In a work subtitled ``Exploring Terrestrial Biomes of North and South America,'' Collard (Do They Scare You?, 1993, etc.) introduces 12 land biomes with brief descriptions of the plants, animals, and climate of each. A double-page layout with two or three paragraphs introduces each biome, accompanied by a full-color scene of typical flora and fauna. While visually appealing (and reminiscent of museum dioramas), the illustrations can be at odds with the text, e.g., the description of the boreal forest, or taiga, notes that spruce trees ``are packed so closely together they block out light for other plants,'' while the scene shows a vast grassy area with a scattering of spruce trees in the background. A world map that brings the book to a close shows the 12 biomes with color variations that in some cases are so slight, readers will have difficulty distinguishing between temperate deciduous forests and temperate grasslands. The text lacks precision, e.g., ``This biome is a temperate place—it rarely gets too hot or too cold.'' Too hot or too cold for what? Of limited use. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-88106-929-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1996
Many dream of exploring outer space, but this wonderfully engaging guide to space travel walks young readers through the adventure, starting with what to pack on the rocket ship: “Peanut butter, apples, and cake will taste good in space.” Gentle warnings issued about meteors (“a collision is unlikely”); the loneliness of space (“Don’t look back at the earth”); not pouring juice (“it would fly into a million drops”); and the difficulty of the first step on the Moon (“You will rise in the air and leap forward like a kangaroo”) will only encourage and inspire budding astronauts. Indeed, McNulty, elegantly fusing the scientific realities and the dreamy wonders of space travel, finds the perfect partner in Kellogg who accomplishes the same thing visually. Eerily beautiful, cleverly textured moonscapes of ghostly grays and inky blacks contrast dramatically with cheerful full-color spreads (including a spectacular double gatefold) that reflect the beauty and abundance of life on Earth with sunny yellows, grassy greens and sky blues. A powerful, playful tribute to the minutiae and magnificence of space exploration. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-590-48359-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2005
A floral fantasia for casual browsers as well as budding botanists.
Spirited illustrations brighten a large-format introduction to flowers and their pollinators.
Showing a less Eurocentric outlook than in his Big Book of Birds (2019), Zommer employs agile brushwork and a fondness for graceful lines and bright colors to bring to life bustling bouquets from a range of habitats, from rainforest to desert. Often switching from horizontal to vertical orientations, the topical spreads progress from overviews of major floral families and broad looks at plant anatomy and reproduction to close-ups of select flora—roses and tulips to Venus flytraps and stinking flowers. The book then closes with a shoutout to the conservators and other workers at Kew Gardens (this is a British import) and quick suggestions for young balcony or windowsill gardeners. In most of the low-angled scenes, fancifully drawn avian or insect pollinators with human eyes hover around all the large, luscious blooms, as do one- or two-sentence comments that generally add cogent observations or insights: “All parts of the deadly nightshade plant contain poison. It has been used to poison famous emperors, kings and warriors throughout history.” (Confusingly for the audience, the accurate but limited assertion that bees “often visit blue or purple flowers” appears to be contradicted by an adjacent view of several zeroing in on a yellow toadflax.) Human figures, or, in one scene, hands, are depicted in a variety of sizes, shapes, and skin colors.
A floral fantasia for casual browsers as well as budding botanists. (glossary, index) (Informational picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-500-65199-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 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.
