Children's Books discussion

May will be dedicated to the books by Seymour Simon, who writes mostly (but not exclusively) about scientific subjects. A few of his books include:

Our Solar System and other books about outer space
Tornadoes and other books about weather
Sharks and other books about animals
The Brain: Our Nervous System and other books about anatomy
Seymour Simon's Book of Trains and other books about vehicles
and many, many more books on various subjects.

Open Library has a lot of his books, but not so much the very recent ones.

The Moon

Seymour Simon's The Moon is if I look at the author's presented text with an uncritical eye an adequately enlightening but standard general introduction to the earth's moon, although the book's 2003 publication date (and The Moon was actually and in fact first published even earlier, in 1984) does unfortunately make Simon's categorical claim that there is absolutely NO water present on the moon's surface factually false, seeing that frozen water, that indeed quite large amounts of ice have recently been detected and discovered as existing both on the moon's surface and especially in many lunar caves and caverns. But while The Moon would thus probably work well enough to basically introduce children (older children from about the ages of seven to ten years of age) to our earth's one and only satellite, frankly, I really have not been all that academically and intellectually impressed with and by The Moon, as aside from the now out of date information and details regarding the presence of water on the moon (or rather that the author claims there absolutely is none in any form whatsoever), even more problematic is that Seymour Simon also refrains from explaining and showing how the moon's gravity affects the earth (how for example, the oceans' tides are caused by lunar gravity pulling on the earth), not to mention that while the Appollo Missions to the moon of course were and remain of the utmost importance (and essential), lunar exploration and study did not simply stop in 1972, did not cease with Apollo 17 (and while NASA astronauts might have been the only individuals to have so far set foot on the moon, scientists and space explorers from countries other than the USA have also studied and analysed the moon and just because they did not actually land and set foot on the moon, that does not mean their findings etc. are secondary or to be ignored as seems to have rather been the case here). Therefore, and even though there is defintely much of interest included and presented in The Moon (and with especially the accompanying photographs being aesthetically brilliant and occasionally even spectacularly awesome), textually, thematically and content-wise, I really cannot consider more than a grudging two stars at best (as there are just too many annoying informational gaps and shortcomings, and, yes, that Seymour Simon has also not bothered to include ANY secondary sources, any bibliographical information, period, that is not only massively frustrating, it also seriously limits the teaching, learning and indeed especially the supplemental research potential and value of The Moon).

Animals in Your Neighborhood

For a basic introduction to what we would now probably label as urban wildlife, Seymour Simon in my opinion does do a pretty decent job showing in his 1976 Animals in Your Neighbourhood that both inner cities and the so-called suburbs actually contain much more wildlife than many of us probably would ever think and suspect, that there are in fact many bird, mammal and yes also insect species which inhabit our city neighbourhoods, and indeed, that with some basic observational skills, children (well actually anyone) should be able to easily locate, describe and also make sketches of city neighbourhood animals (or rather one should probably say of animal species that can successfully thrive and flourish in both rural, in still rather undeveloped areas and equally so in towns and cities). With Susan Bonners providing minutely detailed (although black and white) accompanying artwork, Animals in Your Neighbourhood is both textually and aesthetically enlightening (and yes, I also do much appreciate the easy and chatty tone of narrative voice Seymour Simon uses and that he is ALWAYS abundantly clear that children wanting to engage in the exploring and discovery suggestions and exercises he suggests, are also NOT to doing anything that might harass or harm the squirrels, the birds and even the insects that are to be discovered and researched in Animals in Your Neighbourhood). Three solid stars, but yes, for a science and zoology illustrated book geared towards older children from about the age of eight or so onwards, considering that Animals in Your Neighbourhood hails from 1976, there is also and of course much contained in Animals in Your Neighbourhood that is by necessity outdated. And therefore, if I were actually looking for an illustrated urban wildlife book for children of today, I most definitely would be trying to find a considerably more recently published tome.

