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THE WILDLIFE WINTER GAMES

Name: THE WILDLIFE WINTER GAMES
Author: Richard Turner
ISBN: 978-1-76036-075-7

by Richard Turner ; illustrated by Ben Clifford ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2019

Not a gold or silver but maybe a bronze.

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A winter-sports metaphor to generate open-ended conversations about animal species.

Turner and Clifford have created a complex book that puts the power of decision in the hands of its readers. The story begins with a summation of the Wildlife Winter Games: 30 species of Arctic and Antarctic creatures compete for medals across 10 different sporting events. It will be up to readers to determine who wins each event. On the succeeding pages, different species are described under the filter of specific attributes. For example, in terms of hockey, polar bears’ large paws are advantageous when defending the goal, while wolverines are tenacious, and penguins are graceful and work well as a team. Which has the advantage? In this regard, the book is refreshing; its goal is not to create a traditionally plotted story but to provide a framework for readers to consider the merits presented and determine which qualities would ultimately lead to victory. While this concept should be applauded, there are a lot of missteps along the way, most notably the very narrow presentation of the animals’ attributes. Readers do not even learn which are from the Arctic and which are from the Antarctic. There is no backmatter for further reading nor even a map. Clifford’s illustrations of animals with sporting gear are humorous and slightly surreal but do little to enhance readers’ decision-making.

Not a gold or silver but maybe a bronze. (Informational picture book. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-76036-075-7

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Starfish Bay

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
APE WITH A CAPE
by Richard Turner ; illustrated by Deborah Sheehy

- BOOK REVIEW
THE CROCODILE BIRD
by Richard Turner ; illustrated by Margaret Tolland

- BOOK REVIEW
WHOSE NOSE DO YOU SUPPOSE?
by Richard Turner ; illustrated by Margaret Tolland

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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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THE BIG BOOK OF BIRDS

by Yuval Zommer ; illustrated by Yuval Zommer ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2019

Pretty but insubstantial.

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Zommer surveys various bird species from around the world in this oversized (almost 14 inches tall tall) volume.

While exuberantly presented, the information is not uniformly expressed from bird to bird, which in the best cases will lead readers to seek out additional information and in the worst cases will lead to frustration. For example, on spreads that feature multiple species, the birds are not labeled. This happens again later when the author presents facts about eggs: Readers learn about camouflaged eggs, but the specific eggs are not identified, making further study extremely difficult. Other facts are misleading: A spread on “city birds” informs readers that “peregrine falcons nest on skyscrapers in New York City”—but they also nest in other large cities. In a sexist note, a peahen is identified as “unlucky” because she “has drab brown feathers” instead of flashy ones like the peacock’s. Illustrations are colorful and mostly identifiable but stylized; Zommer depicts his birds with both eyes visible at all times, even when the bird is in profile. The primary audience for the book appears to be British, as some spreads focus on European birds over their North American counterparts, such as the mute swan versus the trumpeter swan and the European robin versus the American robin. The backmatter, a seven-word glossary and an index, doesn’t provide readers with much support.

Pretty but insubstantial. (Nonfiction. 8-12)