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216 pp.
| Chicago
| February, 2024
|
TradeISBN 9781641608954$19.99
|
EbookISBN 9781641608978$12.99
(2)
4-6
Chimpanzees were "America's first astronauts," but what did their missions entail, and how did their voyages help NASA send humans into space? Cusick's well-researched look at the primates' training and flights provides details for an area of the space race typically relegated to a footnote. The account covers the rigorous and extensive training that dozens of chimps underwent to prepare for the Mercury program, introducing individual animals along with their dedicated human trainers and veterinarians (and touching on the ethics of animal testing). Cusick zeroes in on the high-stress and difficult flights of two astrochimps: Ham, whose suborbital flight preceded Alan Shepard's historic one, and Enos, whose two orbits around Earth paved the way for John Glenn. The propulsively page-turning narrative accessibly explains scientific details while showcasing the vital importance of the chimp program to NASA's moonshot goal. We learn that the chimps were not merely passengers but instead highly skilled astronauts performing difficult mental challenges throughout their flights to give scientists evidence that brains could function normally in zero-gravity situations as well as during the intense pressures of ascent and descent. Back matter that includes extensive endnotes, a glossary, an index, and additional resources rounds out this compelling aspect of astronautic history.
Reviewer: Eric Carpenter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2024
80 pp.
| Quarto/MoonDance
| April, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-1-63322-154-3$14.95
(3)
4-6
From puffballs to truffles, the many varieties of fungi are celebrated in conversational and enthusiastic text ("Wow!") and bright, illuminating photos, organized in sections matching the book's subtitle. The many colors, shapes, and functions of the ubiquitous and prolific kingdom of fungi are laid out in two-page spreads, each of which expands on a mycological theme. Student-friendly experiments are interspersed. Glos., ind.
(4)
4-6
With the National Wildlife Federation and Ranger Rick Magazine, Cusick presents facts about various animal survival adaptations that will fascinate and gleefully gross-out kids. With a clever approach to the Ewww! and Look Out! factors, these books for early middle graders and reluctant readers include solid scientific reasoning and eye-catching layouts with lots of photographs, some too small to appreciate. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these titles: Animals That Make Me Say Ewww! and Animals That Make Me Say Look Out!.
(4)
4-6
With the National Wildlife Federation and Ranger Rick Magazine, Cusick presents facts about various animal survival adaptations that will fascinate and gleefully gross-out kids. With a clever approach to the Ewww! and Look Out! factors, these books for early middle graders and reluctant readers include solid scientific reasoning and eye-catching layouts with lots of photographs, some too small to appreciate. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these titles: Animals That Make Me Say Ewww! and Animals That Make Me Say Look Out!.
80 pp.
| Quarto/MoonDance
| December, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-63322-115-4$14.95
(4)
4-6
The ewww factor may attract (or repel) readers to this analysis of spit and mucus. But beyond just yucky stuff, readers will learn some animal chemistry: mucins are produced by "goblet cells" (collocytes) and function as digestive aids, moisturizers, and lubricants; saliva aids animal digestion, protects teeth, and more. Brief, colloquial paragraphs are interspersed with many (overly small) photos on each spread. Glos., ind.
80 pp.
| Charlesbridge/Imagine
| September, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-1-62354-045-6$14.95
(3)
4-6
Addressing the ick factor first, Cusick helps readers take this initially offputting subject seriously. Her colloquial treatment, which covers subtopics such as defensive vomiting, regurgitative feeding, pellet expulsion, stomach ejection, and cud and courtship emesis (i.e., vomiting), is accessible and accurate. The numerous illustrations--mostly color photos--evince ingenious photography. Interviews with a veterinarian and a physician conclude the volume. Reading list. Glos., ind.
(4)
4-6
These photograph-heavy collections of brief facts about animals lend themselves to browsing rather than research. Both books include "Defense" and "Foraging" sections; Ouch has an "Environmental" section, and Wow includes "Anatomy." Though the color photographs are generally clear and well reproduced, many are too small for their details to be appreciated. "Scavenger Hunt Challenge(s)" are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these titles: Animals That Make Me Say Ouch! and Animals That Make Me Say Wow!.
(4)
K-3
These photograph-heavy collections of brief facts about animals lend themselves to browsing rather than research. Both books include "Defense" and "Foraging" sections; Ouch has an "Environmental" section, and Wow includes "Anatomy." Though the color photographs are generally clear and well reproduced, many are too small for their details to be appreciated. "Scavenger Hunt Challenge(s)" are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these titles: Animals That Make Me Say Ouch! and Animals That Make Me Say Wow!.
(4)
4-6
From synonyms for feces to explanations of coprophagia (eating feces) to dangers from and uses for poop, this volume is enthusiastic about the subject, as the overuse of exclamation marks attests. Cusick directly addresses the yuck factor first and then presents an accessible, colloquial coverage of the subject, often using Q-&-A formats and employing lots of captioned photos. Reading list. Glos., ind.
(4)
4-6
This well-organized package presents what and how fifteen kinds of animals (birds, amphibians, mammals, etc.) eat. Though selective, the text gives consistent information for each example, including habitat and eating technique. Brilliant color photographs attract the eye, and catchy headings ("Munching marsupials") enliven the content. There are unfortunate copyediting errors in this otherwise attractive, thorough book. Glos., ind.
80 pp.
| Charlesbridge/Imagine
| September, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-1-936140-39-8$14.95
(3)
4-6
Cusick introduces over two hundred fifty animals with unusual names; they're grouped according to nomenclature rather than species (for example, readers will find leopard frogs with leopard sharks and leopard moths). Clear photographs accompany brief descriptions of habitats, behavior, and/or unique characteristics. Nature enthusiasts will appreciate the variety of familiar and unfamiliar animals and will return for multiple browsing experiences. Ind.
(3)
4-6
Colorful photographs of eggs and the animals that lay them are found in sections focusing on what types of animals lay eggs, variations in eggs' physical properties and protective structures, and behaviors exhibited around eggs to ensure survival. A "Gross or Cool?" section highlights egg oddities. The show-and-tell format includes a few rather random facts per animal example. Glos., ind.