Life on Ice: How Animals Survive in the Arctic

Yes, Seymour Simon does indeed with his 1976 Life on Ice: How Animals Survive in the Arctic present an enlightening and educational general introduction to not only how animals survive and thrive in the Arctic but he also presents essential information on the Arctic as an area, on what the Arctic is like with regard to its geography and geology (and Susan Bonners' accompanying sepia artwork certainly is aesthetically delightful but also should be considered more as a decorative trim than an integral part of Seymour Simon's presented text, a narrative that is simple enough to be easily understood by older children above the age of ten or so but is due to its denseness and sometimes rather sophisticated vocabulary choices in my opinion also not really suitable for use with younger children). However, since Life on Ice: How Animals Survive in the Arctic is a book from the mid 1970s, it also does make perfectly common sense that issues like global warming will of course not yet be a main area and cause of and for concern (with Seymour Simon even categorically stating what was still pretty much the case in 1976, namely that MOST of the Arctic is covered with ice and that the frost below the soil is indeed supposed to be permanent, something that in 2020 is obviously and frustratingly sadly due to climate change and especially the Arctic exponentially heating up no longer really all that true). And therefore, while much of the presented (and species specific) animal information encountered in Life on Ice: How Animals Survive in the Arctic is still generally (and in my humble opinion) pretty much the scientific truth, if parents and teachers are actually going to be using the book in a contemporary teaching scenario, they will absolutely and definitely need to realise and approach accordingly that there is (due to the 1976 publication date) very much now outdated information and details present in Life on Ice: How Animals Survive in the Arctic and that the future of the Arctic as an area of permanent ice is also increasingly diminishing as the area's climate becomes increasingly unstable and warmer due to human-caused climate change and the Arctic's ice sheets continuing to melt (and not to mention that the appreciated bibliography at the back of Life on Ice: How Animals Survive in the Arctic will also and of course only contain tomes up to the mid 1970s).

Seymour Simon for a clickable link directly to his author's page. ;)

The name's familiar, but accd to my GR records I've not read anything by him before. He has been writing for a long time, though, so maybe I'm remembering him from pre-GR.

My library has a bunch. I just reserved several that look especially interesting to me.

Seymour Simon has been on my radar for a long time, too. I don't appear to have rated many of his books. I do remember we really enjoyed Destination: Moon. Let's Try It Out with Towers and Bridges: Hands-On Early-Learning Activities was also great -- loved the explanations and the hands-on experiments. I'll see if we get to any of his other books this month.

Now with regard to in particular Seymour Simon’s non fiction science books, one really needs to be careful with regard to their publication dates. For indeed and as an example, many if not even the majority of Seymour Simon’s books about astronomy, about the solar system, about planets like Jupiter are often really quite outdated for 2021 and I have also tended to notice that Seymour Simon’s non fiction books only very rarely seem to include bibliographies.

So yes, Seymour Simon’s Destination: Jupiter (from 1998 and updated in 2000) will of course not include any of the Jovian voyages and discoveries since then, like the 2016 voyage to Jupiter of the NASA space probe Juno, and the complete lack of a bibliography really does make me furious and is in my opinion absolutely academically unacceptable.

Manybooks wrote: "Now with regard to in particular Seymour Simon’s non fiction science books, one really needs to be careful with regard to their publication dates. For indeed and as an example, many if not even the..."

Yes, that's a good point. I know his name has come up on my searches for some science books for the kids and I've passed over them due to the publication date. Destination: Moon was published in 2019.

Kathryn wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Now with regard to in particular Seymour Simon’s non fiction science books, one really needs to be careful with regard to their publication dates. For indeed and as an example, ma..."

Seymour Simon will be turning ninety this year, and from his over 250 books in print, it looks like they are spanning more than fifty years.

I noticed that in the catalog, too, and passed over older ones. I'll try to remember to include dates of the ones I read this month.

I highly recommend Animal Fact/Animal Fable even though it was originally published in 1979.

The presentation emphasizes the scientific method in several ways. For example, in the introduction, it says "scientists think." And in revealing that it's a fable that cats have nine lives, it almost says 'duh, *observe* for yourself that when a cat is dead it's really dead.' Of course Simon is much more tactful, but he does make the point that unbiased observation is a key part of good science.

The format, as it has the reader predict 'fact or fable' before turning the page, engages the reader and will encourage her to remember the information. And the illustrations are also delightfully amusing and memorable.

