Ideas that Changed the World, from DK, for Non-Fiction Monday

Ideas that Changed the World, from DK

This is one of the most fascinating books I've seen from DK in the past year or so, and that is saying a lot. The book is exactly what the title would indicate--a compendium of ideas that describes how the initial discovery, inspiration, or chance occurrence progressed through the steps of its production and applications to products that have truly changed the world.

Or at least made it more fun (I'm not sure lego has truly changed the world, although it does, on a regular basis, change the hazard level of my living room floor).

Each "idea" gets a two page spread, with typical DK high-resolution images and succinct nuggets of text:


The people behind the ideas (such as Jacques Cousteau, discussed in this spread) are an important part of DK's discussion, as are the historical background of the problem being addressed and the technology available with which to address it. DK doesn't shy away from mention of problems concomitant with some of these inventions, such as pollution, although I, myself, would have put in Lots More about this part of the picture, and the consequences of many of these ideas. And indeed, the tone is, in general, celebratory. The technology of warfare (with a few exceptions, such as unmanned spy planes) is not addressed (despite the impact military spending has, and continues to have, on the development of new technology).

In short, it's entertaining and educational reading for anyone interested in how the world we live in, with its heavy imprint of technology, came about. I highly recommend it to the curious child (or adult).

(I was struck by the book's pink spine and pink endpapers. Is this a conscious effort to appeal to girls? Not unsurprisingly, boys dominate inside...which, sadly, can't be avoided. And veering off topic, my son just started lego robotics--and not a single girl in his class signed up. Sigh).

The Non-Fiction Monday round-up is at Wrapped in Foil today!

Disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher.

Children's Book of Music: An introduction to the world's most amazing music and its creators, from DK, for Non-Fiction Monday

Children's Book of Music: An introduction to the world's most amazing music and its creators, from DK (2010, 142 pages, with accompanying cd)

DK set themselves an ambitious task with this book--to concisely survey the music of the world, in an inclusive way, in a book for kids. The result is a pretty astounding book. It's not without issues (about which more below), but it's pretty fantastic--the best book about world music for children I've ever seen.

The Children's Book of Music is divided into three sections--- Early music (50,000 BCE - 1600 CE), Classical music (1600-1900), and Modern music (1900--). Early music is the section of the book that most deeply delves into musical traditions around the world. It begins a fascinating smorgasbord of what we've learned from archaeology and history about truly ancient music, but quickly fans out into music across cultures. The gamelan orchestras of Bali, which get a wonderful double-page spread; the "world of wind" features Polynesian nose flutes and South American pan pipes; "rituals and religious music" is (rightly) broadly defined, with Maori singers, National Anthems, the Soweto gospel choir and more sharing a double-page spread. There's another about Yatsuhashi Kengyo, "father of modern koto." These sections are all lavishly illustrated with pictures of people from today’s world, making music and dancing.

I could provide many more examples, but I hope this gives you some idea of what this part of the book is like. I would have loved this section of the book, if its title, Early music (50,000 BCE - 1600 CE), hadn't implied that all the musical traditions described ended in 1600. This implication is contradicted the photographic evidence, and the text itself, that clearly show these musical traditions as alive and vibrant today. I think that DK probably meant "music that had its beginnings long before 1600" but still, I do not like the wording they chose at all. Big Sigh.

In a children's book geared toward a western audience, it's not surprising that there's a generous chunk (part two of this book) about"classical" music. This is a primarily European section, although there are nods to diversity, with mention, for instance, of the Beijing opera, and a rather lovely spread about "dazzling dances" that is nicely diverse. And there are other pleasing bits of diversity in unexpected places within this section-- "Brassed off," for instance, leaps away from the orchestral instruments one might have expected,and includes a large illustration of a triton shell player, pictures of the shofar and nafir, the serpent and the bazooka. So it's not nearly as dominated by "great European music" as it might have been (although it is very famous-composer heavy). I think, however, that the title heading here is somewhat problematic, too, because "classical" music didn't stop at 1900, as the last section (Modern music (1900--)) of the book indicates....

When I reached this final section of the book, I turned to my husband for his opinion. He's an ethnomusicologist, and has taught courses on world music that include many of the subjects discussed here (like the blues), and he's much more knowledgeable about reggae, and jazz, afropop, and rock then I am. He gave a running commentary as looked through the book ("oh good, they put her in" type remarks), and in general was impressed and approving of the choices DK made about which musicians to highlight (although he wanted more about Dylan...). (His main complaint about the book, incidentally, was that his own class of instrument, the bagpipes, doesn't get a mention).

In short, this is a beautiful, diverse book (albeit still skewed in favor of western music). The accompanying cd is a brilliant touch that brings the musics discussed in the text to life. There is much to appreciate here, with fascinating information made accessible through clear writing and marvellous illustrations.

I just really really wish (getting back to that troublesome section heading) that DK hadn't fallen into the trap of putting non-Europeans into the past, when it is clear that there are many non-European musical traditions that are alive and well. And though the subjects that are included in this book are dealt with in clear, balanced, informative ways, I wish, as well, that there had been less emphasis put on performative music. I would have liked more about music made communally--music that doesn't need a large audience,or any audience at all. Like lullabies, work songs, and Irish music played in someone's kitchen...


