Audiobook Review: Magnetic North: Sea Voyage to Svalbard by Jenna Butler, Narrated by Marysia Bucholc

Magnetic North: Sea Voyage to Svalbard by Jenna Butler, narrated by Marysia Bucholc, takes readers (and listeners) along on a voyage from the endangered Canadian boreal forest to the environmentally threatened Svalbard archipelago off the coast of Norway.  Jenna Butler takes us on a sea voyage that connects continents and traces the impacts of climate change on northern lands. With a conservationist, female gaze, she questions explorer narratives and the mythic draw of the polar North. As a woman who cannot have children, she writes out the internal friction of travelling in Svalbard during the fertile height of the Arctic summer. Blending travelogue and poetic meditation on place, Jenna Butler draws readers to the beauty and power of threatened landscapes, asking why some stories in recorded history are privileged while others speak only from beneath the surface.

Magnetic North: Sea Voyage to Svalbard was a bit of a mixed bag for me, but that is on me for not fully reading the description of the title before requesting it from Netgalley. On one hand I really appreciated getting an account of places and experiences that are well outside me reach. Getting a better understanding of just what it is like at the top of the world, the the lives that those in the region live. The informational, travel, and human experience aspects of the  book were engaging and I feel enriched for having learned more. However, I am not typically one that goes in search of poetry, it is just not one of my preferred genres or mediums. I will say that I could appreciate the skill, meaning, and heart infused in the  work, but I just did not enjoy it the way that readers that really appreciate the form would. It was still an interesting read, and I can see it being a hit with its target audience, that's just not me. 

Early Book Review: The Rainforest Book by Charlotte Milner

The Rainforest Book by Charlotte Milner is a children's nonfiction book currently scheduled for release on February 2 2021. Sweep aside the liana vines, hop over the giant roots of the kapok tree, and follow the sound of the howler monkey as you venture into the tropical rainforest. Find out about some of the amazing animals that live there, learn about the enormous variety of life-giving plants, and discover why the Amazon rainforest is known as the 'lungs' of our Earth. In this book, Charlotte Milner continues to highlight the important ecological issues faced by our planet, following on from The Bee Book, The Sea Book, and The Bat Book. Did you know that over half of our planet's wildlife live in the rainforest? And that at least two meters of rain falls in the rainforest every year? The world's rainforests are packed with amazing animals and plants, from the deadly poison dart frog, to the stinky rafflesia flower--there is plenty to discover! As our planet's climate crisis becomes even more critical, with forest fires raging in the Amazon, The Rainforest Book is the perfect way to introduce little nature-lovers to this enchanting yet threatened world. This celebration of the rainforest shows children just how important it is, and reminds them that it is up to us to care for our planet and its wildlife.

The Rainforest Book is a well researched, illustrated, and written book. I thought the information was very interesting, and I learned a few new things even though I thought myself well versed on the subject. I liked that the information was well rounded but straightforward with no judgement, just the facts. I thought the illustrations and page formats were very well thought out and executed. It captured, built up, and maintained my attention, and I expect it will do the same for other readers. I also liked that in all the information, there is also detailed things that can help readers make choices that will lessen their impact on the environment in general, and the rainforests specifically. There are opportunities for the readers to get hands on, and to have an impact. My only complaint is one I often have with nonfiction materials, and that is that there was no suggested reading or similarly themed addition in the endpages. I was glad for the creature index, but suggested books, websites, or organizations listed in one place at the end of the book would make me very happy.

I think fans of Milner's previous book will want to add The Rainforest Book to their collection. Readers that have not been following this collection, but love learning about nature and the environment will also get a great deal from this book.

Early Book Review: Follow Those Zebras: Solving a Migration Mystery by Sandra Markle

Follow Those Zebras: Solving a Migration Mystery by Sandra Markle is currently scheduled for release on April 7 2020. Every year in Namibia, about two thousand zebras suddenly disappear from their grazing area along the Chobe River. Months later, the herd returns. Where do they go? And why? Thanks to satellite-tracking collars, scientists were able to solve the mystery, but several questions remain. Award-winning science author Sandra Markle reveals the process scientists used to study the zebras, and she also delves into the science of migration, exploring how animals know where to go, how to get there, and when to leave.

Follow Those Zebras is well written and researched. I liked that the photographs, maps, and small bubbles of additional facts broke up the pages, putting the information in accessible blocks for younger or more distractible readers. I still find it fascinating that no one knew were the herd was going, you would think that many zebra moving year after year would have garnered more attention then people just wondering where they went. With the way people have taken over so much land I would have thought someone would have tracked their movements by now. I loved learning about the methodology of how they managed to track the zebras and what they learned. I also really liked that the scientists did not stop there, having their initial questions answered. Instead they looked further to see the whys behind the migration, and how people and climate change could impact the future of the zebras, and are working to help them survive in a changing environment. I thought that the additional zebra facts, references, resources for further reading, and glossary are important touches as well, and always make my day when they are included.

Follow Those Zebras is another fascinated nonfiction book about animals from Markle. It would be a great addition to school and classroom libraries.