Saturday, December 29, 2012

Island In Depth


It was a chilly Minnesota morning, and though winter is my favorite season, I waited a few hours before heading out for a walk. Later, I visited the warm Galapagos Islands, thanks to the book Island. I love how author and illustrator Jason Chin so adeptly tells a story filled with scientific details in an incredibly engaging manner, accompanied by his fabulous artwork. In Island, I especially appreciated how he uses small squares to show the progression of a species on the island and the evolution of creatures' features. I imagine them as mosaic tiles in a stunning mural! There are so many things to appreciate about this book: the end papers (endemic species at the front and a map at the back), the organization in mini-chapters, the explanation for the islands and the seamounts (submerged islands), the information about Charles Darwin and endemic species, and the striking dust jacket. Readers will savor this book along with Redwoods and Coral Reefs.

3 comments:

  1. Ah, yes! Both yesterday and today have been chilly mornings, but have you seen the moon tonight!!!!!Went to see Anna Karinina, my favorite novel, and the movie did a credible job...I really, really liked the movie and am going to reread the Tolstoy novel. I spent one New Year's eve in Siberia and the novel transported me.

    Did you know that John Milton had the luxury of spending one entire year at a family estate just to read!!? What a dream that would be.

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  2. i bet right now your home feels like an island in a sea of snow. ours sure does.

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  3. The moon has been incredible! What a great story about

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