Chris Barton (1)

After reading Barton's book about Day-Glo, I was excited to read his take on glitter, but this seemed overly long to me, and not as satisfying or compelling. He does cover what glitter is (iridescent), what makes glitter sparkle (spectrum of visible light, reflected and absorbed light, interference), the ancient history of glitter (iridescent beetle shells found in King Tut's tomb), other names for glitter (flitter!), how it has been made (with film, plastic, metal, mica, and cellulose), and who invented modern glitter, as well as the environmental concerns about microplastics ending up in the ocean. Overall, I found it informative but not fascinating.

Some pages include secondary text in a slightly smaller and different colored typeface. Back matter includes an author's note, illustrator's note, further reading, and a selected bibliography.… (més)

Barton's personable and humorous writing style is perfect for nonfiction and relaying the fascinating story of glitter in particular. 2-page spreads showcase narrative text with nonfiction details in contrasting color and slightly small typeset. A midcentury font is used to the occasional standout line. Prabhat's exceptional illustrations magically capture the color and sparkly of glitter while clearly communicating scientific concepts and manufacturing processes. A trio of kids serve as audience proxies in illustrations of more abstract concepts. Socially histories and historical figures are woven in seemlessly, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a spread declarying "to some people glitter has become an especially big deal" that discussed drag performers, glam rockers, and Mardi Gras - even the tradition of mixing in purple glitter to Ash used on Ash Wednesday that symbolizes LGBTQ+ welcoming. But the most successful thing about the book is the tone it strikes: it balances honoring innate human fascination with all things shiny with the downsides of glitter (micro-plastic pollution and child labor are covered) and wraps things up with a hopeful tone that praises human ingenuity and the ways people are trying to produce glitter more ethically and ecologically. A thoughtful authors note, further reading, and extensive bibliography are included in backmatter.… (més)