Enticing fare for fans of all things Paleo.
Up-close introductions to seven Paleozoic monsters, with some outsized modern survivors added for good measure.
Writing with crowd-pleasing vivacity—Arthropleura “was bigger than a basketball player. And with up to 80 quick-moving, grasping legs, it could have easily gripped and smothered one too!”—Becker profiles a set of humongous arthropods that, in Bindon’s exactly detailed scenes, crawl, slither, glide, swim, or fly past with all-too-convincing realism. All come with (fossil) range maps and human silhouettes for size comparisons, and most are placed in natural settings, with other fauna of the period visible in the backgrounds. In her descriptive notes, the author maintains a proper caution, following current thinking in suggesting that heightened levels of atmospheric oxygen made such uncommon mass possible but noting that “fave snacks,” life cycles, and causes of extinction are speculations. Following the prehistoric parade, a select set of today’s biggest creepy-crawlies bring up the rear, capped by a menacing science-fictional megabug that looks like an ant-scorpion hybrid. Though no replacement for Timothy Bradley’s (sadly out of print) Paleo Bugs (2008) for those lucky enough still to have it, the art here has more of a dramatic flair, and the resource lists at the end are fresher.
Enticing fare for fans of all things Paleo. (glossary, timeline, index) (Informational picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77138-811-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
An excellent choice for nature-loving elementary readers.
Footprints show the impact of human actions on Earth in this eco-friendly nonfiction picture book.
Swanson’s simple text, accompanied by clear, detailed photography, highlights the many different sizes and shapes of footprints. A photo of an elephant’s large prints shows a child leaping from one to the next alongside a photograph of the animals walking. Small footprints of insects and other animals are shown before the work showcases a diverse array of human footwear. Footprints “capture adventures at the greatest heights,” the book notes, showing paths on mountains and on the moon. The text moves on to metaphorical footprints, suggesting that young activists follow in the steps of historical changemakers, then briefly addresses digital and carbon footprints, further explained in notes at the back. Swanson’s accessible text is tailored to emergent readers, with few pages featuring more than one sentence; most passages stretch over multiple pages. The metaphorical footprints are likely to require adult discussion about what it means to leave behind traces of one’s actions. The selection of uncredited photos is excellent, with images from history and nature that are well suited to each idea; Rosa Parks and Greta Thunberg are among the changemakers featured. The text doesn’t name many of them, though, which will leave readers who don’t recognize them at a loss.
An excellent choice for nature-loving elementary readers.Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4788-7603-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Reycraft Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Photography just doesn’t get more “up close and personal” than the buggy images in this oversized album.
Matched to hyperbolic commentary (“Not only that, [praying mantises] eat their prey alive. Gross!”), the pictures look like jumbles to the naked eye, but don one of the two accompanying pairs of cardboard glasses, and 21 kinds of insects, arachnids, scorpions and related creepy crawlies—most much, much larger than life size—will swim into unexpectedly close focus seemingly handspans above the page. These “phantograms” not only do standard 3D photos one better in appearing to be much higher and deeper, but they feature both multiple apparent levels (rather than the usual two) and unusually sharp fine detail to boot. Along with memorable visuals, the information about each type of critter’s physical features, geographic distribution, life cycles and diets can be found elsewhere, but they are seldom imparted with such relish: “Poop and vomit eaters—aren’t you glad you’re not a cricket?” A detailed description of the authors’ photographic methods and a closing “More Fun with 3-D” spread of paired insect photos, which can be viewed in stereo through two rolled up pieces of paper, provide splendid lagniappes for this face-plant into the realm of the many-legged. A crowd-pleasing follow up to Eye-Popping 3-D Pets (2009) if ever there was one, for young biologists and thrill-seeking browsers alike. (Informational novelty item. 7-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8118-7772-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
