Smoothly written and beautifully presented, another stellar animal conservation tale.
Scientists use varied approaches to rescue and restore a dwindling penguin population in South Africa and Namibia.
Penguins are birds Markle has studied and written about before, and they make an ideal subject for this companion to her accounts of conservation efforts for Brazil’s golden lion tamarins and Russia’s snow leopards. The stories are similar. The penguin species called African penguins nest on beaches and islands in the southwestern part of that continent. Once numbering in the millions, their population was greatly reduced due to human harvesting of the guano in which they dug their nests, the eggs they laid, and the fish they ate. Climate change and oil spills have also taken their tolls. From the opening focus on a hopeful, hungry, apparently abandoned chick to the final pages describing its rescue and return, readers will be enthralled by this relatively optimistic, though still evolving, story, which is enhanced by solid backmatter. The text is smoothly written. Clear, concise explanations show how human actions have led these birds to the edge of extinction and how humans now work to help: protecting nesting and fishing grounds, rescuing and relocating oiled birds, and even hatching, rearing, and returning chicks to the wild. The thoughtful design gives prominence to the irresistible photographs from many different photographers.
Smoothly written and beautifully presented, another stellar animal conservation tale. (author’s note, additional facts, timeline, source notes, glossary, find out more, index) (Nonfiction. 9-13)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5124-1315-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Collard, who introduced middle-grade readers to Mesozoic reptiles with Reign of the Sea Dragons (2008), turns his attention...
This lively, information-packed introduction to the world of lizards describes their surprising variety and life in the wild and offers cautions from a long-time reptile fan for those who want to keep lizards as pets.
Collard, who introduced middle-grade readers to Mesozoic reptiles with Reign of the Sea Dragons (2008), turns his attention here to modern-day lizards. After presenting an exemplar, “Joe Lizard,” a western fence lizard, he goes on to describe other well-known species, including Komodo dragons, Gila monsters, chameleons and iguanas, as well as some with unusual talents, including “religious lizards” that can walk on water. He covers eating and being eaten, the ways saurians keep warm and reproduce, and threats to their survival. His information is solid and clearly organized but conveyed in a relatively lengthy, chatty narrative whose occasional exaggerations may surprise some readers, who will need his warning, “Just kidding.” Sentences trail off into ellipses, encouraging readers to keep turning the pages. Most of the appealing and well-reproduced photographs were taken by the author. Close-ups show lizard characteristics (the break line for a new tail, a monitor’s forked tongue); longer shots show them in their natural habitat. Captions and sidebars add further information.Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-58089-324-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011
Who could have imagined that something as seemingly ordinary as a plant could incite such ardor and devotion? (timeline,...
Greed! Obsession! A passion for nature and travel! All these and more have driven intrepid explorers to search for exotic plants around the globe for centuries.
Most of these hunters have been altruistic professionals seeking valuable plants to advance the cause of science and medicine or to improve their nations’ economy with potential commercial crops. In their pursuit many experienced serious illness and injury, extremes of harsh weather and terrain in remote locales, not to mention encounters with dangerous animals, insects and fellow humans. Yet the thrill of the chase, the love of adventure and the outdoors and the tantalizing belief that the objects of their desire indeed lay at the end of their arduous journeys spurred these men and women on, despite the challenges. Some didn’t survive the trip home. Today searches continue so that scientists may catalog Earth’s biodiversity and develop massive seed stockpiles against any future catastrophic destruction of plant life. The slim, engaging narrative paints vivid portraits of these botanic adventurers. It is smoothly written, smartly paced and filled with exciting tales of risk taking and derring-do. Handsome visuals include contemporary maps, photographs, sketches, paintings and excellent botanic illustrations.
Who could have imagined that something as seemingly ordinary as a plant could incite such ardor and devotion? (timeline, author’s note, notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 9-13)Pub Date: April 10, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-374-30908-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Feb. 14, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2012
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