Synopses & Reviews
On remote Codfish Island off the southern coast of New Zealand live the last ninety-one kakapo parrots on earth. These trusting, flightless, and beautiful birdsand#8212;the largest and most unusual parrots on earthand#8212;have suffered devastating population loss.
Now, on an island refuge with the last of the species, New Zealandand#8217;s National Kakapo Recovery Team is working to restore the kakapo population. With the help of fourteen humans who share a single hut and a passion for saving these odd ground-dwelling birds, the kakapo are making a comeback in New Zealand.
Follow intrepid animal lovers Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop on a ten-day excursion to witness the exciting events in the life of the kakapo.
Review
"Whether describing the physics of echolocation or the present crisis of white-nose syndrome, Carson encourages readers to rethink stereotypes about creatures once scorned as flying vermin and shows how intricately their survival is tied to our own."and#8212;
Booklist, starred reviewand#160;
"A strong scientific look at a unique and often unloved mammal and the scientists who happily investigate them"and#8212;School Library Journal
Praise for Emi and the Rhino Scientist and#160; A Bank Street College of Education Best Childrenand#8217;s Book of the Year
A Parentand#8217;s Choice Award Winner in Non-Fiction
A Booklist Top 10 Sci-Tech Books for Youth 2008 A Booklist Top 10 Books on the Enviroment for Youth 2008
A Junior Library Guild Selection
* and#8220;Top-notch nonfictionand#8230;A captivating telescopic view of a unique animal.and#8221;and#8212;Booklist, starred review and#160; * "The emphasis on reproductive science and zoo work both make this an unusual addition to the admirable Scientists in the Field series, one that should be welcome in high-school as well as middle-school libraries."and#8212;Kirkus, starred review and#160; "Through lively prose and stunning full-color photographs, readers learn how Terri Roth, an expert in endangered-species reproduction, helped Emi to give birth to the first Sumatran rhino born in captivity in more than 100 years...Like many of the entries in this popular series, Emi is an engaging and informative."and#8212;School Library Journal
Review
"Combining exemplary color photos and simple, vivid language, the chapters detail not only George's day-to-day methodology, but also his motivation: to explore "the mystery of the whales"--all the things that remain unknown about the animal."--Booklist, starred review
Review
"Children fascinated by Jenkins' vibrant cut-paper artwork in Actual Size won't want to miss this similiar oversize album of prehistoric creatures that range from tiny to enormous." and#151;Booklist, starred Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
"Stunning paper collage illustrations provide artistic interpretations of what each animal may have looked like." -Horn Book, starred Horn Book, Starred
Review
"This intriguing volume from the Scientists in the Field series will interest readers." --
Booklist "The many color photographs, predominantly from the Namibian field sites, capture the majestic elder elephants, their always-appealing offspring, and the dusty, rugged landscapes in which the scientists and research assistants camp and work."--
Horn Bookand#160; "This amazing presentation is a must-have for all collections." --
School Library Journal, starred review
and#160;
Review
"Under the careful supervision of forest rangers and volunteers on an island off the New Zealand coast, the nearly extinct, flightless Kakapo parrot is the object of an intensive rescue effort described by this experienced writer-photographer team...As always, theand#160;photographer's remarkable and clearly reproduced photographs support and enhance the text. The book's careful design is unobtrusive: The progress of an opening egg sets off page numbers, and fern patterns provide a subtle decoration. Bibliography and a website encourageand#160;readers' further explorations. Wonderful."and#8212;
Kirkus, starred review"Montgomeryand#8217;s delight in her subject is contagious, and throughout her enthusiastic text, she nimbly blends scientific and historical facts with immediate, sensory descriptions of fieldwork. Young readers will be fascinated."and#8212;Booklist, starred review "Take a parrot. Color it green. Give it soft, fluffy feathers, and whiskers. Give it sumo proportions and take away its power of flight. Make it nocturnal, and have it nest underground. Aha! A kakapo!...Excellent photos and a readable, conversational text provide an intimate look at a concerted effort to save a drastically endangered species unfamiliar to most of the world outside Down Under. Readers who enjoyed this author/photographer teamand#8217;s The Tarantula Scientist (2007) or Quest for the Tree Kangaroo (2006, both Houghton) will gobble up this tribute to ecological science in action." and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
"More than most books about environmentalism or endangered species, this will encourage kids to consider how hands-on action can genuinely make a difference and how scientific contributions can be made by people who never go near a test tube."and#8212;The Bulletin, starred review
Synopsis
Bat scientist Dr. Merlin Tuttle and his colleagues at Bat Conservation International study these fascinating creatures of the night, in hopes of protecting them from a new disease called White-nose symdrome, which threatens many speciesand#8217; very existence.