If only it had notes or something, and wasn't quite so old, I'd give it the full five stars. But I do hope you all get a chance to read it. Esp. children 4-8 maybe? Even if you don't have families... even I learned things I didn't know!

The Optical Illusion Book is from 1976, but a revised edition, Now You See It, Now You Don't: The Optical Illusion Book, is from 1998. More for older children (and adults). I've always been fascinated by optical illusions and am glad to read an educational book about them.
...
I am learning so much from this. Surprisingly, I'm almost wishing that I were an artist, so I could incorporate what the principles, and tricks... not only good science, but art. Cross-curricular...
...
I'm also marking passages as I go along. I'll add them to my review when I'm done, so if you have any interest at all in the book, you'll want to read my review.

Cheryl wrote: "I noticed that in the catalog, too, and passed over older ones. I'll try to remember to include dates of the ones I read this month.

I highly recommend Animal Fact/Animal Fable eve..."

I have actually from the Seymour Simon books I have read to date much preferred the two by his pen from the 1970s. For one, I love how Seymour writes and presents his facts in Animals in Your Neighborhood and Life on Ice: How Animals Survive in the Arctic (and the datedness is of course to be expected in books from the 1970s). And for two, in BOTH of these books, Seymour Simon includes bibliographies, which sadly, the newer tomes I have read thus far do not provide.

Not all that impressed with Horses.

It does provide a basic and decent general introduction. But the information on equine evolution just scratches the surface and fails to mention some major points, that for example horses and tapirs share a common ancestor and even the fact that donkeys and zebras are also part of the genus equus is never mentioned in Seymour Simon’s text.

Furthermore, the writing style of Horses sometimes feels a bit paternalistic and makes me think that Seymour Simon is thus approaching his intended audience with somewhat a lack of respect.

And no included bibliography really does make me majorly livid.

Manybooks wrote: "And for two, in BOTH of these books, Seymour Simon includes bibliographies, which sadly, the newer tomes I have read thus far do not provide. "

Amazing that the older books feature bibliographies and the newer ones do not! I honestly can't remember if the Destination Moon had a bibliography... I didn't write a review of it as it was due back at the library before I could write anything worthwhile.

Kathryn wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "And for two, in BOTH of these books, Seymour Simon includes bibliographies, which sadly, the newer tomes I have read thus far do not provide. "

Amazing that the older books featu..."

Open Library does not seem to have any of the very recent books from Seymour Simon’s pen, but the one on Jupiter and the one on horses are both without bibliographies and in my opinion really need them.

Absolutely DO NOT recommend Volcanoes! The 1995 edition not only focusses way too much on the USA, but sorry, any book on volcanoes that ignores Mount Vesuvius and Krakatoa (two of the most infamous of earth’s volcanoes and considered by many volcanologists as being supremely dangerous and a possible global threat if or when they erupt) is in my opinion not really a legitimate book on volcanoes (and that Seymour Simon both ignores these two volcanoes and once again does not include bibliographic materials, well, an annoyed and frustrated one star is all I will be able to consider).

Autumn Across America is very disappointing. Except for a token page to western Washington state's temperate rainforest, this book only explores what we know from so many other books about Autumn... the trees changing color, mostly.

The pictures are lovely, but not captioned or labeled. No bibliography or notes. I skimmed the relatively long text.

I really wanted to know what the season looked like in Louisiana, or Hawaii, or Arizona.... But nope. :(

Cheryl wrote: "Autumn Across America is very disappointing. Except for a token page to western Washington state's temperate rainforest, this book only explores what we know from so many other books..."

That’s too bad, and I bet his other books on the seasons will be similarly disappointing.

I didn't spend too much time with Eyes and Ears, either. The photographs are impressive... I've never seen what our ear and head look like under the skin like that before! (Steel yourself if you're sensitive.) But most of the info. is available in so many other places, I'm not sure of the value of this title.

There are also pages brought in from Simon's Optical Illusions book. But no notes or anything. Maybe 3 stars? (Unlike Autumn in America, which I'd give 1 star to.)

For how Seymour Simon describes snakes, and that he also clearly points out there are far more non poisonous than poisonous snakes, that snakes play important ecological roles with regard to in particular keeping rodent populations in check and indeed that serpents face considerably more dangers from humans than we do from snakes, yes Simon’ 1995 Snakes is definitely enjoyable, enlightening and to be recommended (and the colourful photographs are also great and equally never creepy).