Non-Fiction Monday is hosted today by Rasco from RIF!
(disclaimer--review copy received from the publisher)

Explore Rocks and Minerals! by Cynthia Light Brown and Nick Brown; also--geological sci fi?

Nomad Press has a lovely non-fiction series, Explore Your World, that combines information about a variety of topics (here's the full list). My kids and I have enjoyed those that we've read, and the most recent to make it into our home was no exception.

Explore Rocks and Minerals! by Cynthia Light Brown and Nick Brown, is a straightforward introduction to geology, beginning with the planet itself, proceeding thought the various types of rock, and concluding with fossils. I particularly appreciated the discussion of the atomic underpinnings of minerals and crystals, which most geology books for kids (to the best of my knowledge) don't include:

"If you could explore the inside of a mineral and see its atoms, you would see that the atoms are held together in patterns. The pattern could be in the shape of a cube, a HEXAGON, or another shape. Geologists classify those patterns into six different groups depending on their shape. The pattern of atoms is repeated over and over again to build a crystal." (page 17)

There are many more details included, but this gives an idea of the level of the writing--straightforward, but instructive.

Hexagon, by the way, is in caps to show that it's one of the Words 2 Know, listed at the bottom of the page--handy, because words like "clastic" are challenging (even for grown-ups with a basic knowledge of geology).

The book includes twenty projects that are much more explorations than "crafts," and they bring to life the principles discussed most excellently. For instance, a metaphor of the earth is provided by a hard-boiled egg--a tactile representation of crust, mantle and core. Likewise, one can make a model of a salt crystal with gumdrops and toothpicks, basalt columns with cornstarch and water, and a sandwich with sedimentary layers. Each activity includes a "Things to Notice" section, to encourage Thought.

In short, a most excellent geology book for the young. I dunno if I'll ever get around to making basalt columns, but next time we have hard-boiled eggs, I'll certainly be bringing geology into the conversation....

(Bringing this on topic blog-wise, just because that's where my mind went-- geology isn't the science most widely featured in science fiction, but it sure comes in useful when exploring strange planets, and I think exo-geology is one of the most fascinating fields of study open to a sci fi character...But now I'm trying to think of some examples of geology in sci fi, I can only come up with three--Anne MacCaffery's Crystal Singer books, David Brin's Startide Rising, and The Green Book, by Jill Patton Walsh...what other good geological sci fi is there????)

The Non-Fiction Monday Round-up is at Playing By The Book today!

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

Space, and The Human Body (One Million Things series) from DK

Space, by Carole Stott, and The Human Body, by Richard Walker, are two of the four books in DK's new One Million Things series.

These books are just as fact-filled as one expects from a DK book, with all the bright pictures illustrating said facts that DK does so well. However, with this series, DK has gotten more than somewhat quirky design-wise. The pictures illustrating the facts do not float in the empty space of the page--rather, they are contained within images and contexts from the everyday world. The gas giants in Space, for instance, become hot air balloons. Body languague, in The Human Body, is illustrated by a bunch of ordinary folks in a movie theater, not the isolated examples of happy, sad, cross that one commonly sees, and rather cleverly, blood circulation is shown as a banner advertizement in a subway station, and the heart is the engine of a car with its hood up. And really cool are the "Defenders" --the infection fighters of the body. They are shown as trading cards.

The result is, I think, a series of books that rather perfect for the reader who thinks best with visual metaphors, although I think their appeal is more univeral then that. The pictures that don't work as well are easy to ignore; the ones that do cleverly reinforce the facts presented. And, speaking from personal experience, this approach to illustration adds an extra layer of puzzle solving for the reader and the child being read to. Me, in all sincerity: Why is there a football on this page (p. 121 of Space) about rockets? Seven year old: it's a kid's room and the rockets are toys too! Me: duh. (followed by musing about whether rockets should be lumped with toys...and what that might say about our society etc etc.) Seven year old: It's just a picture.

Although Space is a bit more metaphorically random than The Human Body, both are fun additions to one's non-fiction library--they are much more interesting that most non-fiction encyclopedia type books around.

The Non-Fiction Monday round-up is at Moms Inspire Learning today!

Do Not Open: An encyclopedia of the world's best-kept secrets, for Non-fiction Monday

Do Not Open: An encyclopedia of the world's best-kept secrets, by John Farndon (DK Publishing)

First published in 2007, this amazing collection of fascinating "secrets" is now available in paperback form. I think DK really knocked it out of the park with this one-there is something for everyone. There's obvious stuff-- spy gear, ufos, lost treasures, and the like--subjects that will interest the young boy reader (quite possibly girls too, but boy reader is what I observe first hand), but there are sections devoted to more esoteric secrets. If you are interested in art, read about the secrets contained within Holbein's painting, The Ambassadors. Elizabethan alchemy is popping up in quite a few fantasy books these days, so the section on Alchemists and Wizards is very apropos, ditto the sections on the Knight's Templar and Werewolves vs Vampires. Young writers of science fiction might well find inspiration in the sections on the human genome, and the ingredients of a fast-food strawberry milkshake...And for the mathematically inclined, there are fractals and the Fibonacci sequence.

