An adequate resource for entertainment, information, research, and compare/contrast reports.
McConnell compares and contrasts the different species of otters (12 river and one sea) found around the world.
After giving basic facts about mustelids, the family to which otters belong, the author presents either side-by-side or alternating pages that look at river otters versus their ocean-dwelling cousins. This can sometimes lead to more questions than answers, though. For example, on a page that describes how each spends the majority of their day (marking territory and grooming fur, respectively), readers may wonder if sea otters also have scent glands and if river otters spend any time grooming their fur. And on the page about otter teeth, readers may mistakenly believe that sea otters have no sharp teeth and be left wondering if river otters have molars, issues compounded by the inset photos that show a river otter’s teeth from the front and a sea otter’s bottom jaw from above. Other information presented looks at habitat, facial whiskers and catching prey, eating habits, fur, socializing, and raising young. Backmatter includes enrichment activities looking at various otters’ sizes and weights, adaptations, fun facts, and otters in zoos and aquariums. (Disturbingly, one fun fact asks readers, “How long can you hold your breath?”) As is consistent with this series, the photos are the stars, showcasing the similarities and differences among these 13 adorable species. A Spanish edition publishes simultaneously, as does (in both English and Spanish) a similar title on penguins, by Cher Vatalaro.
An adequate resource for entertainment, information, research, and compare/contrast reports. (Nonfiction. 4-9)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64351-978-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on.
Sharpson offers so-fish-ticated readers a heads up about the true terror of the seas.
The title says it all. Our unseen narrator is just fine with other animals: mammals. Reptiles. Even birds. But fish? Don’t trust them! First off, the rules always seem to change with fish. Some live in fresh water; some reside in salt water. Some have gills, while others have lungs. You can never see what they’re up to, since they hang out underwater, and they’re always eating those poor, innocent crabs. Soon, the narrator introduces readers to Jeff, a vacant-eyed yellow fish—but don’t be fooled! Jeff’s “the craftiest fish of all.” All fish are, apparently, hellbent on world domination, the narrator warns. “DON’T TRUST FISH!” Finally, at the tail end, we get a sly glimpse of our unreliable narrator. Readers needn’t be ichthyologists to appreciate Sharpson’s meticulous comic timing. (“Ships always sink at sea. They never sink on land. Isn’t that strange?”) His delightful text, filled to the brim with jokes that read aloud brilliantly, pairs perfectly with Santat’s art, which shifts between extreme realism and goofy hilarity. He also fills the book with his own clever gags (such as an image of Gilligan’s Island’s S.S. Minnow going down and a bottle of sauce labeled “Surly Chik’n Srir’racha’r”).
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9780593616673
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.
Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”
Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
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