An admiring salute to a scientist whose contributions remain all too relevant.
Eunice Newton Foote (1819-1888) was the first to document the effect of greenhouse gases on Earth’s climate.
Eunice’s sense of curiosity—undiminished by the misogyny of her era—anchors this picture-book biography as Bryant takes her subject from a child inquisitive about life on the family farm and beyond to a young adult who eagerly studied botany, chemistry, and geology at boarding school in Troy, New York. Foote’s questioning mind extended to social issues; after marrying and settling down in Seneca Falls, she attended the first women’s rights convention in the U.S. in 1848. She knew women were just as capable as men and pursued her passion for science. Her discovery that increased carbon dioxide in the air resulted in higher temperatures still informs our understanding of global warming. Five years after she published her paper, however, the Irish physicist John Tyndall would claim he was the first to make that discovery; acknowledging that he may have been unaware of Foote’s work, Bryant mildly notes, “Like most men in those days, the professor believed that women were not curious and could not learn science.” Though skimming over some details of Foote’s life and work, Bryant’s straightforward prose pairs well with Bates’ earth-toned, impressionistic watercolor and colored pencil images. Billowing images of smoke and gases escaping volcanoes echo Foote’s flowing skirts; the visuals also clearly demonstrate how Foote’s experiments might have looked.
An admiring salute to a scientist whose contributions remain all too relevant. (timeline, glossary, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 7-10)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9780062957061
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: yesterday
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.
An introduction to gravity.
The book opens with the most iconic demonstration of gravity, an apple falling. Throughout, Herz tackles both huge concepts—how gravity compresses atoms to form stars and how black holes pull all kinds of matter toward them—and more concrete ones: how gravity allows you to jump up and then come back down to the ground. Gravity narrates in spare yet lyrical verse, explaining how it creates planets and compresses atoms and comparing itself to a hug. “My embrace is tight enough that you don’t float like a balloon, but loose enough that you can run and leap and play.” Gravity personifies itself at times: “I am stubborn—the bigger things are, the harder I pull.” Beautiful illustrations depict swirling planets and black holes alongside racially diverse children playing, running, and jumping, all thanks to gravity. Thorough backmatter discusses how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity and explains Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. While at times Herz’s explanations may be a bit too technical for some readers, burgeoning scientists will be drawn in.
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe. (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: April 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668936849
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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