In the ``Gateway Green'' series of easy biographies, a clear but uninspired outline. Beginning with an attention-grabbing paragraph on the unusual contents of the young Audubon's pockets (eggs, frogs, nests) and his admiring stepmother's indulgence, Kendall falls into a choppy, awkward narrative; and though she includes incidents of interest to young readers, especially from the painter-naturalist's youth, she never develops much sense of his personality—not even the remarkable persistence, in the face of a growing family and continual economic disasters, that underlay his achievements. There are archival illustrations or color reproductions on almost every spread; captions indicate subjects but lack sufficient identification (is that Audubon's painting of phoebes? are these self-portraits?) and dates (does the painting—engraving?—of mountain lions belong to the period of The Vivaparous [sic] Quadrupeds of North America, or 30 years earlier, where it appears in the book?). Also, a definition of ``vivaparous [again sic] quadrupeds'' as ``four-legged animals that do not lay eggs'' seems unduly coy. Quibbles, perhaps; still, sloppiness is often symptomatic. Serviceable, then, but Kastner's somewhat more advanced and far more intelligent and informative John James Audubon (1992) is a better choice. (Biography. 8-11)
Pub Date: Feb. 15, 1993
ISBN: 1-56294-297-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Millbrook
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1993
paper 0-7894-4760-6 This entry in the Eyewitness Readers series offers children the insight that the trees that surround them are among the tallest, heaviest, and oldest living things on Earth. Keeping the language simple and flowing, Chevallier explains the difference between deciduous trees and conifers, the parts of a tree, and how trees grow. The author also shows how trees provide habitats for other creatures, and explains in easy terms their life cycles. Full-color photographs help readers visualize concepts—a tree’s canopy, its root system—that might not always be obvious, or visible. The book is geared toward beginning readers who are just learning to read alone, and will certainly help them see both the forest and the trees. (Nonfiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7894-4761-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1999
A picture book combines the exuberance of children and the drama found in nature for a sly lesson on power-sharing. Henderson (Newborn, 1999, etc.) lands on the wide reaches of a windy beach where young Jim expansively flings wide his arms and claims “All this is mine!” So it seems until the wind blows in a gale so violent that it smashes objects and tears “through the dreams of people sleeping.” An eerie series of black-and-white paintings shows the white-capped waves breaking ever higher and crashing inland; these are so frightening that Jim cries out to his mother, “The sea! It’s coming!” Happily enough, Jim and his mother are able to run up the hill to a grandmother’s house where they weather the storm safely. The next time Jim speaks to the wind, on a much quieter beach, he whispers, “All this is yours.” Large type, appealing pastel illustrations, and a dose of proper perspective on humankind’s power over nature make this book a fine choice for story hours as well as nature collections. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7636-0904-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1999
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