However, once again, there is no bibliography included and I also do wish that Seymour Simon’s text for Snakes would also contain a section on serpent evolution.

So yes, if you are going to be considering Our Solar System: Revised Edition, make sure to read the listed above updated 2014 edition (which actually lists Pluto as a dwarf planet and not the ninth planet as the 1995 first edition of course still does). A pretty decent but basic introduction and I do appreciate that Seymour Simon also lists some websites to explore for further research (and especially so since those websites would be the most current and usually up to 2021 standards). But do not assume that Our Solar System: Revised Edition is extensive, as it is meant to be a basic introduction to the sun and its planets (including the earth).

And yes, I do indeed (and even with a 1984 original publication date and no bibliography) highly recommend The Dinosaur Is the Biggest Animal That Ever Lived & Other Wrong Ideas You Thought Were True as a great exposé on about thirty scientific fallacies (well explained by Seymour Simon, without being too complicated and also not talking down, I really have enjoyed the author’s text and do NOT think that the 1980s publication date takes ANYTHING away from the purpose of The Dinosaur Is the Biggest Animal That Ever Lived & Other Wrong Ideas You Thought Were True, showing examples of science based fake news and legends and why they are wrong).

Fascinating how hit-or-miss Simon's books are. I'll definitely skip the volcanoes and Autumn (and other seasons, Zzzzz) and I'm thinking Our Solar System might be a bit basic given we've already done some astronomy with the kids. But, kudos for the snake book showing snakes as a positive part of the ecosystem!

Kathryn wrote: "Fascinating how hit-or-miss Simon's books are. I'll definitely skip the volcanoes and Autumn (and other seasons, Zzzzz) and I'm thinking Our Solar System might be a bit basic given we've already do..."

Aside from the absence of a bibliography, the book on snakes is really good.

Kathryn wrote: "Fascinating how hit-or-miss Simon's books are. I'll definitely skip the volcanoes and Autumn (and other seasons, Zzzzz) and I'm thinking Our Solar System might be a bit basic given we've already do..."

The one on volcanoes totally annoyed me with what is missing.

Kathryn wrote: "Fascinating how hit-or-miss Simon's books are. I'll definitely skip the volcanoes and Autumn (and other seasons, Zzzzz) and I'm thinking Our Solar System might be a bit basic given we've already do..."

I do find the hit and miss tendency of Seymour Simon’s work a bit frustrating and I also kind of wonder if he might be a bit too active with his pen, that it might be better for Seymour Simon to write a not so massive an amount, that less might indeed be more with regard to general writing quality.

Kathryn wrote: "Fascinating how hit-or-miss Simon's books are. I'll definitely skip the volcanoes and Autumn (and other seasons, Zzzzz) and I'm thinking Our Solar System might be a bit basic given we've already do..."

And I have indeed found it all too often that in particular with authors who like some kind of writing machine put forth tome after tome of simple non fiction (and Seymour Simon has more than 250 books in print) more often than not these works have a tendency to be repetitive and a bit tedious and one sided.

So there are three are three books that Seymour Simon has penned about animal migration, but Open Library only has two of them.

So I am only going to be reading They Swim the Seas: The Mystery of Animal Migration and Ride the Wind: Airborne Journeys of Animals and Plants.

And yes, I do recommend They Swim the Seas: The Mystery of Animal Migration (it is well written, informative and shows how and why the plant and animal life of the oceans is constantly on the move both vertically and horizontally).

However, the to be expected (I guess) but still academically annoying lack of a bibliography rally does still majorly frustrate me and I would also rather have accompanying photographs instead of Elsa Warnick’s colourful but not really all that realistic appearing illustrations.

Ride the Wind: Airborne Journeys of Animals and Plants, my reading reaction to it has been pretty much similar to They Swim the Seas: The Mystery of Animal Migration, appreciating the information (but yes, I do find in Ride the Wind: Airborne Journeys of Animals and Plants that the author’s text could likely become a bit exhausting). Find Elsa Warnick’s illustrations nice enough, even though I would still prefer photographs or at least a combination of drawn pictures and photographs. And although I no longer was in fact even expecting there to be an included bibliography, that Seymour Simon does not, still quite annoys and bothers me.

