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UNIVERSE

JOURNEY INTO DEEP SPACE

Should keep any young sky watcher enthralled, and the text, despite its fleetness, provides plenty of illumination of the...

A handsome, tightly constructed exploration of our solar system, galaxy and beyond.

Here, poetically described, are many of the denizens of our galaxy, our friends the moons of fire, the asteroids of gold, star nurseries, supernovae, cosmic lighthouses, brown dwarfs—all rendered in near-photorealistic artwork by Garlick. Along with the illustrations’ phantasmagoric colors, Goldsmith’s text keeps readers’ attention with just the right amount of information and a little frisson of spooky pleasure added in: “Out here at the cold edge of the solar system, strange, dark worlds of ice and rock drift slowly by on their centuries-long journey around the distant Sun—a star that is no more than a bright spark in the black sky.” The author ventures ever deeper into the universe, but for the most part sticks to our galaxy, which is a strange enough space. Every now and then readers might wish for a colossal image from the Hubble or other deep-space probe, but small windows mostly do the trick, as with the photo of our galactic heart, with its breathtaking, uncountable populations of yellow, white, blue and red stars. Garlick is no slouch in the eye-pop department. Included are a very helpful glossary and a website resource guide.

Should keep any young sky watcher enthralled, and the text, despite its fleetness, provides plenty of illumination of the deep-space dark. (Nonfiction. 8-14)

Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-7534-6876-0

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Kingfisher

Review Posted Online: July 31, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2012

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1001 BEES

Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.

This book is buzzing with trivia.

Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.

Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)

Pub Date: May 18, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021

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FLASH FACTS

Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both.

Flash, Batman, and other characters from the DC Comics universe tackle supervillains and STEM-related topics and sometimes, both.

Credited to 20 writers and illustrators in various combinations, the 10 episodes invite readers to tag along as Mera and Aquaman visit oceanic zones from epipelagic to hadalpelagic; Supergirl helps a young scholar pick a science-project topic by taking her on a tour of the solar system; and Swamp Thing lends Poison Ivy a hand to describe how DNA works (later joining Swamp Kid to scuttle a climate-altering scheme by Arcane). In other episodes, various costumed creations explain the ins and outs of diverse large- and small-scale phenomena, including electricity, atomic structure, forensic techniques, 3-D printing, and the lactate threshold. Presumably on the supposition that the characters will be more familiar to readers than the science, the minilectures tend to start from simple basics, but the figures are mostly both redrawn to look more childlike than in the comics and identified only in passing. Drawing styles and page designs differ from chapter to chapter but not enough to interrupt overall visual unity and flow—and the cast is sufficiently diverse to include roles for superheroes (and villains) of color like Cyborg, Kid Flash, and the Latina Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz. Appended lists of websites and science-based YouTube channels, plus instructions for homespun activities related to each episode, point inspired STEM-winders toward further discoveries.

Contentwise, an arbitrary assortment…but sure to draw fans of comics, of science, or of both. (Graphic nonfiction. 9-12)

Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-77950-382-4

Page Count: 160

Publisher: DC

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

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