by Melvin Berger & Jerry Lofaro ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 1991
Dramatic, oversized paintings and a brief text take the reader from the creation of the universe to modern Homo sapiens. This impressive-looking overview suffers somewhat from a lack of captions (e.g., several forms of ``early man `' are discussed but it's not indicated which is illustrated) and from oversimplification (Berger opens with ``The Big Bang'' as fact rather than as one of several theories). Dinosaurs are overemphasized and dramatically but conventionally portrayed; some readers may be confused by including non-dinosaurs in the ``dinosaur section'' without explanation. Still, a visually appealing introduction. Index. (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: June 14, 1991
ISBN: 0-385-24874-1
Page Count: 45
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1991
Share your opinion of this book
More by Melvin Berger
BOOK REVIEW
by Melvin Berger & illustrated by S.D. Schindler
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Melvin Berger & Gilda Berger & illustrated by Higgins Bond
by Megan McDonald & illustrated by Peter Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2002
McDonald’s irrepressible third-grader (Judy Moody Gets Famous, 2001, etc.) takes a few false steps before hitting full stride. This time, not only has her genius little brother Stink submitted a competing entry in the Crazy Strips Band-Aid design contest, but in the wake of her science teacher’s heads-up about rainforest destruction and endangered animals, she sees every member of her family using rainforest products. It’s all more than enough to put her in a Mood, which gets her in trouble at home for letting Stink’s pet toad, Toady, go free, and at school for surreptitiously collecting all the pencils (made from rainforest cedar) in class. And to top it off, Stink’s Crazy Strips entry wins a prize, while she gets . . . a certificate. Chronicled amusingly in Reynolds’s frequent ink-and-tea drawings, Judy goes from pillar to post—but she justifies the pencil caper convincingly enough to spark a bottle drive that nets her and her classmates not only a hundred seedling trees for Costa Rica, but the coveted school Giraffe Award (given to those who stick their necks out), along with T-shirts and ice cream coupons. Judy’s growing corps of fans will crow “Rare!” right along with her. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-7636-1446-7
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2002
Share your opinion of this book
More by Megan McDonald
BOOK REVIEW
by Megan McDonald ; illustrated by Scott Nash
BOOK REVIEW
by Megan McDonald ; illustrated by Katherine Tillotson
BOOK REVIEW
by Megan McDonald ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
by Constance Hiser & illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1991
In a sequel to No Bean Sprouts, Please! (1989), James and his friends do battle with Mean Mitchell, the school bully. After being punched in the mouth, James vows revenge and concocts an elaborate plan to frighten his nemesis in the local haunted house. On Halloween, he and his friends plan to play a series of tricks—only to be terrified by extra, unexpected ghostly events. It's plucky T.J. who confronts Mean Mitchell, who has discovered their intentions and tried to outsmart them; in coming to her rescue, James finds a way to get back at the bully after all. Characterization is rudimentary, but the story moves briskly, carried by snappy dialogue and its appealing, if pedestrian, events. Smith's pleasantly slapdash drawings fit right in. Fans who enjoyed James's previous adventures will not be disappointed. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: June 15, 1991
ISBN: 0-8234-0865-5
Page Count: 68
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1991
Share your opinion of this book
More by Constance Hiser
BOOK REVIEW
by Constance Hiser & illustrated by Carolyn Ewing
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.