Review of Polar Bear, by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann

Polar Bear

by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann

Neal Porter Books (Holiday House), 2022. 40 pages.
Review written February 13, 2023, from a library book.
A 2022 Capitol Choices Selection
Starred Review

Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann do amazing work together. As in the Sibert Medal-winning Honeybee, large and beautiful paintings accompany accessible text and help us understand better the lives of wild creatures.

Polar Bear follows a mother and two cubs in their day-to-day lives. (And oh, the cuteness of the cubs!) We understand better why melting sea ice is a problem when we read about a particular bear needing to fatten up enough to live on land, where she can’t get seal blubber to eat. We learn about the challenges of caring for cubs and how she takes care of them while hunting enough food to survive.

By the start of June, the bear family has moved far out onto the ice.
The cubs are growing fast — very fast.
And Mother has gorged herself. She has regained much of her weight. But it is not enough.
Soon, the bay’s ice will melt into open water.
Mother must fatten up now if she and the cubs are to survive summer’s lean months.

Learn about the everyday life of a polar bear family up close in a way you’ve never seen them before.

candacefleming.com
ericrohmann.com
HolidayHouse.com

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Review of The Adventures of Dr. Sloth, by Suzi Eszterhas

The Adventures of Dr. Sloth

Rebecca Cliffe and Her Quest to Protect Sloths

by Suzi Eszterhas

Millbrook Press, 2022. 40 pages.
Review written January 25, 2023, from a library book
Starred Review

Here’s another adorable photo-illustrated book packed with the science of cute creatures by Suzi Eszterhas.

This time, the cute creatures in question are sloths. The Dr. Sloth of the title is a young scientist, Rebecca Cliffe, who has become an expert on the lives of sloths.

The book simply tells about her journey to become a specialist on sloths, which began by finding a dead squirrel when she was seven years old and wanting to find out about it. But mostly, the book tells all about sloths — where they live, the different types, how they live, what they eat, what endangers them, and definitely some pictures of sloth babies.

The book tells about Dr. Sloth’s discoveries and innovative ways she’s learning more, including a picture of her in climbing gear headed to the tree canopy in the rain forest. It ends with ways the readers can help sloths continue to survive.

There are multiple large photographs on every page, and the text is clear, interesting, and compelling. A lovely book about an animal that’s much more interesting than I’d realized.

suzieszterhas.com
slothconservation.org
lernerbooks.com

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Review of Why We Need Vaccines, by Rowena Rae, illustrated by Paige Stampatori

Why We Need Vaccines

How Humans Beat Infectious Diseases

by Rowena Rae
illustrated by Paige Stampatori

Orca Book Publishers, 2024. 90 pages.
Review written February 28, 2025, from a library book.
Starred Review
2024 Cybils Award Winner, Middle Grade Nonfiction

I’ve read other books about vaccines and their importance, but this one feels more complete, more accessible to kids, and more timely. On the big, bright pages, we’ve got the history of vaccines and how they work. But there are also chapters about how vaccines are tested, about the risks of vaccines, about vaccine hesitancy, about community immunity, about questions of equity and access, and the questions as to whether governments should require vaccines or not. It all wraps up with a chapter on responsibility, and how getting yourself protected will also protect the people around you.

I think my favorite thing about this book was the frequent spotlights on scientists who work in related fields, complete with their photographs. Some examples (besides several medical doctors) are a university history professor who specializes in infectious disease outbreaks, a pharmacist, a research technician, a nurse, and even a high school student who got involved in an organization that encourages teens to educate other teens about the importance of vaccines.

I like the subtitle of this book: How Humans Beat Infectious Diseases. Yes, the story of vaccines is a continuing story of human ingenuity. Given the folks now working in the federal government, I’m all the happier to have this information out there.

rowenarae.com
paigestampatori.com
orcabook.com

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Review of Life After Whale, by Lynn Brunelle, illustrations by Jason Chin

Life After Whale

The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall

by Lynn Brunelle
illustrations by Jason Chin

Neal Porter Books, 2024. 48 pages.
Review written February 7, 2025, from a library book.
Starred Review
2025 Robert F. Sibert Medal Winner
2025 Capitol Choices Selection

Life After Whale tells about blue whales, the largest creatures on earth. It starts by showing us how enormous they are, how with one gulp they swallow enough tiny krill to fill a school bus, and how they migrate each year. (Did you know that they have wax rings in their ear canals that are like rings of a tree?)

But after the whale dies, a whole new series of events happen. At first, the whale will float because of gases inside its body, and get bites taken from sharks and fish below and from seabirds above. But once those gases dissipate, over weeks the whale’s body will sink to the bottom of the ocean.

There on the ocean floor, the whale’s body will be the site of a whole new ecosystem, in four overlapping phases. The first phase is the mobile scavenger phase, where mobile creatures eat the whale’s flesh. The second phase is the enrichment opportunist phase, where bone-sucking worms pull nutrients out of the skeleton and other creatures feed on the surrounding sediment. Then comes the sulfophilic phase, where bacteria release hydrogen sulfide from the bones, and sulfur-loving organisms feed on that. And finally comes the reef phase, where organisms like anemones and sponges anchor themselves on the bones and feed on particles in the surrounding water.

