An excellent selection to engage young children’s imaginations with scientific topics.
A beloved pet’s death helps a girl understand the connection between all things in this science-oriented chapter book by debut author and physicist Rogers, featuring gorgeous illustrations by Claire Rees-Jones.
Molly is sad that her beloved cat, Pickles, has died. She isn’t sure that she wants to bury him until her mother convinces her that Pickles will help flowers grow. Her mother explains how everything is made up of atoms and how some of Pickles’ atoms will be used by grass or leaves, which may then be eaten by a bug, which may in turn be eaten by a bird. Molly realizes that if she grows vegetables over where she buries her cat, then part of Pickles can go into her as well. Months later, Molly observes the flowers and eats her homegrown vegetables, which helps her deal with her grief. It also provides her parents with a starting point to continue their explanation of atoms. Her father tells her that the dinosaurs left atoms behind when they died, that people similarly leave behind their atoms and that all these atoms get reused. Rees-Jones’ fantastic illustrations capture the whimsy of Molly’s point of view and the way she envisions the planet reusing atoms from all types of plants and creatures. When Molly’s classmates later question her logic, her parents explain that Earth’s atoms originally came from stardust, translating the Big Bang theory into terms that young children can understand. Molly’s eventual conclusion—that the world is like a set of Lego bricks that gets used over and over again—is a great way to introduce this concept to young readers. The story’s main strengths are its kids’-eye view of a challenging concept and its fantastical artwork that captures the imagination and helps explore complex scientific ideas.
An excellent selection to engage young children’s imaginations with scientific topics.Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4525-7595-7
Page Count: 24
Publisher: BalboaPress
Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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