Earle (Dive!, p. 64) again transports readers to the ocean’s depths, this time to introduce the weird and beautiful inhabitants of the coral reef. A dozen fish receive star treatment, with brief, exuberant paragraphs of text and dramatic full-color photographs. Almost every page is suitable for display, showing off the spotted moray eel, brown goby, stargazer fish, spotted sting ray, clownfish, shark, and others. The author has a unique perspective on the fish, e.g., “I often stop and play with morays. I’ve even hugged a few! . . . In fact, these gentle and curious fish remind me of kittens.” That statement, next to a picture of the gaping jaws of a sharp-toothed, freckled fish, is bound to have an impact on readers. Earle does not provide specific, detailed information on the fish, apparently content to hook browsers, and to inspire them to further research. Even those who have never ventured under the sea will appreciate this enthusiastic guide. (Picture book. 7-12)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7922-7103-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
PLB 0-688-15269-4 George offers alert naturalists a chance to go sleuthing around the world, and the results are invigorationg. Miss Lewis, a teacher, is off circumnavigating Earth; she corresponds with the students back home, telling of her travels and the creatures she encounters in Peru, Antarctica, Kenya, China, Japan, Australia, Alaska, and an island off the coast of California. She describes the wildlife, mentions particular sites she visits, often throws in an anthropological nugget or two, and then ends with a question that relates to some unusual trace that has been left by an animal—gouges taken out of cliff faces, a tree stripped bare, mysterious snowballs around a hot spring, a trail cut through the stony tundra. The animal is subsequently identified, although readers will not know until the end of the book, where the traces are explained, exactly what has transpired. George doesn’t try to cram every page with information, but is selective, choosing material that distills the unique character of a place. Excellent, highly detailed illustrations accompany the text. (maps) (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-15268-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
This modest, agreeable entry in the My First Look At series shows the life cycle of a mallard duck nesting in an urban park. The text is cumulative, so the line on the first page, “This is the park where Paul plays,” is echoed on the second, “These are the ducks that swim in the park where Paul plays.” In the spring the ducks arrive; they grow all summer long, and fly away in the autumn. Listeners will enjoy the spare, rhythmic telling, while the softly colored drawings of Paul, a shaggy-haired preschooler, are appealing. Additional information, obviously aimed at older readers or for adults to share with children, appears under the flap on each page. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-55074-613-8
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
© 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.