And then in a great big circle, the nutrients from the whale’s bones that have mingled with the water get swept upward seasonally – and feed the krill in the upper layers of the ocean, and the krill in turn feed living whales.

All this is explained in meticulous detail with glorious illustrations from Jason Chen. It’s easy to see why this book won the Sibert Medal for the best children’s nonfiction book of the year. I had known nothing about all this, and the author makes it all fascinating – with back matter to explore further.

lynnbrunelle.com
HolidayHouse.com

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Review of Whalesong, by Zachariah OHora

Whalesong

The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas

by Zachariah OHora

Tundra, 2024. 44 pages.
Review written December 30, 2024, from a library book.
Starred Review

This is a picture book version of the true story of how a scientist and a musician discovered that orcas would respond to music played to them.

The story begins in 1971, when the musician and his two kids moved to Vancouver Island in British Columbia and discovered they loved to go to the aquarium there. They noticed a scientist playing music to the orcas and got the idea of the musician, Paul Horn, playing his flute to them. When the orcas responded, everyone was amazed, and the family made a habit of going to the aquarium and playing to the orcas.

But while Paul Horn was away on a trip, one of the orcas died, and the remaining orca was listless and refusing to eat. When Paul came back and played happy music, over time, they were able to coax the bereaved orca to eat again.

It all makes a lovely picture book, with the kids’ participation making the story all the more fun. I’ve always been a fan of Zachariah Ohora’s illustrations, and I love the way they illuminate this true tale. He’s also got a gift for telling the story simply.

I also like that the scientist involved, Dr. Paul Spong, went on to found an organization that studies orcas in the wild and works to free all captive orcas. I learned that on the last page of the picture book text, with more details for adults in the back matter.

I love that kids who read this book will never question that orcas can communicate – and can even communicate with us.

fuzzy.town
penguinrandomhouse.ca

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Review of Calculating Chimpanzees, Brainy Bees, and Other Animals with Mind-Blowing Mathematical Abilities, by Stephanie Gibeault, illustrations by Jaclyn Sinquett

Calculating Chimpanzees, Brainy Bees,

and Other Animals with Mind-Blowing Mathematical Abilities

by Stephanie Gibeault
illustrations by Jaclyn Sinquett

MIT Kids Press, 2024. 88 pages.
Review written December 18, 2024, from my own copy, sent to me by the publisher.
Starred Review

Here’s a book that tells a fascinating story about what goes into mathematical thinking – because it’s telling how scientists figure out how much of it animals are capable of.

First, they look at guppies. Yes, fish! Can guppies, with their tiny brains, count? Well, it turns out that when faced with two alternatives, guppies can choose the larger shoal to swim near (the better to not be eaten by predators). While explaining the experiments the scientists did, we learn about relative numerosity judgment, object-tracking systems, approximate number systems, and the numerical size and numerical distance effects.

Next up are hyenas. Researchers recorded the whoops of different hyenas and simulated a group approaching with hyena whoops. The hyenas would change behavior if there were more or fewer hyenas in the simulated group than their own group. They were wary with more intruders and aggressive with fewer. Along the way, the reader learns about subitizing and all the different things that happen when a human counts.

Chapter 3 is about a highly intelligent African grey parrot named Alex and how he even learned to use numerals and do simple math, even when the question was given with numerals. The super-interesting story of how they designed experiments for Alex to show he really understood what he was doing also teach the reader about equivalence (swapping four objects for the numeral 4, for example) and ordinality.

Next was a chapter about chimpanzees, and, yes, they can do calculations. Some experiments they described involved hiding groups of oranges in different places – and the smart chimp could pick the number that matched the total number of oranges. Even more amazing, when they put numerals in place of the oranges, the chimp still picked the correct total the very first time they tried it. This chapter covers ways humans – and chimps – do addition (though we don’t know which one this chimp was using) – counting all and counting on.

The final chapter was about honeybees. The scientists used sugar-water treats to train bees to choose the smaller number when presented with pictures of shapes – and the bees could do it even when the card had zero objects. Along the way in this chapter, the author talks about the concept of zero and how it did take humans a long time to grasp it.

And for all of the chapters there’s added value of an interview with the scientists who did the experiment plus a page for each chapter of related experiments you can try with a friend. The introduction and sections threaded through all the chapters include the story of the horse Clever Hans and how scientists use precautions to be sure they aren’t tipping the animals off.

I thought this whole book was completely fascinating, and it’s written in an engaging way that should capture the attention of the 9- to 12-year-olds it’s designed for. Really interesting stuff! You’ll gain insight on the thought processes behind the way you – and animals – do math.

mitkidspress.com

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Review of Honeybee Rescue, by Loree Griffin Burns, photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz

Honeybee Rescue

A Backyard Drama

by Loree Griffin Burns
photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz

Charlesbridge, 2022. 40 pages.
Review written December 29, 2022, from a library book
Starred Review

Honeybee Rescue is a true story, simply told, of a beehive discovered in a place it shouldn’t be. So instead of killing the bees to clean out his old garage, the beekeeper called in Mr. Nelson, an expert in honeybee rescue.