There are many, many more topics covered in DK signature style--crisply written prose blocks with lots of illustrations. 244 topics, in fact, on all sorts of subjects. Great fun to browse through (in which one is helped by suggestions of similar sections to go to next, leading to a long chain of explorations). In short, a fine source of cocktail party conversation, and a fine source of tidbits for the information loving kid to add to his store, to be shared with whoever he can find to listen to him. Leave this lying around your house (along with all the other books lying around the house la la la) and your ten year old boy will find it and be entranced. (And since for days at a time it might be buried beneath other books, he can have the pleasure of discovering it over and over again...)

The Non-Fiction Monday roundup this week is at Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian.

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

Ripley's Believe It or Not- Enter if You Dare!

Ripley's Believe It or Not- Enter if You Dare! (August 12, 2010) is a wonderfully diverse showcase of the disturbing, the bizarre, the sometimes gross, and the sometimes just pleasantly fascinating. It is just the sort of book to leave around the living room, to dip into when time allows and to be amazed (too overwhelming to curl up with, but just right for snacking), and an excellent book to give to your ten year old, so that you can have the pleasure of watching him do the same.

Of special interest to fans of the paranormal is a large vampire spread, that features a four page (I just learned that this is called a "gatefold") picture of a vampire hunter's kit, with all the paraphernalia therein explained in side-bars. I was very pleased to see our own Rhode Island vampire, poor Mercy Brown, included! But even more fascinating, to me at least, was the generous section on unbelievable art. I am rather tempted to make a gummi bear chandelier of my own....and who knew that toilet paper was so versatile?

And more fascinating to my son was the amazing science section, in particular the "mad inventions" section. Many of the tidbits of information contained therein have become very familiar to the rest of us, thanks to his word for word regurgitation! There's a very considerable amount of non-fiction here-- in particular, I appreciated that the "Ripley Research" boxes explained the science behind the fantastic. Here's a sample double page spread:


Like all the Ripley's books, this is a lavishly illustrated, fact-filled feast of the fantastic! (although the cover might scare your younger child and he might ask you to hide it).

(disclaimer: review copy received from publisher)

The Non-Fiction Monday Round-up is at Shelf-Employed today!

Swords for Non-Fiction Monday

Swords: An Artist's Devotion by Ben Boos. (Candlewick, 2008, 96 pages). When he was a child, Ben Boos drew sword after sword, fascinated by their variety and detail. This lovely tribute to the weapon shows that delight. (And I'd just like to point out how apt my choice of book is, as I am typing this on the computer in the jury library of the state courthouse, where I am serving the Sword of Justice).

This book is a gallery of swords, beginning with Bronze Age Europe, progressing through the Middle Ages, and then moving east, to the swords of Japan, China, and Korea. A section entitled "War Chiefs" covers swords from diverse cultures of Oceania and Africa (this one is a bit of a hodge-podge, which I found disappointing), and the final section presents the swords of the Sultans.

This is a perfect book for the reader of any age who loves swords...my boys oohed and awed over every page. And indeed, never have I myself seen such a beautiful designed and illustrated collection of weapons! The variety and detail is remarkable, and the accompanying illustrations of places and people add great interest.

I would have liked more of the background to the weapons--how they were made, by whom, and at what cost...that sort of socio-economic thing that us anthropologically minded archaeologists love. The text which accompanies the many wordless full page pictures of swords focuses on the people wielding them, which is probably of greater interest to the target audience.

This is the sort of book that cries out to be given as a gift. It's truly a handsome thing.

The author, Ben Boos, has a forthcoming book that also looks like a great gift for the medievally- minded child--Fantasy, an Artist's Realm, is Boos' imagining of a Dungeons and Dragons type imaginary world, with the coastal fortress of the Paladins, the forests of the elves, and the various lands of darker creatures brought to beautifully illustrated life.

The Non-Fiction Monday round-up today is at In Need of Chocolate.

Disclaimer--review copy of Swords received from the publisher, along with a partial preview of Fantasy, an Artist's Realm.

Physics: Why Matter Matters --science made fun for Non-fiction Monday

Physics: Why Matter Matters! created by Simon Basher, written by Dan Green (Kingfisher, 2008, 128 pages)

One of the highlights of my recent foray to the ALA exhibit hall was discovering a series of non-fiction books that seemed tailor-made for my boys (aged 7 and 9). In their books, Basher and Green have collaborated to bring science to life with utterly charming characterizations of scientific principles-funny little cartoon dudes--who explain, in simple terms, just what they are and what they do.

