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NIGHT SKY WATCHER

Name: NIGHT SKY WATCHER
Author: Raman Prinja
ISBN: 978-1-60992-954-1

YOUR GUIDE TO THE STARS AND PLANETS

by Raman Prinja ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

An inviting and accessible introduction to a lifetime of exploration.

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A handy introduction to the visible night sky.

This neatly packaged guide covers stars and star patterns, planets that can be seen with the naked eye, the moon, and unusual sights including comets, meteor showers, satellites, and the northern (or southern) lights. The author, a London astrophysicist, provides clear explanations and instructions arranged in bite-sized text blocks on each informatively titled and jazzily designed double-page spread. There are specific directions for spotting individual stars and moon features, interesting historical tidbits, maps and photographs, and even sections called “astrofacts,” presented on the familiar outline of a tablet computer. Most useful and unusual are the "star-hopping" instructions, showing readers how to find their ways around the night sky using familiar stars and constellations. The handy zippered plastic cover makes this paperback suitable for taking on nighttime expeditions, but once young sky watchers have mastered the basics, they might prefer to leave it for home browsing and take just a planisphere (described but not included). Curiously, the text’s description of Mars’ temperatures seems to be at odds with itself (28 F is not “very pleasant and mild” in most readers’ minds), and overall, figures given for temperatures are so generalized as to be almost meaningless.

An inviting and accessible introduction to a lifetime of exploration. (Nonfiction. 7-12)

Pub Date: July 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-60992-954-1

Page Count: 120

Publisher: QEB Publishing

Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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1001 BEES

by Joanna Rzezak ; illustrated by Joanna Rzezak ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 18, 2021

Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
1001 BIRDS
by Joanna Rzezak ; illustrated by Joanna Rzezak

- BOOK REVIEW
1001 ANTS
by Joanna Rzezak ; illustrated by Joanna Rzezak

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I AM GRAVITY

by Henry Herz ; illustrated by Mercè López ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2024

An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.

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An introduction to gravity.

The book opens with the most iconic demonstration of gravity, an apple falling. Throughout, Herz tackles both huge concepts—how gravity compresses atoms to form stars and how black holes pull all kinds of matter toward them—and more concrete ones: how gravity allows you to jump up and then come back down to the ground. Gravity narrates in spare yet lyrical verse, explaining how it creates planets and compresses atoms and comparing itself to a hug. “My embrace is tight enough that you don’t float like a balloon, but loose enough that you can run and leap and play.” Gravity personifies itself at times: “I am stubborn—the bigger things are, the harder I pull.” Beautiful illustrations depict swirling planets and black holes alongside racially diverse children playing, running, and jumping, all thanks to gravity. Thorough backmatter discusses how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity and explains Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. While at times Herz’s explanations may be a bit too technical for some readers, burgeoning scientists will be drawn in.

An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe. (Informational picture book. 7-9)