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 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 lyrical and educational look at the water cycle.
Through many types of weather and the different seasons, water tells readers about its many forms.
“Sometimes I’m the rain cloud / and sometimes I’m the rain.” Water can make rainbows and can appear to be different colors. Water is a waterfall, a wave, an ocean swell, a frozen pond, the snow on your nose, a cloud, frost, a comet, a part of you. Throughout, Paterson’s rhyming verses evoke images of their own: “Soon the summer sun is back / and warms me with its rays. / I rise in rumbling thunderheads / like castles in the haze,” though at times word order seems to have been chosen for rhyme rather than meaning (“In fall I sink into a fog / and blanket chilly fields, / with pumpkins touched by morning frost / the harvest season yields”). Backmatter includes a diagram of the water cycle that introduces and describes each step with solid vocabulary, including “Collection” as a step in the process; “The Science Behind the Poetry,” which unpacks some of the poetic language and phrases; some water activities and explorations; conservation tips; and a list of other books from the publisher about water. Paterson’s full- and double-page–spread illustrations are just as magical as his verse, showing water in its many forms from afar and close up. Few people appear on his pages, but the vast majority of those are people of color.
A lyrical and educational look at the water cycle. (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-58469-615-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dawn Publications
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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