A breezy, appealing whoo’s whoo.
An acclaimed birder and science writer offers informal introductions to some of the Big Apple’s less common feathered visitors and residents.
Cooper begins with Flaco, a Eurasian eagle owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo and went on to work the “night shift, like most owls do (and like some people do too).” He goes on to profile other owls who became New Yorkers. Some were just temporary residents, like Rocky, a northern saw-whet owl inadvertently transported to the city while concealed within the branches of the Rockefeller Center holiday tree, or a snowy owl who didn’t even stay long enough to acquire a name. Others, such as Geraldine, a great horned owl who successfully hunted despite an injured foot that never healed correctly, stuck around for longer. “A body that’s different doesn’t mean you’re not able to do great things,” he writes. “Just ask Geraldine!” Lavishing attention on details of distinctive patterns and feathers, Adam portrays the birds in magnificent close-ups, in flight with skyscrapers and bright lights in the background, swooping down silently on oblivious mice, and perched on a branch while staring up at viewers with urbane “Can you believe this?” expressions; meanwhile, racially diverse observers point and gesticulate in the background. Though the author steers clear of specific dates and details in the main narrative, he does close with further facts about each species, as well as providing general pointers for spotting and living with these elegant wild guests.
A breezy, appealing whoo’s whoo. (print and web resources, selected sources) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9780316583572
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
Another playful imagination-stretcher.
Markle invites children to picture themselves living in the homes of 11 wild animals.
As in previous entries in the series, McWilliam’s illustrations of a diverse cast of young people fancifully imitating wild creatures are paired with close-up photos of each animal in a like natural setting. The left side of one spread includes a photo of a black bear nestling in a cozy winter den, while the right side features an image of a human one cuddled up with a bear. On another spread, opposite a photo of honeybees tending to newly hatched offspring, a human “larva” lounges at ease in a honeycomb cell, game controller in hand, as insect attendants dish up goodies. A child with an eye patch reclines on an orb weaver spider’s web, while another wearing a head scarf constructs a castle in a subterranean chamber with help from mound-building termites. Markle adds simple remarks about each type of den, nest, or burrow and basic facts about its typical residents, then closes with a reassuring reminder to readers that they don’t have to live as animals do, because they will “always live where people live.” A select gallery of traditional homes, from igloo and yurt to mudhif, follows a final view of the young cast waving from a variety of differently styled windows.
Another playful imagination-stretcher. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781339049052
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.
An introduction to gravity.
The book opens with the most iconic demonstration of gravity, an apple falling. Throughout, Herz tackles both huge concepts—how gravity compresses atoms to form stars and how black holes pull all kinds of matter toward them—and more concrete ones: how gravity allows you to jump up and then come back down to the ground. Gravity narrates in spare yet lyrical verse, explaining how it creates planets and compresses atoms and comparing itself to a hug. “My embrace is tight enough that you don’t float like a balloon, but loose enough that you can run and leap and play.” Gravity personifies itself at times: “I am stubborn—the bigger things are, the harder I pull.” Beautiful illustrations depict swirling planets and black holes alongside racially diverse children playing, running, and jumping, all thanks to gravity. Thorough backmatter discusses how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity and explains Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. While at times Herz’s explanations may be a bit too technical for some readers, burgeoning scientists will be drawn in.
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe. (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: April 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668936849
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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