I was very happy to get a copy of Physics to bring home with me (thanks, Kingfisher!), and it was greeted enthusiastically by those waiting at home for Mama. Each dude included in this book (and there are many, ranging from the Old School friends like Gravity to the cool far out there ones like the Beta Particle) gets a page of text, with a full color picture facing it. A few introductory descriptive facts set the stage for a monologue by each physics principle, followed by a few more specifics, like the date of its discovery. There's also a helpful glossary and an index. The result is a book that can be enjoyed enthusiastically and repeatedly, and which may cause some tension as the dear children try to snatch it out of each other's hands.

I particularly enjoyed reading out loud what Entropy had to say for itself (in as much as Entropy is my nemesis)--"I always increase, and I work in one direction only--things NEVER get neater unless you put some effort in" (page 36). The seven year old liked Gamma Ray best -- "mean, lean and full of beans--I travel at the speed of light and cut right through any material as if it wasn't there" (page 74); the nine year old's favorite was Black Body Radiation--"A ninjalike shadow who swallows and slays the Light Crew" (page 40).

I'm still not entirely sure I understand really truly what a Bosun Particle is, but I am very sure that this book has both entertained and educated all of us.

Here's the list of all the books in the series. My sons want them all, and I'm pretty sure that they will indeed be getting them. Edited to add: for more fun, here is the Basher website.

Today's Non-Fiction Monday Round-Up is at 5 Great Books.

Welcome to this week's Non-fiction Monday Round-up, featuring bird calls and more!

The Non-fiction Monday Round-up is here today! Please leave your Non-fiction Monday link in the comments, and I'll put them in here!

Reading about the perils of batteries in children's books reminded me of the one battery operated book that my boys and I have loved for the past seven years. It's a book that I bring out every spring, when (some of us) are awoken early in the mornings by the joyous cacophony outside--Bird Calls, by Frank Gallo (2001, Innovative Kids--still in print). Eight birds are featured in double spreads, mostly ones that we have in our garden, or in the swamp nearby--cardinals, chickadees, red-wing blackbirds... (although, strangely, our eastern woodlands are not teeming with killdeers). The initial text gives clues about that page's bird, then you press a button to hear its song, pull a tab that slides open the habitat to revel the bird, and lift the text flap to read more.

It has actually worked very well--I was ever so pleased when my youngest, just turned three, identified red-wing blackbirds from sound alone! A most excellent book for parents like me who want their children to be as familiar with their backyards as they are with their lego sets.

(I just tried to see if I could find and swallow the battery. I couldn't, but then, I am bad with batteries. I had to get my husband to help the first time the wireless mouse needed new ones).

And for their birdwatching grandma, we bought Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds In Song, by Les Beletski. It doesn't have the flaps or the tabs, but it does sit on her coffee table, and every visit the boys enjoy finding the birds they know, and listening to new ones.

(dragging this post on-topic for my blog--I am trying to think of any bird-watching characters in fantasy or science fiction. I can't).

TODAY'S ROUND-UP:

Sarah at In Need of Chocolate brings us African Animals, by Caroline Arnold.

Laura Salas shares that she'll be signing her books A Is for Arrr! A Pirate Alphabet, and Fuzzy-Fast Blur: Poems About Pets at ALA in Washington D.C., and also has news of a new version of her writing class for nonfiction writing.

Abby (the) Librarian has 882 1/2 Amazing Answers to Your Questions About the Titanic by Hugh Brewer and Laurie Coulter.

At TheHappyNappyBookseller, Doret looks at a favorite of mine--Seeds of Change, a biography of Wangari Maathai by Jen Cullerton Johnson and Sonia Lynn Sadler.

The Wild About Nature blog features April Pulley Sayre's Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!

At Madigan Reads is a look at The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, by Jeff Kinney.

Jennifer at the Jean Little Library presents 4 gardening books for kids--it's great to hear that they are in high demand at her library!

In honor of the start of hurricane season (and please oh please may they come late and seldom this year) Shirley at Simply Science has Hurricanes, by Mari Schuh.

Wendie Old at Wendie's Wanderings talks about The Smash! Smash! Truck, Recycling as You've Never Heard it Before.

The Man Who Flies with Birds is reviewed by Marie at The Association of Jewish Libraries.

Moms Inspire Learning is featuring One Well: The Story of Water on Earth, by Rochelle Strauss.

Here's a concept book by Andrew Clements --The Handiest Things in the World--at NC Teacher Stuff (it's about hands)

Rasco from RIF looks at SIT IN: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down.

Anastasia is in in with a great dinosaur book, Born to Be Giants, at Picture Book of the Day.

And at Blog from the Windowsill you can fine more dino fun, with Dinosaurs by Lila Prap.

Finally, Three Turtles and their Pet Librarian take a look at the Cool Crafts recycling series from Capstone.

Thanks for stopping by! Next week's Non-fiction Monday will be at Books Together.

