An important, appropriate novel for young readers in a rapidly changing world.
In debut author Mechael’s middle-grade series starter, a team of fifth graders use their aptitude for science to keep their families, friends, and others safe.
Marylander Girgis “Gir” Orenson-Gobrial is a whip-smart, headstrong boy with his marine biologist father’s knack for science. Gir starts to be concerned when his talkative dad is eerily quiet one morning before asking Gir about an important-sounding missing research notebook. After his father mentions that dangerous plastic-eating bacteria are releasing toxins into Chesapeake Bay, Gir becomes very concerned, and so does his classmate Izi, a timid girl who recently moved to the United States from Japan. Together, the pair found the Antidotes, a team of passionate kids who all got through a recent unspecified pandemic and who swear to do all they can to keep anything similar from happening. They find creative ways to raise awareness and stop the spread of illness. Over the course of this novel, the characters, both children and adults, feel sympathetic and real, and readers of all ages will find someone who’s relatable in these pages. Mechael’s timely, poignant, and urgent novel grapples with familiar issues that have plagued the entire planet in the past few years as well as serious problems that may lie ahead. It comes complete with pictures, maps, charts, as well as accessible explanations of potential solutions to environmental issues. The novel also effectively touches on other serious themes, including gender bias and corporate greed. Mechael seems to understand what it was like to be a concerned preteen in recent years—although, notably, neither Covid-19 nor a specific year is ever named in the novel. Overall, though, the story provides cautious hope for the future.
An important, appropriate novel for young readers in a rapidly changing world.Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022
ISBN: 9781954805248
Page Count: 242
Publisher: Bold Story Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world.
A quiet book for putting young children to bed in a state of snowy wonder.
The magic of the north comes alive in a picture book featuring Inuit characters. In the sky at nighttime, snow falls fast. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a raven roosts atop a tall building. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a mother’s delicate song to her child arises like a gentle breeze.” With the repetition of the simple, titular refrain, the author envisions what happens in a small town at night: Young children see their breath in the cold; a hunter returns on his snowmobile; the stars dazzle in the night sky. A young mother rocks her baby to sleep with a song and puts the tot down with a trio of stuffed animals: hare, polar bear, seal. The picture book evokes a feeling of peace as the street lamps, northern lights, and moon illuminate the snow. The illustrations are noteworthy for the way they meld the old world with what it looks like to be a modern Indigenous person: A sled dog and fur-lined parkas combine easily with the frame houses, a pickup truck, power lines, and mobile-hung crib. By introducing Indigenous characters in an unremarkably familiar setting, the book reaches children who don’t always see themselves in an everyday context.
A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77227-238-3
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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