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32 pp.
| Roaring Brook
| May, 2020
|
Trade
ISBN 978-1-250-23253-3
$16.99
(
2)
K-3
These additions to Eaton's informational picture book series (
The Truth About Elephants, rev. 1/19; and others) are characteristically odd, exuberant, and instructive. Straightforward content is presented through expository text in a large, bold typeface. Lively cartoons offer additional details--and plenty of jokes. While human children are shown actively learning about the titular creatures, the butterflies and hawks (among other animals) talk with one another and react to the facts, often with wit. After the child in
Butterflies declares those to be her "favorite things with wings," for example, a bird sarcastically and disappointedly remarks, "Wow. Okay." Pen-and-ink illustrations, colored digitally with strong black outlines and solid color fills, threaten to overwhelm each spread, but sidebars, word balloons, labels, and other visual elements function as effective organizers. Brief back matter adds further context about wingspans, migratory routes, and more. Review covers these titles:
The Truth About Butterflies and
The Truth About Hawks.
Reviewer:
Elisa Gall
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2020