Call them hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons, or Willy-Willies, these forceful storms dramatically open the latest entry in the SuperSmarts series. Weather is nothing new in children's nonfiction, but by touching on all things wet, windy, and wild, Llewellyn (Some Snakes Spit Poison, p. 876, etc.) explains the high points of wind, rain, fog, sandstorms, twisters, and avalanches in an easy- to-follow, step-by-step layout. Readers can jump in and out of each two-page topical spread (e.g., ``Misty and Murky'' and ``Flash, Bang, Crash''), while attractive anecdotal sidebars delve into the specifics. The colorful design capitalizes on readers' natural fascination with the awesome power of weather phenomena, beginning with the graphic cover illustration that shows a truck, metal barrels, and a tin roof being sucked into a tornado. The book explores global weather patterns and water cycles, from monsoons in India to the dust storms of North Africa. A thoughtful layout makes the information accessible both to an easy-reader audience and Eyewitness series enthusiasts. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-7636-0304-X
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In his first book, Dobson introduces nearly a dozen endangered species, mostly animals from North America, and says: ``Let's see what we can do to help these species survive.'' Every spread uses the verso to introduce a creature (or, in one case, wildflowers) and the recto to discuss possible or ongoing actions intended to save it. Included are the Florida panther, Oahu tree snail, gray bat, American burying beetle, peregrine falcon, eastern indigo snake, cui-cu (a fish), Peary caribou, eastern timber wolf, Kirtland's warbler, and Puerto Rican parrot. Worthwhile information is marred by a didactic tone and misleading solutions. The conversational use of ``we'' and ``you'' will leave youngsters with the impression that they are to go find caves for gray bats, set out dead chickens for American burying beetles, allow ``controlled forest fires to refresh'' the habitat of the eastern indigo snake, and restore Florida marshes and forests for Florida panthers. Dobson offers more plausible solutions as well, reminding readers not to buy products that involve endangered species or to keep them as pets, to help raise money or volunteer, and not to pollute. Attractive gouache paintings include a map of North America indicating locations of the species covered. Unfortunately, the fact box on wildflowers declares that quinine is a wildflower product, when it is obtained from the bark of the cinchona tree, and also states that quinine is a ``cure'' for malaria, instead of a treatment for its symptoms. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-88106-823-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1997
Miller takes a careful look at a temporary water system—a vernal lake in Alaska whose emergence and disappearance each year has given rise to a unique ecosystem. Spring's melting snows collect in a low-lying area to form a lake, which becomes the habitat of moose, bald eagles, golden ducks, and beavers. The lake drains and evaporates slowly; ducks and beaver move on to a bigger lake, while new animals move in, browsing on the soggy lake bottom, which eventually dries out and becomes a meadow. Sparrows, voles, and shrews appear, along with the moose who sleep in the long grass. In autumn the birds are on wing for warmer locales; in winter the field is covered with snow, and the cycle will soon repeat itself. Van Zyle's realistic paintings capture the details of Alaska: moose fur, jangling golden aspen leaves, and the faint rainbows of northern lights in the night sky. An annotated glossary and an author's note fill out the text, which—despite the inclusion of the many creatures that are born or visit the habitat—is more of a poetic chronicle of the lake's life cycle than a factual one. Most readers will be fascinated by the existence of such systems, and only sorry that the ``diving beetles, caddisflies, and water boatmen'' Miller mentions in her note are not featured elsewhere in the book in more detail. (glossary) (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-8027-8474-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1996
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