From an opening that establishes all earthlings’ mutual connection, Roth follows with evidence of humanlike behavior among animals. Turkeys dance and grieve together; they blush and fly to the treetops when the moon comes out. In factory farms they have no freedom and are made too fat to fly. Fish, cattle, ducks, geese, chickens and pheasants are all similarly mistreated. Carnivorous diets for humans are destroying the rainforests and killing endangered species. This tract spends most of its time supporting the idea that animals are very like people and too cute to eat. The unsubtle illustrations feature black-bead–eyed animals that are adorable in the wild but terrified and dirty on the farms. Environmental impact gets a mention, but health concerns (for humans) get no ink at all. Also, the suggestion that pets can survive on a vegetarian diet can kill those that are carnivores in the wild. Children young enough for this are in no position to make dietary choices for themselves; it will work best for children in already vegan or vegetarian households. (Informational picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: May 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-55643-785-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: North Atlantic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
The creepy-crawly close-up photo of a hairy spider on the cover will have kids (and adults) saying “Yuck!” while they grab the book to look for more inside. As with other Simon photographic nonfiction, this presents information on spiders in easy, understandable prose. The facts are made relative—for example, “jumping spiders can leap a distance of 40 times the length of its own body, the same as if you jumped the length of two basketball courts and made a slam dunk.” Examples interestingly describe the facts, e.g., “some spider silk is three times stronger than steel wire of the same thickness.” This is casual nonfiction, no chapters, categories, or index, but the amazing close-up color photos make the almost conversational text captivating. A subject that both fascinates and repels at the same time, this mini-documentary will have kids spinning their own stories about the spiders they’ve now discovered. (Nonfiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-06-028391-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2003
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