by David A. Adler ; illustrated by Anna Raff ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 12, 2019
Adler and Raff bring a hands-on quality to scientific explorations of matter.
Simple experiments and kid-friendly language teach concepts about matter to young audiences.
The creators of Light Waves (2018) have teamed up again to create another engaging science book for kids. This time, the four states of matter are the topic at hand. The duo delivers scientific information alongside eye-catching illustrations with details that will delight. The book opens with the clear explanation that “Matter is anything that takes up space, even the smallest space, and has some weight, even the smallest weight,” and it builds from there. As a family prepares a birthday party for Grandma, readers learn more details about matter and its different forms: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. A dog wearing safety glasses and two children with dark brown hair and peach skin tones (and no safety specs) conduct simple experiments that correspond with each form that matter takes. The complex scientific information covered in the book is made accessible and age-appropriate using typical party items such as a chocolate bar, ice cubes, and balloons. The text includes plenty of details for budding young scientists without becoming too dense. Explanations rooted in easy-to-replicate experiments drive concepts home and make for an educational and interesting read.
Adler and Raff bring a hands-on quality to scientific explorations of matter. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3962-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
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by Shelley Rotner ; photographed by Shelley Rotner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2017
Bruce Goldstone’s Awesome Autumn (2012) is still the gold standard.
Rotner follows Hello Spring (2017) with this salute to the fall season.
Name a change seen in northern climes in fall, and Rotner likely covers it here, from plants, trees, and animals to the food we harvest: seeds are spread, the days grow shorter and cooler, the leaves change and fall (and are raked up and jumped in), some animals migrate, and many families celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving. As in the previous book, the photographs (presented in a variety of sizes and layouts, all clean) are the stars here, displaying both the myriad changes of the season and a multicultural array of children enjoying the outdoors in fall. These are set against white backgrounds that make the reddish-orange print pop. The text itself uses short sentences and some solid vocabulary (though “deep sleep” is used instead of “hibernate”) to teach readers the markers of autumn, though in the quest for simplicity, Rotner sacrifices some truth. In several cases, the addition of just a few words would have made the following oversimplified statements reflect reality: “Birds grow more feathers”; “Cranberries float and turn red.” Also, Rotner includes the statement “Bees store extra honey in their hives” on a page about animals going into deep sleep, implying that honeybees hibernate, which is false.
Bruce Goldstone’s Awesome Autumn (2012) is still the gold standard. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3869-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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by Gwen Agna & Shelley Rotner ; photographed by Shelley Rotner
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by Shelley Rotner ; illustrated by Shelley Rotner
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by Gwen Agna & Shelley Rotner ; photographed by Shelley Rotner
by Laura Driscoll ; illustrated by Catalina Echeverri ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 20, 2024
An informative and accessible child’s-eye view of STEM careers.
Aspiring young scientists, take heed!
Traveling on a ship to the North Pole would seem an adventure in itself, but the young, unnamed narrator, whose mother heads up a team of marine biologists, also gets to meet eight other scientists involved in other specialties. On almost every page of this early reader, we encounter someone engaged in different fieldwork: a hydrologist, a microbiologist, a geologist, a seismologist, a climate scientist, a meteorologist, a zoologist, and an astronomer. As the narrator thinks about careers in science, more specialty roles—botanist, epidemiologist, and physicist—are added to the list. The work of these scientists is clearly and simply explained. (Appended is a short list with descriptions of 10 specialties.) The unfussy illustrations are washed in glowing colors, with many shades of blue; when snow forms the background, the scientists’ bright jackets pop. The ship itself is a fire-engine red. Beginners might need help reading or pronouncing some of the researchers’ special fields, but overall this is an engaging introduction to a wide and important area of work. The scientists include men and women and are racially diverse. The narrator and Mom are light-skinned; the child uses crutches.
An informative and accessible child’s-eye view of STEM careers. (Early reader/nonfiction. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9780062989659
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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