by Jeanne Bendick & illustrated by Mike Roffe ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 1991
One of four brief, attractive entries in the new ``Early Bird Astronomy'' series, which also includes books on the sun, stars, and universe, all by this well-established science writer. Colorful illustrations and a charming, cogent text combine to make even difficult topics accessible. Here, there are two pages on the solar system as a whole and on each planet. The information would have been enhanced if the facts provided (location, size, temperature, etc.) had appeared in more consistent order—and if the illustrator had been consistent in depicting Earth in relation to the planet under discussion (it is sometimes shown to the right of planets more distant from the sun, sometimes to the left). But, despite minor flaws, a useful addition at this level. Specialized vocabulary (``orbit,'' ``gravity,'' ``core'') appears in bold and is briefly explained in the text. Index. (Nonfiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: May 15, 1991
ISBN: 1-878841-03-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1991
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by Jeanne Bendick & illustrated by Mike Roffe
by Buzz Aldrin & illustrated by Wendell Minor ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2005
In first-person voice, Aldrin highlights points from his childhood that led to his dream of being an astronaut and making the historic moon landing. Coincidental details like his mother’s maiden name, “Moon,” and his favorite movie hero, the “Lone Ranger,” suggest clues to his destiny. After West Point, he joined the Air Force because “he wanted to fly more than anything.” Minor’s usual beautiful and realistic illustrations effectively convey spatial perspectives and movement, adding depth to the narrative. However, the cover design and type layout are confusing, indicative of a biography instead of an autobiography—a brief intro could have clarified it. Aldrin’s message in an author’s note avows, “If you set your sights high, you may accomplish more than you ever dreamed.” Pair this with Don Brown’s One Giant Step for a child’s-eye view on space exploration. (Flight/space exploration chronology) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-055445-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2005
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by Buzz Aldrin & Marianne Dyson ; illustrated by Bruce Foster
BOOK REVIEW
by Buzz Aldrin and illustrated by Wendell Minor
by Michael Tyler & illustrated by David Lee Csicsko ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2005
An earnest but energetic tribute to diversity, done up with postmodern arrays of smiling, stylized, lozenge-headed children paired to a rollicking celebration of: “Your coffee and cream skin, / your warm cocoa dream skin . . . / Your chocolate chip, double dip sundae supreme skin! / Your marshmallow treat skin, / your spun sugar sweet skin . . . / your cherry topped, candy dropped, frosting complete skin.” Tyler also urges readers to think about the commonality of “The skin that you laugh in; / the skin that you cry in; / the skin that you look to / the sky and ask, ‘Why?’ in.” Though he changes his tone and plies a verbal mallet to drive his point home in the last several verses, the earlier wordplay more than compensates—while glimpses of one child in a wheelchair, and another held by a biracial couple, expand the general theme to encompass more than skin color alone. A sonically playful, if just a bit overlong, alternative to Sheila Hamanaka’s All the Colors of the Earth (1994). (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-9759580-0-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chicago Children’s Museum/IPG
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2005
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by Linsey Davis & Michael Tyler ; illustrated by Lucy Fleming
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