Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

Summary:  The author of three other I’m Trying to Love… books makes seemingly dull, boring rocks come alive with a spirited girl narrator who corrects the off-the-page speaker by showing how rocks tell interesting stories.  She identifies the three types of rocks, explaining how each kind is formed, and goes on to show examples of work geologists do that kids will relate to.  She makes a brief plug for scientists in general, “Science isn’t about having the answers–it’s about asking questions.”  A careful examination of the end papers indicates that her mission has been accomplished: the front papers show a bunch of rocks, each one labeled “rock”, while the end ones have each rock correctly labeled.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Another lively, informative entry in this series, with plenty of humor, bright cartoon-style illustrations and comic bubble dialogue. This would make a perfect introduction to a unit on rocks for preschool and primary grades.

Cons:  No back matter. 

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Published by Nomad Press (released August 13)

Summary:  Beginning with four haiku about adaptation, the author then moves to a one-page explanation of what animal adaptation is.  From there, it’s a look at individual animals who have interesting adaptations:  ring-tailed lemurs’ stink fights and whales’ earwax from the title, as well as elephants’ ears, star-nosed moles’ noses, giant anteaters’ tongues, and more.  Each two-page spread includes an illustration and a few sentences describing the adaptation and how it helps that animal.  Includes an activity to explore how humans adapt; a page called “Connections” which is a list of fun facts about mammals; and a glossary.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fun introduction to animal adaptation (specifically mammals) with playful illustrations and facts that are sure to pique the interest of young readers.

Cons:  There’s not a lot of information or additional resources; some facts, like “Elephants have an excellent sense of smell” don’t get any additional explanation.

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Published by Candlewick (Released May 26)

Summary:  Kelp forests, like any habitat, are home to a web of living creatures that keep the whole ecosystem in balance.  Otters do their part by eating the fish, shellfish, and sea urchins that live in these forests.  But a demand for the otters’ fur, beginning in the eighteenth century, reduced the otter population on the Pacific coast from between 150,00 and 300,000 to fewer than 2,000.  Without the otters, sea urchins flourished, eating the base of the kelp and eventually destroying the forests.  In 1911, laws were passed to stop the fur trade, and the otters slowly began to return.  As the otter population went up, the sea urchins’ went down, until balance was restored once again.  Includes additional information about kelp forests, sea otters, and people; a bibliography; and a list of additional resources.  32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Another book that shows the importance of maintaining the balance of an ecosystem, how humans often mess that up, and how laws and other regulations can help to restore it.  The text is simple enough for primary grades without being condescending, the watercolor illustrations of the kelp forest world are beautiful, and the sea otters are adorable.

Cons:  There’s a little too much anthropomorphized good-versus-evil in the world of the kelp forest, with the sea otters being described as “the kings of these forests” without any evidence to back that claim.  Meanwhile, the sea urchins, who were really just doing their thing, are portrayed as “an army”.  It doesn’t help that they look a bit like a well-known virus. 

     

Is there a resemblance, or am I just starting to see coronavirus everywhere?

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Published by Sleeping Bear Press

Summary:  In 1976, Canadian scientist Fred Urquhart published an article in National Geographic describing the migration of the monarch butterflies–answering a question that had puzzled scientists for decades.  But Dr. Urquhart didn’t solve this mystery by himself.  Citizen scientists all over the United States and Mexico helped by tagging butterflies and discovering the places where they spent the winter in Mexico.  Today, another mystery about the monarchs needs solving: how to keep these butterflies from dying out.  Pesticides have destroyed much of the milkwood they need to survive.  Readers are encouraged to become part of the solution to this problem, just as ordinary people did for Dr. Urquhart’s research.  Includes additional information and ideas for how to help monarchs.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  This engagingly written science book shows readers how ordinary people can make real contributions to scientific research and help solve global problems.  The back matter gives concrete ways that kids can make a difference.

Cons:  No list of resources for additional research.

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