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LADYBUG LAUNCH

INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY OF CHINITAS IN SPACE

A rousing story of kids making an impact on the world of science.

In this tale inspired by co-author Ojeda’s personal experience, kindred spirits reach for the stars.

Natalia, a young girl living in Chile, dreams of becoming a scientist, though she’s never known anyone who attended university. Luna, a ladybug, or “chinita” in Chilean Spanish, aspires to be an astronaut, though her peers scoff at her. Their paths cross when Luna flies off in search of her dreams…and crash-lands on Natalia’s science paper. Natalia and her classmates are tasked with designing a space-themed science experiment, and when Luna makes her presence known, inspiration hits. Soon the students are working hard on a project involving the use of ladybugs as a natural form of pest control for crops grown in space. Natalia, Luna, and some of the students head to the United States to pitch their project to NASA. Getting the green light, they see their hard work pay off when Luna launches with the space shuttle Columbia; on board is Eileen Collins, “the first woman to command a NASA mission.” A note from Ojeda explains more thoroughly how in the late 1990s, she and her high school classmates created a project that was selected by NASA, although the main narrative skimps on some of these details and feels a bit rushed. Human characters outshine the optimistic insect, who’s endearing but feels superfluous. Still, Montoya’s bright, cheery illustrations are inviting, and the book offers a stirring example of representation in STEM.

A rousing story of kids making an impact on the world of science. (photos, Spanish glossary, online resources) (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 16, 2024

ISBN: 9781665930406

Page Count: 48

Publisher: McElderry

Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024

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HELLO WINTER!

A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.

Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.

Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.

A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018

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DON'T TRUST FISH

A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on.

Sharpson offers so-fish-ticated readers a heads up about the true terror of the seas.

The title says it all. Our unseen narrator is just fine with other animals: mammals. Reptiles. Even birds. But fish? Don’t trust them! First off, the rules always seem to change with fish. Some live in fresh water; some reside in salt water. Some have gills, while others have lungs. You can never see what they’re up to, since they hang out underwater, and they’re always eating those poor, innocent crabs. Soon, the narrator introduces readers to Jeff, a vacant-eyed yellow fish—but don’t be fooled! Jeff’s “the craftiest fish of all.” All fish are, apparently, hellbent on world domination, the narrator warns. “DON’T TRUST FISH!” Finally, at the tail end, we get a sly glimpse of our unreliable narrator. Readers needn’t be ichthyologists to appreciate Sharpson’s meticulous comic timing. (“Ships always sink at sea. They never sink on land. Isn’t that strange?”) His delightful text, filled to the brim with jokes that read aloud brilliantly, pairs perfectly with Santat’s art, which shifts between extreme realism and goofy hilarity. He also fills the book with his own clever gags (such as an image of Gilligan’s Island’s S.S. Minnow going down and a bottle of sauce labeled “Surly Chik’n Srir’racha’r”).

A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 8, 2025

ISBN: 9780593616673

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025

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