by Amy Goldman Koss & illustrated by Laura J. Bryant ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002
Fourteen “mysteries” of science are answered with lighthearted but informative rhyming poems in this upper-level easy reader first published in 1988, but freshened with new illustrations. The title poem explains that fish are still there under the ice in winter, with slower swimming, breathing, and heart rates, “And except for occasional / Lake bottom treats, / The whole winter long / The fish hardly eats.” Other poems explain why popcorn pops, how birds fly, how cats purr, why leaves change colors, and why we see a man in the moon, among other mysteries. It’s quite a feat to clarify scientific concepts succinctly for young children, but even more difficult to explain things in rhyme with a dash of humor, and Koss (Stolen Words, 2001, etc.) handles the challenge well. Several of the poems present information that will be intriguing to kids (and news to most adults): snakes shed the clear skin over their eyes along with the rest of their skin, and spiders don’t stick to their own webs because they know which strands are dry and which are sticky. The illustrations add to the humorous flair of the poetry, with buggy-eyed fish, cuddly cats, and a mysterious man in the moon. This collection will be a welcome addition to any easy-reader collection or to the classroom science shelves, and teachers will find the individual poems useful for adding a literature component to science class. (Easy reader. 6-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-8037-2704-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2002
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by Buzz Aldrin & illustrated by Wendell Minor ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2005
In first-person voice, Aldrin highlights points from his childhood that led to his dream of being an astronaut and making the historic moon landing. Coincidental details like his mother’s maiden name, “Moon,” and his favorite movie hero, the “Lone Ranger,” suggest clues to his destiny. After West Point, he joined the Air Force because “he wanted to fly more than anything.” Minor’s usual beautiful and realistic illustrations effectively convey spatial perspectives and movement, adding depth to the narrative. However, the cover design and type layout are confusing, indicative of a biography instead of an autobiography—a brief intro could have clarified it. Aldrin’s message in an author’s note avows, “If you set your sights high, you may accomplish more than you ever dreamed.” Pair this with Don Brown’s One Giant Step for a child’s-eye view on space exploration. (Flight/space exploration chronology) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-055445-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2005
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by Buzz Aldrin & Marianne Dyson ; illustrated by Bruce Foster
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by Buzz Aldrin and illustrated by Wendell Minor
by Michael Tyler & illustrated by David Lee Csicsko ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2005
An earnest but energetic tribute to diversity, done up with postmodern arrays of smiling, stylized, lozenge-headed children paired to a rollicking celebration of: “Your coffee and cream skin, / your warm cocoa dream skin . . . / Your chocolate chip, double dip sundae supreme skin! / Your marshmallow treat skin, / your spun sugar sweet skin . . . / your cherry topped, candy dropped, frosting complete skin.” Tyler also urges readers to think about the commonality of “The skin that you laugh in; / the skin that you cry in; / the skin that you look to / the sky and ask, ‘Why?’ in.” Though he changes his tone and plies a verbal mallet to drive his point home in the last several verses, the earlier wordplay more than compensates—while glimpses of one child in a wheelchair, and another held by a biracial couple, expand the general theme to encompass more than skin color alone. A sonically playful, if just a bit overlong, alternative to Sheila Hamanaka’s All the Colors of the Earth (1994). (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-9759580-0-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chicago Children’s Museum/IPG
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2005
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by Linsey Davis & Michael Tyler ; illustrated by Lucy Fleming
BOOK REVIEW
by Linsey Davis & Michael Tyler ; illustrated by Lucy Fleming
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