Ocean Sunlight

Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas by Molly Bang and Penny Chisolm. Grades 2-5. Scholastic, 2012. Unpaged. Review copy provided by my local library.

Okay, y'all know that plants on land turn the sun's energy into food, which is eaten by animals to create the food chain. And you probably assumed that the ocean (such a massive part of the earth) also has food chains that start when plants catch the sun's light. But where are the ocean's plants? True fact: a billion billion billion teeny tiny plants live in the ocean and catch the sun's light, starting the ocean food chains.

Ocean Sunlight is all about how these microscopic plants (called phytoplankton) contribute to the earth's environment. Not only do they feed animals in the sea, but they give off HALF of the oxygen we breathe every day!

Bright illustrations help take the reader from the (relatively) warm surface waters of the open ocean to the darkest depths of the ocean floor. The text is precisely chosen to convey a big, giant concept in a way that's not overwhelming, while additional information is provided in the back of the book for curious minds. The authors explain how storms at sea and ocean currents help distribute nutrients throughout the sea and why it's so important to understand and take care of our oceans.

This book expands on some of the concepts in Molly Bang's My Light and Molly Bang & Penny Chisolm's Living Sunlight, but it stands alone well. It would make an excellent addition to units on oceans, food chains, and the environment. For older readers, I'd pair this with Tracking Trash by Loree Griffin Burns for more on why we need to take care of our oceans.

Ocean Sunlight is on shelves now!

Happy Nonfiction Monday! This week's roundup is over at Practically Paradise, so make sure you check it out!

Book Review: Heroes of the Environment

Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People Who Are Helping to Protect Our Planet by Harriet Rohmer, illustrated by Julie McLaughlin. Chronicle Books, August 2009. Review copy provided by publisher.

There's a general consensus that the environment is in need of some saving and in Heroes of the Environment we meet a dozen people who are doing just that. From providing space in cities to grow fresh vegetables to installing solar panels to bring electricity to rural Native American houses to inventing new ways to test water for harmful chemicals, these people are doing what it takes to make positive changes.

I don't know that this book has a large amount of browsing appeal, but I do know that it'll be a valuable addition to units on ecology and the environment. (And hey, Earth Day will be here before you know it!)

One thing I really, really liked about Heroes of the Environment is the diversity of the people featured. Each chapter gives information about a different person and what he or she is doing to help the environment. The people featured are all Americans (with the exception of one Mexican and maybe a Canadian or two) and they are all from different areas of North America, different ages, and different ethnicities. Kids may find most compelling the stories of actual kids who are doing something to help the environment, but they will find inspiration in the works of others, too.

This would be a great book to start a discussion on what your kids could be doing to help the environment in your community. Start a recycling program, clean up local beaches or parks, investigate threatened animal or plant species in your area. Some tips for getting involved are included at the end of the book.

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Check out this week's roundup at All About Children's Books.

Book Review: Cycle of Rice, Cycle of Life

Cycle of Rice, Cycle of Life: A Story of Sustainable Farming by Jan Reynolds. (Grades 3-5.) Lee & Low Books, May 2009. Copy provided by my local library.

For thousands of years, the rice farmers of Bali grew rice in a traditional, sustainable way, based on the water cycle. Because Bali only gets fresh water from the rain that falls on the island, there was an established system for sharing the water and routing it through the different farms on the island. When the Indonesian government insisted that the farmers try to increase productivity by planting genetically engineered rice, the system collapsed and so did Bali's rice production.

Reynolds starts by describing the water cycle and the irrigation system on the island. Then she moves into a clear, detailed description of Bali's farming cycle and why it works so well. The cycle of rice was not just a farming tool for the people of Bali. Religious leaders met with farmers and they divided up the water and created a schedule for sharing the water. They all worked together to devise the schedule each year, which brought them together as a community. So, when the farming cycle broke down, it hurt more than just the rice productivity. It threatened the very fabric of Balinese society.

Reynolds presents all of this in an accessible way with beautiful photographs illustrating the information. There is a strong emphasis placed on sustainability, which makes this title an interesting addition to units on ecology and the environment.

An author's note urges readers to consider eating locally and organically in order to protect the environment. A map of Bali and a glossary are included.

Take a gander at some of Jan Reynolds's photos and read an interview with her at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Apparently there was a Cycle of Rice blog tour in April, so I'll point you to the review at Paper Tigers which includes links to the other posts at the bottom.

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Anastasia's got this week's round-up (and she's also put the call out for hosts) over at Picture Book of the Day!

Book Review: Saving the Ghost of the Mountain

Saving the Ghost of Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia by Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop. (Grades 4-8.)
Houghton Mifflin, August 2009. Borrowed from the library.

People call it "the ghost of the mountain." A pale, spotted, almost cloudlike coat makes the snow leopard uncannily invisible in its rocky mountain habitat. People live their entire life among snow leopards and never see one.

Snow leopards are as tough as they are beautiful, They survive in some of the harshest, most remote, most extreme habitats in the world. They can live at altitudes too high for trees - sometimes in places with only half the oxygen people need to breathe easily. They thrive in temperatures cold enough to freeze human tears.

Snow leopards are rare. How rare, you ask? Well, that's hard to tell. Scientists estimate that there might be between 3500 and 7000 in the entire world, but snow leopards are so hard to spot that this estimate might be completely wrong. Enter Tom McCarthy, a scientist who has dedicated his life to studying and protecting the snow leopard. His work takes him to remote places all over the world in search of this elusive cat.

In Saving the Ghost of the Mountain, author Sy Montgomery and photographer Nic Bishop accompany Tom and his team on one such expedition to the harsh Mongolian desert. With her engaging and informative text, Montgomery invites the reader to join them on the journey. First we meet the team, we see how they prepare for the journey, and we stay with them as they climb mountains and hike through the rocky desert, attempting to track the "ghosts of the mountain."

Although the main focus of this book is about the science of animal conservation and the study of an endangered animal, Sy Montgomery also provides lots of information about the people and culture of Mongolia. I came away from this book feeling like I had actually been to Mongolia with the team, which is, I'd imagine, exactly what the author was going for. While the narrative follows the expedition, sidebars and spreads examine different aspects of Mongolian culture. Montgomery also includes information about conservation efforts put in place to help protect the rare snow leopard, most notably The Snow Leopard Trust. The book includes an index and notes from both the author and the photographer.

I love the Scientists in the Field series for their unique insights into the work of many different scientists all over the globe. Kids who love adventure and animals will not be disappointed.

Pair this with Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia by Ted and Betsy Lewin for a further glimpse into Mongolian life.

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Go check out the roundup at Wild About Nature.