A warm and thoroughly inviting children’s introduction to understanding data.
Devshree Golecha and her 10-year-old daughter Kiara Golecha offer a brief, colorful explanation of data science for young readers.
In their nonfiction debut, the Golechas make Kiara (and her two dogs) the focal point of a short, extensively illustrated guide for teaching kids how to visualize and analyze “big data,” which “helps scientists find cures for diseases, lets companies create better products, and enables cities to plan for a brighter future.” To help younger readers unlock this “treasure chest of knowledge,” the authors, in a series of brief chapters full of charts and bulleted points, lead readers through some of the basic data skills, including how to interpret data averages like mean and median and how to spot patterns and make predictions based on data habits or trends. Concepts like the range visible in any given data set or the nature of outliers to that data are explained using a combination of text, pictures, and charts. Every chapter includes activities designed to help both students and teachers in addition to prompts for “reflection and conclusion” aimed at bringing the whole picture into sharper focus. “Data science is like a magical key that unlocks secrets hidden in numbers and information,” the Golechas write, and the joyful energy of this book actually has a magical feeling. The sheer enthusiasm for the adventure that unfolds in these pages is infectious, and it serves very effectively to demystify the charts and numbers the text includes. The choice to reiterate at regular intervals the importance of data in our modern world is a wise one, guaranteeing that young readers won’t lose interest when the going gets more technical. Touching on everything from scores to statistics, this book does an excellent job of making data exciting.
A warm and thoroughly inviting children’s introduction to understanding data.Pub Date: June 12, 2024
ISBN: 9781964209814
Page Count: 78
Publisher: Creative Book Writers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Essential.
A guidebook for taking action against racism.
The clear title and bold, colorful illustrations will immediately draw attention to this book, designed to guide each reader on a personal journey to work to dismantle racism. In the author’s note, Jewell begins with explanations about word choice, including the use of the terms “folx,” because it is gender neutral, and “global majority,” noting that marginalized communities of color are actually the majority in the world. She also chooses to capitalize Black, Brown, and Indigenous as a way of centering these communities’ voices; "white" is not capitalized. Organized in four sections—identity, history, taking action, and working in solidarity—each chapter builds on the lessons of the previous section. Underlined words are defined in the glossary, but Jewell unpacks concepts around race in an accessible way, bringing attention to common misunderstandings. Activities are included at the end of each chapter; they are effective, prompting both self-reflection and action steps from readers. The activities are designed to not be written inside the actual book; instead Jewell invites readers to find a special notebook and favorite pen and use that throughout. Combining the disruption of common fallacies, spotlights on change makers, the author’s personal reflections, and a call to action, this powerful book has something for all young people no matter what stage they are at in terms of awareness or activism.
Essential. (author’s note, further reading, glossary, select bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-18)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7112-4521-1
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.
Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”
Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
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