Not even Arthus-Bertrand’s fascinating aerial photos can rescue this wretched companion to Future of the Earth: An Introduction to Sustainable Development for Young Readers (2004). Subtitled “A Story of People, Ecology, and Preservation,” the coffee-table–style volume sends viewers soaring randomly about the planet at low altitudes in a series of chapters on “Oceans,” “Food” and like topics. Surrounding the photos (some of which fans of the photographer will have seen before) are small, generic, crudely done supplemental illustrations, along with brief passages of text laced with unsourced facts (or entirely wrong ones, such as a claim that the Baltic is a landlocked sea) and vague warnings of ecological peril. The writing is sophomoric (“Hunting is responsible for the decline of 95 percent of hippopotamuses since 1994”; “1.2 billion people do not have access to drinking water”) with occasional descents into meaninglessness (“The Coastline: An Invisible Oasis”), and a near-total lack of direct references to the subjects of the photos. Candy for the eye, but empty calories for the brain. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8109-7132-5
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2008
Remarking that ``nothing about the weather is very simple,'' Simon goes on to describe how the sun, atmosphere, earth's rotation, ground cover, altitude, pollution, and other factors influence it; briefly, he also tells how weather balloons gather information. Even for this outstanding author, it's a tough, complex topic, and he's not entirely successful in simplifying it; moreover, the import of the striking uncaptioned color photos here isn't always clear. One passage—``Cumulus clouds sometimes build up into towering masses called cumulus congestus, or swelling cumulus, which may turn into cumulonimbus clouds''—is superimposed on a blue-gray, cloud-covered landscape. But which kind of clouds are these? Another photo, in blue-black and white, shows what might be precipitation in the upper atmosphere, or rain falling on a darkened landscape, or...? Generally competent and certainly attractive, but not Simon's best. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-688-10546-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1993
The Pumpkin Book (32 pp.; $16.95; Sept. 15; 0-8234-1465-5): From seed to vine and blossom to table, Gibbons traces the growth cycle of everyone’s favorite autumn symbol—the pumpkin. Meticulous drawings detail the transformation of tiny seeds to the colorful gourds that appear at roadside stands and stores in the fall. Directions for planting a pumpkin patch, carving a jack-o’-lantern, and drying the seeds give young gardeners the instructions they need to grow and enjoy their own golden globes. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1465-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
© Copyright 2026 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.
