Early Book Review: Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks by Jolene Gutiérrez

Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks by Jolene Gutiérrez is currently scheduled for release on October 6 2020. What happens when a young elephant steps on a buried land mine, or when a sea turtle’s flipper is injured by a predator? Thanks to recent advances in technology, we have new ways to design and build prosthetic body parts that can help these animals thrive. Readers will meet an Asian elephant named Mosha, a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle named Lola, a German Shepherd named Cassidy, a greylag goose named Vitória, and Pirate, a Berkshire-Tamworth pig. Each of these animals was struggling, but through a variety of techniques and technologies, humans created devices that enabled the animals to live and move more comfortably. Discover the stories of how veterinarians, doctors, and even students from around the world used 3D printing and other techniques to build bionic body parts for these amazing animals.

Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks is an inspiring look at what people can do to help animals live a better life. I had seen some of these stories before, mostly as part of documentaries or animal shows on television, but this book gave me a much better appreciation for the care, determination, and craftsmanship that was required to make these things happen. The thought, ingenuity, and trial and error that went into improving the lives of these animals was inspiring and can lead the scientific and medical communities to even better solutions and advances in the future.  I thought the writing was well done and accessible to readers, and the layouts of the pages balanced text and images nicely. I really liked that there were experiments for readers to try, and a quality resources in the endpages for engaged readers.

Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks is a great read for animal loves and inspiring scientists of all kinds. 

Early Book Review: Hey There, Earth Dweller!: Dive Into This World We Call Earth by Marc ter Horst

Hey There, Earth Dweller!: Dive Into This World We Call Earth by Marc ter Horst is a children's nonfiction book currently scheduled for release on April 9 2019. This is a journey into everything young readers would want to know about the planet we call home, and the universe around us. Readers are invited to learn about what makes up the many layers of the Earth—from the core to exosphere—traveling all the way out into the solar system and our many neighboring planets and moons. The content is offered in a vibrant mixed medium design that combines original illustrations with photographs of everyday items, allowing readers to engage and grasp scientific concepts covered, while encouraging them to inquisitively uncover the answers to all of their planetary questions.

Hey There, Earth Dweller!: Dive Into This World We Call Earth is a well balanced non fiction book for young readers. The information is laid out in an easy to understand way, without talking down to the readers, but with humor and fun illustrations to keep the attention of readers that might otherwise lose interest. The book does not go into great depth in any subject, but gives a good foundation on a large variety of subjects. I think this book might peak the interest and curiosity of readers and inspire them to research further on a topic that interested then more than others, or help them discover what topics they have the most interest in for further reading. I enjoyed the read, and some of the humor made me smile. While there were no new facts for me, some of the mnemonics and hints for remembering were- which might come in handy when trying to help my own kiddos with their homework and projects.

Hey There, Earth Dweller!: Dive Into This World We Call Earth is an engaging and informative read. I found it well balanced and interesting.