Authoritative and reassuring.
An introduction to the history and benefits of vaccines.
“A vaccine,” the author, a physician, writes, “is like a memory of a disease you never had.” In simple but not simplistic terms, LaRocca explains how vaccines work with the immune system to minimize the effects of certain diseases and traces the history of their development up to the creation of vaccines for Covid-19—crediting not only English physician Edward Jenner for popularizing the idea of smallpox inoculation in the late 18th century, but also Onesimus, an enslaved man who told Cotton Mather about a similar procedure in 1721. LaRocca ramps up the level of detail in the backmatter with descriptions of different sorts of germs, six types of vaccines, including those using mRNA and adenovirus, and a list of common infections (with symptoms) that can be prevented with vaccines. The message that vaccines are safe as well as effective comes through clearly in both the narrative and Marcotte’s cartoon illustrations of inoculated children surrounded by figurative dotted-line shields. The racially diverse cast of adults and children includes a hijab wearer, several people wearing face masks, and two using wheelchairs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Authoritative and reassuring. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2023
ISBN: 9781499813265
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
Just the ticket for an armchair outing to the red planet.
Good news! Planet Marvelous is looking forward to visitors from Planet Awesome.
With the same exuberance that propelled readers deep into her Ocean! Waves for All (2020), illustrated by David Litchfield, and its three predecessors in the Our Universe series, McAnulty looks to the next planet out for a fresh set of enticing natural wonders. Billing itself a “party planet” (“I want to be the FIRST planet with human guests”), the russet raconteur trumpets its unique attractions. These range from moons Deimos and Phobos (“I know Earth is totally jealous”) to Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris, which is “four times as deep as the Grand Canyon! And not nearly as crowded.” Sure, unlike Spirit, Opportunity, and other rovers, human visitors will have to pack their own water and oxygen in addition to traveling millions of miles…but given a few technological advances, soon enough it’ll be time to “get this party started!” Prospective tourists diverse of age and race are dancing already on Earth in a final scene in anticipation of a trip to our “reMARkable” neighbor. Quiz questions and a timeline cap an enticement that echoes Susanna Leonard Hill’s Mars’ First Friends: Come on Over, Rovers! (2020), illustrated by Elisa Paganelli, in its fizzy mix of fact and fancy. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 75% of actual size.)
Just the ticket for an armchair outing to the red planet. (sources) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-25688-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
Admittedly, these animals won’t kill you, dear reader—still, it’s an awe-inspiring lineup of dangerous darlings.
“Precious-looking predators” parade their way through this rogues’ gallery of menacing cuties.
For each animal, a page touting its cuddliness precedes one focusing on its fierce features. The slow loris has poisonous fur and fangs (it’s the world’s only venomous primate), the “highly aggressive” grasshopper mouse eats scorpions and tarantulas, the hedgehog wields razor-sharp claws, the northern pygmy owl preys on animals three times its size, the penny-size bumblebee bat consumes 4,000 insects in its daily hour of hunting, and the platypus sports venomous barbs (for defeating mating rivals, not for predation). Fabulous facts about several other animals from around the world will fascinate readers, though they likely won’t frighten them; despite the title, most of these creatures aren’t deadly to humans. Indeed, wordplay such as “howl-arious,” “fur-ocious,” and “a class owl their own” may be more painful than the wounds these creatures could inflict. But the engaging, informative text, which introduces several potentially unfamiliar animals and offers a new view of well-known ones (dangerous ladybugs?!), will keep readers turning pages. Sidebars list each animal’s scientific name, size, habitat, favorite foods, and conservation status. Stylized cartoon illustrations use heavy, simplified outlines and unrealistic effects like starry eyes, while flat backgrounds let readers focus on the fuzzies. The last two pages provide actual photos of each creature.
Admittedly, these animals won’t kill you, dear reader—still, it’s an awe-inspiring lineup of dangerous darlings. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781728285290
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
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