In a book that follows in the clearly defined footsteps of its predecessors, The Life and Times of the Apple (1992) and The Life and Times of the Honeybee (1995), Micucci takes a bemused, informative look at the subject of goobers, pinders, earth nuts, ground peas—peanuts. Surpassing trivia, a comprehensive gold mine of facts is well-organized and eye-catching, covering the origins, history, growth, uses, varieties, and even travels of the peanut. Ample emphasis is given to a kid-favorite in a chapter titled ``Three Thousand Years of Peanut Butter,'' which displays a timeline covering the South American Indians of 900 b.c., a discussion of peanut butter during WW II, and its use on Apollo space flights. The roles of the Incas and George Washington Carver in the history of the peanut are not overlooked. With an uncanny sense, Micucci knows what makes information accessible to kids, e.g., peanut-growing states and countries are measured in stacks of peanuts and a peanut butter company's 10,000-pound-per-hour production rate is pointedly compared to the weight of a full-grown elephant. The straightforward, stimulating style rises above the superficial, jam-packed, jazzy presentations of many information books for children, making this a captivating compendium, as wholesome and substantial as a peanut butter sandwich. (further reading) (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-11)
Pub Date: April 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-395-72289-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In first-person voice, Aldrin highlights points from his childhood that led to his dream of being an astronaut and making the historic moon landing. Coincidental details like his mother’s maiden name, “Moon,” and his favorite movie hero, the “Lone Ranger,” suggest clues to his destiny. After West Point, he joined the Air Force because “he wanted to fly more than anything.” Minor’s usual beautiful and realistic illustrations effectively convey spatial perspectives and movement, adding depth to the narrative. However, the cover design and type layout are confusing, indicative of a biography instead of an autobiography—a brief intro could have clarified it. Aldrin’s message in an author’s note avows, “If you set your sights high, you may accomplish more than you ever dreamed.” Pair this with Don Brown’s One Giant Step for a child’s-eye view on space exploration. (Flight/space exploration chronology) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-055445-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Children will be swept up in Wesley’s vision, and have a fine time visiting Weslandia. An alphabet appears on the endpapers.
Wearing purple sneakers and a bemused expression, Wesley knows he’s an outcast: he dislikes pizza, soda, and football, and fleeing his tormentors is “the only sport he was good at.”
When he learns that each civilization has its own staple food crop, he takes as his summer project turning over a plot of ground in the back yard, and seeds brought by the wind begin to grow. Wesley can’t find the plants in any book, but the fruit and the juice are delicious, as are the tubers on the roots. He makes a hat from the bark and a robe from the inner fibers, and sells the seed oil to his former enemies as a suntan lotion/mosquito repellent. It isn’t long before he’s moved out to the yard, and invents an alphabet and a whole raft of sports for the place he calls Weslandia. In sumptuously detailed illustrations, Hawkes has vividly imagined Fleischman’s puckish text, capturing both the blandness of Wesley’s suburban surroundings and then the fabulous encroachment of the rainforest-like vegetation of his green and growing place.
Children will be swept up in Wesley’s vision, and have a fine time visiting Weslandia. An alphabet appears on the endpapers. (Picture book 5-9)Pub Date: June 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7636-0006-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1999
BOOK TO SCREEN
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