Absolutely fascinating
Even speedy, strong, flexible, and athletic kids are sure to walk away from this humbled by the talent in the animal kingdom.
Indeed, our animal friends can outsqueeze, outstare, outhide, and outjump us all. Think you’d beat a chameleon at hide-and-seek? Think again. They have camouflage on their side, and they also have eyes that can swivel independently. Giraffes would win at basketball, anacondas at wrestling, kangaroos in the long jump, and elephants in weight lifting. An octopus’s flexibility would give it the advantage playing Twister, and who would even dream of playing tag with a porcupine? Backmatter includes a paragraph of further factual information about each featured animal as well as some easter eggs to spy in the illustrations. A final spread offers some activities to challenge kids in each of the STEM areas; in engineering, children might invent something that would give them the advantage. Teachers will love the idea of having students create new pages for the book with their own animal-human match-ups. Evans’ watercolor illustrations are appropriately humorous, and pointedly, none of the kid contestants are poor sports; all appear to be trying their best and having fun. The five children are racially diverse; one wears glasses; all are slim. Pair with Etta Kaner and David Anderson’s And the Winner Is (2013) for further humbling truths.
Absolutely fascinating . (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-58469-651-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dawn Publications
Review Posted Online: May 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An engaging blend of fiction and nonfiction and a nice choice for reluctant readers.
What would it be like to climb a volcano?
Mouse is back, and this time, instead of journeying down to Antarctica, (A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse, 2012), he and his human companion are traveling up to the top of a volcano. Inspired by Viva’s experience climbing Mount Etna and framed as a conversation between a curious, knowledgeable child and an impatient, childlike, pizza-loving mouse, this graphic early reader is replete with gentle humor and memorable images. Beginning with an explanation of some necessary objects a volcano explorer would need, this cheerful selection continues on to provide some basic facts about volcanoes, including plants, trees, and animals that can grow and live along the exterior; some of the sights one might see on a climb; and the characteristics and anatomy of the volcano within. Clear, relatively simple language paired with striking and amusing graphics will draw emerging readers in while well-chosen scientific details provide an appealing introduction to earth science and the world of volcanoes. Add to those draws an entertaining character—if Mouse is lucky, the outing might include both pepperoni pizza and an extra climb up the volcano—and you have a recipe for an enjoyable reading expedition in a very approachable format.
An engaging blend of fiction and nonfiction and a nice choice for reluctant readers. (Graphic informational easy reader. 4-7)Pub Date: May 21, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-943145-36-2
Page Count: 36
Publisher: TOON Books & Graphics
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
Another exploration of nature’s wonders by an author-illustrator pair who delight readers with their examples.
Collage illustrations show camouflaged animals hiding to stay alive.
This latest title by Jenkins and Page show how creatures camouflage themselves in many different environments: coral reefs; trees; flowers; forest floors; Arctic snow; leaves and vines; and rocks. Each double-page spread shows from four to seven creatures (one image shows eggs) hidden in a natural context. On the next spread, thumbnails from the previous page, silhouettes of the creatures showing size relative to a human hand or body, and a short paragraph of explanation of its camouflage techniques accompany clear images of the same creatures. The backmatter includes images of the creatures in the order shown along with a paragraph of further information, usually its size, food or feeding habits, and general location. From the crocodile fish and leafy sea dragons in coral reefs to the Namibian stone grasshopper and the marine iguana of the Galápagos, these interesting animals come from all over the world. Alas, there are no page numbers, and a couple of inaccuracies sneak in: The giant Pacific octopus is depicted as a coral-reef inhabitant when it prefers chillier waters than is typical for coral, and the trumpetfish is incorrectly indicated as inhabiting the eastern Atlantic instead of the western Atlantic. Jenkins’ torn- and cut-paper collages show remarkable artistry, and he is not the first to demonstrate this concept through artistic tools and techniques, but photographs (such as Dwight Kuhn’s in David M. Schwartz and Yael Schy’s Where in the Wild, 2007, and its sequel, Where Else in the Wild, 2009) are more convincing.
Another exploration of nature’s wonders by an author-illustrator pair who delight readers with their examples. (resources, useful search terms) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85094-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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