Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* The smell of rotten is the sweet scent of life, Sanchez writes, after explaining with only light smears of gross detail the worthy work of dung beetles, fungi, bacteria, earthworms, sharks, vultures, and the teeming residents of the Rotten Log Hotel. Young naturalists will relish the opportunity to learn about cadaverine and putrescene, along with the various processes and expediters of decomposition, and to venture into scientific frontiers with glimpses of recently discovered pollution--eating fungi and of bacteria with a taste for certain plastics. Some of her Rot It Yourself suggestions for general observations or activities may need more unpacking (parents might take a dim view of heaping garbage in the yard to make a compost pile, for instance), but she offers a lively general overview to which Ford's informal scenes of wildlife in work clothes, great whites gathering around a picnic basket, and similar visual foolery add genial notes. Even readers who don't buy the claim that decomposition can seem . . . almost magical will come away appreciating how artfully nature moves in cycles.--Selenia Paz Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
George makes the animals kids see at zoos relatable in this behind-the-scenes overview. Accompanied by candid photos, brief anecdote-driven chapters explore different aspects of a zoo animal's life, including regular visits to the veterinarian and time at "school" doing puzzles. Scattered throughout are quirky facts (e.g., bearcats smell like popcorn). Meeting PJ the rhinoceros, Boone the panther, and other real-life zoo inhabitants will likely inspire a trip to the zoo. Glos. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A behind-the-scenes look at zoo animals, large and small, and their keepers.Filled with appealing, occasionally dramatic photos taken at eight zoos in the U.S. and Germany (including a boarding school in New York State that houses its own zoo), this informative book is divided into thematic two-page spreads on subjects including baby animals, behavioral development, training, and medicine. Each section features one or two specific animals, often named and pictured, to personalize the narrative. In a spread headed "Where Do Zoo Babies Come from?" it is noted that although walrus "Ginger was born in captivity to her parents Garfield and Kaboodle" (the names of some animals will be a source of amusement), her new friend Aku "was found by gold miners in Alaska, separated from his mother and desperately in need of food and water" and transported to Orlando by a rescue team. The author uses this story to counter the opinion that people "fear animals are stolen from the wild" and taken to zoos. The animal workers for the most part present white. Throughout the book, there is an emphasis on the skills and caring attitudes of the various zoo staff members, which may have readers wishing for information on preparation for these various jobs. Issues concerning climate change, conservation, and endangered species (all defined in the glossary) are briefly mentioned.Engaging encounters with a variety of animals and the humans who intimately interact with them. (Nonfiction. 8-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
