Review: Insect Detective

Insect Detective by Steve Voake

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Enjoyable book with differentiated text. There is a read-aloud narrative in larger print, and a factual text vignette relevant to what the narrative is saying. The illustrations are very decorative and partly realistic. It could be a good experience for a read-aloud. I don't know that anyone would seek it out for facts on insects, because the outline knowledge presented is very basic. I would say almost any insect topic book, or internet page would have these facts.

The read-aloud narrative is the strength of the writing, and the almost fairy-like illustrations. The book does little to build on knowledge that might be gained by an early inquiry, or to send readers clearly outward to do or inquire more. There is a small amount of back matter, including an index--all seem like a nod to the standards and tests.



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Review: Mr. and Mrs. Bunny—Detectives Extraordinaire!

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny—Detectives Extraordinaire! by Polly Horvath

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Thanks for the tip, Lu! We enjoyed listening to this in the car, and filling in at home with the book in between.

The tongue-in-cheek tone reminded me of the Alexander McCall Smith mysteries, like the Prof. Dr. von Igelfeld books. So many laughing moments in this book--Pearl couldn't help herself and acted out several times during the week the moment when for dramatic effect in the courtoom, Mr. Bunny paused so long that "several councilbunnies went out for coffee. One had time to order a short decaf double shot no whip mocha iced frappuccino to go. Mr. Bunny paused so long that when the coffee came he had time to change his mind to a venti semi-skim soy no sugar caramel macchiato with no whip but double caramel and a reduced fat skinny poppy seed and lemon muffin, hot, no butter."

The book does not waste the fact that these are bunnies. There are foxes out to eat them, which makes for a great backbone of themes that depend on the differences between animals and humans. Mostly, it I loved the irony of the bunnies being more 'civilized' than Madeline's hippy parents, Flo and Mildred, who btw got the best lines in the book--and Polly Horvath's reading of their voices had me in stitches, while driving. I hope she comes to CCIRA next year.



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Review: We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March

We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was riveting. I couldn't put it down, told with so many primary sources in such a way as to evoke the humanity of each of the key moments. Full of basic outline information I had heard many times before, but with all the empty space in between filled in.

The book is very spare on visuals, which is interesting. There must be mountains of visuals, but maybe still under copyright and difficult to get permissions without great expense. Still, those chosen are powerful and well-suited to the moments and chapters they are in. The story moves like a gripping page-turner anyway, so I didn't mind the thicker text.

Because each chapter is broken up graphically into episodes with a subheader and divider, there is encouragement to browse. I browsed around a lot at first, and then found myself reading whole swathes of the book in order. So I liked how the structure allowed the freedom of browsing, but then drew me in.

The quote-sourcing is thorough and complete, which seems typical for this kind of book. I'm realizing that this style of sourcing seems to come from a journalistic ethic of sources, and so I am thinking it comes from that tradition in writing. It's also good historiography.

While I am sure some of the bibliographic items listed for further information would be helpful, because this book relies so heavily on primary sources I always want to be guided directly to the places online where I can see these.




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Review: Animal Grossapedia

Animal Grossapedia by Melissa Stewart

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Pearl (8) was all over this book. She read it cover to cover in one sitting, and was walking around the house for days afterward spouting the more memorable facts. For example, that camels fight by throwing up on each other. This made for some interesting family fights over the next two days...

Back matter: Glossary, index, and additional list of books to find out more.

All of these facts could be found independently, but collecting the grossness all in one place was a great fusion move on the traditional animal menagerie book. Grossness is subjective, and some of these things aren't really a gross-out (sapsuckers), but they all deal with bodily functions.

What is the role of sources in a book like this? We would expect factual accuracy and good research, but there's not much here to demand any serious knowledge of science. And would there need to be sources on each double page spread? This is the same question I have for the DK Eyewitness series--each page turn may be a new chapter with new sources.



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Review: Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure

Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure by Jim Murphy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The best thing about this story is that while it is topical, Murphy found the narrative thread and followed it. The question of resistance to antibiotics is the big finish this story is all leading toward. He builds up TB as a 'character' almost, that gains depth without being anthropomorphized or trivialized in the process. I

t's always shocking to me how recently we are talking about people not believing in 'germ theory' as the great explanation of major diseases. Even fewer than 100 years ago, it was difficult for this idea to take hold in some ways. I knew my great grandpa Christensen when he was old, and he was born in the 1880s, just about the time Koch first identified TB bacteria. The disbelief is so much like the current disbelief about climate change. Because the answer to TB was major change in municipal planning and local government agendas, there was wide inertia and resistance.

Well-sourced. No complaints here.

The narrative and depth provides the aspect to this book that makes it more vital than what one would find simply on the internet. Still, the basic outline for this entire book can be found in the wikipedia article, which bothers me. Not because it suggests anything about Murphy's work, but because if I were researching TB why would I spend the time to read this book instead of just going over the key points. The book offers depth, it characterizes the main players more deeply, and also highlights the injustices. But what would have made it truly stand out as different from the wikipedia article? This is the question authors have to ask in topical writing today.



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Review: The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs: A Scientific Mystery

The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



It was great to see an information book with this kind of engaging story line. The search for the fungus, and the story after its discovery were interesting to follow, and scientific process and scientists at work were foregrounded by Markle instead of just presenting basic facts--almost like a crime procedural. This is vital for the survival of the printed informational picturebook. There will be thousands of titles in the future that go only to ebook format, because unless a book does something more like this one does with the narrative, then it will be hard for publishers to justify the cost of going to paper and boards.

Sources: I wished Markle and her editors had put the acknowledgments in the back matter and clearly discussed how thoroughly involved she has been with the scientists and volunteers behind this inquiry. The small fine print should be larger and have some more explanation about who the people are. This was very credible sourcing, and should be vindicated more in print. I would have preferred sourcing to the index or glossary if it came down to a choice.



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Review: Aphids

Aphids by Colleen Sexton

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Very good photographs, but this is token representation of a topic Scholastic knows needs to be covered by someone. The text gives all the most important facts, corresponding well with the images.

The thing that is clearly missing is what aphids are actually about. They destroy plants, have a symbiotic relationship based on giving candy to ants, and get eaten by ladybugs. Is that it for aphids?

There must be some other way to link these to the circle of life? Or some compelling storyline. I like the fact that the ants protect aphids from ladybugs when the aphids are making them honeydew. It's kind of a mafioso thing. That's what the story should be.

Thanks for getting this book for me, Lu!



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