Book Review: The Solar System: Exploring the Sun, Planets and their Moons by Robert Harvey

The Solar System: Exploring the Sun, Planets and their Moons by Robert Harvey is a nonfiction book featuring more than 200 intriguing images taken by space probes travelling billions of kilometers from Earth, The Solar System is an exhilarating exploration of the mysteries of our local planetary space. Within the span of a human lifetime, our spacecraft have visited all eight planets of the Solar System, together with several dwarf planets, asteroids and comets. We have mapped the surface of Mercury and Venus in exquisite detail, landed rovers on Mars, placed orbiters around Jupiter and Saturn, and parachuted to the surface of Titan. Our emissaries have visited icy worlds five billion kilometers from home and continued onwards to reach interstellar space. The pictures and science returned by these intrepid travelers have transformed our understanding of the Solar System in which we live.

The Solar System: Exploring the Sun, Planets and their Moons is an accessible and visually stunning look at our solar system, what we have learned, and our place in it.  I thought the text was well written and pairs well with each of the chosen images.  The images are absolutely stunning and the star of this book. I like that there were some artist renditions as well, which were also of great quality.  I thought the text was understandable and added context to the images making them more impactful. without getting too technical or overwhelming. I think middle grade and older readers could get just as much out of the book (particularly if they are interested in the subject matter).  This is a lovely coffee table book that will stand up to rereading and flipping through when the mood strikes. 

Book Review: Superheroes of Nature: Incredible Skills to Survive and Thrive by Georges Feterman

Superheroes of Nature: Incredible Skills to Survive and Thrive by Georges Feterman is a children's nonfiction book with full color photos and interesting text celebrating biodiversity and nature. From the Borneo ant to the flying dragon, find out all about these amazing animals and the extraordinary abilities that make them the superheroes of our planet. For example a hammerhead shark can see 180 degrees, the webbed gecko can glide across the desert sand, and the springbok is super fast! For each animal readers will discover their superpower, super stats, and super facts about them and some additional information about how they used their super skills in the wild. 

Superheroes of Nature is another visually appealing book from the Animal Powers series, like Superpowers of Nature: Wild Wonders of the World, which I also recently read and reviewed. The chosen photographs are attention grabbing and does a delightful job of illustrating the features and actions described in the text of the book. I though the book was well organized and balanced, delivering interesting and informative text in accessible lengths along with the bight photographs. I think this book, and the series to be honest, will be a hit with readers interested in animals and science. It would be a valuable addition to school and classroom libraries as well as the public library and personal collections. 

Book Review: Better Than Balderdash by Owen Janssen

Better Than Balderdash by Owen Janssen is a collection of interesting facts and trivia for all ages. For instance: Did you know that you can heat up a cup of coffee by yelling at it? How about the fact that bananas are radioactive? Or that Google hires goats as gardeners? Or that competitive slapping is a sport in Russia? Our world is chock-full of fascinating facts, unbelievable but true stories, and mind-blowing trivia. This book is your one-stop guide to all the extraordinary, shocking and enthralling information you didn’t know you needed to learn. Impress your friends and family with a vast knowledge of topics guaranteed to stimulate interesting conversations! If you want to learn some of the world’s most intriguing stories to pass the time at work, fuel the fire on your next trivia games night, or are looking for top-notch entertainment for that family road trip, then you need this book.

Better Than Balderdash is a fun and entertaining read that easily kept me entertained. I love random trivia, from Jeopardy to the bathroom readers that the author mentions in the opening in this book. I squirrel away bits of strange but interesting information because you never know when they will come in handy. That being said, I new several of the stranger facts shared in this book (like the bat bombs) because of the weird history and science shows that I have running in my house all the time. But, I did learn some new things. My whole family loves this kind of this, and I am thinking that this book will make a great addition to my son's book collection. 

Early Book Review: Fiona, Love at the Zoo by Richard Cowdrey

Fiona, Love at the Zoo by Richard Cowdrey is a picturebook scheduled for release on November 15 2022. Join your favorite hippo, Fiona, the adorable internet sensation from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, as she visits her zoo friends and celebrates how love makes the world more beautiful. Learn with Fiona as she discovers how different animals show their affection and love.

