An informative introduction to a career that combines treasure hunting, scientific experimentation, and ocean exploration.
Marine geologist Zaleski introduces young readers to the world of maritime archaeology in her debut memoir.
“Maritime archeology is a specialized branch of archeology,” the author states early on, “which studies the physical remains of human interaction with a water body.” Put simply, the crew of the research vessel Hercules, in this book, hunts for sunken treasure. Zaleski chronicles her experience searching the coast of Cadiz, Spain, for the Santisima Trinidad, a Spanish flagship that was lost after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Zaleski, acting as survey manager to a crew of archaeologists, sailors, divers, engineers, and interns, was responsible for gathering and interpreting survey data using multibeam sonar, a technology that’s rarely used for this purpose—and thus, a kind of exploration in its own right. Throughout, the author includes detailed accounts of the tech she used, the jobs of various crew members, the difficulties of mapping the ocean floor and working around volatile weather, as well as pleasant, humanizing stories of time spent onshore in Spain and the camaraderie of her crew. Zaleski approaches her subject with a deep love of science and a genuine desire to share her work with children, and the prose is approachable and easy to read throughout. On the whole, though, the book may be a bit dry and short for some readers, and more details about the decks of the Hercules and its contents, the crew’s other missions, and the ways in which submerged targets are transformed by the ocean would have been welcome. That said, curious children interested in scientific exploration will find the author’s encouraging voice and zeal for discovery to be relatable.
An informative introduction to a career that combines treasure hunting, scientific experimentation, and ocean exploration.Pub Date: May 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64378-902-6
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Austin Macauley
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both.
Flash, Batman, and other characters from the DC Comics universe tackle supervillains and STEM-related topics and sometimes, both.
Credited to 20 writers and illustrators in various combinations, the 10 episodes invite readers to tag along as Mera and Aquaman visit oceanic zones from epipelagic to hadalpelagic; Supergirl helps a young scholar pick a science-project topic by taking her on a tour of the solar system; and Swamp Thing lends Poison Ivy a hand to describe how DNA works (later joining Swamp Kid to scuttle a climate-altering scheme by Arcane). In other episodes, various costumed creations explain the ins and outs of diverse large- and small-scale phenomena, including electricity, atomic structure, forensic techniques, 3-D printing, and the lactate threshold. Presumably on the supposition that the characters will be more familiar to readers than the science, the minilectures tend to start from simple basics, but the figures are mostly both redrawn to look more childlike than in the comics and identified only in passing. Drawing styles and page designs differ from chapter to chapter but not enough to interrupt overall visual unity and flow—and the cast is sufficiently diverse to include roles for superheroes (and villains) of color like Cyborg, Kid Flash, and the Latina Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz. Appended lists of websites and science-based YouTube channels, plus instructions for homespun activities related to each episode, point inspired STEM-winders toward further discoveries.
Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both. (Graphic nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77950-382-4
Page Count: 160
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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