The latest in the Jump Into Science series is a sure winner for future astronomers and their stargazing parents. Tomecek (Dirt, 2002, etc.) and newcomer Yoshikawa make an excellent duo in rendering concepts understandable to young readers. In simple language, Tomecek presents the major facts about the stars in our sky. For example: why they seem to disappear when the sky is bright, how far away they are, why some are brighter than others, and why it looks like the stars travel around the earth each day. Young readers are given enough to whet their appetites, especially when it comes to the constellations. A flashlight activity at the end helps children understand the idea that the farther away a star is, the dimmer it will appear to us here on Earth. Yoshikawa has personalized the reader’s journey through the sky by providing a guide: a young boy and his canine companion. Although the boy spends a considerable amount of time looking puzzled, and the dog amazed, together with the vivid colors and detailed borders, they draw children in and focus their attention on the concepts. Two drawbacks: the diagram of distances from the earth to several stars is not even close to scale (noted in the text), and the page detailing constellations in the southern hemisphere is printed upside down—a neat idea, but rather annoying to readers. Overall a solid foundation for future astronomy studies. (Nonfiction. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-7922-6955-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2003
A charming mix of science lesson and winsome storytelling.
The perky red squirrel introduced in The Leaf Thief (2020) is confused.
Bird and Squirrel both love summer, but when Bird calls out a cheery “Night night,” Squirrel, yawning himself, is incredulous: “BEDTIME? It can’t be! The sun’s still up, look!” Naturally there’s a lot more bewilderment ahead. Some weeks later, Squirrel is alarmed to see it’s dark at toothbrushing time. In skittish Squirrel’s view, a “sun thief”—who also made an odd “hoo” sound the other night—is responsible. Bird explains that as summer goes on, the sun sets earlier and earlier each night and reassures Squirrel that owls cry “hoo.” But the very next evening, at bathtime, Squirrel shines a bright light into the dark, sees something looming, and screams that the sun thief has “crashed into my tree!” Patient Bird, roused from slumber, points out that it’s just Bat. But “why was she flapping about in the dark?” Now Bird explains what nocturnal means. Once again, Squirrel is amusingly slow on the uptake, allowing readers to feel superior as Hemming gently folds in some science. Slater’s witty illustrations also lighten the lessons: Bird hangs a tiny T-shirt and shorts on a diminutive laundry line and sleeps tucked into a cozy repurposed sardine can, where a scared Squirrel attempts to squeeze in; Squirrel sports a pink bath towel and shower cap; a real thief quietly makes off with a couple of items (though Squirrel and Bird remain blissfully unaware).
A charming mix of science lesson and winsome storytelling. (info on light changes and diurnal/nocturnal) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464258183
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A snow-covered countryside may look barren of life, but Stewart’s quiet text takes readers under the blanket of white to “a hidden world” where ladybugs sleep en masse and voles tunnel from tree to tree, where a wood frog freezes safely solid and bluegills and waterboatmen share frigid waters, where a turtle lies buried in mud and “even on the coldest winter days, red-spotted newts dodge and dart, whiz and whirl just below the ice.” Bergum’s equally quiet watercolors spread across the pages in panels that offer cross-sections and magnified details to give readers glimpses of the world beneath the snow. Their precision lends a dignity and beauty even to a sleeping centipede and a barbeled carp. Readers will come away with an appreciation for the adaptability and endurance of the animal world. (Informational picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-56145-493-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2009
© 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.