Fiona, Love at the Zoo does a great job of making the animal illustrations fun, cute, and welcoming to all age groups, but still looking realistic rather than completely cartoonish. It is a hard balance to reach, but I think Cowdrey does a good job here. The text is very accessible, and the rhymes are sweet and fun without being cloying. I loved getting a glimpses of so many of the Cincinnati Zoo's residents, and so many different behaviors we consider affection in their family units. I think this is well done, and I will admit to going back for a second look at the illustrations- they are just well done and adorable. 

Book Review: Illumibugs: Explore the World of Mini Beasts with your Magic 3 Color Lens by Barbara Taylor

Illumibugs: Explore the World of Mini Beasts with your Magic 3 Color Lens by Barbara Taylor is an interactive book that takes readers on a journey through the undergrowth with a magic three-color lens (included with the print edition) to discover over 180 minibeasts from every continent, under the sea, and even from prehistoric times. With your lens in hand, discover mini beast habitats, and learn more about the impressive insects and other creepy crawlies that scuttle and wriggle around the world. Your green lens reveals a habitat, spanning 7 continents, under the sea, and prehistoric times. Learn about the particular environments and challenges that minibeasts face here. Your red lens brings to life insects including beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, and wasps. Your blue lens uncovers the other invertebrate creepy crawlies from different mini beast families including worms, snails, and spiders. Fact pages fill in the details and guide you through a world bursting with life and color. Innovative illustrations from award-winning design duo Carnovsky make this a natural history like no other, with hundreds of places, plants, and creatures to discover on three layers of detailed artwork.

Illumibugs will capture the attention and interest of many young readers, and those that might be sharing the read with them. This is a book that I very much suggest reading in print rather than digital, because of the effects intended to be created with the three color lenses that are included with the book.  The digital copy does come with a QR code that allows readers to simulate the effects of the color lens, but I think the hands on version might be more fun for more tactile focused readers, while the digital version would be great for those that prefer digital devices or need to use adaptive technology. That being said, I thought the creativity and page layouts were very well done. I also thought that the information shared for each region and the creepy crawlies that live there were well chosen and well written. The information about each continent and the habitats was also well done. I like that a the chosen creatures showed some drastic differences between habitats while also showing how some creatures are different variations on the same species all around the world, and under the water. While not a comprehensive book about insects, arachnids, and other things considered bugs, this book could easily capture and keep the attention of young readers and spark interest and curiosity for further research. I think it will also hold up to repeated reads and studies with the colored lenses and without, just to see what things they might see that were previously missed. 

Book Review: Superpowers of Nature: Wild Wonders of the World by Georges Feterman

Superpowers of Nature: Wild Wonders of the World by Georges Feterman is a children's nonfiction book. With full color photographs and detailed text, this book is a celebrates biodiversity and nature. From the platypus to the peregrine falcon, find out all about these amazing animals and the extraordinary abilities that make them the superheroes of our planet. For example: an octopus's brain is distributed all over its body, the tropical frog causes potential predators to wretch violently, and the plumed basilisk can run for its life on water! For each animal discover their superpower, super stats and super facts about them, as well as information about how they used their super skills in the wild. 

Superpowers of Nature captured my attention at first because of the photography. The images are stunning, showing some very close up pictures and others of the subject in motion, all demonstrating whatever super power described in the text. I liked the way the book was organized, and thought that the information shared was written in an accessible and engaging fashion, well paired with the images and smaller text boxes. I think this book would be a great addition to school and public libraries, as well as for classroom or personal libraries. I think many readers will love this book, and the entire related series, since the amounts of visual and textual information is so well balanced. My only complaint is that I would have liked some backmatter included, like a glossary, index, or resources for further reading. 

Book Review: Mind Games: 10 Fun Optical Illusions and Perception Projects by Scientific American Editors

Mind Games: 10 Fun Optical Illusions and Perception Projects by Scientific American Editors is a children's nonfiction book. What concepts are behind the creation of cartoons and the ability to seemingly make a dot on a page disappear? Readers will learn the answers through the ten hands-on activities featured in this intriguing title. Each optical illusion is broken down using step-by-step instructions paired with helpful illustrations. Accessible text reveals the important scientific ideas behind each activity, such as the principles of human vision, perception, and light.

Mind Games is a well organized and accessible book that would be a good classroom, homeschooling, and public library addition.  I thought the book is well formatted, with well written text that explains the concept and related experiment well. I thought the extended information to help formulate a science fair project or further experimentation was a nice touch. The tools and items needed for the experiments were all things most likely already in the home, which makes the experiments so much more doable, and repeatable as desired. I also liked that an explanation of the scientific method was included, for those that might think they know what it is but need a bit more detail to be able to apply or explain it themselves. I also liked that a glossary and resources for further research were included as well. 

