A thorough introduction to an appealing keystone species.
Sea otters, nearly driven to extinction by human fur-hunters, have bounced back and surprised scientists with their importance to their environment.
In this account of species survival, part of the Orca Wild series, writer and wildlife photographer Groc argues forcefully for the importance of sea otters to their ecosystem, not only along the coasts of the northern Pacific Ocean, but also in its estuaries. She describes the nature and habits of these intriguing sea mammals as well as the historical effect of their loss on their surrounding natural world. When the otters disappeared, so did the kelp forests, but sea urchins, clams, and other invertebrates thrived. With their reintroduction, the kelp grew rapidly, and the invertebrates became more difficult to harvest or disappeared. Though clearly on the side of the otters as “ecosystem engineers” at the top of the food chain, she also presents the points of view of fishermen and Indigenous peoples who had relied on the shellfish. “In the Field” sections introduce scientists (both male and female, mostly white-presenting), citizen-science volunteers, and First Nations members, offering a variety of perspectives. The text flows smoothly and often includes personal examples. Groc’s photographs, taken in Alaska, British Columbia, and California, demonstrate the animal’s appeal. Patricia Newman’s Sibert Honor book Sea Otter Heroes (2014) focuses on the estuary research; this well-researched portrayal is a broader look suitable for the same audience.
A thorough introduction to an appealing keystone species. (glossary, resources, acknowledgments, index not seen) (Nonfiction. 10-15)Pub Date: April 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1737-1
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Wordplay and wry wit put extra fun into a trove of fundamental knowledge.
With an amped-up sense of wonder, the Science Guy surveys the natural universe.
Starting from first principles like the scientific method, Nye and his co-author marvel at the “Amazing Machine” that is the human body then go on to talk up animals, plants, evolution, physics and chemistry, the quantum realm, geophysics, and climate change. They next venture out into the solar system and beyond. Along with tallying select aspects and discoveries in each chapter, the authors gather up “Massively Important” central concepts, send shoutouts to underrecognized women scientists like oceanographer Marie Tharp, and slip in directions for homespun experiments and demonstrations. They also challenge readers to ponder still-unsolved scientific posers and intersperse rousing quotes from working scientists about how exciting and wide open their respective fields are. If a few of those fields, like the fungal kingdom, get short shrift (one spare paragraph notwithstanding), readers are urged often enough to go look things up for themselves to kindle a compensatory habit. Aside from posed photos of Nye and a few more of children (mostly presenting as White) doing science-y things, the full-color graphic and photographic images not only reflect the overall “get this!” tone but consistently enrich the flow of facts and reflections. “Our universe is a strange and surprising place,” Nye writes. “Stay curious.” Words to live by.
Wordplay and wry wit put extra fun into a trove of fundamental knowledge. (contributors, art credits, selected bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 11-15)Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4676-5
Page Count: 264
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-05921-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
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