Not “everything you need to know” but a well-intentioned effort.
We need to know about our environment—water, air, soil, energy, and climate—in order to understand how and why it is changing.
A French-Canadian writer for young people takes on this complicated subject, splitting it into parts and presenting them in short, accessible-looking bits. Each major component gets a chapter; each spread covers a single topic with headings and subheadings. He moves logically from topic to topic and provides some connections. Concluding with the idea of climate change, he makes clear that “human activities…are largely responsible for [it].” Some vocabulary may prove challenging, but important words and phrases are bolded and defined in a glossary. Some choices are downright puzzling: Readers will wonder why this text calls what every American child learns about as the “water cycle” the “hydrologic cycle” instead. The survey is digitally illustrated with stylized images that colorfully support the text. On a final spread describing positive efforts to solve environmental issues, the illustrator shows a diverse group of children sitting on a tree branch made of two different kinds of trees, with roots that also connect. It’s a nice touch. Many books that break complex subjects down for young readers with general statements and attention-catching examples can leave a few false impressions. This survey shares that flaw.
Not “everything you need to know” but a well-intentioned effort. (glossary, selected sources, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77147-389-7
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
In this glossy photo essay, the author briefly recounts the study and exploration of the moon, beginning with Stonehenge and concluding with the 1998–99 unmanned probe, Lunar Prospector. Most of the dramatic photographs come from NASA and will introduce a new generation of space enthusiasts to the past missions of Project Mercury, Gemini, and most especially the moon missions, Apollo 1–17. There are plenty of photographs of various astronauts in space capsules, space suits, and walking on the moon. Sometimes photographs are superimposed one on another, making it difficult to read. For example, one photograph shows the command module Columbia as photographed from the lunar module and an insert shows the 15-layer space suit and gear Neil Armstrong would wear for moonwalking. That’s a lot to process on one page. Still, the awesome images of footprints on the moon, raising the American flag, and earthrise from the moon, cannot help but raise shivers. The author concludes with a timeline of exploration, Web sites, recommended books, and picture credits. For NASA memorabilia collectors, end papers show the Apollo space badges for missions 11–17. Useful for replacing aging space titles. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-57091-408-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
Most children know what an astronaut is, but an aquanaut? Not so common. Focusing on a one-week expedition in the underwater science station Aquarius, Mallory and marine photographer Skerry literally immerse themselves in this adventure. The science station is an 80-ton cylindrical steel chamber that's like “a mobile home someone has driven into the ocean.” The team's project is to electronically tag fish and observe their daily habits. The narrative chronicles the safety training needed before the expedition, the implantation of tags or pingers inside the fish and the day-to-day experience of living 60 feet below the ocean’s surface. What do aquanauts eat? Can you make telephone calls and send e-mails? And most importantly—is it possible for a toilet to explode from too much pressure? (Answer: yes.) Full-page interludes on topics such as sea-habitat history and the importance of decompression are disruptive at times but ultimately add to the understanding of this undersea adventure. A rather dry design aside, this book intrigues. (introduction, further reading, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59078-607-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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