by Paola Vitale ; illustrated by Rossana Bossù ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2020
Richly illustrated and both poetically and informatively written.
The mystery of evolution is presented in this Italian import.
Constructed essentially in two parts, this richly illustrated picture book begins with a spare, poetic portrayal of the development of a vertebrate embryo from conception to birth. The text gracefully and sure-handedly leads readers to the startling fact that developing vertebrate embryos, whether fish, toad, snake, duck, fox, or human, all look alike, and for a time, it is impossible to tell what—or who—the embryo will become. This fascinating fact, presented artistically and subtly in the first part of the book, raises a desire for more information—which is obligingly supplied by the second part of the story. Here, the text leaves behind spare poetry and turns to more fact-filled information. A key evolutionary theory of Darwin’s—that all vertebrates are descended from a single ancestor and have evolved to adapt to survive particular climates—is presented in an easily understandable way while also underscoring the fascinating conclusion that all creatures are connected through evolution: a satisfying circling back to the earlier part of the book. Bossù’s illustrations both soothe and stimulate with colorful, soft-edged circles and amorphous shapes on pure-white backgrounds, imbuing richness and anticipation to the theme of evolution.
Richly illustrated and both poetically and informatively written. (Informational picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7331212-0-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Blue Dot Kids Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
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by Nicola Davies ; illustrated by Jane Ray ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2019
A sweet and endearing feathered migration.
A relationship between a Latina grandmother and her mixed-race granddaughter serves as the frame to depict the ruby-throated hummingbird migration pattern.
In Granny’s lap, a girl is encouraged to “keep still” as the intergenerational pair awaits the ruby-throated hummingbirds with bowls of water in their hands. But like the granddaughter, the tz’unun—“the word for hummingbird in several [Latin American] languages”—must soon fly north. Over the next several double-page spreads, readers follow the ruby-throated hummingbird’s migration pattern from Central America and Mexico through the United States all the way to Canada. Davies metaphorically reunites the granddaughter and grandmother when “a visitor from Granny’s garden” crosses paths with the girl in New York City. Ray provides delicately hashed lines in the illustrations that bring the hummingbirds’ erratic flight pattern to life as they travel north. The watercolor palette is injected with vibrancy by the addition of gold ink, mirroring the hummingbirds’ flashing feathers in the slants of light. The story is supplemented by notes on different pages with facts about the birds such as their nest size, diet, and flight schedule. In addition, a note about ruby-throated hummingbirds supplies readers with detailed information on how ornithologists study and keep track of these birds.
A sweet and endearing feathered migration. (bibliography, index) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0538-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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by Kate Messner ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2022
More thoughtful, sometimes exhilarating encounters with nature.
In a new entry in the Over and Under series, a paddleboarder glimpses humpback whales leaping, floats over a populous kelp forest, and explores life on a beach and in a tide pool.
In this tale inspired by Messner’s experiences in Monterey Bay in California, a young tan-skinned narrator, along with their light-skinned mom and tan-skinned dad, observes in quiet, lyrical language sights and sounds above and below the sea’s serene surface. Switching perspectives and angles of view and often leaving the family’s red paddleboards just tiny dots bobbing on distant swells, Neal’s broad seascapes depict in precise detail bat stars and anchovies, kelp bass, and sea otters going about their business amid rocky formations and the swaying fronds of kelp…and, further out, graceful moon jellies and—thrillingly—massive whales in open waters beneath gliding pelicans and other shorebirds. After returning to the beach at day’s end to search for shells and to spot anemones and decorator crabs, the child ends with nighttime dreams of stars in the sky meeting stars in the sea. Appended nature notes on kelp and 21 other types of sealife fill in details about patterns and relationships in this rich ecosystem. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
More thoughtful, sometimes exhilarating encounters with nature. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-79720-347-8
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
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