Visually striking but not so rich in the story department (Picture book. 4-7)
The unlikely trio from Earth Space Moon Base (2014) now has a mystery to solve—this time in the dark depths under the sea.
The water has lost its light, and it is up to Robot, Monkey, and Deep-Sea Diver (formerly Astronaut; a person of many talents) to find out why. They plunge down deep in their submarine, the Guppy. Amid the shadowy black, purple, and cool blue hues they spy a slimy green trail. The best course of action is to follow it. This world is much more cluttered than the lunar landscape of the previous adventure; the sea teems with sharks, jellyfish, crabs, and large, swaying tentacles—in a nod to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea—from an attacking squid. A new creature lurks behind every shadow. “Beyond the ancient ruins / buried deep among the weeds, / the slimy trail comes to an end. / But where does it all lead?” The mystery is revealed: millions of starfish are trapped inside a large (and slightly terrifying) eel. The team keeps its cool and figures out a solution—of the gastrointestinal variety. Happily, the sea is illuminated once again, and the palette brightens in a celebratory conclusion. A sense of urgency never really develops, however; the delightfully creepy sea creatures keep the pages turning, not the meandering plot.
Visually striking but not so rich in the story department (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37313-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
A solid, small step for diversifying STEM stories.
What does Annie want to be?
As career day approaches, Annie wants to keep her job choice secret until her family sees her presentation at school. Readers will figure it out, however, through the title and clues Tadgell incorporates into the illustrations. Family members make guesses about her ambitions that are tied to their own passions, although her brother watches as she completes her costume in a bedroom with a Mae Jemison poster, starry décor, and a telescope. There’s a celebratory mood at the culminating presentation, where Annie says she wants to “soar high through the air” like her basketball-playing mother, “explore faraway places” like her hiker dad, and “be brave and bold” like her baker grandmother (this feels forced, but oven mitts are part of her astronaut costume) so “the whole world will hear my exciting stories” like her reporter grandfather. Annie jumps off a chair to “BLAST OFF” in a small illustration superimposed on a larger picture depicting her floating in space with a reddish ground below. It’s unclear if Annie imagines this scene or if it’s her future-self exploring Mars, but either scenario fits the aspirational story. Backmatter provides further reading suggestions and information about the moon and four women astronauts, one of whom is Jemison. Annie and her family are all black.
A solid, small step for diversifying STEM stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-88448-523-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
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