by C.M. Butzer ; illustrated by C.M. Butzer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2009
This sophisticated contender in the graphic nonfiction market opens with “The Story So Far,” setting the stage for the events that led to the bloody Civil War battle at Gettysburg. Clearly defined art and sharply delineated panels portray all of the horrors of battle: the numerous casualties, both human and animal, the impromptu and severely unhygienic operating rooms and the impact that this event had on those who lived there. A vast cast of characters—an even and improbable dozen—introduced early on does little to help readers follow the action. Rather, this feature obfuscates things, as many of the men have similar looks, varying only slightly in their coiffed hair or a hat and a mustache. It shines in its closing pages, compressing Edward Everett’s two-hour speech into a few panels and giving Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address a good 20 pages to make itself felt. Undoubtedly smarter and more astute than many of its graphic-nonfiction counterparts, this book should speak to those seeking a visual account. (map, author’s notes; footnotes, bibliography, not seen) (Graphic nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-156176-4
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Bowen Press/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2008
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More by Ian Lendler
BOOK REVIEW
by Ian Lendler ; illustrated by C.M. Butzer
by Agnieszka Bishup & Tammy Enz ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2017
A serviceable science text for curious and nerdy readers.
The Man of Steel helps kids learn about science.
Superman can fly, see through walls, outrun bullets, and stop runaway trains. His powers may be out-of-this-world, but the science behind each power is rooted in reality. In this science book readers learn about flight, X-rays, speed, strength, and more. The text is broken down into examinations of each power Superman has at his disposal and expands upon it with real-world science. Young readers curious about flight will learn about physics, aerodynamics, the history of humans in flight, etc. Readers interested in Superman’s supervision can read about human and animal eyes, various technological enhancements of sight, and so forth. The information is presented in easily digestible paragraphs that can be read discretely. Small scientists can read about one area or several with ease. The book’s layout is a bit ho-hum, in contrast to its subject. Various shades of blue provide a backdrop for text boxes, unremarkable photographs, and drawings. Images of Superman (seemingly modeled after Bruce Timm’s take on the character from the 1990s cartoon Superman: The Animated Series) pop up here and there, but they don’t interact with or comment on the information presented. There’s no stylistic difference in the design among topics, which makes flipping through the book a bit of a drab chore.
A serviceable science text for curious and nerdy readers. (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62370-702-6
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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More In The Series
by Michael Dahl ; illustrated by Omar Lozano
by Michael Dahl ; illustrated by Ethen Beavers
by Abby Howard ; illustrated by Abby Howard ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2017
A change of pace from the typical blood-and-guts approach to the topic, populous enough to sate even the most rabid...
A quick trip through the Mesozoic Era with a paleontologist is all young Ronnie needs to become a dino-maniac.
So desperate is Ronnie to better a dinosaur exam’s failing grade that she’s willing to follow her odd but scholarly neighbor Miss Lernin into a curbside recycling bin—which, thanks to “Science Magic,” leaves the two in the late Triassic. Between meeting plateosaurs on that stop and a cozy nuzzle with a T. rex in the late Cretaceous, Ronnie gets an earful about dinosaur anatomy, convergent evolution, types of prehistoric life, protofeathers and other recent discoveries, and (as Miss Lernin puts it) “the exciting world of…phylogenetic trees!!” But mostly what she gets are dinosaurs. The graphic panels teem with (labeled) prehistoric life including, along with dozens of dinos, many early mammals and other contemporaries. Howard depicts nearly all of this fauna with snub noses and such friendly expressions that in no time (so to speak) Ronnie is exclaiming “Oh my gosh…Jurassic crocodylomorphs were so cute!” Indeed, her white tutor agrees, but also cool, dangerous, and majestic. Ronnie, who is depicted as a black girl, returns to the present to earn a perfect score on a retaken test and go on to spread the dino-word to her diverse classmates. Though the lack of source or resource lists is disappointing, closing graphic recaps of major prehistoric creatures and, yes, a phylogenetic tree provide some review.
A change of pace from the typical blood-and-guts approach to the topic, populous enough to sate even the most rabid dinophiles. (glossary) (Graphic informational fantasy. 9-11)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2306-3
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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More by Abby Howard
BOOK REVIEW
by Abby Howard ; illustrated by Abby Howard
BOOK REVIEW
by Abby Howard ; illustrated by Abby Howard
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