Thorough, engaging, and accessible.
A seasoned meteorologist and journalist uses personal experiences, interviews with earthquake witnesses, history, charts, and photographs as she explains the science behind earthquakes.
The introduction begins in a conversational tone that continues throughout a lengthy text: “When I was four years old, I lived with my family in Tokyo, Japan.” The author—shown, blonde and pale, in her kindergarten uniform—goes on to tell about the “regular earthquake drills” in her kindergarten class and the education that led her to become a meteorologist and science reporter. Five chapters follow, each with subheadings and a plethora of art to complement everything from discussions of the Earth’s layers through tsunamis to emergency preparedness. Most of the information is well-organized and logically sequenced; the only organizational glitch is that there are three occasions on which sidebars use such abbreviations as “M 9.0” to describe specific earthquakes before those abbreviations are clarified in an explanation of the Richter scale. The use of personal stories keeps interest high, and changes in color and typeface, as well as well-placed, colorful art, prevent fatigue. Vocabulary words are flagged in colored italics, and analogies and comparisons heighten clarity. There is even some humor, as in this heading about plate tectonics: “A Stressful Situation.” To help young people avoid sensory, personal, and intellectual overload, reading one chapter a day is optimal.
Thorough, engaging, and accessible. (resources, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-13)Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1243-7
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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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