Review of Little Larry Goes to School, by Gerry Ellis with Mary Rand Hess

Little Larry Goes to School

The True Story of a Timid Chimpanzee Who Learned to Reach New Heights

by Gerry Ellis
with Mary Rand Hess

National Geographic Kids, 2019. 32 pages.
Review written October 7, 2020, from a library book

Here’s a sweet picture book, beautifully illustrated with photographs, about an orphaned chimpanzee baby who was afraid to climb trees.

It’s all a true story and they took plenty of heart-warming photos along the way. Little Larry suffered an accident that injured him and left him an orphan when he was only a few days old (and that’s all the detail they give about the accident). So human caregivers at a sanctuary in Africa cared for him and nursed him back to health.

Little Larry had to learn how to live with other chimpanzees in the forest of the sanctuary. This book shows the process he went through, with plenty of cute photos of Little Larry.

Little Larry’s new chimp companions had fun jumping and climbing in the trees, but Little Larry preferred the forest floor. The book shows the slow process Little Larry went through to overcome his fear and learn to climb with the others.

There’s fun information at the back, including a page “Speak like Little Larry” that shows three of the sounds Larry makes – the Food Grunt, the Play Face, and the Pant-Hoot – what they mean, and how to imitate him.

This book is visually so interesting, if I ever get to booktalk in the schools again, it will be an easy winner. The message of overcoming your fears – even if you’re a chimp – is inspiring as well.

natgeokids.com

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Review of The Spirit of Springer, by Amanda Abler, illustrated by Levi Hastings

The Spirit of Springer

the Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca

by Amanda Abler
illustrated by Levi Hastings

Little Bigfoot (Sasquatch Books), 2020. 52 pages.
Review written July 27, 2020, from a library book
Starred Review

The Spirit of Springer is in picture-book format, but it tells a sophisticated story of an orphaned baby orca who had traveled hundreds of miles from her pod and was rescued by scientists.

In 2002, a little orca on her own was discovered in Puget Sound, near Seattle. First, it took scientists to figure out where she belonged and which pod she had come from. Using her calls as well as other data, they determined that she was three hundred miles away from her family and that she was an orca who had been named Springer.

She was also in poor health and was not doing well on her own. The scientists also established that her mother was dead, but they needed to figure out how to get her back to her family.

This book tells about that endeavor, which was ultimately successful. It uses the perspective of two scientists who worked on the project, with notes in the back about many more people who were involved, along with more details about the pod where Springer belonged.

I expected a light-hearted, shallow story about saving an orca when I saw the cover. What I got was a detailed and inspiring story of the best efforts of humans to bring a little creature back to her family.

I thought it was especially fascinating how much is known about orca sounds and dialects. They know enough to be able to determine this when Springer was brought back to the waters of her family (in a holding pen until scientists were sure she was ready for release).

For a moment, Springer fell silent. This was the first time she had heard another orca calling in her dialect in over a year. She was so excited she could only make nonsense whale sounds, just like someone might scream, “Ahhh!” when surprised at a birthday party.

Besides giving so many scientific details, this book also is written with heart. You come to love Springer and cheer at the happy outcome.

SasquatchBooks.com

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Review of How Do Bridges Work? by Roman Belyaev

How Do Bridges Work?

by Roman Belyaev

b small publishing, 2020. First published in Russian in 2020.
Review written August 6, 2021, from a library book
Starred Review

This book does exactly what the title suggests – clearly explains how bridges work. There are plenty of pictures to help the reader understand.

Along the way, they show many actual examples. They look at the different ways bridges are structured and actual examples of each. Then the book looks at the many different ways bridges have been built.

In the back, there’s a fun section about actual bridges. We see the most unusual bridges, record-breaking bridges, and iconic bridges, finishing up with bridges in mythology and bridges in art.

I liked this bit of insight introducing record-breaking bridges:

Since there is no standard way to design or build a bridge, all world records are a relative concept. For example, to name the tallest bridge, first we have to specify what we mean by “height”: the height of the road deck or the height of the entire structure itself, including the pylons.

Once I opened this book, I couldn’t stop reading. The concepts are presented logically and clearly, and the reader will discover that bridges can be fascinating.

bsmall.co.uk

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Review of Mars Is, by Suzanne Slade

Mars Is

Stark Slopes, Silvery Snow, and Startling Surprises

by Suzanne Slade

Peachtree, 2021. 48 pages.
Review written July 28, 2021, from a library book
Starred Review

This book consists of close-up photographs of Mars, enhanced with color, taken by HiRISE, an advanced camera on a spacecraft orbiting Mars. The pictures are highlighted with simple text printed in very large letters, and then more detailed text explaining a little more.

