A true story of a baby tiger’s brush with death from starvation is an opportunity for learning about graphs. T.J., a Siberian Tiger born at the Denver Zoo, stopped eating after the sudden death of his mother. The staff tried offering all sorts of tempting food to whet his appetite, but he refused everything. After five days, they had no choice but to force-feed him by putting food at the back of his tongue and using a stick to push the meat in. After 11 days, the cub began to eat and now is larger than his father. T.J.’s story is written on the right-hand pages of the book and the graphs and their explanations are on the left. The reader can read the complete story without referring to the left-hand pages that contain the graphs and the additional text that explains them. Different kinds of graphs track a variety of data. A bar graph measures how much meat T.J. ate each day. A line graph shows T.J.’s weight loss. A picture graph compares tigers in the wild, and a circle graph shows the same information in another form. Interesting photographs taken at the Denver Zoo detail every aspect of the story. They show T.J. as a three-pound cub with his mother. When he needs hospitalization, they show how he is force-fed. As he recovers, photos show him playing with zoo staff, and finally as an adult sitting in his pool at ZooMontana. A delightful way to learn math. (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-8050-6248-3
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2000
For shark fanciers, a look at a Los Angeles Natural History Museum exhibit, Sharks: Fact and Fantasy. Now touring the country, it includes models of large and small sharks, many of them swimming in simulated undersea settings. The text follows a group of young museum-goers as they examine shark teeth, fossil sharks, sharks in art, and a living shark embryo; shark anatomy, special adaptations, types of sharks, and some shark facts are also included. Photos are clear, colorful and engaging. Not comprehensive, but an attractive added purchase. Pronunciation guide; additional reading; index. (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 23, 1991
ISBN: 0-395-57560-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An entry in The New Explorers books, adapted from the PBS series of the same name. The television techniques of overly dramatic prose, tightly framed images, and quick cut-away discussions do not translate well into print. There are too few details given on the contemporary scientists who are mentioned, and too little context provided for their work in animal intelligence, brain size, languages, etc. A busy format includes marginal full-color photographs from the programs, colored captions, pull-quotes, and borders; readers may be dazzled, but they won't come away with integrated information. (glossary, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1997
ISBN: 1-56711-226-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1997
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