Highly recommended for educators, home-schoolers, and any curious kid.
Easy craft activities teach readers concepts of ecology.
Divided into four sections: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” “Animals and Plants,” “Water and Land,” and “Air,” this immersive and imaginative book introduces readers, through simple craft projects, to the scientific principles that affect and explain the ecology of our planet. Using commonly available household supplies—with an emphasis on repurposing plastic bottles and paper—the activities range from making a solar oven from a pizza box and making “plastic” from milk and vinegar to learning how to estimate population sizes through random sampling. “The Science Behind It,” an accompanying paragraph at the conclusion of each project, explains the activity’s scientific basis and its broader ecological applications. Activities range from those safe for preschoolers to ones that need adult supervision (e.g., use of a microwave or knives) and are clearly specified in the “Science for the Ages” section after each activity; this paragraph is written for adults and gives additional research ideas. With the book’s emphasis on positivity and hands-on science, kids are empowered to learn through doing. Who could resist making “Tasty Soil”—layers of cookies, whipped cream, and sprinkles—to learn about the strata of bedrock, subsoil, and topsoil, or using small fish-shaped crackers to understand sustainable fishing techniques? No frills (but clear) black-and-white photographs accompany the step-by-step text and aid in understanding each craft step.
Highly recommended for educators, home-schoolers, and any curious kid. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 4-12)Pub Date: Dec. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64160-549-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 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
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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