is a bit ho-hum, in contrast to its subject. Various shades of blue provide a backdrop for text boxes, unremarkable photographs, and drawings. Images of Superman (seemingly modeled after Bruce Timm’s take on the character from the 1990s cartoon Superman: The Animated Series) pop up here and there, but they don’t interact with or comment on the information presented. There’s no stylistic difference in the design among topics, which makes flipping through the book a bit of a drab chore.
A serviceable science text for curious and nerdy readers. (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62370-702-6
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
The author of The Snake Scientist (not reviewed) takes the reader along on another adventure, this time to the Bay of Bengal, between India and Bangladesh to the Sundarbans Tiger Preserve in search of man-eating tigers. Beware, he cautions, “Your study subject might be trying to eat you!” The first-person narrative is full of helpful warnings: watch out for the estuarine crocodiles, “the most deadly crocodiles in the world” and the nine different kinds of dangerous sharks, and the poisonous sea snakes, more deadly than the cobra. Interspersed are stories of the people who live in and around the tiger preserve, information on the ecology of the mangrove swamp, myths and legends, and true life accounts of man-eating tigers. (Fortunately, these tigers don’t eat women or children.) The author is clearly on the side of the tigers as she states: “Even if you added up all the people that sick tigers were forced to eat, you wouldn’t get close to the number of tigers killed by people.” She introduces ideas as to why Sundarbans tigers eat so many people, including the theory, “When they attack people, perhaps they are trying to protect the land that they own. And maybe, as the ancient legend says, the tiger really is watching over the forest—for everyone’s benefit.” There are color photographs on every page, showing the landscape, people, and a variety of animals encountered, though glimpses of the tigers are fleeting. The author concludes with some statistics on tigers, information on organizations working to protect them, and a brief bibliography and index. The dramatic cover photo of the tiger will attract readers, and the lively prose will keep them engaged. An appealing science adventure. (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-618-07704-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This sophisticated contender in the graphic nonfiction market opens with “The Story So Far,” setting the stage for the events that led to the bloody Civil War battle at Gettysburg. Clearly defined art and sharply delineated panels portray all of the horrors of battle: the numerous casualties, both human and animal, the impromptu and severely unhygienic operating rooms and the impact that this event had on those who lived there. A vast cast of characters—an even and improbable dozen—introduced early on does little to help readers follow the action. Rather, this feature obfuscates things, as many of the men have similar looks, varying only slightly in their coiffed hair or a hat and a mustache. It shines in its closing pages, compressing Edward Everett’s two-hour speech into a few panels and giving Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address a good 20 pages to make itself felt. Undoubtedly smarter and more astute than many of its graphic-nonfiction counterparts, this book should speak to those seeking a visual account. (map, author’s notes; footnotes, bibliography, not seen) (Graphic nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-156176-4
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Bowen Press/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
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