Oh to be a kid in Mr. Whiskers’s primary science classes. The next best thing is reading and doing hands-on science explorations at school or at home with this guide. Mr. Whiskers is a hip young teacher with red crew cut and goatee who sets simple rules and gives children free range with collaborative inquiry centers. He encourages them to explore, discover, and share big ideas about matter. Seven of those big ideas are boxed in the drawings to reinforce them for the reader. He concludes with a word to parents and teachers about inquiry, provides recipes, and gives addresses for supplies. His approach models NSTA recommended practices and national Science Standards. The eight multiracial kids and their laidback mentor are having a great time, while exploring important concepts. The illustrator’s humorous pen-and-watercolor drawings are appealing and action-filled without overwhelming the text. Hopefully, Ross, a naturalist and author of 40 books for children, has many more Mr. Whiskers adventures planned. Great fun, with appealing science. (Nonfiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-7636-1349-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The Pumpkin Book (32 pp.; $16.95; Sept. 15; 0-8234-1465-5): From seed to vine and blossom to table, Gibbons traces the growth cycle of everyone’s favorite autumn symbol—the pumpkin. Meticulous drawings detail the transformation of tiny seeds to the colorful gourds that appear at roadside stands and stores in the fall. Directions for planting a pumpkin patch, carving a jack-o’-lantern, and drying the seeds give young gardeners the instructions they need to grow and enjoy their own golden globes. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1465-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201835-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
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