Synopsis
Dr. Merlin Tuttle and his colleagues at Bat Conservation International aren'tand#160;scared of bats. These bat crusaders are fascinated by them, with good reason.and#160;Bats fly the night skies inand#160;nearly every part of theand#160;world, but they are the least studied of all mammals. As the major predator of night-flying insects, bats eat manyand#160;pests. Unfortunately bats are facing many problems, including a terrifying new disease. White-nose Syndrome is infecting and killing millions of hibernating bats in North America. But Dr. Tuttle, with the help of his fellow bat scientists areand#160;inand#160;the trenchesand#8212;and cavesand#8212;on the front line of the fight to save their beloved bats.
Synopsis
and#8220;Rich with fascinating information and photographs.and#8221;and#8212;
Horn BookDr. Merlin Tuttle is fascinated by bats, with good reason.and#160;Bats fly the night skies the world over, but are the least studied of all mammals. As the major predator of night-flying insects, bats eat manyand#160;pests.and#160;But bats are facing many problems, including a scary new disease. White-nose syndrome is killing millions of bats in North America. Dr. Tuttle and his fellow bat scientists are on the front line of theand#160;fight to save their beloved bats.and#160;This edition features updates with the most recent information about WNS. Find more aboutand#160;this series at www.sciencemeetsadventure.com.
Synopsis
A beautifully photographed Scientists in the Field entry about Craig George, son of childrenand#39;s author Jean Craighead George, and his life in Barrow, Alaska, as an arctic whale scientist and expert on the bowhead whale.
Synopsis
As fascinating and informative as ever, this sequel to Jenkinsand#39; equally impressive Actual Size presents prehistoric creatures to lifesize proportions. Itand#39;s hard to imagine a six foot long millipede or a dinosaur even smaller than a chicken, but readers come face to face with these and many more in this outstanding nonfiction offering from a Caldecott Honor winner.
Synopsis
What is it like to come face-to-face with the ten-foot-tall terror bird? Or stare into the mouth of the largest meat eater ever to walk the earth? Can you imagine a millipede that is more than six feet long, or a dinosaur smaller than a chicken? In this andldquo;actual sizeandrdquo; look at the prehistoric world, which includes two dramatic gatefolds, youandrsquo;ll meet these awe-inspiring creatures, as well as many others.
Synopsis
In this beautifully designed addition to the Scientists in the Field series, journey to the Namibian desert and witness one of natureand#39;s largest, most complex, and most intelligent mammals through the eyes of an exacting and innovative scientist.
Synopsis
In the sprawling African scrub desert of Etosha National Park in Namibia, they call her "the mother of all elephants." Holding binoculars closely to her eyes, American scientist Caitlin Oand#8217;Connell could not believe what she was seeing from these African elephants: as the mighty matriarch scanned the horizon, the other elephants followed suit, stopped midstride, and stood as still as statues.
This observation would guide the scientist to a groundbreaking discovery about elephant communication: elephants actually listen with their limbs.
The Elephant Scientist was named a 2012 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book.
Synopsis
KAKAPO RESCUEand#160;gives young readers a first hand account of the efforts to save one of the worldand#39;s rarest and more unusual birds, the kakapo. Part of the Scientist in the Field series.
About the Author
The photographers Caitlin Oand#8217;Connell, Ph.D., and Timothy Rodwell, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., are scientists and professional photographers that have blended art and science to help make science more accessible and engaging. Their photography has appeared in National Geographic, National Wildlife Magazine, Discover, Science News, Africa Geographic, and many other international magazines, scientific journals, and newspapers. More of their elephant photography will appear in their forthcoming photography book An Elephant's Life, which will feature every aspect of an elephant's life in rich detail. Caitlin is on the faculty in the Stanford School of Medicine and Timothy is an assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.