World Myths and Legends: 25 Projects You Can Build Yourself

World Myths and Legends: 25 Projects You Can Build Yourself, by Kathy Ceceri, illustrated by Shawn Braley (Nomad Press, 2010, 119pp)

Although this book might sound like a fairly ordinary craft book, it is much more--it is also an excellent introduction to the cultures and myths of a diverse selection of peoples, and one I highly recommend to home-schoolers in particular. As well as the coverage of the expected European civilizations (Greece, Rome, and Northern Europe), the book includes Egypt and Mesopotamia, Sub-Saharan Africa, India, China, Japan, Australia, and North, South, and Central Australia. That being said, it is still is somewhat euro-centric (the map of important places has more points in the European region than elsewhere), and the book begins with Europe.

The 25 projects of the title are nestled into extremely informative text, providing both historical background for the cultures in question, at a fairly high level of detail and vocabulary. Helpful "Words to Know" blocks educate and clarify--one such selection includes personification, spiritual, avatar, unity, reincarnation, caste, karma, and dharma. Although the book does include well-written retellings of various myths, because they are accompanied by such education-driven material, reading this book is much more an actively learning/discussing/comparing experience than a standard anthology of "stories from many lands" book.

The projects themselves are extremely varied, and go beyond simple craft-ness. For instance, one activity for the Greek section is to use Euclidian geometry to make an equilateral triangle--fun with compasses! For the Celts, the reader is instructed in the making of a Beltane flower hair wreath and a Triskeles armband; the African section tells how to make a version of Ashanti Adinkra cloth. I could go on...but the point is that these are rather cool projects, such as I have never seen elsewhere.

Fun and instructive!

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

Today's Non-fiction Monday round-up is at Picture Book of the Day.

Poop Happened! A History of the World from the Bottom Up

When I was young, I spent several days inside a Viking privy in York, England. From an archaeological point of view it was fascinating--the preservation was wonderful. So wonderful, in fact, that the privy smelled like it had been used yesterday, and intact turds were recovered (one of which ended up on display in the Jorvik Viking Center. Fascinating stuff, that poop--you can learn a lot from it!

Poop Happened! A History of the World from the Bottom Up, by Sarah Albee, takes poop and runs with it. It is a chronological compendium of the history of defecation in Europe (mainly England) and the USA, providing not only poop-specific facts (I didn't know Queen Elizabeth I travelled with a port-a-potty), but tying them to the larger social history in an extremely compelling way (poop and the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, for instance). It's an excellent introduction to social history--the sort that eschews dates and names in favor of trends and interconnections. It makes the point that to understand the workings of a society, and the trajectory of its history, understanding daily life is important, and interesting, too!

Poop Happens! is chock full of extremely interesting details, arranged in short sections of just a few paragraphs that flow nicely into one another. Albee does an excellent job, I thought, packing a lot of information into an accessible format, and this accessibility is further enhanced by the copious illustrations, both historic images and cartoons.

The obvious reader for this book would be the middle-grade kid, but I think its appeal, and its utility, goes beyond this demographic. For instance, many people have noticed that few fictional characters ever have to poop. But for any writer of fantasy or historical fiction who wants to create a world that is really three-dimensional, this book, with its quirky tidbits and exposé of the dark underparts of life, might be just the thing...

My main disappointment is with the European focus of the book--the subtitle is misleading, as "world" implies a global perspective, and it's annoying (and just plain wrong) when it turns out to be short for "the European world." There are a few pages devoted to toilets beyond Europe, but these were so sparse that they felt like token nods. And the indigenous cultures of North and South America are not included. What were the sanitation arrangements, for instance, at Machu Picchu? At Teotihuacan?

Sarah Albee herself apologizes for this problem in the introduction, explaining that she was limited by lack of primary sources available in English. But why couldn't they have changed the subtitle to reflect this? And perhaps she could have added more non-Western poop if she had spent more time talking to archaeologists--we are, after all, able to find toilets even when there are no written records of them.

Still, a fascinating and very readable book with lots of kid appeal.

Other reviews at A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy, and Welcome to my Tweendom.

Non-fiction Monday is hosted today by Bookends.

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

Global Warming, by Seymour Simon, for non-fiction Monday

I am a rather ardent environmentalist, busily bringing home other people's discarded recyclables etc. And rising sea levels are something I worry about in my professional life--many significant archaeological sites are on the coast, and are under threat. Not to mention the huge human cost.

I've told my children the story of Global Warming as I see it...but still I welcomed a new picture book on the subject, that I hoped would interest them, and educate them further-- Global Warming, by Seymour Simon (Harper Collins, 2010, for ages 5-9 with full-color photographs).

This is a very handsome book--it's something of a coffee table book for children, in that it has lots of large full page pictures, and none of the sidebars and little fact boxes that appear in so much non-fiction for the young. And, as far as the main points go, I thought it a fine introduction to the causes and effects of global warming.

I was in full agreement with Simon's points, which touch on such topics as the retreat of the glaciers, the melting of the polar ice, the risks of flooding, etc., but I had a hard time with his prose style, which seemed a bit stiff. Of the polar bears, for instance, Simon writes: "If the ice melts, their food supply will be cut off and this will impact their survival" (page 15); I myself think "impact" should be used this way only in bureaucratic writing (I use it all the time at work), and that in a kid's book, the bears should simply be allowed to "go hungry," or possibly even "starve to death."

