An engaging invitation to see nature in action right outside the window.
How and what to feed avian guests, with a gallery of common North American species.
Getting feathered visitors to hold still is a perennial problem for budding bird-watchers, but bird feeders offer opportunities for observation. Earley provides helpful suggestions aplenty—from types of feeders, including specialized designs and homemade ones constructed of plastic bottles or craft materials, to popular seeds and other foods like suet, fruit, and, with a recipe, an appetizing peanut butter spread. The author acknowledges the squirrel problem and offers clever strategies for foiling these fiendishly ingenious foragers (such as spring-loaded feeders); he also notes ways to dissuade finches, starlings, and other more aggressive birds to give shyer species places on the perch. And, as a sort of stretch goal, Earley provides guidance on persuading bolder sorts to feed out of an observer’s hand. All the birds depicted throughout chowing down in the close-up color photos are identified, and the common types posing in the appended gallery also come with lists of distinctive physical characteristics. Occasional naturalistic touches, like an image of a woodpecker eying a well-chewed animal carcass, underscore the message that birds are almost always quite able to find food on their own; still, Earley makes clear that backyard bird-watching is easy, fun, and educational.
An engaging invitation to see nature in action right outside the window. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-228-10401-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Firefly
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Too broad to be more than a quick skim, but apt fodder for eager young prospective space travelers.
A basic look at rockets and the types of payloads they carry as they explore space and our solar system.
The single-topic spreads open with a description of Earth’s atmosphere, including where space (officially) begins, and end with under-development projects such as NASA’s Space Launch System, drones to explore the moon, and the James Webb Space telescope—“launched in 2018” reads the narrative with unjustified optimism (it’s currently scheduled to go up in early 2019). In between, the authors sweep through the history of humans and robots in space from Sputnik I and Yuri Gagarin to now-routine shuttle missions and EVAs. Krynauw adds cartoon spot art featuring a multicultural cast of children (one bearing a bindi but others with exaggeratedly angled eyes) in space gear to the many small color photos of space probes, rockets, rover vehicles, astronauts in and out of space suits, and close-up details of the International Space Station. The accompanying commentary mixes facts and explanations in easily digestible bits, with side observations from ex-astronaut Williams: “Most astronauts think ‘up’ is always above their head, and some snore in space!”
Too broad to be more than a quick skim, but apt fodder for eager young prospective space travelers. (Nonfiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-77321-013-1
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
Look to this eye-catching book to be convinced of the wonders of the bat and how they are deserving of protection, but be...
Chock-full of bat facts and photographs, this nonfiction book for young readers makes the case for bat conservation, including challenges that face the species and possible solutions.
Laidlaw opens the book with key bat facts about various species, how they live, and their biology, but he has already betrayed his true intent in the introduction: “I hope this book changes the way you think about bats and inspires you to get active helping them.” After the basics, it becomes a focused case for bat protection. Surprisingly, then, the chapter “Bats for a Healthy World” is the shortest, but it speaks to how vital bats are to the health of our ecosystem. Within each section, there are frequent, sometimes-intrusive “Bat Citizen” features that identify students (all presenting white) who are making positive impacts on bat communities. The smaller “bat facts” and “batty ideas” boxed items, on the other hand, fit in nicely with surrounding photographs. Though the scale is unclear, a striking center gatefold allows readers a closer look at a hoary bat. The backmatter includes a nice section on practical ways to help, but it doesn’t include any specific resources or works cited.
Look to this eye-catching book to be convinced of the wonders of the bat and how they are deserving of protection, but be prepared for advocacy. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8-10)Pub Date: May 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-77278-039-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Pajama Press
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
