Sashays down the runway but fails to make any lasting impression.
Eleven wild creatures model mud, oil, dead ants, poop, and other fashion-forward accessories.
Though the conceit has at least as much promise as that of her I See Sea Food: Sea Creatures That Look Like Food (2019), Grodzicki shows an odd reluctance to own it. She characterizes both the iron-rich muck that bearded vultures rub into their feathers and the anal-gland oil that flamingos rub into theirs to make them even more “Pretty in Pink” as actual adornment. However, she contradicts her own language to note that wild boars aren’t wallowing in “muddy body paint” to “make a fashion statement,” and even after heading an entry “BLING! BLING!” she explains that the pile of “jewelry” (i.e. bits of plant and animal debris) that lacewing larvae carry around for protection “isn’t sparkly or flashy.” Overall the author’s comments about how various found or excreted substances play roles in predation, defense, or attracting a mate (just like with people, not that she makes that connection) are spot-on, and the big, sharply focused, close-up stock photos will be a strong draw. But the ready way she abandons her premise muddles the presentation and will likely leave readers feeling confused or let down. Steer young naturalists first to the similar but more bounteous Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (2014). (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.75-by-19.5-inch double-page spreads viewed at 58% of actual size.)
Sashays down the runway but fails to make any lasting impression. (summary fact boxes, glossary) (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5415-8123-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the...
Using science and technology, third-grader Ada Lace kicks off her new series by solving a mystery even with her leg in a cast.
Temporarily housebound after a badly executed bungee jump, Ada uses binoculars to document the ecosystem of her new neighborhood in San Francisco. She records her observations in a field journal, a project that intrigues new friend Nina, who lives nearby. When they see that Ms. Reed’s dog, Marguerite, is missing, they leap to the conclusion that it has been stolen. Nina does the legwork and Ada provides the technology for their search for the dognapper. Story-crafting takes a back seat to scene-setting in this series kickoff that introduces the major players. As part of the series formula, science topics and gadgetry are integrated into the stories and further explained in a “Behind the Science” afterword. This installment incorporates drones, a wireless camera, gecko gloves, and the Turing test as well as the concept of an ecosystem. There are no ethnic indicators in the text, but the illustrations reveal that Ada, her family, and bratty neighbor Milton are white; Nina appears to be Southeast Asian; and Mr. Peebles, an inventor who lives nearby, is black.
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8599-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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