Imagine the states, Kansas, California, Ohio, and all the rest, as people with toothy grins, ping-pong balls for eyes, pipe cleaner limbs, and full-blown personalities. Imagine, then, that they get together at a party and decide to switch places on the map. In this amusing spoof, Kansas wakes up one morning saying, “I’m not feeling happy at all!” and starts the whole thing. Florida goes to Minnesota, California goes to Wisconsin, Nevada and Mississippi fall in love. Then the trouble starts: Alaska, who had missed company, feels claustrophobic among other states; Kansas finds his place in the middle of the ocean to be a bit too quiet; Minnesota, in Florida’s spot, forgets to pack suntan lotion; and so on. Soon the states are rushing back to their original spots with sighs of relief. Keller, in her first book pushes a silly idea, to great lengths, and will elicit laughs from all those who thought geography was boring. The states are colorful, boastful, belligerent, and charming, in collage illustrations that are full of spontaneous asides and intriguing labels. The states appear in a final gallery, with a few statistics to square off the whole funny enterprise. (Picture book. 8-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-8050-5802-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1998
Formed over eons by lava boiling up from the sea floor, the rocky Galapagos are inhabited by an odd assortment of plants and animals that have developed peculiar adaptations for survival; e.g., dark-skinned iguanas, able to spend more time in cold water searching for food, ``evolved into a new type of iguana—the marine iguana.'' Crisp, clear close-up photos in full color add to the appeal, but lack captions and scale. An attractive introduction to evolution and to some unusual life forms. Scientific names not given; no index. (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: May 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-316-30739-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
A well-known author of nature books considers different kinds of squirrels, how they behave, and what they look like; the book includes many indifferent b&w photos and a slightly easier text than Bare's Tree Squirrels (1983). Overall, Bare's book is superior: unlike Schlein's, it gives scientific names for the squirrels described, and it has a more extensive index and clearer, more interesting photos. Schlein's is acceptable as an additional purchase. Brief bibliography; index. (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: March 30, 1992
ISBN: 0-06-022753-2
Page Count: 64
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1992
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