Whooo knew? Owls are awesome.
Everything you always wanted to know about owls, from their peculiar eating habits to their unique vision, hearing, and how they raise a family.
Transcending the usual clichés we all know about owls—“the unforgettable call. The glowing eyes. The fierce beak”—this elegantly designed picture book skillfully reveals the diversity and variety intrinsic to the order. High-quality, detailed photos of a number of different species of owl are thoughtfully juxtaposed with pertinent questions, scientific information, and a cartoon great horned owl who provides humorous “Whooo Knew?” factoids. The power of this fascinating predator really comes across in the superb color photos of owls snatching and swallowing prey, vomiting up pellets, spinning their heads (yes they can do this because they have 14 neck vertebrae!), and engaging in other characteristic behavior. Each double-page spread asks a pertinent question: “What’s for dinner?”; “How do owls hunt?”; “Do owls puke?” (no, they just regurgitate pellets); “Do owls sleep all day?”; “Do owls see in the dark?”; “What good are feathers?”; “What do owl babies do?” Ever wondered what owl tufts are for? (They’re not ears but mood indicators.) There is an environmental message embedded in the book, and a section on building owl-friendly habitat offers suggestions for how readers can help. Backmatter features a brief primer on owl anatomy, instructions on how to dissect an owl pellet, and a glossary. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22.75-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Whooo knew? Owls are awesome. (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4788-6962-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Reycraft Books
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
A refreshing dive past some of our world’s marine wonders.
Denizens of the deep crowd oversized pages in this populous gallery of ocean life.
The finny and tentacled sea creatures drifting or arrowing through Zommer’s teeming watercolor seascapes are generally recognizable, and they are livened rather than distorted by the artist’s tendency to place human eyes on the same side of many faces, Picasso-like. Headers such as “Ink-teresting” or “In for the krill” likewise add a playful tone to the pithy comments on anatomical features or behavioral quirks that accompany the figures (which include, though rarely, a white human diver). The topical spreads begin with an overview of ocean families (“Some are hairy, some have scales, some have fins and some are boneless and brainless!”), go on to introduce select animals in no particular order from sea horses and dragonets to penguins and pufferfish, then close with cautionary remarks on chemical pollution and floating plastic. The author invites readers as they go to find both answers to such questions as “Why does a crab run sideways?” and also a small sardine hidden in some, but not all, of the pictures. For the latter he provides a visual key at the end, followed by a basic glossary.
A refreshing dive past some of our world’s marine wonders. (index) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: June 5, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-500-65119-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An amiable point-counterpoint for budding animal lovers/haters.
Forty-two creatures of ill repute, from scorpions to hyenas, put on their best faces and protest that they’re just misunderstood.
In paired double-page spreads, Corrigan first presents for each animal the case for considering it scary or gross, then, with the page turn, allows it to contradict itself. “I’m creepy and I’m crawly,” a spider supposedly gloats. “I spin webs from my butt and leave them in places where I KNOW you’ll get stuck in them.” In the following spread, the spider points out that “Only half of my kind spin webs, and we really, REALLY don’t want you to get stuck in them!” Along with pointing to roles in the natural order and including many crowd-pleasing references to butts and poop, these counterarguments tend to run along the lines of the rat’s “I’m a fluffy little SWEETIE!” and the toad’s “I am a plump lump of CUTENESS!” Each testimonial is backed up by a box of background information baldly labeled “FACTS.” Readers may find the chorus of smiley faces and claims of adorability unconvincing, but they will at least come away with more nuanced impressions of each creepy-crawly. The humorous cartoon illustrations don’t measure up to the in-your-face photos of Seymour Simon’s classic Animals Nobody Loves (2001), but this gallery of beasties unfairly regarded as “icky and ewwy and downright gross” is considerably broader.
An amiable point-counterpoint for budding animal lovers/haters. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 6-9)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7112-4748-2
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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