A serious introduction to the national museums that does not take itself too seriously.
The Smithsonian—it isn’t just rocket science.
This spiral-bound guide is a modestly hefty piece of work, but that is due to the fact that we often forget that the Smithsonian isn’t just where they store the Spirit of Saint Louis and the lunar module. It is also home of the national museums of natural history and American history, as well as the air and space museum. And the collections are, in a word, spectacular. Korrell has a good mix going, with plenty of archival and contemporary photographs and illustrations accompanied by punchy text. Both Korrell and museum professionals have contributed the latter, with only a little oversimplification—“Geology is about understanding what we see around us.” It is predominantly straightforward—a good combination of earnest and bouncy—with bracing touches of humor: “Robotic spacecraft aren’t as particular as human space explorers…they do what they are asked to do without grumbling.” Always, Korrell keeps readers engaged with some simple quizzes—you can write right in the “guide”—and hide-and-seek games that challenge readers to find various objects somewhere in the rooms, as well as other activities.
A serious introduction to the national museums that does not take itself too seriously. (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58834-349-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Smithsonian Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information.
Two youngsters embark on a journey peppered with history, trivia, and skits while teaching money lessons.
Meet Mellody and John, the young stars of this currency showcase. Their very first dialogue offers a taste of the intriguing information to come, from the ancient Mayans’ use of cacao beans as payment to the origins of the piggy bank. The book offers a chronologically and geographically broad timeline of the history of money, encompassing the past 3.9 billion years (starting with meteorite crashes that scattered metals—“the very first bank deposit”) and referencing practices across five continents. Readers will find themselves eagerly sharing the facts gleaned here, including the centuries-old origins of terms and expressions still used today. Mellody and John’s fun banter crucially reflects their experiences with money, such as their families’ differing attitudes toward allowances. Both are savers as well as givers, sharing stories about giving to charity. In one especially entertaining section, a cat and a bunny converse in money-related catchphrases that are separately defined at the bottom of each page. Stevens’ watercolors are appropriately realistic and appealing, whether depicting Mellody’s pretend bank or Elizabeth II’s butler ironing a 10-pound note. Messages about money’s use as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself, ensure that readers will think about their own purposes for their savings. Mellody and John are Black.
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781536224719
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
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