A guaranteed hit with science lovers and a best bet for convincing skeptics that science is indeed a grand and exciting...
A groundhog and her worm sidekick offer a concise tour of the Earth’s history from the Big Bang to climate change with a glimpse of the bleak, sun-dried future to come—all lightened by frequent humorous asides.
Born of the partnership between geology professor Perfit (Univ. of Florida) and prolific graphic novelist Brown, this highly engaging overview briefly introduces a broad range of scientific topics in a vivid and accessible way, for example describing magma as “rock that is so hot that it’s gooey, like chocolate fudge.” Clear illustrations effectively complement the text, rendering the array of subjects memorable and easy to grasp: a cross section of an apple indicates the relative thinness of the Earth’s basalt crust, while a plaid blanket hovering above the planet illustrates the effect on temperatures of excessive carbon dioxide. The groundhog is utterly endearing, and the worm is remarkably expressive considering the absence of limbs and most facial features. Readers will be entertained, informed, and inspired to learn more about whatever piques their curiosity, whether it is uranium, continental drift, glaciers, or one of the featured scientists, such as Marie Tharp. A lengthy bibliography and detailed source notes are an added bonus.
A guaranteed hit with science lovers and a best bet for convincing skeptics that science is indeed a grand and exciting adventure. (Graphic nonfiction. 9-14)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-544-80503-3
Page Count: 112
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
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
BOOK REVIEW
Typecast characters aside, this heavy but nourishing banquet of facts will slide down easily thanks to the art’s mix of...
In a mix of comic-book panels and print, a wild ride through the digestive system is positively clogged with scientific information.
Opening a trilogy originally published in Korean, the tale puts fussbudget Dr. Brain and reckless young Geo aboard a virus-shaped experimental craft that, à la The Fantastic Voyage, shrinks to microscopic size just in time to be inadvertently gobbled down by Phoebe—a cast member with dark skin, “jungle instincts” and a huge appetite. With Dr. Brain explaining in detail both anatomical features and what’s coming next, he and Geo view extreme close-ups of Phoebe’s mouth, esophagus and stomach as she chews and swallows. Then it’s “ONWARD TO THE DUODENUM!” Narrowly surviving hazards from peristalsis to indigestion as they go, and blasting potential menaces from H. pylori bacteria to slavering hookworms, the voyagers nearly make it to Pheobe’s anus before they’re absorbed into the intestinal wall to set the stage for the next episode. Interspersed among the pages of high-action, manga-style pages of comic art are frequent spreads of conventional text that repeat and expand on Dr. Brain’s adjacent lectures. The interlocking infodumps not only provide overviews of each stage of digestion (with side notes on topics like proper nutrition, sanitary practices and common diseases), but also identify, for instance, the three types of salivary glands, the specific anthelmintic drug for hookworm infestation, and fecal indicators of disease.
Typecast characters aside, this heavy but nourishing banquet of facts will slide down easily thanks to the art’s mix of often gross physical comedy and recognizably rendered anatomy. (index) (Graphic nonfiction. 11-14)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-159327-471-9
Page Count: 184
Publisher: No Starch Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013
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