An appealing and accessible collection.
Forty science-related activities that can be done in a canning jar by young experimenters.
A former editor of FamilyFun magazine introduces his collection of activities with one double-page spread about science and the use of the scientific method to solve mysteries, and another on the advantages of the mason jar: widely available in various sizes, inexpensive and durable, heatproof, transparent, sealable, and often equipped with helpful measuring lines. Like many such compilations of “experiments” these are really demonstrations or ways to concoct a substance with which to experiment. Organized into chapters by study areas—chemistry, earth science, botany, biology, and physics—these relatively simple procedures are clearly presented, most compressed into just a two-page spread. Each offers a short introduction, a list of materials and tools, step-by-step instructions, “What to Watch for,” and “What’s Going on.” Separate text boxes headed with the phrases “Speak Like a Scientist,” “Science in Real Life,” or “Tell Me More” add extra information. Sometimes there are suggestions for variations and further exploration. All are illustrated with photographs, sometimes showing the experiment in progress, often showing middle-grade experimenters diverse in gender and race. There’s making goo (“also known as gack”), growing seedlings, dissolving an egg’s shell, and physics magic using air pressure, among many familiar activities, but the demonstration of the versatility of a mason jar is impressive.
An appealing and accessible collection. (index not seen) (Nonfiction. 8-14)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-61212-986-0
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
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
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information.
Two youngsters embark on a journey peppered with history, trivia, and skits while teaching money lessons.
Meet Mellody and John, the young stars of this currency showcase. Their very first dialogue offers a taste of the intriguing information to come, from the ancient Mayans’ use of cacao beans as payment to the origins of the piggy bank. The book offers a chronologically and geographically broad timeline of the history of money, encompassing the past 3.9 billion years (starting with meteorite crashes that scattered metals—“the very first bank deposit”) and referencing practices across five continents. Readers will find themselves eagerly sharing the facts gleaned here, including the centuries-old origins of terms and expressions still used today. Mellody and John’s fun banter crucially reflects their experiences with money, such as their families’ differing attitudes toward allowances. Both are savers as well as givers, sharing stories about giving to charity. In one especially entertaining section, a cat and a bunny converse in money-related catchphrases that are separately defined at the bottom of each page. Stevens’ watercolors are appropriately realistic and appealing, whether depicting Mellody’s pretend bank or Elizabeth II’s butler ironing a 10-pound note. Messages about money’s use as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself, ensure that readers will think about their own purposes for their savings. Mellody and John are Black.
A variety show brimming with esoteric and practical information. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781536224719
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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