Early Book Review: Operation Pangolin: Saving the World's Only Scaled Mammal by Suzi Eszterhas

Operation Pangolin: Saving the World's Only Scaled Mammal by Suzi Eszterhas is currently scheduled for release on October 4 2022. Prized for their hard scales, pangolins are one of the most poached animals on the planet. They are also highly endangered. Yet scientists know very little about them. Pangolin rescuers and researchers such as Thai Nguyen have the difficult task of saving pangolins, changing local laws to prevent poaching, educating local communities, and learning more about these mysterious creatures. Join author and photographer Suzi Eszterhas in this exploration of the jungles of Vietnam where Thai works with the Save Vietnam's Wildlife organization to save endangered pangolins.

Operation Pangolin: Saving the World's Only Scaled Mammal is a well written and researched book to introduce young readers to pangolins and the threats they face. I first heard about pangolins about five years ago and have been taken by their cuteness. Someone called them (I wish I remember who) "the most endangered animal you've never heard of". and I think that holds true today for most people. I do think awareness has risen- google pangolin memes and you will be thrilled- but even having read about this adorable creatures previously I learned a great deal about them and their habitats in this book. I was goad to see how hard some people are working to preserve these creatures, and hope that this book inspires more people to help however they can, even if it is just sharing the fact that these amazing animals exist and promoting World Pangolin Day (which is is February). 

Operation Pangolin: Saving the World's Only Scaled Mammal  is a great read for those that have never heard of the pangolin and those that want to know more about them. 

Early Book Review: Rock? Plant? Animal?: How Nature Keeps Us Guessing by Etta Kaner, Brittany Lane

 Rock? Plant? Animal?: How Nature Keeps Us Guessing is a children's nonfiction book written by Etta Kaner and illustrated by Brittany Lane. It is currently scheduled for release on September 13 2022. This book is an interactive guessing game featuring nature’s most unusual adaptations and characteristics. Can you tell the difference between a rock, a plant, and an animal? While it might sound simple, the vast diversity of life on earth can throw us some serious curveballs! Sometimes, what looks like a plant is actually an animal. Other times, what looks like an animal is actually a plant! Even things that look like living creatures can turn out to be unique rocks. Each spread features a realistic illustration of either a puzzling critter, a perplexing plant, or a special stone. Every picture is accompanied by a simple prompt: rock, plant, or animal? The answer is revealed by turning the page to discover a beautifully detailed scene and a brief description of the “species.” Even for the most esteemed naturalists, the answers are hard to believe! Rock? Plant? Animal? lets its readers be detectives, encouraging curiosity and embracing surprise.

Rock? Plant? Animal? is a fun read with eye catching images that are well worth a look all on their own. I think young readers will engage with the text and interactive nature of the book while becoming a little more aware that nature does some very interesting things. The book could help the young readers, and the adults or older children that might be sharing the book with them, think a bit about how nature can surprise us and how things are not always what they seem. The book is fun and bright, and I think it will do a good job of capturing and keeping the attention of readers. I even saw a couple things that were new to me!

Early Book Review: Secrets of the Lost City: A Scientific Adventure in the Honduran Rain Forest by Sandra Markle

Secrets of the Lost City: A Scientific Adventure in the Honduran Rain Forest by Sandra Markle is a children's nonfiction book currently scheduled for release on September 6 2022. Join a scientific expedition to a remote area of the Honduran rainforest, suspected to be the ruins of the Lost City of the Monkey God. The team of scientists had only ten days to hike into the dense jungle, likely unvisited by humans in the past 500 years, and locate the archaeological site. In addition to searching for and finding incredible artifacts, scientists also uncovered an amazing, diverse ecosystem flourishing due to the lack of human influences. They recorded hundreds of different kinds of animals, including some new species as well as animals listed as endangered or previously believed to be extinct. Award-winning author Sandra Markle incorporates interviews and information from key scientists who took part in this ten-day expedition, showing how their discoveries led to new protections for this incredible place.

