The Great Penguin Rescue: saving the African penguins by Sandra Markle. Sandra Markle's Science Discover Series. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, August, 2017. 9781512413151. (Review of purchased finished copy.)
Did you know that there are penguin colonies off the coast of Southern Africa? I always thought penguins only inhabited Antarctica. Just goes to show how much anyone can learn from great children's literature! Time was, millions of penguins lived in many colonies along the southern and southwestern coast of Africa but human interference, in the form of habitat destruction and egg harvesting have brought the colonies to the brink of extinction. Opening with a heartbreaking tale of a starving three-month-old penguin chick crying for her parents while awaiting their return, Markle prompts readers to become invested in the fate of all African penguins.
Markle's storytelling is fascinating as well as accessible. The photos are equally compelling and complement the text. There is at least one crisp, clear full-color photo on each page, with many being full-page. Maps, diagrams and text boxes add extra information. Backmatter includes an author's note; a "Did You Know?" page; a timeline; source notes, a glossary and books and websites to find out more. The STEM teacher at my school is interested in using the title in a unit she has planned.
This series as well as the author's other science titles have pretty much become an automatic purchase for me.
ETA: I thought that I had already reviewed this title but a google search of my blog name plus the title didn't reveal a link. The doc that I keep with the links for my year-end didn't have a link, a search of my daily book talk spreadsheet didn't show anything. Then, this morning, a student of mine informed me that I had already book talked the book. This kid's memory is astounding. Then, I remembered that blogger is no longer secure and that google searches in Chrome do not return non-secure links, hence my not finding it. I can't explain why I didn't find it on my spreadsheet though.
So, sorry for the duplication. It really is a great book though.
The Great Penguin Rescue: saving the African penguins by Sandra Markle. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September, 2017. 9781512413151. (Review of purchased finished copy.)
Did you know that there are penguin colonies off the coast of the African countries of Namibia and South Africa? Back in the 1800s, they numbered in the millions, but human interference such as harvesting eggs, overfishing, and disturbing nesting sites have driven their numbers down to less than 50,000. Fact Friday features The Great Penguin Rescue by Sandra Markle.
Science writer Markle explains the plight of the African penguin in a beautifully designed book filled with plenty of gorgeous full-color photographs. She tugs at the reader's heartstrings with the story of a hungry chick awaiting her parents' return. Adult penguins return from the ocean to feed their young, but our little chick waits in vain. Another day and night go by before the chick wanders off. Sob!
Markle's strength as a science writer is her ability to make an emotional connection with the reader and then explain complicated science concepts in a straightforward, accessible manner. She also highlights the work of scientists and conservation volunteers. Lerner's strength is in designing beautiful backgrounds, colors and font that keep the reader engaged. There is at least one full-color photo on every page. All are well-captioned and support the text. There are also maps and charts to enhance understanding.
Backmatter includes an author's note, a "Did You Know?" page, a timeline, source notes, a glossary, a list of three books and four websites for readers who want to learn more about African penguins. This book belongs in every school, public and science classroom library.
A visit to Ms. Markle's website revealed the news that she has a new book releasing this January! Thanks for the heads up!
Penguin Day: a family story by Nic Bishop. unpgd. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc,, February, 2017. 9780545206365. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publisher.)
Let's see, I started working in a school library in 1998. In 1999, I came across this great little non-fiction read aloud, The Tree Frog by Joy Crowley with superb photographs by Nic Bishop. I became an instant fan and it was not long before any book he was associated with became an automatic purchase. Penguin Day: a family story continues the tradition of excellence.
Per the photographer's note, Bishop spent three weeks in Antarctica observing and photographing rockhopper penguins. Antarctica's climate is challenging at the best of times and Bishop had to contend with severe wind and freezing temperatures. He also notes that he photographed several families for this story.
Simple text tells the story of a rockhopper family's day as a hungry baby's demand for food sends mama rockhopper out to sea in search of krill and leaving papa home to tend to baby. Dangers abound on land and sea for all the rockhoppers. Crisp, close-up photos depict these small penguins known for their distinctive eyebrows in a variety of interactions. Many will evoke, "Aw!" Some evoke tension, as in the photo of papa defending against a vicious skua. One may provoke a chorus of "Ew!" during read aloud, as mama regurgitates her catch.
An author note follows with more information, but there are no suggestions for further reading in books or on websites. Bishop does invite readers to visit his own website for more information on rockhoppers but I did not find any mention of this new book on the author/ photographer's absolutely gorgeous, not-to-be-missed website. I will be checking back there intermittently. I did notice a book or two that slipped under my radar.
Penguin Day makes for a fine read aloud and a solid resource for a variety of elementary science units. First-purchase!
Face to Face with Penguins by Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott. Face to Face series. 32 p. National Geographic Society, October, 2009. 9781426305610. (Review from purchased copy.)
I discovered this older title on a search for penguin books to fill a hole in my school's collection. It seems that penguins suddenly became popular as a subject for a fifth grade Polar regions report. Of course, the gorgeous cover drew my eye and beguiled. Then I noted that it was a National Geographic publication. Sold! I clicked the wanted button and waited for it to arrive.
While I waited, I wondered how I missed it. Later I learned that it is part of a series, so I checked out the eighteen titles and put a few in next year's book order. Sigh. After twelve-plus years of doing this, I still haven't found a foolproof system of keeping up.
Of course, penguins are rather high-interest animals that are quite photogenic. Of course, any Nat Geo publication is going to have spectacular photographs. But this slightly oversized, square book is most attractively designed from penguin-print motif endpage to endpage. I will call the two vibrant yellow of the endpages, Emperor penguin yellows. Very eye-catching!
The text is rather conversational and quite personal. The author describes her and her photographer husband's trip and their up-close and personal encounters with the penguins of South Georgia. One chapter asks the reader to imagine herself a penguin and is written in the second-person, which I personally do not care for. Still, young readers will most likely enthusiastically embrace the request.
There's plenty of white space and photographs on nearly every page in a variety of size from 3/4 spread to full-page to snapshot size. Penguin paw-print decorated text boxes provide extra information with engaging titles like, "What's the scoop on penguin poop. Pink poop means that the penguin's diet consists mostly of krill. Green is an ominous sign.
A chapter entitled Marine Sentinels warns of the effects of global warming on all polar life and includes suggestions that the reader can do to help reduce their family's carbon footprint. There's also a Facts at a Glance section for report writers, a glossary, suggestions for books, films and web sites to explore and an interesting note on the couple's research.
I believe this book will be a popular book for browsers and report writers alike.
Check out other Non-Fiction Monday posts at the Non-Fiction Monday blog.
