Early Book Review: What Breathes Through Its Butt?: Mind-Blowing Science Questions Answered by Emily Grossman, Alice Bowsher

What Breathes Through Its Butt?: Mind-Blowing Science Questions Answered, written by Emily Grossman and illustrated by Alice Bowsher, is currently scheduled for release on November 10 2020. Why is your elbow called your funny bone? How could you escape the grip of a crocodile’s jaw? Which animal can breathe through its butt? This book uncovers the amazing scientific explanations behind all sorts of questions that can pop into our heads. Can an egg bounce? How can a giraffe’s ridiculously long neck contain the same number of bones as a human’s? How much does the Internet weigh? With delightful interactive features that invite readers to guess answers to questions and make links between different scientific concepts.

What Breathes Through Its Butt? is a book that answers a number of the wacky and interesting questions that wee might never have thought to ask. Some of the information was very interesting and I learned a bit about things I never thought to wonder about. I found that the writing and illustrations were well paired, and aimed at readers that like silly or gross humor, and those with fairly short attention spans. I think this might be a great book for getting reluctant readers to read, and maybe reread. I feel like the author and illustrator worked well together on this book and the final product will certainly interest and entertain a number of young readers- and I can picture it being a regular check out in an elementary school library. For my tastes it just catered a little too much to the goofy and not quite as much on the encouraging further research as I would have liked. 

Early Book Review: One Day a Dot: The Story of You, the Universe, and Everything by Ian Lender, Braden Lamb, Shelli Paroline

One Day a Dot: The Story of You, the Universe, and Everything is a picturebook by Ian Lender, with artwork by Braden Lamb and Shelli Paroline. It is currently scheduled for release On April 17 2018. This book is an attempt to simplify and introduce the Big Bang theory and evolution to a young audience. Starting with one tiny dot and continuing through the Big Bang to the rise of human societies, the story of our universe is told in simple and vivid terms. But the biggest question of all cannot be answered: Where did that one dot come from? 

One Day a Dot: The Story of You, the Universe, and Everything is a nice start to a conversation about the universe and science that explores what we are made of, and how the world was formed and has changed. I liked the simple version of the Big Bang, the see of dots as the building blocks of matter is very well done, and I think that it gets the basics of how our solar system and life on Earth began across to readers of all ages. However, I thought the Evolution bit was problematic, mainly because of the way it showed only one mammal surviving extinction when most people, including children, are aware of the fact that some currently living reptiles and birds are actual descendants of the creature alike prior to the event that triggered the mass extinction. However, I think that this book might help start a discussion and help interest young minds into exploring the physics and science that is currently trying to answer the big question, and prove many of the theories definitively. With all that said, I thought the illustrations were great, and did a wonderful job of illustrating the theories and explanations. 

Book Review: You Know What? by Carol Gordon Ekster, Nynke Mare Talsman

You Know What? is a picturebook written by Carol Gordon Ekster and illustrated by Nynke Mare Talsma. Oliver should go to sleep. But there is so much he wants to tell his mother about: what happened that day, the things he read in books, everything he sees around him. A touching and familiar picture book about postponing the ritual of going to sleep.

You Know What? is a picturebook that most parents or caregivers can relate to, and not just for the bedtime delay tactics. I cannot tell you how many times a day I have heard something along the lines of this book from my kids, from the time they could talk and still daily even though they are old enough to get themselves to bed with little direction from me. I think most kids can relate as well, and this would make a great bedtime or discussion starter book for dealing with the chatty delay tactics that kids use to get out of so many things. I really liked the illustrations, they are simple but still add an atmosphere and details that readers of all ages can enjoy.