Secrets of the Lost City is a fascinating read about scientist looking to solve several mysteries together. Not only were they looking to find archeological proof of the Lost City, but they combined talents and resources to study the state of the environment and the living things in the area. I love that the book gives hints at how much planning and hard work goes into just getting the permission of governments and important organizations just to get into some areas of the world, and then there are the challenges of the location and safety and health challenges that might come with the search for more knowledge and understanding.  I enjoyed getting to see the pictures of the discoveries that were made, both archeological and biological, and thought that the text and photographs were combined well to keep and hold the attention of readers without overwhelming them. I was glad to see the glossary, sources cited, and suggestions for further reading. I hope the book and that list will inspire many readers to further explore the subject, and perhaps become scientists themselves in the future. 

Secrets of the Lost City is yet another wonderful scientific nonfiction book for children.

Early Book Review: Wow! Underneath the Earth's Crust. Trip to the Core of Our Planet by Mack Van Gageldonk

Wow! Underneath the Earth's Crust. Trip to the Core of Our Planet by Mack Van Gageldonk is a children's nonfiction book currently scheduled for release on August 9 2022. From space, the earth looks like a beautiful, colored ball. You immediately see the white clouds, blue oceans, and green, gray, and brown pieces of land. But on the inside, the earth looks very different. Are you also curious about what’s underneath your feet? Is it hot inside the earth? And do animals live there? Travel along to the center of the earth and discover everything about stone caves, geysers, volcanoes, and other magical phenomena under the earth’s crust.

Wow! Underneath the Earth's Crust. Trip to the Core of Our Planet is the second book in the Wow! series of nonfiction books for elementary school age readers. I have to admit, that while the text is accessible and interesting, it was the illustrations and photographs that really captured (and kept) my attention.  The text is very well written, it is understandable and interesting for readers of all ages. I think even children would enjoy this as a read aloud, read together, or independent read depending on their skill levels. The information shared is worded in a way that most will be engaged and understand, while being further entranced by the images in the book. I highly recommend this book for personal collections, as well as school and public libraries. 

Early Book Review: The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale: Restoring an Island Ecosystem by Nancy Castaldo

The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale: Restoring an Island Ecosystem by Nancy Castaldo is currently scheduled for release on August 6 2022. Journey to the isolated islands of Isle Royale National Park where the longest predator/prey study in the world is being conducted along with a controversial genetic rescue to save not only the wolves and moose, but the entire island ecosystem. For over sixty years, in what has been known as the longest study of predator and prey in the world, scientists have studied the wolves and moose of Isle Royale and the island’s ecology to observe and investigate wildlife populations. But due to illness and underlying factors, the population of wolves on the island has dropped while the number of moose has increased, putting the Isle Royale ecosystem in jeopardy. Now, for the first time ever, scientists are intervening. If they can successfully relocate twenty to thirty wolves from the mainland to Isle Royale, scientists can potentially restore the balance among wolves, moose, and trees of the island's ecosystem. Now the living laboratory experiment begins.

The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale is a nonfiction book that can be understood and enjoyed by middle grade readers and older., including those of us that have been out of school for longer than we might want to disclose. I thought the text was well written and accessible, and the combination of photographs, sketches, and info boxes help keep the readers focused and interested without overwhelming them. I thought the research was fascinating and I thought the information on the researchers and the next steps were interesting. This isn't a project that is over, it is a work in progress, and effort in motion, and something interested readers can follow in the years to come to see what worked, what did not, and how the ecosystem in fairing, This makes me more excited and invested in the read,  more so that when I read about completed research studies in far off places with vague commentary about what might come next. I love that the endpages include not only the expected glossary and index, but also a bibliography and sources for further information. This always makes me a happy reader, more so when it comes to nonfiction for children. 

Early Book Review: The World's Most Ridiculous Animals by Philip Bunting

The World's Most Ridiculous Animals by Philip Bunting is the second book in a series. The first was The World's Most Pointless Animals, which came out last summer. They do not need to be read as a series, but if you like the style, humor, and format of one you should go check out the other. It is currently scheduled for release on July 12 2022. 

The antagonist voice, shown though 'written' annotations through out the book, points out the apparent ridiculousness of each creature's features. While the narrator also describes the evolutionary reasons or advantages for each animal's extraordinary characteristics. Humor, information and  illustrations fill this guide to ridiculous animals. It includes funny labelled diagrams and will help teach kids about evolution by studying some of its most wild products.

