Taking as her starting point the world of water, from which life appeared on Earth, the author of this lively title traces the connections between early fossil records and modern examples of six water-connected species: segmented worms, cephalopods (squids, octopuses, and nautiluses), scorpions, platypus, whales and Canada geese. Like its predecessor, Super Crocs & Monster Wings (2008), this features jazzy typography, colorful backgrounds and plenty of clearly identified color photographs. Each section includes a page of “Family Ties” and another of “Fun Facts,” and between each section a double-page spread explains a more general concept (plankton, tides, salt vs. fresh water). Differing page designs make it easy to distinguish subjects and sections. Clear descriptions use scientific names, with pronunciation given in context. The “pop” format belies the real science behind this informative offering. The vibrant presentation will draw in browsers, who will find fascinating examples of evolution at work. A bibliography of books and websites for further exploration of each topic is included, as well as a selected list of the author’s sources. (index) (Nonfiction. 9-13)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-55451-206-5
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2009
The downcast eyes and grave expressions of the monumental figures in Fisher’s paintings set a tone that occasionally contradicts the text’s exuberance, e.g., Bell’s “joyous capacity for learning all there was to know about the universe grew as large as his waistline”—but this recap of the inventor’s character and accomplishments is engrossing reading and a grand tribute to an extraordinary imagination. Fisher provides detailed accounts of the inventions and incisive views of their significance; his pictures may lack the visual flash of those in Tom L. Matthews’s Always Inventing (see review, below), but they provide clear, straightforward detail. The lack of a bibliography is the only disappointment; Fisher finds plenty to admire in Bell, as will readers. (diagrams, chronology) (Picture book/biography. 7-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-689-81607-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
This bittersweet tale takes readers into a dark, ancient woods in the American Northwest. A father and son make this forest their special place to commune with the wild, to visit with the creatures that live therein, and to revel in the mesmerizing views. One day they find spots painted on the trees, markings for loggers. The boy and his father and family ignite a small grassroots resistance to the felling of the trees. They fight for something they believe in—it is almost a sacred obligation for them—but they are unsuccessful: the laws governing private property prevail. The trees are cut and, luckily, the father and son find another stand in which to take solace. The Rands (A Home for Spooky, 1998, etc.) offer a bright fusion of the cautionary and the inspirational, and the artwork is effective in conveying the outsized majesty of the old growth. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8050-5466-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
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