Strange Creatures is well written and once again Seymour Simon keeps his text simple enough for child readers or listeners but also sufficiently and delightfully informative (but yes, the book is originally from 1981 and while the descriptions of the 22 animal species featured by Seymour Simon do not sound dated, of course, any information and details discovered post 1991 will of course not be included in Strange Creatures but this might well be the case in the updated Kindle editions which I have not read). And I do remain annoyed at the lack of a bibliography for Strange Creatures and Pamela Carroll’s black and white artwork just does not wow me, and I equally think that Seymour Simon’s text would be much better mirrored and complimented by colour photographs and not rather unremarkable and even tedious

The Universe
Stars
Both books present the information simply and in a straightforward manner.
Universe, after assuming that the universe began with the Big Bang (there are other explanations, which are not mentioned), does present facts about galaxies that have actually been observed by astronomers.
Stars does present many facts that have been observed by astronomers, while asserting the evolutionary time-line of billions of years (which has not been observed).
However, coming from a creationist perspective, I also found the books filled with evolutionary assumptions and unproven assertions presented as fact.

Do recommend Seymour Simon's Extreme Oceans as a very good and informative general introduction to the world’s oceans (for children from about the age of eight onwards). Loved the details, the way the text is presented, the accompanying photographs, and that numerical data is presented both with imperial and metric. But DO NOT APPRECIATE that once again Seymour Simon's Extreme Oceans has no included bibliography.

Read the 1995 edition of Earth Words: A Dictionary of the Environment (so the 2015 edition might well be updated).

But yes, a very decent introduction to well over sixty earth and environmental themed terms, interestingly described but still suitable and not too difficult for the intended age group, but yeah, I do wish that Seymour Simon had also included evolution (and creationism) as two of his words. And while in Earth Words: A Dictionary of the Environment, a bibliography is not really a total requirement, a list of supplemental book titles for further reading would definitely increase the educational value of Earth Words: A Dictionary of the Environment.

Thus far, I have reviewed and rated fourteen of Seymour Simon’s non fiction books. And I do have to admit that while for the most part I generally am liking his writing style, that Seymour Simon presents his content clearly, concisely, without using confusing jargon, that he hardly ever includes a bibliography, this really does render me majorly annoyed, as this in my opinion is a serious academic shortcoming for books that are completely factual and non fiction.

Have enjoyed reading about dolphins and porpoises but would also have appreciated more criticism by Seymour Simon regarding why many especially fresh water dolphins are critically endangered, and a section on cetacean evolution would definitely make Dolphins more thorough.

And yes, do appreciate that there are websites provided for supplemental research (even though for me, I would definitely want a combination of both websites and traditional paper book titles).

Our Solar System: Revised Edition
I also read the 2014 edition of Our Solar System. I agree with Gundula's assessment of the book. These are my few words about it:
Gives brief, concise facts about the sun, each planet, and other objects in the solar system. Enhanced by spectacular photographs. Makes assumptions about events never observed by humans, such as the beginning of the solar system.

Did not really at all enjoy Ghosts. The tales are thankfully not too creepy but are also much too unimaginative and tedious to be engaging and entertaining. And the strange mix of fact and fiction and that Seymour Simon seems not to care one way or the other really is frustrating.

Destination: Moon (2019)
Simon relates the story of the Space Race from 1957 to 1969, the landing on the moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. The straightforward history is enhanced by sidebars and detours of information about the moon itself; satellites launched into space; and animals launched into space. Illustrated with many period photographs and a few drawings for clarification purposes. The book concludes with a glossary, a short bibliography, a timeline (which includes some details not in the main text), and an index.

Beverly wrote: "Destination: Moon (2019)
Simon relates the story of the Space Race from 1957 to 1969, the landing on the moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. The straightforward history is enhan..."

Glad this has a bibliography!

Animals Nobody Loves (2001)
The title is not necessarily completely accurate. Some people love some of the animals in this book. Most of these animals are either dangerous (people killers), or bite, or sting, or simply repulsive. Each of these 20 animals is depicted on a double-page spread, with one page describing the animal and the other page sporting a photograph of the animal. There is a variety of animals, including shark, grizzly bear, cobra, vulture, gila monster, cockroach, piranha, and others. This book will appeal to young elementary age children who like "scary" animals.