And I know that the effects of human actions on global warming are still hotly debated, so I don't expect Simon to make every sentence a statement of fact, but there was some uncertainty where none was needed. Simon, for instance, writes "Atmospheric warming can cause a rise in ocean temperatures and place coral reefs in jeopardy" (page 20). I don't think, myself, that that "can" is necessary.

So although I applaud the existence of this book, with its helpful list of "things we can do" at the end, it's not all I had hoped it would be. Still, I think it would be a good one for parent and child to read together, with the parent explaining and elaborating, and making clear the connections between the text and the (mostly caption-less) photographs.

Other reviews at Eco-Libris and A Patchwork of Books

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

The Non-Fiction Monday round-up is at Check It Out today!

The Humblebee Hunter, Inspired by the Life and Experiments of Charles Dwarwin and his Children, for Non-fiction Monday

The Humblebee Hunter, Inspired by the Life and Experiments of Charles Darwin and his Children, by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Jen Corace (Disney 2010, ages 4-8).

I wish I had been one of Darwin's children. Not that I didn't have a happy childhood of my own, but reading this book made me wish that I'd been part of the exploration of nature that permeated the Darwins' home (and it also inspired me to take a magnifying glass outside with my own kids).

"Father was still a collector. And most of all he collected questions. We grew up asking what? and why? and how?

When Father studied worms, Lizzie and I stuck knitting needles in the ground to try to measure their holes.

Willy and I helped Father put seeds in salt water, to see if they might still grow if they were carried across the seas." (page 9)

What a fun childhood.
The Humblebee Hunter tells of one particular summer afternoon in the life of the Darwin family. Henrietta is inside, helping to bake, but she can see her father outside, looking closely at the bees...and she'd much rather be there with him than in the kitchen! So when her father calls to bring the flour shaker out to him, she's off running.

And the great humblebee count begins--each of the Darwin children (except little Horace--he's too young to count, so he's assigned dog playing duty) will count how many flowers their particular bee will visit in one minute.

It's an enchanting little story. The illustrations have an old fashioned look to them--rather formal, and in darkish colors, but enchanting none the less. And the actual counting, with pictures that jump from child to child, is more exciting than it might sound!

A great book for spring--the humblebees are buzzing around our garden these days, and I'm very happy to see them!

Here's an essay Deborah Hopkinson wrote for Book Page last February, describing the making of this book. In it she says that although there's no specific evidence that the Darwin kids were part of a great bumblebee count, although this was a question that interested him. But even though I guess this then becomes historical fiction, I'm counting this for non-fiction Monday anyway--it's a great introduction to Darwin for the young!

The Non-fiction Monday Roundup is at Shelf-Employed today!

Little Black Ant on Park Street, by Janet Halfmann, for Nonfiction Monday

About a month ago we had an ant disaster in our house. Some of our firewood had gotten wet, and was drying on the stove. I pulled the bark off one big piece to dry it faster--and there was an explosion of big black ants, desperate to escape being steamed alive, all over the living room. It was distressing for all of us, but my six year old decided then and there that he loathed and feared ants....

Then a few days ago, unasked for and unexpected, I got a book about ants in the mail--Little Black Ant on Park Street, by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Kathleen Rietz (Smithsonian's Backyard, 2009). Janet Halfmann is just about my favorite non-fiction animal writer, so I was confident that this would be a good book. But would my son cooperate, or would he run screaming from the room?

Cautiously I sat on the sofa next to him, book in hand. "I don't want to listen," he said, but I ignored him, and began reading anyway. Soon he was absorbed, and then my nine year old drifted over and sat on my other side...and the world of a little black ant pulled them in.

It is a straightforward account of life for an ant--lots of busy-ness, some danger, the importance of the community, feeding the queen, etc. What makes Halfmann's ant prose stand out for me is not the scientific detail (although that is just fine). It is her ability to make the ant something to care about, without in anyway anthropomorphising it. The ant never shows human emotion--sure, she gets hungry, she huddles with her nest mates, the ant hill becomes excited when it's time for the queen to mate, but she's never afraid, or anxious, or happy.

Of course, these are little black ants, not the vast steampunkian behemoths who threatened our home last month. But still, I feel that excellent writing and good science have significantly dulled the edge of my boy's dislike!

Other Janet Halfmann books I've reviewed: Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea, Seven Miles to Freedom: the Robert Smalls Story, Little Skink's Tail, Alligator at Saw Grass Road and Polar Bear Horizon, and Hermit Crab's Home: Safe in a Shell.

(disclaimer: my copy of Little Black Ant on Park Street was received from the publisher for review)

The Nonfiction Monday roundup is at Lerner Books Blog!

Aliens are Coming! for Non-fiction Monday

Aliens are Coming! The True Account of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast, by Meghan McCarthy (Alfred A. Knopf, 2006)

I couldn't resist choosing for Non-Fiction Monday a book that combines both science-fiction and a true story. McCarthy has done a brilliant job bringing to life the story of the science-fiction play that sent 1938 radio listeners into a tailspin. Listeners all over America really believed that Orson Welles' play, an adaptation of H.G. Well's War of the Worlds, was an actual emergency news broadcast.

