Everyone who reads this case study in paleontology’s methods and awesome rewards will want to grow up to be a dinosaur...
Argentine scientists involved in the actual dig describe one of modern paleontology’s most titanic discoveries.
“Excuse me,” says a Patagonian gaucho, stopping to view a dinosaur exhibit on a visit to town. “I found a bone just like that one on my ranch. But it’s much bigger than that one.” And so it is, as investigating paleontologist José (lead author Carballido) demonstrates in a memorable, money-shot illustration by Gigena, by lying down beside a 7-foot, 10-inch fossil femur—the largest of over 180 bones to be excavated, carefully preserved, hauled away from their remote site, and copied so that an exact replica of the humongous new species, Patagotitan mayorum, could be assembled. Running sidebar definitions and explanations of, for instance, how scientists can estimate a dinosaur’s body mass by measuring its arm and leg bones and what a single fossil tooth can tell scientists about a dinosaur’s eating habits enhance the third-person account, as does the mix of photos and painted views of women and (mostly unshaven) men at work in the field and lab. The story and pictures culminate in a jaw-dropping double-page–spread portrait of the finished dino model. “It’s the biggest dinosaur ever found,” concludes José’s partner Diego (co-author Pol). “For now,” replies José.
Everyone who reads this case study in paleontology’s methods and awesome rewards will want to grow up to be a dinosaur scientist. (jacket poster) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-20739-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
A solid addition to the climate-change canon for those interested in saving a fragile world.
Dire consequences attend the unchecked melting of Arctic sea ice.
The more the ice melts, the more the Arctic climate changes. The more that air and ground temperatures rise, the more the frozen ecosystem’s inhabitants, including plants and insects, suffer from dwindling habitats; threats to food sources; and imbalances in feeding, breeding, and migration patterns. Solid information is packed into this brief work that lucidly raises the alarm for young readers, with each spread capturing the thrilling, chilling north in rich, dramatic blue swathes of seawater set off by icy glaciers and snowdrifts. Child-friendly, occasionally cluttered paintings, some with labels, highlight polar bears and their Arctic neighbors; a spread of vignettes illustrates how changes to plant life affect wildlife. One labeled spread explains all: As seawater warms, it absorbs sunlight, thus heating more water and melting more ice. One poignant spread depicts a bewildered polar bear mom, eyeing readers and flanked by her twin cubs, drifting on a shrinking ice floe. Two human children, one brown-skinned and one pale, occasionally appear in the illustrations as well. The book ends on a hopeful note, reassuring youngsters that “we still have time to save polar bears and slow the loss of Arctic ice.” A note in the backmatter offers conservation tips.
A solid addition to the climate-change canon for those interested in saving a fragile world. (author’s note, bibliography, additional sources) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-14319-8
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
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A refreshing dive past some of our world’s marine wonders.
Denizens of the deep crowd oversized pages in this populous gallery of ocean life.
The finny and tentacled sea creatures drifting or arrowing through Zommer’s teeming watercolor seascapes are generally recognizable, and they are livened rather than distorted by the artist’s tendency to place human eyes on the same side of many faces, Picasso-like. Headers such as “Ink-teresting” or “In for the krill” likewise add a playful tone to the pithy comments on anatomical features or behavioral quirks that accompany the figures (which include, though rarely, a white human diver). The topical spreads begin with an overview of ocean families (“Some are hairy, some have scales, some have fins and some are boneless and brainless!”), go on to introduce select animals in no particular order from sea horses and dragonets to penguins and pufferfish, then close with cautionary remarks on chemical pollution and floating plastic. The author invites readers as they go to find both answers to such questions as “Why does a crab run sideways?” and also a small sardine hidden in some, but not all, of the pictures. For the latter he provides a visual key at the end, followed by a basic glossary.
A refreshing dive past some of our world’s marine wonders. (index) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: June 5, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-500-65119-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
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