Accurate natural history simply and charismatically presented.
A ruby-throated hummingbird chronicles its first full year of life.
This latest addition to the series of first-person nature diaries that began with My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis (2017) introduces the ruby-throated hummingbird, familiar to residents of the East Coast and Midwest, where they summer, and of Mexico and Central America, where they winter. The front endpapers map the ruby-throated species’ range, show some western hummingbirds, and present some facts including the nest-building process. This slightly advanced scientific text sets the stage for Ruby T.’s personal story. Dates head entries of one or two sentences, simple enough for fledgling readers. Meisel’s illustrations augment the storytelling. The title page includes a picture of Ruby T.’s mother on her nest; a page turn reveals just the tip of a beak poking out of a cracked egg. But soon, Ruby T. is flying “really fast!” Spread by spread the pacing reflects the bird’s experience, including speedy growth and challenging migrations. Short words relating to the bird’s actions sit directly on these paintings (“CHASE”; “ZOOM”). Ruby T. often enjoys a hummingbird feeder—probably the way most readers will encounter this species. There are quarrels, communal feeding, and preparations for the big trip. Ruby T. winters in a different environment. When spring comes, his newly red throat reveals that he’s male. The story winds up neatly when he meets a potential mate after his return.
Accurate natural history simply and charismatically presented. (sources, recommended reading, further information) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4322-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on.
Sharpson offers so-fish-ticated readers a heads up about the true terror of the seas.
The title says it all. Our unseen narrator is just fine with other animals: mammals. Reptiles. Even birds. But fish? Don’t trust them! First off, the rules always seem to change with fish. Some live in fresh water; some reside in salt water. Some have gills, while others have lungs. You can never see what they’re up to, since they hang out underwater, and they’re always eating those poor, innocent crabs. Soon, the narrator introduces readers to Jeff, a vacant-eyed yellow fish—but don’t be fooled! Jeff’s “the craftiest fish of all.” All fish are, apparently, hellbent on world domination, the narrator warns. “DON’T TRUST FISH!” Finally, at the tail end, we get a sly glimpse of our unreliable narrator. Readers needn’t be ichthyologists to appreciate Sharpson’s meticulous comic timing. (“Ships always sink at sea. They never sink on land. Isn’t that strange?”) His delightful text, filled to the brim with jokes that read aloud brilliantly, pairs perfectly with Santat’s art, which shifts between extreme realism and goofy hilarity. He also fills the book with his own clever gags (such as an image of Gilligan’s Island’s S.S. Minnow going down and a bottle of sauce labeled “Surly Chik’n Srir’racha’r”).
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9780593616673
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.
Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”
Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
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