The story shows the whole process with photographs and simple language. The author explains how bees swarm and form a new hive when their old one is getting crowded. Then they showed how Mr. Nelson used his gentle no-kill bee vacuum to remove the bees and then carefully use the honeycomb they’ve already made to put into frames for a new hive.

Especially amazing is that Mr. Nelson doesn’t wear any protective gear when working with the bees. He explains that if you’re gentle with bees, they’ll be gentle with you.

Of course, along the way, the reader learns all kinds of information about bees and how they make honey. The book is fascinating and beautiful and will leave kids curious about bees.

loreeburns.com
ellenharasimowicz.com
charlesbridge.com

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Review of What’s the Difference: Animals, by Susie Rae

What’s the Difference

Animals

by Susie Rae

DK, 2022. 80 pages.
Review written 2/3/2023 from a library book.

I just think this book is cool. With DK’s clear photographic style, this book takes 28 pairs of animals that are often confused and shows you the differences between them.

Some examples:

Leopard or Jaguar?
Frog or Toad?
Crocodile or Alligator?
Dolphin or Porpoise?
Seal or Sea Lion?
Falcon or Hawk?
Rabbit or Hare?

It’s all laid out clearly, with photographs, plus fact bars on the side and other similar animals mentioned as well. I thought it was a lot of fun to read through.

My one quibble is that although the animals come from all over the world, many of the more common examples (like seagulls and frogs) used animals from Europe, since, after all, DK is based in England. But that was a minor quibble. Not everything has to be America-centric.

A fun book for everyone who likes animal facts.

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Review of Close Up & Far Out, by Mary Auld & Adria Meserve

Close Up and Far Out

Seeing the World Differently

story by Mary Auld and Adria Meserve
illustrations by Adria Meserve

Creative Editions, 2024. 40 pages.
Review written September 30, 2024, from a book sent to me by the publisher.
Starred Review

This is a nonfiction picture book featuring Galileo Galilei, born in 1564, and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, born in 1632. What the two men had in common was they both revolutionized science by making lenses that revealed wonders people had never seen before. Galileo made telescopes that enabled people to view the wonders of the heavens, and Antonie made microscopes that showed people the wonders of bacteria.

I like the way the authors tell about the lives in parallel – first getting the idea, then making and perfecting the lenses, then discovering amazing things, then trying to convince others and being met with skepticism. Eventually, Galileo was brought to trial for his ideas, but Antonie gained scientific acceptance. Still, this line at the end points out a contrast:

Antonie died famous and is now almost forgotten; Galileo died in disgrace but is now one of those most famous scientists that ever lived. But both men have changed how we understand the world.

The book ends with lists of things that were discovered because of each man’s work, and then these words of wisdom:

Both Antonie and Galileo remind us to ask questions, to look close up and far out for the answers, to question what we find again and again – and to be brave enough to think differently.

This large and lovely book tells an interesting story, but also gives insight onto how scientific discovery can work.

thecreativecompany.us

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Review of The History of the Computer, by Rachel Ignotofsky

The History of the Computer

People, Inventions, and Technology That Changed Our World

by Rachel Ignotofsky

Ten Speed Press, 2022. 128 pages.
Review written September 24, 2024, from a library book.
Starred Review

This is the second one of Rachel Ignotofsky’s books I’ve read, and I’m a fan. Both are compilations of a large amount of information in a visual way that doesn’t overwhelm you.

The spreads in this book are packed, but the information is compacted into panel-like segments. The book is not a graphic novel, but it borrows some graphic elements, sometimes sidebars, sometimmes diagrams, plenty of pictures, and even some speech bubbles. Even large paragraphs are given segments with headings, so you can read one section at a time.

The only problem with the graphic-novel-like format was that my first impression was that I could read it quickly. No, this book is packed with information, and it takes lots of time to absorb it. The advantage to the format, though, is that you can read a section or a spread at a time and easily pick it up later. I ended up picking this book up for multiple short stretches – and that was the perfect way to read it, with my interest captured every time.

And the information was so interesting. I worked as a computer programmer for my university as a college student in the 1980s, and my family was one of the first I knew of to have a home computer, a TRS-80. Oh, and my Dad brought home an old-fashioned modem in the 1970s. So – I’ve lived through a lot of the history of the computer, and it was very interesting to read about the bigger picture and many of the people behind different innovations – going far beyond Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

Besides a straightforward history, the book also describes what’s inside a computer and goes back and looks at ancient counting systems and inventions like the abacus. The more modern chapters went from “Computers as Creative Tool, 1980-1989” to “The World Wide Web, 1990-2005” to “The All-in-One Device, 2006-Now.”

My only hope for this book is that it will get many updates. Although the part on “the future” only takes up a few pages, already in 2024 it feels like the prevalence of virtual meetings should be mentioned, as well as Chat GPT. But everything historical is very thorough, and presented in a fascinating way.

rachelignotofskydesign.com
tenspeed.com

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