The World's Most Ridiculous Animals is a fun book. I have to admit chuckling out load a couple times at the snarky commentary about the featured creatures. However, it is also informative and this combination could be just the thing to help reluctant readers tackle nonfiction reading assignments or requirements for school and summer reading. Many of the animals featured are familiar to me, but I did learn a little something new about even the Betta fish. There were also several creature I have never heard of, like the Mexican Mole Lizard. I think the balance of reasonably familiar and completely new animals is nice, keeping readers interested and engaged. The artwork is fun and does a good job of capturing some of the real aspects of the animals and still being cartoonish. The only thing I would have liked is some actual photographs of the creatures features (not all but at least a few) perhaps in the endpages, along with some recommendations of books or websites to see more. 

Book Review: Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic by Andy Secher

Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic by Andy Secher is a nonfiction book. Trilobites were among the most successful and versatile organisms ever to exist. Among the earliest forms of complex animal life, these hard-shelled marine invertebrates inhabited the primal seas of the Paleozoic era. Their march through evolutionary time began in the Lower Cambrian, some 521 million years ago, and lasted until their demise at the end of the Permian, more than 250 million years later. During this vast stretch of planetary history, these adaptable animals filled virtually every available undersea ecological niche, evolving into more than 25,000 scientifically recognized species. Explore paleontological hot spots around the world—including Alnif, Morocco, on the edge of the Sahara Desert; the Sakha Republic, deep in the Siberian wilderness; and Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia—and get a behind-the-scenes look at museums, fossil shows, and life on the collectors’ circuit. The book features hundreds of photographs of unique specimens drawn from Secher’s private collection, showcasing stunning fossil finds that highlight the diversity, complexity, and beauty of trilobites.

Travels with Trilobites offers readers information and some entertainment. The text is accessible and  explains scientific information about trilobites with observations and insight about the collections and all that goes along with them. There is a great deal to cover here- since there were so many kinds of trilobites and they lived for so long, in so many places. I liked that the book was organized choreographically and that there were some subsections that went into greater detail on specific topics. I thought the information was understandable, and that Secher's enthusiasm and humor often shone through. Sometimes that enthusiasm got to be a bit much, but I kind of love it when the people around me geek out about the things they are passionate about- and it reminded me of that kind of conversation. I found the images to be fascinating and well chosen, and I think any reader interested in the topic, or related fields, will find this an engaging and informative read. I think that many will find Secher's enthusiasm and interest in the topic to spark a little in themselves. I liked the inclusion of a glossary and list of museums to visit, with information on the trilobites in their collection. I thought that was helpful and interesting for readers. 

Audio Book Review: The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World by Oliver Milman Narrated by Liam Gerrard

The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World was written by Oliver Milman and the audio version was narrated by Liam Gerrard. From ants scurrying under leaf litter to bees able to fly higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, insects are everywhere. Three out of every four of our planet's known animal species are insects. In The Insect Crisis, Oliver Milman dives into the torrent of recent evidence that suggests this kaleidoscopic group of creatures is suffering the greatest existential crisis in its remarkable 400-million-year history. What is causing the collapse of the insect world? And what can be done to stem the loss of the miniature empires that hold aloft life as we know it? Milman explores this hidden emergency, arguing that its consequences could even rival climate change. He joins the scientists tracking the decline of insect populations across the globe, including the mountains of Mexico that host an epic, yet dwindling, migration of monarch butterflies; the verdant countryside of England that has been emptied of insect life; the gargantuan fields of US agriculture that have proved a killing ground for bees; and an offbeat experiment in Denmark that shows there aren't that many bugs splattering into your car windshield these days. These losses not only further tear at the tapestry of life on our degraded planet; they imperil everything we hold dear, from the food on our supermarket shelves to the medicines in our cabinets to the riot of nature that thrills and enlivens us.

The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World opened my eyes to the threats to insects I have never considered and how valuable even some of the least thought about or liked insects can be to the environment. Between climate change, industrial farming, and the ever stronger chemicals we have been using to limit weeds and pests insects are facing challenges they have never had to deal with before. Numbers of a wide variety of insects are declining and while some are latching on to the plight of bees and butterflies, the majority of the decline is ignored, considered a good thing, or simply forgotten because fighting to save the population of dung beetles is less publicity friendly than saving the pandas or whales. I enjoyed getting a look at the science involved in documenting this problem, and I thought the descriptions of the researchers involved were very amusing and interesting. The tone of the book was entertaining, with humor through out the book, but never making light of the seriousness of the problem. I thought that the narrator, Liam Gerrard, did a wonderful job of conveying the import and intent of the book. I also like that the book described some simple things we can do, things that farmers and governments can do, and things we all should do to protect insects and life as we know it. I also like that it was pointed out that even if mankind fails to change, as we have proven we are reluctant to do without financial gain, some insects will still survive and possibly thrive long after we have destroyed every way possible for our species to do the same. They just wont be the insects that we venerate and depend on for pollination, waste clean up, or other vital tasks around the would that we often forget about. 

