Far too ambitious in scope for little ones; far too babyish in format for older kids.
With the help of interactive tabs, readers learn about the many ways energy can be created or harnessed.
It’s always exciting when a book tackles a seldom-covered topic, but regrettably, the execution, subject, and vocabulary level of this one are enormously mismatched with the board-book crew. Children old enough to contextualize uranium as “a radioactive metal that gets very hot as it decays” are too old for this format. Related in a straightforward tone that might be interpreted as “just the facts, ma’am,” the protracted text describes ways of making and capturing energy such as coal, nuclear, solar, wind, and hydro, but it’s overcomplicated and seems, at points, disingenuous. While descriptions of drilling oil are accurate, the flat statements feel pointedly detached from damage drilling can cause; this stands in contrast to the way solar panels’ utility is somewhat pooh-poohed: Solar “only works during the day though.” Innovative paper craft featuring flashy pull-tabs, flaps, gears, and spinners add interest, as kids start dams flowing or move trains, but again, are readers old enough to grasp the complexities of the way mirrors facilitate solar-energy production going to be delighted by a smiley-faced sun spinner? Bright, cheerful cartoon-style art feels tonally jarring at points. No number of upbeat coral and aqua bushes really offsets a radiation symbol. All human characters are depicted with light skin.
Far too ambitious in scope for little ones; far too babyish in format for older kids. (Novelty board book. 3-9)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64170-254-6
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Familius
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A straightforward, carefully detailed presentation of how ``fruit comes from flowers,'' from winter's snow-covered buds through pollination and growth to ripening and harvest. Like the text, the illustrations are admirably clear and attractive, including the larger-than-life depiction of the parts of the flower at different stages. An excellent contribution to the solidly useful ``Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science'' series. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 4-9)
Pub Date: Jan. 30, 1992
ISBN: 0-06-020055-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1991
A charming interracial group of young children set out one Saturday to climb a local mountain. When they stop to rest, some 4,000 feet above the town, they find a fossil of an animal which lived millions of years ago when the mountain was the bottom of an ancient sea. That stimulates a discussion of how mountains are formed: folded, fault-block, dome, underwater ranges, and cone- shaped. Zoehfeld (What Lives in a Shell?, 1994, not reviewed, etc.) presents plenty of good basic information in this Stage 2 Let's- Read-And-Find-Out Science title. The colorful illustrations add appeal, but the shifting perspectives may confuse literal-minded readers. In one picture, children rest on the hill; in another, they shift the eight huge plates that make up the earth as if they were puzzle pieces. A little explanation will go a long way, though, and Zoehfeld and Hale's affection for the subject comes through on every page. (Nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: May 30, 1995
ISBN: 0-06-024509-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1995
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