Aliens are Coming! intersperses black and white (and grey) illustrations for the 1938 scenes with color illustrations of the "alien invasion" story, and there's a satisfyingly long author's note at the end. I loved McCarthy's aliens--I find them charming (although their machines of Death are scary!). It's a great book for the young independent reader, and it works well as a read-aloud for somewhat sophisticated younger siblings.

I say sophisticated because, although my older child and I thought it was great fun; my six-year, who has a strong sense of justice, thought it was a mean joke to play on the unsuspecting American people. It took several re-reads (which he requested) before he truly grasped the point of the book...but he still thinks it wasn't a nice thing to do.

But his reaction did lead to an interesting discussion about the power of the media to influence people's perceptions of reality...and in a few years, we can watch Wag the Dog or something of that ilk and continue the discussion.

The Non-fiction Monday round-up is at Practically Paradise today!

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope

There are some books that so powerfully fill the gaps in one's knowledge of the world that, after reading them, you want to recommend them to just about everyone you know. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope, by William Kamkwamba and Brian Mealer (William Morrow, 2009, 288pp) is such a book.

William Kamkwamba's childhood in Malawi was happy--his family was loving and supportive, there was enough to eat, there was school to go to, there were many interesting things to do. But then the rains failed, and the government failed, and there was famine. School was no longer possible, and every day there was less to eat...

14-year old William turned to the library to continue his education on his own, and, inspired by a book he found that described wind energy, he set out to create "electric wind." With electricity, he hoped to bring water up from the ground to prevent famine, and he hoped to make a way for his mother and sisters to cook without spending their lives scavenging for wood and choking on smoke. And his windmill, made of salvaged bits and pieces, worked, and brought light and hope to his village. Word of his windmill spread, and brought international attention to William, opening the way for him to continue his education.

Kamkwamba and Mealer make a most excellent storytelling team. You can hear Kamkwamba's voice vividly, bringing his childhood to life almost as if he is telling his story out loud to the reader. They do not rush too quickly to the building of the generator, but instead allow the story to unfold gradually, bringing the place and its people to life. Science geeks in particular will enjoy the detailed descriptions of windmill building, and even I, who am made nervous by fuses, was fascinated by the process of turning "trash" into a working wind generator.

Although boys aren't the only audience who will appreciate this book, it is a quintessentially "boy" story--about boy friendships, and building toy cars, and cool experiments with electricity, and worrying about little sisters. I think it should appeal greatly to teenaged boys here in the US, and I will certainly be giving it to my own boys to read when they are older.

Beautifully written, with absolutely no patronizingly admiring Western Outsider feel to it, astoundingly educational on so many levels--I am glad I read it. I did so after reading Tricia's review of it at the YaYaYas, in which she said: "Just go and read this book now. It’s amazing, awesome, inspiring, and I can go on with the adjectives if you want me to, but I’ll stop for now."



Non-fiction Monday is at The Art of Irreverence today!

Tutankhamun, by Demi, for Non-fiction Monday

Tutankhamun, by Demi (Marshall Cavendish Children, 2009) is a stunningly beautiful picture-book that brings ancient Egypt to gorgeous, gold-decorated life in true Demi style. It is truly one of the most handsome non-fiction books I've read-the pictures range from the humorously detailed (we loved the little wheels added to young Tutankhamun's toys) to the simply magnificent. For the illustrations alone, this one is a must to put in the hands of an Egypt loving child.

And the text is a worthy accompaniment to the illustrations. I thought I knew enough about King Tut to go on with, but this is one of those non-fiction books for children that makes clear the extent of one's adult ignorance. Unlike many books, which, I vaguely feel, focus on the treasure that was buried with him, and the rituals of Egyptian death rites, this book is a solid biography, with lots of excellent historical and cultural context. Now I know so much more not just about the details of the young king's life, but about the religious struggles that shaped his time and about the larger political situation of his Egypt.

This book does not talk down to its readers, but presents complex issues and ideas in a matter-of-fact way. I don't know if it will speak to all 6 to 9 year olds, but I can attest to the fact that it kept the rapt attention of my own boys. Already I am thinking ahead to the Third Grade Biography breakfast--this will be one I offer my first-grader when he reaches that point in his young life.

A truly excellent book on all counts for the child whose fascination with things Egypt goes beyond the grotesque appeal of mummification...

Demi is, incidentally, a favorite illustrator of mine; for those who want to learn more about her, here is a great interview at Paper Tigers.

Today's Non-Fiction Monday is being hosted by Sally Apokedak's blog, Whispers of Dawn.

(review copy received from the publisher)

Oceanology, a Fantasy Book for Non-fiction Monday

Just about everyone looking for Gift Books for the Young has probably considered, or even bought, one of the "-0logy" books--Dragonology, Piratology, Monsterology, etc. For the most part, these are fantasy in the guise of non-fiction--the imaginary presented as if it were real.

