An introduction that could be so much better.
The Sills add to their About… series with this look at birds that live near or on water.
The text introduces readers to waterfowl, including a look at where they live (ocean versus rivers, lakes, and ponds), some common features (webbed feet, waterproof feathers, bills), what and how they eat (plants, insects, fish, grains, etc.), their nests and babies, and the fact that some migrate. As with the other About… series entries, the strengths and weaknesses are the same. John Sill’s realistic watercolors, labeled with the animals’ common names, are a highlight. Cathryn Sill’s simple sentences make the topic approachable for even the youngest nature lover, though to get the most out of the book, children and/or their adult partners will have to flip back and forth between the book’s spreads and the afterword, which presents a thumbnail version of each watercolor plate and a paragraph of text, including information on the birds’ habitats (no map, though). Opposite a picture of several Toulouse geese in front of a stone cottage, the text reads “Waterfowl have been useful to people for thousands of years.” The artwork does not show how, which will leave readers unsatisfied until they read in the back about eggs and meat, down, and eating harmful pests. Similarly, a page with text reading “It is important to protect waterfowl and the places where they live” lacks information on the same page to truly grab readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An introduction that could be so much better. (glossary, bibliography, resources) (Nonfiction. 3-8)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68263-234-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
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
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute.
Readers bid farewell to a beloved canine character.
Momo is—or was—an adorable and very photogenic border collie owned by author Knapp. The many readers who loved him in the previous half-dozen books are in for a shock with this one. “Momo had died” is the stark reality—and there are no photographs of him here. Instead, Momo has been replaced by a flat cartoonish pastiche with strange, staring round white eyes, inserted into some of Knapp’s photography (which remains appealing, insofar as it can be discerned under the mixed media). Previous books contained few or no words. Unfortunately, virtuosity behind a lens does not guarantee mastery of verse. The art here is accompanied by words that sometimes rhyme but never find a workable or predictable rhythm (“We’d fetch and we’d catch, / we’d run and we’d jump. Every day we found new / games to play”). It’s a pity, because the subject—a pet’s death—is an important one to address with children. Of course, Momo isn’t gone; he can still be found “everywhere” in memories. But alas, he can be found here only in the crude depictions of the darling dog so well known from the earlier books.
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781683693864
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
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