An important historical personality receives deserved attention in this fine account.
Caroline Herschel’s intellectual curiosity sparkled like the stars that fascinated her.
Born and raised in Hannover, Germany, Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) seemed destined for life as a household drudge; her mother, who cared little about her daughter’s schooling, demanded Caroline do chores, while her four elder brothers were educated by their father. William, Caroline’s favorite brother, eventually moved to England and embarked on a successful music career. He cared deeply about his sister and urged her to come live with him. Their mother refused until William sent money to hire a servant. Caroline moved, and William taught her English, singing, and mathematics. She transcribed music and performed in his concerts. Star-gazing fascinated them both, and they built several brilliantly accurate telescopes and mapped star movements. Caroline easily worked out complicated calculations. The pair made major astronomical discoveries, but William Herschel is enshrined in astronomical history as the discoverer of Uranus. Caroline’s star also shone: She discovered a comet, for which George III awarded her a salary. Thus, Caroline Herschel became the world’s first professional female astronomer. (She discovered several more.) This captivating, well-written biographical picture book spotlights a brilliant, persevering woman who found her true calling in the skies; STEM-inclined readers should find her story especially fascinating and uplifting. Numerous quotes from Caroline Herschel appear throughout. Mildenberger’s paintings are awash in light; dark scenes gleam with stars.
An important historical personality receives deserved attention in this fine account. (more information on Caroline Herschel, glossary and resources, quotations, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 7-10)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781452145433
Page Count: 60
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A quick flight but a blast from first to last.
A charged-up roundup of astro-facts.
Having previously explored everything awesome about both dinosaurs (2019) and sharks (2020), Lowery now heads out along a well-traveled route, taking readers from the Big Bang through a planet-by-planet tour of the solar system and then through a selection of space-exploration highlights. The survey isn’t unique, but Lowery does pour on the gosh-wow by filling each hand-lettered, poster-style spread with emphatic colors and graphics. He also goes for the awesome in his selection of facts—so that readers get nothing about Newton’s laws of motion, for instance, but will come away knowing that just 65 years separate the Wright brothers’ flight and the first moon landing. They’ll also learn that space is silent but smells like burned steak (according to astronaut Chris Hadfield), that thanks to microgravity no one snores on the International Space Station, and that Buzz Aldrin was the first man on the moon…to use the bathroom. And, along with a set of forgettable space jokes (OK, one: “Why did the carnivore eat the shooting star?” “Because it was meteor”), the backmatter features drawing instructions for budding space artists and a short but choice reading list. Nods to Katherine Johnson and NASA’s other African American “computers” as well as astronomer Vera Rubin give women a solid presence in the otherwise male and largely White cast of humans. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A quick flight but a blast from first to last. (Informational picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-35974-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
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.
bookshelf
