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. 

Book Review: World of Weird: A Creepy Compendium of True Stories by Tom Adams, Celsius Pictor

World of Weird: A Creepy Compendium of True Stories written by Tom Adams and illustrated by Celsius Pictor, It is a compellation of unusual and somewhat creepy artifacts and stories from the past framed as a 21st century a scientist uncovering their Victorian ancestor’s notebook in a box. The ancestor is Dr. McCreebor; an eminent explorer, philosopher, and collector of the very strange and truly creepy. Dr. McCreebor's book is filled with the dark and disturbing stories he has collected on his travels around the world. Discover the fascinating stories behind a series of objects, people, and places in every chapter. McCreebor writes from a Victorian perspective – and his descendant isn't afraid to write notes in the margins, bringing the science into the 21st century. Uncover Artificalia (man-made objects), Naturalia (natural creatures and beings), Spiritualis (the spirit world), ScelereSupplicium (crime and punishment), Scientifica (scientific tools), Magicae (magical objects), and Morteum (skulls, bodies, and more). Steampunk illustrator Celsius Pictor intricately illustrates McCreebor’s sketches, maps, records, and photographs. From shrunken heads to witches’ charms, saints’ blood to graverobbers’ remains, hangman’s salve to trepanning tools, this book is a peek into our grisly and macabre past.

World of Weird is a book that will appeal to readers of all ages that enjoy learning about some of the darker and stranger ideas in history. I did not find any of the stories or artifacts described to be terribly unknown or gruesome, as these are the types of historic nonfiction that I tend to gravitate toward, but some of the information might be new to other readers. I thought the urging of respect for the dead not taking chances in messing with ghosts or other people's beliefs to be very respectful and responsibly handled. I also thought that the text and illustrations were well suited to the subject matter and accessible to a wide range of readers. I found text and art are well paired to keep the readers attention, and are done in nice small subtopics so that no one looses interest of focus and can read the book in small doses if that is what works best for them. I liked that a glossary was included as well.  I think this book will see regular check outs in school and public libraries and be a favorite read for many. 

Early Book Review: Built by Animals: Meet the Creatures who Inspire our Homes and Cities by Christiane Dorion, Yeji Yun

Built by Animals: Meet the Creatures who Inspire our Homes and Cities, written by Christiane Dorion and illustrated by Yeli Yun, is currently scheduled for release on May 3 2022. Meet the animals behind the most amazing building tech, brought to life by Yeji Yun and expertly explained by WWF educator Christiane Dorion. This book dives into the world of biomimicry and answers questions like: How can we use more solar energy to power our homes? How can we grow plants in the desert? How can we pump water to the top of very tall buildings?How can we clean polluted rivers? From the bee’s honeycomb shape that strengthens structures to termites’ that build their nests with natural air con, these creatures did it first! And, at the end of the book, find out who wins big at the Animal Builder Awards! Will it be the prairie dog, the peacock, the beaver, or the firefly?

Built by Animals is an educational and entertaining read. I thought the illustrations were absolutely charming and did a great job of holding the reader's interest while helping to clarify the text on each page. It is worth giving the book a look through just to fully appreciate the skill in the illustrations before or after reading the book as a whole. I thought the information shared in this book was well chosen, and I liked the way it tied in the animal's hard work to the efforts some people have been making to make more sustainable or efficient things based on the skills found in nature.I thought the variety of creatures included, and that plants got their mention as well.  I loved the creativity and thought that has obviously gone into this book, and think it is a valuable read for interested readers. I think it would be an asset to classroom, school, and public libraries as well as the personal collection for young readers. 

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: Eye by Eye: Comparing How Animals See by Sara Levine, T.S. Spookytooth

Eye by Eye: Comparing How Animals See is a nonfiction picturebook written by Sara Levine and illustrated by T.S. Spooktooth. It is currently scheduled for release on September 1 2020. 

What kind of animal would you be if you had eight eyes? Or if your pupils were the shape of the letter W? Keep an eye out for weird and surprising facts in this playful picture book, which brings together comparative anatomy with a guessing game format. See how your animal eyes are like—and unlike—those of starfish, spiders, goats, cuttlefish, owls, and slugs. 

Eye by Eye: Comparing How Animals See is a wonderful look at the ingenuity of nature. The text was clear and engaging- making the information understandable and interesting to read. The art work pairs pretty much perfectly with the text- adding details in interest to each page.  Some of the information was brand new to me, like the shape of a cuddlefish's pupil. Even the information I knew was presented in a way that made it fun and interesting to read. Every page was fun to look at, and engaging to read. I also enjoyed the bits of extra information and resources included in the endpages. That always makes me happy. I think this book would be a great addition to libraries, schools, classroom, and personal school collections. 

Book Review: Kid Authors: True Tales of Childhood from Great Authors by David Stabler

Kid Authors: True Tales of Childhood from Great Authors by David Stabler is part of a series that includes Kid Presidents, Kid Artists, and Kid Athletes. The book features true tales of famous writers, from long before they were famous—or even old enough to drive. Did you know that Sam Clemens (aka Mark Twain) loved to skip school and make mischief, with his best friend Tom, of course! How about that a young J. R. R. Tolkien was bitten by a huge tarantula—or as he called it, “a spider as big as a dragon.” Did you know that as a toddler Zora Neale Hurston took her first steps when a wild hog entered her house and started chasing her! The  inclusive collection of authors includes Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, J. K. Rowling, Langston Hughes, Jules Verne, Lewis Carroll, Stan Lee, and many more.

Kid Authors: True Tales of Childhood from Great Authors is an interesting read. The information on each author is short, but accessible and relatable to young readers that want to see authors as the children they once were, and understand that their favorite author had to suffer through somer of the same problems that they might face (or worse). I like that the authors discussed are varied, they all come from different backgrounds and write different types of books. This means that young readers and writers are likely to find at least one author described that they can connect with on some level. I knew some of the stories told, but did learn some new information and enjoyed getting a new look at authors like Rowling and Cleary. I would gladly have kept going with more information and more authors, but I think the book hit the right length and depth for the target audience.