As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
(4)
K-3
Flintstones Explain Simple Machines series.
Illustrated by
Paco Sordo.
Fred Flintstone describes the basic workings and everyday uses of simple machines in these cartoon books. Small inset photos of modern real-world examples connect readers to sound factual material, but the text format--paragraph-long word bubbles of tin-eared dialogue ("something tells me today is going to be a great day for using pulleys") in small type--is cumbersome. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Flintstones Explain Simple Machines titles: Fred Flintstone's Adventures with Inclined Planes, Fred Flintstone's Adventures with Pulleys, and Fred Flintstone's Adventures with Wheels and Axles.
(4)
K-3
Flintstones Explain Simple Machines series.
Illustrated by
Alan Brown.
Fred Flintstone describes the basic workings and everyday uses of simple machines in these cartoon books. Small inset photos of modern real-world examples connect readers to sound factual material, but the text format--paragraph-long word bubbles of tin-eared dialogue ("something tells me today is going to be a great day for using pulleys") in small type--is cumbersome. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Flintstones Explain Simple Machines titles: Fred Flintstone's Adventures with Inclined Planes, Fred Flintstone's Adventures with Pulleys, and Fred Flintstone's Adventures with Wheels and Axles.
(4)
K-3
Flintstones Explain Simple Machines series.
Illustrated by
Alan Brown.
Fred Flintstone describes the basic workings and everyday uses of simple machines in these cartoon books. Small inset photos of modern real-world examples connect readers to sound factual material, but the text format--paragraph-long word bubbles of tin-eared dialogue ("something tells me today is going to be a great day for using pulleys") in small type--is cumbersome. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Flintstones Explain Simple Machines titles: Fred Flintstone's Adventures with Inclined Planes, Fred Flintstone's Adventures with Pulleys, and Fred Flintstone's Adventures with Wheels and Axles.
(4)
K-3
Leaders Doing Headstands series.
Illustrated by
Oksana Grivina.
These two informative texts in a new series about the childhoods of famous people contain somewhat advanced vocabulary and a mix of direct quotes (in bold) and imagined dialogue. Ballesteros's cartoonish style downplays the serious experiences that shaped Martin Luther King Jr.; Grivina's illustrations (Earhart) are more well matched. Afterwords and Common Core–focused discussion questions are included. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Leaders Doing Headstands titles: When Amelia Earhart Built a Roller Coaster and When Martin Luther King Jr. Wore Roller Skates.
(4)
K-3
Leaders Doing Headstands series.
Illustrated by
Patrick Ballesteros.
These two informative texts in a new series about the childhoods of famous people contain somewhat advanced vocabulary and a mix of direct quotes (in bold) and imagined dialogue. Ballesteros's cartoonish style downplays the serious experiences that shaped Martin Luther King Jr.; Grivina's illustrations (Earhart) are more well matched. Afterwords and Common Core–focused discussion questions are included. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Leaders Doing Headstands titles: When Amelia Earhart Built a Roller Coaster and When Martin Luther King Jr. Wore Roller Skates.
(4)
K-3
Yogi Bear's Guide to the Great Outdoors series.
Illustrated by
Bryan Beach.
The cartoon bear teaches sidekick Boo Boo about bugs and insects in Jellystone Park, where they follow some ants to a "pic-a-nic" basket. Color photos accompany the ho-hum text, which is generally informative. With zero personality on the page, the characters lack the appeal of the original TV cartoon. A related activity and critical thinking questions are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.
(4)
K-3
Yogi Bear's Guide to the Great Outdoors series.
Illustrated by
Christian Cornia.
The cartoon bear teaches sidekick Boo Boo about animal tracks in Jellystone Park. Photos of tracks accompany the ho-hum text, which is generally informative. On the page, the characters lack the appeal they have in the original TV cartoon. A related activity and critical thinking questions are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.
(4)
K-3
Sports Illustrated Kids: Football Words series.
Weakland tackles verb and adjective usage in a simple, straightforward manner centered on the popular sport. Each spread includes one brief paragraph, with multiple highlighted exemplars in an oversize green or yellow font, atop a full-spread color photograph that reflects the text. Despite some awkward sentences ("Cheerleaders perform all kinds of verbs during the game"), these volumes support language acquisition. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Sports Illustrated Kids: Football Words titles: Fast, Strong, Fearless and Pass, Catch, Tackle.
(4)
K-3
Sports Illustrated Kids: Football Words series.
