Review by Booklist Review
Flooding and climate change have become increasingly important topics that need to be addressed, and our youngest readers the hope for the future of this planet will learn important information about our world and its climate in this informative text. After introducing the role water plays on earth and the causes of rising sea levels, Thomas takes readers to areas of the planet, such as Miami Beach, Greenland, and the Nile Delta, that will be devastatingly affected by rising sea levels. Facts about the current population of each area highlighted are included and are accompanied by predictions on what will happen to these places in the near future. Illustrations of how these areas might look underwater stress the importance of taking action now, while the cheery design and bright palette help lighten up the heavy proceedings. In a What Can You Do? section, readers are given ways to help prevent further climate change, and a glossary explains key terms. An engaging, lively addition to nonfiction collection on a timely, increasingly urgent topic.--Paz, Selenia Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Discussions of climate change are often nonspecific and abstract. This accessible call to action focuses on particular regions of the world that have been or may be impacted by rising sea levels. Thomas begins with a straightforward explanation of why sea levels are rising, describing the impact of carbon emissions in the atmosphere leading to warming water, which expands. Melting glaciers and ice sheets are also culprits in the rise of sea levels, she explains. Digitally rendered photo illustrations depict hypothetical flooding-the Statue of Liberty appears waist-deep in seawater; the Gateway to India monument is flooded from Mumbai Harbor; and a future Miami Beach is inundated. The eye-catching images may come across as dramatized worst-case-scenarios, yet the photographs of areas that are already facing damaging floods underscore the true potential for destruction. End pages offer 10 steps readers can take to help combat global warming, including reducing water usage, eating less meat, and recycling. Ages 9-13. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-Thomas explains how increased carbon emissions contribute to higher temperatures that lead to rising sea levels. The results could displace millions of people in coastal areas and on islands and reduce land available for agriculture, manufacturing, and housing. The author focuses on 15 locales from around the world, where residents are making plans to protect, adapt, and/or relocate. Each scenario discusses the current situation and projects the possible effects by 2100. In places like New Orleans and the Nile Delta, sea encroachment is already measurable. Island nations such as the Maldives and Kiribati face the challenge of relocating their residents before their land disappears entirely, while the Netherlands continues to implement plans to protect its population. Thomas maintains a calm, measured tone despite some of the alarming possibilities presented. Maps, text boxes, diagrams, and photos enhance the visual presentation. Among the striking images are digital photos of what Miami Beach, FL, and Dhaka, Bangladesh, and other locations might look like if rising seal levels continue unabated. Suggestions for readers to reduce carbon emissions contain familiar ideas, such as conserving water and electricity, recycling, eating less meat, and shopping locally. VERDICT This sobering and dispassionate presentation of vital information deserves a place in most libraries.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fifteen "hotspots" demonstrate the potential effects of rising sea levels around the world.While the author of this timely warning makes clear that human-caused climate changes are responsible for rising sea levels, the focus is on specific places grappling with it. Thomas describes the current status of each (location, population, area size, feet above sea level, and something special about the place), the number of people likely to be affected by sea-level rise by 2100, and the area's game plan: protection, adaptation, and/or population relocation. The areas described lie on low-lying islands, coasts, and deltas around the world from Greenland to Antarctica. In two opening chapters, Thomas introduces the issue with a short explanation, charts, photographs, and graphic images as well as a map. Each example is presented in two to four pages with lively design, accessible text, and obviously doctored photographs showing drowning buildings and statues. There are three examples from the U.S. and two from eastern Canada. Other hot spots include Bangladesh, Mumbai, and the Nile delta. A final section offers 10 solid suggestions for middle-grade readers, from the obvious "speak up!" and "reduce, reuse, recycle" to the less-often-mentioned "eat less meat" and "be a backyard scientist."A slightly different take on a global challenge. (glossary, resources, carbon and water cycles, index) (Nonfiction. 9-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