Sea Creatures (2018)
Fascinating, with cursory information about a wide variety of sea creatures, but left me wanting more details. He did spend some paragraphs on the different environments in the oceans; he discussed food chains in the ocean; and touched on the senses (sight, hearing, etc.) of various sea creatures. He briefly wrote about marine mammals, less well-known fish, sea turtles, and interesting creatures in the midnight zone (yeti crab, deep-sea cirrate octopus). The final page compares a drawing of a giant octopus attacking a clipper ship with a photo of a real giant octopus holding onto a deep-ocean submersible. Illustrated with fantastic photos, glossary, short index, and list of 3 websites.

Whales (2006)
This book does a good job of briefly introducing various species of whales (humpbacks, sperms, right whales, grays, fins, minkes, blues) and dolphins (orcas). It discusses the differences between toothed and baleen whales and the food chains of both.
Unfortunately, he states: "there is no record that an orca has ever caused a human death." Even though Dawn Brancheau was not drowned until 2010, 4 years after the publication of this book; the same orca, Tilikum, contributed to the deaths of two other people--in 1991 and 1999 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-can...). I guess he didn't do his research. No index or bibliography.

But it is also true that ALL whales face much more dangers from humans than humans will ever face from whales. And in my opinion, commercial whaling is evil as are those who engage in it and support it. I will grudgingly accept Native Americans and Native Canadians hunting a few whales for sustenance, but commercial whaling is totally vile and in Moby Dock, I was totally cheering for the whale.

Even though published in 2010 (and thus of course a bit out of date with regard to 2021 and in my opinion wanting a bit of an update)l I do think that Global Warming provides a good and also a balanced and middle of the road introduction to climate change (showing that recent warming trends are likely a problematic combination of both human and natural causes). Especially like the clear and concise writing style (very suitable for the intended age group of older children from about seven onwards) and really appreciate that Seymour Simon also includes concrete suggestions about how to reduce our own carbon footprint. Nice that Simon lists a bunch of websites for further reading and research but for me to be ranking Global Warming with five and not with four stars, that list would need to be longer and also include not just websites but actual books.

Interesting and educational content and I appreciate that in Sharks Seymour Simon shows that sharks are generally not a threat to people and that most shark attacks are in fact cases of mistaken identity. But sadly, the photographs too often seem to show sharks with gaping mouths and sharp pointed teeth, kind of visually not mirroring the presented text. Combined with no bibliography and no information on shark evolution, Sharks (at least the 1995 first edition) is rather too lacking for me (and thus only two stars).

Big Cats (1991; 2017)
A brief overview of seven big cats: tiger, lion, leopard, jaguar, puma, snow leopard, and cheetah. The first few pages discuss attributes of big cats that are common to all of them. Then he devotes a page of so to each specific cat. Illustrated with excellent, large photos. The book concludes with a glossary, index, and list of websites.

Horses (2006; 2017)
Simon focuses solely on horses in this book. He briefly covers their history, their importance, gaits, colors, and the attributes shared by all horses. He defines the difference between hotbloods, coldbloods, and warmbloods. Then he writes very briefly about some of the breeds and ponies. The book concludes with an index, glossary, and list of websites. Young horse lovers will like this book.

Beverly wrote: "Horses (2006; 2017)
Simon focuses solely on horses in this book. He briefly covers their history, their importance, gaits, colors, and the attributes shared by all horses. He define..."

So the newer edition does list websites.

And this seems to be the case with many of Seymour Simon’s updated books, that he now lists websites to consult, better than no suggestions at all, but I still would prefer both websites and book titles to be included.

Earthquakes

So yes, the 2006 edition does indeed and happily contain a bibliography (but the first edition from the 1990s will most likely not contain this, so yes, if wanting to use Earthquakes read the updated 2006 edition.

A pretty decent general introduction, especially with regard to plate tectonics, but I definitely want a more international scope (a bit too USA based) and that Seymour Simon not once mentions fracking and that this can also cause moderate earthquakes and tremors is a huge oversight in my opinion.