Child-friendly, gently informative, and wonder-full.
Come along on this 21st-century version of Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr’s Owl Moon (1987).
Every October, Mama, an ornithologist, ventures out at night to band migrating saw-whet owls captured in mist nets. Each October, young Sova asks to accompany Mama, wailing, pleading, and hooting like an owl. Every time, Mama uses the name of an owl species as an endearment: “Not yet, Sova, my little screech owl.” Mama is consistently patient, reminding her, and readers, “Sometimes a scientist must wait.” Finally, Mama allows Sova to come along. This charming introduction to a scientist’s work is child-centered, focused on Sova’s eager anticipation, difficulty staying awake on the long-awaited night, and engagement with the owls’ world. In Lechuga’s textured illustrations, the light from the pairs’ headlamps pops beautifully against the darkness of the night. The youngster’s fascination with owls is demonstrated early through an owl drawing, a stuffed owl toy, and an owl costume. All the tools and equipment used in the capture and banding are shown in the artwork and explained in the text. The final spread, as Sova gradually follows and imagines becoming an owl, is particularly effective. The narrative concludes with short descriptions of the owls mentioned, including QR codes to listen to their calls as well as an author’s note about data collection. Mama and Sova are brown-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Child-friendly, gently informative, and wonder-full. (further reading, websites) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9781623542511
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative.
What can a worm do?
A little worm sets off on a “twirl” to “see the world.” But when it overhears a human referring to it as “just a worm,” its feelings are hurt. The worm asks other critters—including a caterpillar, a spider, a dragonfly—what they can do. After each answer (turn into a butterfly, spin silk thread, fly), the worm becomes more and more dejected because it can’t do any of these things. “Maybe I am just a worm.” But then the worm encounters a ladybug, who eats aphids and other insects, and the worm realizes that it eats dead plants and animals and keeps gardens clean. And though the worm can’t pollinate like the bee, it does create castings (poop) that help plants grow and stay healthy. These abilities, the worm realizes in triumph, are important! The cleverness of this story lies in its lighthearted, effective dissemination of information about various insects as well as earthworms. It doesn’t hurt that the expressive little worm is downright adorable, with emotions that will resonate with anyone who has felt unimportant. The stunning illustrations are done in quilled paper—a centuries-old technique that involves assembling strips of colored paper into shapes—which adds sparkle and originality. A tutorial of how to make a quilled butterfly and a page on earthworm facts round out the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-321256-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
A straightforward, effective approach to helping children cope with one of life’s commonplace yet emotionally fraught...
A child struggles with the worry and anxiety that come with an unexpected problem.
In a wonderful balance of text and pictures, the team responsible for What Do You Do With an Idea (2014) returns with another book inspiring children to feel good about themselves. A child frets about a problem that won’t go away: “I wished it would just disappear. I tried everything I could to hide from it. I even found ways to disguise myself. But it still found me.” The spare, direct narrative is accompanied by soft gray illustrations in pencil and watercolor. The sepia-toned figure of the child is set apart from the background and surrounded by lots of white space, visually isolating the problem, which is depicted as a purple storm cloud looming overhead. Color is added bit by bit as the storm cloud grows and its color becomes more saturated. With a backpack and umbrella, the child tries to escape the problem while the storm swirls, awash with compass points scattered across the pages. The pages brighten into splashes of yellow as the child decides to tackle the problem head-on and finds that it holds promise for unlooked-for opportunity.
A straightforward, effective approach to helping children cope with one of life’s commonplace yet emotionally fraught situations, this belongs on the shelf alongside Molly Bang’s Sophie books. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-943-20000-9
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2016
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