Together with its companion, strong additions to a series sure to find its way to classroom and school libraries.
Mammals—a perennial early-elementary topic—are presented in a new light in this latest entry in the Compare and Contrast series.
Yes, Hall does hit on all the characteristics that make an animal a mammal, but these facts are presented in a way that allows children to compare and contrast various mammal species: a silverback gorilla breathes through its nose, whereas an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin breathes through a blowhole, and while a grizzly’s hair is apparent, a manatee has sparse hair that is barely noticeable. The enormous variety within the class makes the coverage necessarily superficial. Backmatter encourages readers to use the provided dichotomous key to identify eight species according to type of animal, gives facts about three “different” mammals—the platypus, the echidna, and bats—and encourages children to keep a nature journal of evidence of animals’ presence. Companion title Sharks and Dolphins, by Kevin Kurtz, is a more successful compare-and-contrast exercise, as these animals look very similar but are actually quite different. Topics addressed include where they are found, types of each, fish versus mammal, body characteristics, and what and how they eat. Backmatter instructs readers on reading and making a Venn diagram and asks them to put a food web in the proper order and identify shark and dolphin body parts. Both books rely on well-chosen stock photos, but those in Sharks are labeled and more dynamic and interesting.
Together with its companion, strong additions to a series sure to find its way to classroom and school libraries. (Nonfiction. 4-7)Pub Date: March 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62855-7299
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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