Lovers of animals and of animal art alike will pore over both this showcase and its companion.
A detail-obsessed illustrator’s “love letter” to Earth’s wild fauna.
Though the art’s the thing in this outsized album, Rothery supplies relatively copious descriptive and behavioral notes about dozens of meticulously depicted creatures (nearly all, from mosquito to elephant, land dwellers) plus a gallery of feathers and a complex schematic view of an African savanna food web. He also organizes many of his portraits thematically to highlight “hidden” features or relationships, such as camouflage strategies or examples of convergent evolution. Still, rather than straining to be systematic he is plainly following his own interests in choosing subjects—and his instincts are sure ones, as nearly every page turn brings images into view that are at the least always technically accomplished…and very often riveting. These latter include a tiny hermit crab cozily tucked not into a shell but a plastic squeeze-bottle cap, a probably life-size (!) Komodo dragon head, and a tightly bunched herd of zebras filling a full spread to demonstrate how their stripes create a predator-confusing “motion dazzle.” In an aptly named companion volume the artist presents arrays of Sensational Butterflies in, often, larger-than-life glory, with close-ups of significant body parts, range maps and life-cycle charts, and chapters on both moths and the strange, in-between Hedylidae family, also known as “moth-butterflies." Measurements in both of these British imports are metric; a guide to conversions can be found on the copyright page.
Lovers of animals and of animal art alike will pore over both this showcase and its companion. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-13)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-88448-875-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Erupt into applause for this picture book of the first magma-tude.
A deceptively simple, visually appealing, comprehensive explanation of volcanoes.
Gibbons packs an impressive number of facts into this browsable nonfiction picture book. The text begins with the awe of a volcanic eruption: “The ground begins to rumble…ash, hot lava and rock, and gases shoot up into the air.” Diagrams of the Earth’s structural layers—inner and outer core, mantle, and crust—undergird a discussion about why volcanoes occur. Simple maps of the Earth’s seven major tectonic plates show where volcanoes are likeliest to develop. Other spreads with bright, clearly labeled illustrations cover intriguing subtopics: four types of volcanoes and how they erupt; underwater volcanoes; well-known volcanoes and historic volcanic eruptions around the world; how to be safe in the vicinity of a volcano; and the work of scientists studying volcanoes and helping to predict eruptions. A page of eight facts about volcanoes wraps things up. The straightforward, concise prose will be easy for young readers to follow. As always, Gibbons manages to present a great deal of information in a compact form.
Erupt into applause for this picture book of the first magma-tude. (Nonfiction picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4569-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
Simple, encouraging text, charming photographs, straightforward, unpretentious diversity, and adorable animals—what’s not to...
This entry-level early reader/picture book pairs children with farm animals.
Using a simple, effective template—a full-page photograph on the recto page and a bordered spot photo above the text on the verso—Rotner delivers an amiable picture book that presents racially and ethnically diverse kids interacting (mostly in the cuddling department) with the adult and baby animals typically found on a farm. Chickens, chicks, cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, pigs, piglets, cows, and calves are all represented. While a couple of double-page spreads show the larger adult animals—pigs and cows—without a child, most of the rest portray a delighted child hugging a compliant critter. The text, simple and repetitive, changes only the name for the animal depicted in the photo on that spread: “I like the cat”; “I like the piglet.” In this way, reading comprehension for new readers is supported in an enjoyable, appealing way, since the photo of the animal reinforces the new word. It’s hard to go wrong combining cute kids with adorable animals, but special kudos must be given for the very natural way Rotner has included diversity—it’s especially gratifying to see diversity normalized and validated early, at the same time that reading comprehension is taught.
Simple, encouraging text, charming photographs, straightforward, unpretentious diversity, and adorable animals—what’s not to like? (Picture book/early reader. 2-6)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3833-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
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