Marie Curie’s scientific research revolutionized the world of science while she defied the societal limitations of her day. Primarily focused on Curie’s adulthood, this early biography depicts a brilliant and motivated visionary. Because women were not allowed to attend university in her native Poland, she was forced to study abroad. Some of Curie’s hardships, including the death of her husband and research partner Pierre, are duly noted. However, other significant milestones, including the childhood death of her sibling and mother, are never described. Curie’s study of radiation and its controversial implications provide a balanced account. Unfortunately, the brevity of the form cuts some basic historical details; World War I is never named, for instance. The art’s consistent placement on each page serves to separate the text neatly for beginning readers. Often depicted in dusky browns and blues, a somber Curie stares intently at her audience. The lack of any documentation and the vague description of specific events cut corners a little too sharply, even for this young audience. (Early reader/biography. 6-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-55453-296-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wild and silly tale is told in rhyme. Farmer Brown enjoys a calm before a storm, listening to the happy sounds of his animals: “Pigs that oinked,/Cows that moo’d,/Sheep that baa’d,/ Doves that coo’d.” A twister hits the farm, scooping up the animals and setting them down gently; while they are not injured, all the languages get mixed up. Farmer Brown can only utter rooster cries, and the rooster, in English, is calling the shots. Cows oink, and clucking sheep are assumed to be laying eggs. It takes another twister to set things right, although the farmer occasionally still crows. The clever and expertly written story will tickle the funny bones of the nursery-school set, although the clutter of the comic illustrations—with dialogue balloons, lines indicating movement, and frenetic action—makes this better for lap-sharing than story hours. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7894-2512-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PLB 0-688-16327-0 Terra’s mother is an astronaut, but as she kisses her daughter farewell before firing up her rockets, she promises to return that evening in time for Terra’s school show, “Earthdance.” Terra practices all day, and in the evening, in a green and blue leotard and toe shoes, she dances the part of Earth, with classmates dancing the roles of sun, the planets, and the seasons. The mother, true to her promise, arrives in time for the finale, with a picture of earth from her travels. The illustrations tell the stories of the mother’s travels through space and Terra’s show simultaneously, with adapted photographs from NASA opposite scenes of the children performing. It’s a lyrical introduction to the solar system and a charming futuristic family story, although science is occasionally sacrificed to poetry, e.g., Earth is not “in the middle of the Milky Way,” and it does not “turn the moon.” Reiser (Cherry Pies and Lullabies, 1998, etc.) concludes with thumbnail-sized photographs she worked with; her lovely perspective on the universe and its mysteries is easy to embrace. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-16326-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
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