Here’s an example of a spread that features an interesting swirly and sparkly photograph:

Mars is slippery snow and ice,

During winter, these sandy dunes in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars become covered with snow and big sheets of dry ice. When the sun shines in springtime, the ice begins to crack. soon, gas escapes up through the cracks and carries dark sand to the surface, painting beautiful, swirling designs.

Because the book has the simple and large text, you could use this book even with preschoolers, simply focusing on the general ideas. As kids get older, they’ll be fascinated by the details.

And anyone – child or adult – will enjoy looking at these amazing images from another world.

suzanneslade.com
peachtree-online.com

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Review of Encyclopedia of Strangely Named Animals, Volume One, by Fredrik Colting & Melissa Medina, illustrated by Vlad Stankovic

Encyclopedia of Strangely Named Animals

Volume One

by Fredrik Colting & Melissa Medina
illustrated by Vlad Stankovic

Moppet Books, 2020. 52 pages.
Review written November 14, 2020, from a library book

This book is too much fun not to write a review. This “Encyclopedia” is for young readers. It lists twenty-eight strangely named animals. Each animal gets at least a page, sometimes two, with a large picture and a short and simple paragraph about the animal. It’s straightforward – but so much fun to browse.

Here’s an example, without the impressive pictures:

Sarcastic Fringehead

The Sarcastic Fringehead is a small fish with a very big mouth that makes its home in empty shells off the coast of California. When two Sarcastic Fringeheads get into a territorial argument over a shell, they settle it by pressing their huge mouths against each other. And just like sarcastic people, whoever has the biggest mouth is the one who wins the argument.

Other strangely named animals listed here include the Chicken Turtle, Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla, Sparklemuffin (a kind of Australian spider), Pleasing Fungus Beetle, White-Bellied Go-Away Bird, Pink Fairy Armadillo, Boops Boops, Tasseled Wobbegong, and Striped Pajama Squid. This book is a delight for curious people of all ages.

moppetbookspublishing.com

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Review of The Wisdom of Trees, by Lita Judge

The Wisdom of Trees

How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom

by Lita Judge

Roaring Brook Press, 2021. 48 pages.
Review written March 23, 2021, from a library book
Starred Review

The Wisdom of Trees brings to a child’s level information about how trees communicate and help one another, which I learned in the book for adults, The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben. It’s listed as a resource in the back.

On each spread this book has a poem in the voice of trees, a painting from an actual forest, and a sidebar explaining the concept expressed in the poem. An Author’s Note at the back explains the location for each painting.

These poems cover concepts like trees telling each other about insects or predators and responding with chemicals to drive them away, trees communicating via fungi, trees resting in the winter, and trees nurturing young saplings.

This recent discovery that trees communicate and nurture one another is one that will delight children, as it did me when I learned about it.

Here’s an example poem about the way the roots of elder trees live on.

We Are the Ghosts

My limbs and needles are gone,
and the warm body of a newborn deer
comes to rest within the ghost of my great trunk
that once touched the sky.
But underneath the soft litter
of fallen needles and dark soil, I still live,
surrounded by my kingdom
with their willingness to give.

A lovely book that will reward repeated rereadings.

litajudge.net
mackids.com

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Review of A Journey Under the Sea, by Craig Foster and Ross Frylinck

A Journey Under the Sea

by Craig Foster and Ross Frylinck

Clarion Books, 2022. 52 pages.
Review written March 9, 2023, from a library book
Starred Review

The stars of this picture book are the large-format undersea photographs. Every spread is filled with color and light and undersea life.

All the pictures are taken off the coast of South Africa, and the story is a loose one of what you might find if you go for a dive. We see some animals good at camouflage, like an octopus and cuttlefish, as well as some predators like a cow shark and some pyjama sharks.

This isn’t really a book full of facts for doing reports (though there are plenty of facts). It’s a book to leaf through and wonder at. The enormous pictures will make you feel like you know what it’s like to be at the bottom of the sea in the kelp forest.

harpercollinschildrens.com

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Review of How to Explain Coding to a Grown-Up, by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Teresa Martinez

How to Explain Coding to a Grown-Up

by Ruth Spiro
illustrated by Teresa Martinez

Charlesbridge, 2023. 32 pages.
Review written November 17, 2023, from a library book.
Starred Review

I love this title! It of course gives a clear and simple explanation of coding — because that’s what grown-ups need.

