Non-Fiction Monday: Way to Glow: amazing creatures that light up in the dark by Lisa Regan

Way to Glow: amazing creatures that light up in the dark by Lisa Regan. 48 p. Scholastic Inc., December, 2015. 9780545906616.

Do I really need two books on bioluminescence in my library? Yes! I recently read and enjoyed Glow by W.H. Beck, which was quietly stunning. Way to Glow is loud and in your face and crammed with facts, some of which are enclosed in "air" bubbles as a neat design feature. Each example of bioluminescence is given a double-page spread. If the page number is surrounded by a star, and the reader holds the page to a light source for 30 seconds, then retreats to a darkened space, the reader is treated to glow in the dark effects. And, yeah, they are pretty cool. 

Each set of end-pages features a different bioluminescent animal - one sea and one of the few land animals in a full-color double-page spread. The double-page spreads for the mostly sea creatures feature dramatic photos like the decapod shrimp repelling a predator by shooting light out of its mouth - hence the nickname fire-breathing shrimp. The firefly and the click beetle are the only land animals.

Unfamiliar words are in yellow and defined in a short glossary at the end of the book. My only complaint? No source notes or suggestions for further reading, just photo credits smooshed on the title page. Still, this attractively designed, informative introduction should have appeal for a variety of readers. Display it prominently. 

Non-Fiction Monday: Glow by W. H. Beck

Glow by W. H. Beck. 32 p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, December, 2015. 9780544416666. (Borrowed from the public library)

I zipped across the street to the public library from work at lunch time recently to pick up a novel I was considering for a read aloud. As I zig-zagged through the shelves toward the juvenile fiction section, I spied this cover on the "New Books" shelf. Now that's an eye-catching cover! Once I snagged the book I needed, I grabbed the book I wanted and decided to postpone beginning my read aloud to share Glow with my students.

My small group was instantly intrigued. Their attention grabbed by the dramatic photos set on a black background. Sometimes, they want to rush through books. Not so this one. They pored over the photos.

Twin narratives maintained their attention. The larger font tells a simple story, while the smaller font adds more information. Pages at the end feature thumbnail photos of each animal with further information such as scientific name, size and the depth at which each lives. Some of the scientific names are followed by pronunciation in parentheses, some not. While not a definitive source for research, this lovely volume will definitely pique interest in the wonder of bioluminescence.

I will be purchasing this for my own library.