The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World is a well research and written book that I found to be thought provoking and enlightening. 

Book Review: The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything: The Story of Maria Mitchell by Laura Alary, Ellen Rooney

The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything: The Story of Maria Mitchell is a nonfiction picturebook written by Laura Alary and illustrated by Ellen Rooney. Maria longed to travel beyond her small island of Nantucket. But she wasn't sure how. Her father taught her to look to the stars for guidance. If you knew how to read them, he said, the stars could tell you where you were, and where you needed to go. They spent hours scanning the night sky together through a telescope on the roof. Maria learned how to use astronomers' tools to measure and track time by the stars. But what could she do with her skills? Then, one day, she heard that a prize was being offered to the first person to find a new comet. Could this be the opportunity she was waiting for?

The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything is an engaging biographical picturebook of a little known nineteenth-century woman scientist and women's rights advocate. Maria Mitchell would go on to become the first professional female astronomer in the United States, first female member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and one of the first female college professors. I think this book balances accessible storytelling, lovely artwork, and encouragement for young readers to keep observing the world and follow their passions. I like that the story itself included some of the obstacles that Mitchell had to deal with and followed up with more information on her activism and encouragement for all readers to explore their interests, work hard, and follow their dreams even if it goes against cultural norms.

I think The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything would be a great addition to public, school, classroom, and personal libraries. 

Book Review: NASA Missions to Mars: A Visual History of Our Quest to Explore the Red Planet by Piers Bizony

NASA Missions to Mars: A Visual History of Our Quest to Explore the Red Planet by Piers Bizony is full of NASA photography. The large-format book (12 × 12 inches) examines everything from the first tentative steps toward the fourth planet to the 2021 landing of rover Perseverance and beyond. Space exploration has always been about pushing boundaries, but perhaps the achievement which has most piqued a sense of possibility has been the exploration of Mars. Beginning with Soviet and American flybys in the early 1960s that were part and parcel of the Space Race, acclaimed space historian Piers Bizony continues through complete coverage of the Viking 1 and 2 missions of 1975–1976. Bizony also traces NASA’s acclaimed rover program, describing the development, technologies, mission histories, and achievements of the rovers Sojourner, Opportunity, Spirit, and Curiosity—all on the 25th anniversary of their first landing. While the billions of dollars and ingenious innovations have allowed us incredible views from more than 51 million miles away, no less incredible are the insights these missions, hardware, and scientists have provided into our universe—and our own planet. 

NASA Missions to Mars is an informative and visually stunning book with images from NASA cameras, works of science fiction, and more. I thought that the text was engaging and did a good  job of chronicling the journey to Mars. As one might expect, the information is very much centered on the U.S. efforts and projects on this front, so readers go into the read with that understanding. I think this book hits a nice balance for readers. There is a great deal to learn, enjoy, and simply marvel at here with neither getting too technical for us less technically inclined readers but not so fluffy and light that it falls short of what dedicated space fans will be hoping for. Less dedicated readers can be more that satisfied with the variety of images and their brief captions through out the book if they do not feel compelled to read the informative text. I liked the complete index and the chart of Mars missions by date, but would have liked to see some suggested reading or websites for further information included in the endpages as well. I think this book will be a well loved addition to public libraries, and the personal libraries of space enthusiasts. 

Early Book Review: Chimpanzee Memoirs: Stories of Studying and Saving Our Closest Living Relatives by Edited by Stephen Ross and Lydia Hopper

Chimpanzee Memoirs: Stories of Studying and Saving Our Closest Living Relatives was edited by Stephen Ross and Lydia Hopper. It is currently scheduled for release on May 10 2022. Chimpanzees fascinate people for many reasons. Our awareness of our closest living relatives testifies to the efforts of the remarkable people who study these creatures and work to protect them. What motivates someone to dedicate their lives to chimpanzees? How does that reflect on our own species? This book brings together a range of chimpanzee experts who tell powerful personal stories about their lives and careers. It features some of the world’s preeminent primatologists—including Jane Goodall and Frans de Waal—as well as representatives of a new generation from varied backgrounds. The book features anthropologists, biologists, psychologists, veterinarians, conservationists, and the director of a chimpanzee sanctuary. Some grew up in the English countryside, others in villages in Congo; some first encountered chimpanzees in a zoo, others in the forests surrounding their homes. All are united by a common purpose: to study and understand chimpanzees in order to protect them in the wild and care for them in zoos and sanctuaries. Contributors share what inspired them, what shaped their career choices, and what motivates them to strive for solutions to the many challenges that chimpanzees face today.