The pictures show an elementary school-aged kid and her grown-up. And the book explains that sometimes your grown-up may need your help understanding things. I love the Pro Tips sprinkled throughout. Here are some examples:

Pro Tip: When dealing with grown-ups, don’t jump into the complicated stuff too fast. Start with something they already know.

At that point, you’re explaining that many common objects in your home have computers inside them.

Pro Tip: Now may be a good time to check in with your grown-up. Ask if they have any questions before you move on.

That tip comes after showing what’s inside a computer, talking about what code is, and telling that programmers write the code.

Then to explain algorithms, you’re encouraged to take your grown-up for a walk in the park with healthy snacks, using an algorithm to decide whether to swing on the swings (depending on if one is available). With that example, the grown-up learns about conditionals and loops.

Then the book adds some more details such as debugging, and then it’s time to ask your grown-up questions.

Pro Tip: If your grown-up can explain it, that shows they understand it!

It all adds up to a basic explanation of coding that’s a lot of fun to read.

ruthspiro.com
charlesbridge.com

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Review of Hidden Systems, by Dan Nott

Hidden Systems

Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day

by Dan Nott

RH Graphic, 2023. 264 pages.
Review written September 29, 2023, from a book sent by the publisher.
Starred Review
2023 National Book Award Longlist

Hidden Systems is graphic novel format nonfiction about some essentially important – but hidden things. In three sections, the author explains, with diagrams and drawings, how the Internet works, how electricity works, and how our water systems work.

It’s interesting that the topics are approached in the opposite order from the subtitle, which is also the opposite order from how they were developed in the real world. But taking a present to the past approach does get the information across.

At the front of the book, the author talks about what hidden systems are and how he learned about them by trying to draw them. Because so much is invisible, the metaphors we use to describe them are important. Here’s a bit from that introduction, which has a small picture accompanying each line.

A hidden system is something we don’t notice
until it breaks.

But when these systems are doing what they’re supposed to,
they become so commonplace
that we hardly see them.

Hidden systems are in the news all the time.
Usually when something dramatic happens.
(especially if something explodes)
But by overlooking hidden systems the rest of the time,
we take for granted the benefits they provide for some of us,
and disregard the harm they cause others.
These systems structure our society,
and even when they’re working,
are a source of inequality and environmental harm.

Something I appreciated about this look at the Internet, Electricity, and Water Systems is that he showed the big picture, too – how these things are physically hooked up and connected around the world.

There was a lot I didn’t know about each system: The importance of data centers for the internet, almost all the physical aspects of the electricity grid, and our frequent use of dams to run the water system.

Okay, this summary doesn’t do the book justice. Let me urge you to read it – and look at it – for yourself. (So much is communicated by the drawings!) The story of how humans have built these systems helps us think about what ways we could modify them to better work with our earth.

As he finishes up (accompanied by pictures):

We often just see the surface of our surroundings,
but by understanding these systems more deeply,
we can form our own questions about their past and future.
The answers to these questions can help us not only fix these systems
but also reimagine them –
creating a world that’s more in balance with the Earth
and that provides equitably for all people.

dannott.com
RHKidsGraphic.com

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Review of The Forest in the Sea, by Anita Sanchez

The Forest in the Sea

Seaweed Solutions to Planetary Problems

by Anita Sanchez

Holiday House, 2023. 92 pages.
Review written April 11, 2023, from a library book.

This is another example of a children’s book that taught me all kinds of science I didn’t know. In this case, it’s the science of seaweed.

The book begins with a story of cows on Prince Edward Island whose lives – and milk – got better when they had seaweed added to their food. In a later chapter, I learned that adding certain kinds of seaweed to cattle feed can keep them from producing methane — and methane from cows is a major force behind climate change.

I learned that there are many different kinds of seaweed, and that they aren’t actually part of the plant or animal kingdoms, but a type of algae. They are fundamental to oceanic ecosystems, and I learned about the Sargasso Sea, which is all about dense mats of floating seaweed called sargassum, sort of a golden floating inverted rain forest, full of a rich variety of marine life.

But this book especially focused on many areas of research using seaweed to solve human problems. This paragraph from the back of the book sums many of them up:

Imagine what the future might hold. Biodegradable plastic made from seaweed. Cars fueled with seaweed. You might drink clean, safe water filtered by seaweed. Maybe you’ll live in a house roofed with insulation of compressed seaweed, or wear clothing made of seaweed fabric. Someday this book might be printed on paper made from seaweed. There’s no end to the possibilities.

It all adds up to a book packed with interesting facts and generously illustrated with photographs.

HolidayHouse.com/BooksforaBetterEarth

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