Weakland tackles verb and adjective usage in a simple, straightforward manner centered on the popular sport. Each spread includes one brief paragraph, with multiple highlighted exemplars in an oversize green or yellow font, atop a full-spread color photograph that reflects the text. Despite some awkward sentences ("Cheerleaders perform all kinds of verbs during the game"), these volumes support language acquisition. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Sports Illustrated Kids: Football Words titles: Fast, Strong, Fearless and Pass, Catch, Tackle.
(4)
4-6
Graphic Library: Ancient Myths series.
Illustrated by
Estudio Haus.
Three ancient myths are retold with energetic American comic book–style art that fits the stories' superhuman action. However, Haus's mix of panels with (and often atop) full-page illustrations hinders the books' visual flow. A limited page count makes Trojan War feel rushed, whereas Hercules and Perseus fit somewhat better within the constraints. "Ancient Fact" boxes supplement the narratives. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Graphic Library: Ancient Myths titles: The Trojan War, The 12 Labors of Hercules, and The Adventures of Perseus.
24 pp.
| Capstone
| January, 2015
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-4914-1795-9$25.65
(4)
K-3
Unmasking Monsters with Scooby-Doo! series.
Illustrated by
Dario Brizuela.
In these books, Scooby thinks he sees a legendary creature ("rombie," "rampire," "rerewolf"), and the gang launches into a discussion of monster lore as Shaggy and Scooby try not to freak out. The speech-balloon text superficially covers appearance, behaviors, and weaknesses. The familiar--and not scary--cartoon illustrations and undemanding texts make these adequate introductions for young monster fans. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Unmasking Monsters with Scooby-Doo! titles: Scooby-Doo! And the Truth Behind Zombies, Scooby-Doo! And the Truth Behind Vampires, and Scooby-Doo! And the Truth Behind Werewolves.
24 pp.
| Capstone
| January, 2015
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-4914-1794-2$25.65
(4)
K-3
Unmasking Monsters with Scooby-Doo! series.
Illustrated by
Christian Cornia.
In these books, Scooby thinks he sees a legendary creature ("rombie," "rampire," "rerewolf"), and the gang launches into a discussion of monster lore as Shaggy and Scooby try not to freak out. The speech-balloon text superficially covers appearance, behaviors, and weaknesses. The familiar--and not scary--cartoon illustrations and undemanding texts make these adequate introductions for young monster fans. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Unmasking Monsters with Scooby-Doo! titles: Scooby-Doo! And the Truth Behind Zombies, Scooby-Doo! And the Truth Behind Vampires, and Scooby-Doo! And the Truth Behind Werewolves.
(4)
4-6
Warner Brothers: Wile E. Coyote, Physical Science Genius series.
Illustrated by
Christian Cornia.
Warner Brothers' evergreen duo of Road Runner and his hapless would-be predator Wile E. Coyote illustrates the physical principles of energy, forces, and motion. The Acme devices Wile E. uses (e.g., renewable-energy-fueled Bio-Buggy 2000) serve the purpose well and the illustrations are engaging, but the high-reading-level explanations seem at odds with a cartoon-watching audience. Occasional diagrams expand the cartoons. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Warner Brothers: Wile E. Coyote, Physical Science Genius titles: Wile E. Coyote Experiments with Energy and Wile E. Coyote Experiments with Forces and Motion.
(4)
K-3
Wacky Comparisons series.
Illustrated by
Igor Sinkovec.
Two lines of rhyming text combine with cartoony illustrations to convey the concepts of height and weight. The perspectives are entertaining, but some comparisons aren't exactly specific, and many of the rhymes stumble ("How much does a triceratops weigh? / The same as 4.2 million gummy bears, I dare say"). A text box includes measurements in English units with metric equivalents. Reading list. Review covers these Wacky Comparisons titles: How Heavy? and How Tall?.
(4)
K-3
Wacky Comparisons series.
Illustrated by
Bill Bolton.
Two lines of rhyming text combine with cartoony illustrations to convey the concepts of height and weight. The perspectives are entertaining, but some comparisons aren't exactly specific, and many of the rhymes stumble ("How much does a triceratops weigh? / The same as 4.2 million gummy bears, I dare say"). A text box includes measurements in English units with metric equivalents. Reading list. Review covers these Wacky Comparisons titles: How Heavy? and How Tall?.
32 pp.
| Capstone
| September, 2013
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-62370-037-9$14.95
(3)
K-3
Two lines of rhyming text combine with cartoonish digital illustrations to convey the concept of size. This book provides an entertaining perspective on measurement, from a bulldozer weighing as much as nineteen-thousand kittens to a T. rex's height equaling thirty-six hot dogs. A text box includes measurements in English units with metric equivalents.