I thought that Chimpanzee Memoirs is a well organized collection of essays that are accessible and interesting to read. I liked that the experts were from a wide range of backgrounds, fields, and reasons being motivated to work with chimpanzees. The essays are each short, making this a quick read, but full of personal stories and tales of specific champs that stuck a chord with the experts. I liked that while some of the experts included are well known and fully expected to be included, readers also get to learn about people in the field that we most likely have never heard of.  I think this book is an engaging and encouraging read, that also covers the struggles of the researchers and the threats to chimpanzees (past and present), so does not sugar coat the subject matter. This would be a great book for school and public libraries to have in their collection. It could be great inspiration for readers that have interest in studying chimps, or other animals. 

Early Book Review: Amazing Plants of the World by Stepanka Sekaninova

Amazing Plants of the World by Stepanka Sekaninova is currently scheduled for release on April 19 2022. This book tells readers all about forty one unusual plants that can literally take your breath away, or even eat you! Welcome to this botanical garden, where human feet have not trodden for many years. Actually, one has-or rather a pair of them have. They belong to a passionate botanist who spends all his time in the company of flowers. He does not seem interested in people, as he feels himself to be a plant rather than a member of the species homo sapiens. He may seem strange-or even scary, like anything unknown-but rest assured that he is completely harmless just like his plants are that is unless you’re a fly or a beetle, which his carnivorous plants love to eat. No worries, those meat lovers might possibly snatch at your snack if you have a ham sandwich or a sausage in your bag, but that’s all. Though some of the plants from this forgotten botanical garden look predatory at first sight, even spooky, they are still just plants that can never catch you. 

Amazing Plants of the World is a fun and creatively illustrated book about some particularly plants. I think this book will catch and hold the attention of readers. The text is informative, but also a great deal of fun. I think the use of humor, high energy, and just plan fun text and illustrations work together very well to capture and hold the attention of young readers. There was a great deal of interesting information, and the quality of the artwork was absolutely wonderful. I think event he youngest readers will enjoy looking through this book for the artwork alone.  I like that there is an index included in the book. The only think I would have liked to see that was missing, would be some actual photographs of the plants. No matter how fabulous those illustrations are, I would still like to see the real thing- perhaps in the endpages with resources to learn more about the plants covered. 

Early Book Review: The Snowy Owl Scientist by Mark Wilson

The Snowy Owl Scientist by Mark Wilson is currently scheduled for release on April 19 2022. Are the snowy owls in trouble? Venture into the Alaskan arctic and the summer realm of these predator birds to find out. Discover the diverse species necessary to owl survival, how climate change is affecting the landscape of their nesting site of past millennia, and what it takes to do field research in this action-packed addition to the award-winning Scientists in the Field series.

It's July on Alaska's North Slope, and scientist Denver Holt is in Utqiagvik surveying nests. Denver has been coming here since 1992, and the snowy owls he studies have been coming here much longer: thousands of years. With its mix of coastal, low-elevation tundra and a rich presence of lemmings, the North Slope is the only area in Alaska where snowy owls regularly nest. How do snowy owls decide where they will nest? How do they manage to arrive at locations where food will be abundant? What drives the success of these delicate tundra ecosystems? These are the mysteries Denver is trying to solve to help ensure a bright future for these elegant hunters.

The Snowy Owl Scientist is a visually stunning book that is clearly a passion project from the author and the research team. The information, charts and graphs, and images are very well done and organized. The information is very detailed, and might be beyond younger readers, although the pictures might well keep them turning pages if their interest in the text wanes. I think this book would be better suited to middle grade and older readers, or high interest readers, rather than the slightly younger readers the initial formatting suggested to me. The book is well written, well organized, and I liked that resources, an index, and a glossary were included in the endpages. I thought the information was valuable, and it would make for a great book for use in a research project or for readers that want a first hand account of what researching animals can really be like.