A luminous tribute befitting a brilliant trailblazer.
A giant among geologists breaks new ground.
Ursula Marvin (1921-2018) was an intrepid adventurer from the start. A Vermonter by birth, she skied over icy potato fields and marveled at the moonlit mountains beyond, positive her future held something far more exciting than the humdrum tedium of scientific inquiry. But by the time she entered college, the field of planetary geology had captivated Marvin, and she was entranced by the information that rare earth minerals and moon rocks could communicate. Her curiosity about these other worlds brought Marvin to the ends of ours. Sharp, capable, and undeterred by the sexist stumbling blocks meant to thwart her, Marvin became the first female scientist to hunt the harsh landscape of Antarctica for meteorites, chasing the adventure she’d hungered for since childhood. But achievement at such scale is rarely won without adversity, and this feat was no different. Hampered by environmental challenges and plagued by self-doubt, Marvin nevertheless stayed the course, eventually becoming the preeminent expert on the first meteorite discovered on Earth and, ultimately, the much-deserving namesake of geological wonders earthside and beyond. Wallace’s text uses technical terms in context and renders the less glamorous labor that makes thrilling scientific discovery possible. Charming details peppered throughout add a personal texture to Marvin’s impressive figure. Carpenter delivers stunning visuals to match, her two-page spread capturing the glow of the midnight sun especially enchanting.
A luminous tribute befitting a brilliant trailblazer. (author’s note, excerpts from Marvin’s journals, facts about Antarctica, timeline, quote sources, bibliography, photos) (Picture-book biography. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781534493339
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
An in-depth and visually pleasing look at one of the most fundamental forces in the universe.
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)Pub Date: April 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668936849
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More thoughtful, sometimes exhilarating encounters with nature.
In a new entry in the Over and Under series, a paddleboarder glimpses humpback whales leaping, floats over a populous kelp forest, and explores life on a beach and in a tide pool.
In this tale inspired by Messner’s experiences in Monterey Bay in California, a young tan-skinned narrator, along with their light-skinned mom and tan-skinned dad, observes in quiet, lyrical language sights and sounds above and below the sea’s serene surface. Switching perspectives and angles of view and often leaving the family’s red paddleboards just tiny dots bobbing on distant swells, Neal’s broad seascapes depict in precise detail bat stars and anchovies, kelp bass, and sea otters going about their business amid rocky formations and the swaying fronds of kelp…and, further out, graceful moon jellies and—thrillingly—massive whales in open waters beneath gliding pelicans and other shorebirds. After returning to the beach at day’s end to search for shells and to spot anemones and decorator crabs, the child ends with nighttime dreams of stars in the sky meeting stars in the sea. Appended nature notes on kelp and 21 other types of sealife fill in details about patterns and relationships in this rich ecosystem. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
More thoughtful, sometimes exhilarating encounters with nature. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-79720-347-8
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
