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32 pp.
| Putnam
| May, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-24634-0$16.99
(3)
K-3
"The rocket that will take you to Mars is docked at the space station." With its second-person text, this book takes readers to a colonized Mars and back, relating the preparations, journey, and habitat of the destination. O'Brien's realistic depiction of this futuristic fantasy will leave readers feeling that a six-month stay on our neighboring planet is a not-too-distant possibility.
32 pp.
| Holt
| July, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8050-7105-4$16.95
(3)
K-3
"Long ago there lived a big cat whose giant teeth would make today's cats look tame." This informative, clearly written book describes different types of saber-tooth cats (e.g., Smilodon, Machairodus, Dinofelis) and their evolution; the role archaeologists play in finding and identifying fossils is also touched on. Fierce, realistic-looking watercolors are well suited to the text.
40 pp.
| Walker
| February, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8027-9587-8$17.95
(2)
4-6
O'Brien introduces the HMS Bounty to young readers in this generously illustrated volume that includes double-page spreads, full-page illustrations, and quarter- and half-page frames reminiscent of graphic novels. Potentially unfamiliar words frequently have both brief descriptions and spot illustrations. Accessible and clear, this straightforward account allows young readers a glimpse of an event that is part of our cultural literacy.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2007
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Patrick O'Brien.
The dino-citizens of planet Jurassica are under attack by dino-pirates, and only Captain Raptor's crew can save them. The comic-panel illustrations show lots of action, as Raptor races through space, dog-fighting starships and battling a dino-robot, though some of the pictures look stiff. The occasionally redundant dialogue calls to mind an old radio serial.
(3)
K-3
This informative, easy-to-read book covers aviation history from Otto Lilienthal's human-powered gliders in the 1890s to the first nonstop flight around the world in 1986 to the 1997 Mars Pathfinder expedition. The brief, clear, and accurate text is accompanied by full-page paintings of the aircraft involved in these landmark twentieth-century flights and sidebars illustrating physical features and statistics. Bib.
(3)
K-3
A brief history of the Civil War's first ironclad warships is presented in picture book format. The simple text and dramatic images (some with cutaway detail) show the construction of and ultimate confrontation between the Union's Monitor and the Confederate states' Virginia, a.k.a. the Merrimack. Although neither ship won the battle, the event served as a harbinger of new naval technology.
32 pp.
| Holt
| June, 2001
|
TradeISBN 0-8050-6214-9$$16.95
(3)
K-3
A minimal text and full-color paintings introduce the prehistoric megalodon, a fifty-foot shark large enough to eat a whale. Identified only by the fossilized teeth it left behind, the shark is brought to life with an actual-sized illustration of one of those teeth as well as with pictures comparing the size of the creature to a great white shark and a human being. An illustrated time line is included.
(3)
K-3
Over a dozen famous ships, including the Mayflower, the Amistad, the Nautilus, and the first nuclear-powered submarine are introduced in double-page spreads. The brief text will intrigue readers, while the accomplished color artwork captures the majesty of the clipper ships as well as the tragedy of the Titanic. An afterword explains, if the information is known, where the ships are currently located.
(3)
K-3
A contemporary boy talks about seven generations of his family who were railroad engineers. The fictional story frames well-illustrated, accurate information about representative locomotives showing in reverse chronology how the technology changed from the 1830s to the present. Done in watercolor and gouache, the illustrations consistently alternate between complete engines and details about them.
36 pp.
| Holt
| October, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-8050-6415-X$$17.00
(2)
K-3
This majestically illustrated book traces the development of Count von Zeppelin's first airships, culminating in the creation of the largest object that has ever flown, the Hindenburg. The economical prose explains the basic science of dirigible flight but also captures the haunting beauty of the ships. The watercolor illustrations include a scaled, cutaway "blueprint" and step-by-step panels detailing the airship's construction.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2000
32 pp.
| Holt
| April, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-8050-5738-2$$15.95
(4)
K-3
Each double-page spread features a well-rendered color illustration of a dinosaur slyly paired with a similar-looking latter-day object to demonstrate comparative size. The book never makes it clear that dinosaurs did not co-exist with humans--a problem when the reptiles are shown in historical tableaus featuring knights and Viking sailors. Accompanying each illustration is the prehistoric creature's scientific name, the common meaning of that name, and a line or two of text. Glos.