Oceanology: The True Account of the Voyage of the Nautilus (Candlewick 2009) is slightly different. It is a gorgeous presentation, both in words and in lovely faux 19th-century illustrations, of facts about the ocean, embedded within a fantastical narrative.

The information (touching on such diverse topics as types of coral, the movement of the planet's plates, and the installation of the transatlantic telegraph cable) is presented as sidebars to the journal of a young boy who finds himself voyaging with Captain Nemo (of Twenty thousand Leagues Under the Sea fame). It is a rather gripping story (although I don't think it's quite enough of one to work as a stand-alone). The boy's wonder at all the strange things he sees, and his excitement as the ship explores uncharted realms below the waves, gradually gives way to terror as he realizes that the Captain is insane, and has no plans to return to dry land.

There's a lot here for the reader who has a fondness both for fantasy and science, whether child or adult. Of all the -ology books, this is the one I think has most appeal for the adult reader (and not just the Jules Verne fan). It's a beautiful book, with lots to look at and learn from.

My only caveat is that for younger readers, this might have to be a read-aloud, because it's written in cursive...but, having read it aloud myself, I can promise that it is a rather pleasantly engrossing experience for the adult as well as the child. The narrative tends to get lost in the excitement of flaps to lift and strange sea creatures to read about, but the story can wait till later, when they are old enough to read it for themselves...

And then they will want a copy of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

Oceanology has been nominated for the Cybils in the middle grade science fiction and fantasy category, for which I am a panelist, and my review copy was generously supplied by the publisher.

The Non-fiction Monday Roundup is hosted by In Need of Chocolate today!

Pick Me Up, a book of non-fiction goodness from DK

Kids these days have it so easy. When I was I child, I had to read the encyclopedia to learn non-fictiony interesting things, and the problem with that is that encyclopedias also have non-fictiony boring things, but everything is all mixed up so one losses interest sooner rather than later (which is why I know more about things that begin with A than, say, T).

But anyway. Kids these days get really cool books like Pick Me Up: Stuff You Need to Know (DK 2009, 333 pp, middle grade on up). The sort of book that is full of things anyone with the least bit of curiosity wants to learn about. Take sleep, for instance--a two page spread with little paragraphical fact-filled nuggets about reasons we sleep, sleepwalking, dreaming, working the night shift...told in the signature DK style of snappy writing with tid bits of humor. You read the two pages, and voila, you know more about sleep. Or dinosaurs. Or money. Or photo-retouching. Or feminism.

I would have loved it (she says, peevishly). And I bet that if, like me, you leave this book lying around your house, your nine year old will, in fact, pick it up.

The non-fiction Monday round-up is at The Book Nosher today!

(disclaimer--I received a review copy of this book from the publisher)

Lost Worlds, by John Howe, for Nonfiction Monday

There are some books which, the moment you see them, invite you to open them. The opening is accompianied by appreciative murmurs, and thoughts of gift giving. Lost Worlds, by John Howe (Kingfisher, 2009, older middle grade on up, 95 pp), is just such a book. Mysterious looking. Engaging. Alluring. And with great content inside!

In his introduction, Howe (who was the concept artist for the Lord of the Rings movies) writes:

"There are two kinds of lost worlds: Those abandoned in time, buried and forgotten, like Aratta or Mohenjo-Daro, and the ones that live in the imagination, from Atlantis to Camelot. The first ones we might call real, since they once had streets filled with people. The latter are real, too, but in a different way; they embody our need for symbols and meaning." (page 9)

And so he sets out to offer a tour of the lost worlds (both real and fantastical) that have captured the imaginations of people for millennia. Howe takes his readers from the Garden of Eden, to Thebes, to Cahokia, Shambhala, Avalon and the Hollow Earth (and many more magical places--24 in all), offering, like a good tour guide, much clearly presented information about each one. Alongside the words are pictures--both beautiful original art, and also photographs of the real places and artifacts from them. The detailed, colorful illustrations bring the places to life--the reader can imagine, for instance, walking the streets of Mohenjo-Daro, or arriving at Timbuktu...

The imaginary places included are skewed toward a European world-view, and even some of the places that aren't in Europe are discussed from the point of view of European eyes. There is, however, considerable cultural and geographical variety. The one striking geographical omission from the lost places featured is East Asia--there are no lost worlds of China or Japan (although there is Shambhala, high in the Himalayas). A few are included in the Appendix at the end, which gives tantalizingly brief descriptions of more lost worlds. Although there's a glossary and an index, I would really have appreciated a map--many of the places described are real, and it would be useful to know where they are.

That being said, this is a beautiful book, one that educates as it entertains. It would a great gift for the middle-school kid (maybe 5th grade up) who is fascinated by archaeology and mythology (and who loves the "ology" books). It would also make a good gift for an older fantasy loving teenager, or even an adult lover of fantasy. And, as an added bonus, there's a forward by Ian McKellen (aka Gandalf).

Review copy received from the publisher.

Today's Non-Fiction Monday is at Tales from the Rushmore Kid.