Though well-meaning, Knowlton’s tale is a beastly explanation of equivalency.
Mariah has only an hour to make a cake for the monsters’ arrival; will Brendan’s advice about equivalent measurements help her or slow her down?
Readers are sure to empathize as Mariah works to throw all the ingredients together and is constantly met with Brendan’s tips about equivalency. His help often feels more like he’s hitting her over the head with information (rather gleefully, at that) when she’s already overwhelmed. As Mariah says, “Grrrr….This is too much.” Readers will likely feel the same. This is neither a good introduction to equivalency nor a reinforcement of the concept. Only once does Brendan encourage her to fully understand that, say, four ¼ cups are equal to one cup—otherwise it’s a litany of Brendan’s assertions against Mariah’s protests. And the informative backmatter is limited to a half-page encouraging readers to use measuring cups and rice or water to experiment with equivalency. Jensen’s illustrations are appropriately monster-ish, from the creepy ingredients to the small details amid an otherwise ordinary-seeming kitchen. Mariah and Brendan are monsters themselves: she is pink with long floppy ears and a unicorn horn, and he is blue with five eyes on stalks on the top of his head. A recipe for monster cake follows the tale, though readers should not expect to pull a perfectly decorated layer cake out of the oven as Mariah does.
Though well-meaning, Knowlton’s tale is a beastly explanation of equivalency. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4556-2377-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pelican
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
A solid, small step for diversifying STEM stories.
What does Annie want to be?
As career day approaches, Annie wants to keep her job choice secret until her family sees her presentation at school. Readers will figure it out, however, through the title and clues Tadgell incorporates into the illustrations. Family members make guesses about her ambitions that are tied to their own passions, although her brother watches as she completes her costume in a bedroom with a Mae Jemison poster, starry décor, and a telescope. There’s a celebratory mood at the culminating presentation, where Annie says she wants to “soar high through the air” like her basketball-playing mother, “explore faraway places” like her hiker dad, and “be brave and bold” like her baker grandmother (this feels forced, but oven mitts are part of her astronaut costume) so “the whole world will hear my exciting stories” like her reporter grandfather. Annie jumps off a chair to “BLAST OFF” in a small illustration superimposed on a larger picture depicting her floating in space with a reddish ground below. It’s unclear if Annie imagines this scene or if it’s her future-self exploring Mars, but either scenario fits the aspirational story. Backmatter provides further reading suggestions and information about the moon and four women astronauts, one of whom is Jemison. Annie and her family are all black.
A solid, small step for diversifying STEM stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-88448-523-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
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