Heather Lang

In this biography of Alice Coachman, author Lang did an amazing job at depicting Coachman's career/life. What captured my attention the most was how Lang stated at the beginning of the book that people did not want to shake Coachman's hand because she was black. That drew my attention in, and I am sure that it could capture children's attention as well. Lang focuses this biography on Coachman's life and career in running track and sprinting, and it is truly inspiring.

First, it's a fun read, with lots of cool information that kids like to gobble up. It also has plenty of helpful back matter, good design, appealing illustrations. Especially interesting is that the subject is still working.

Moreover, it fits all sorts of tags. Strong women, biological and environmental sciences, biography, even world cultures.

I love how Lowman brought first herself, then the local people, to the canopy, rather than bringing the denizens, or even worse, the trees themselves, show more down to the scientists.

I learned so much... and I've read books on the subject for a long time.

"To insects, a tree is a salad bar.... To birds and mammals a tree is a buffet--juicy fruits and plump beetles, salamanders and frogs. A tree is a sponge... and a recycler...."

Transpiration in the Amazon rainforest affects weather as far away as Texas.

Note hints at so much more that could be told about Lowman. And she has told some of her own stories, too, so check out her author's page: [a:Margaret Lowman|647313|Margaret Lowman|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] show less

"Supermoms are everywhere. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and species. With powerful instincts and extraordinary skills, these moms do whatever it takes to protect and raise their young."

This concise intro leads into plenty of examples, including groundhogs, emperor penguins, strawberry poison dart frogs, red-knobbed hornbills, polar bears, bearded capuchins, wolf spiders, little brown bats, American alligators, and more. Funny speech bubbles from moms and offspring dot each page show more spread. Back matter incudes superlatives for each (e.g. "super generous," "super determined," "super tough"), along with where they live, what they eat, and a "guess what?" fact. There is also a page full of resources (books, online, and AV).

Marvelous! show less

Margaret “Meg” Lowman, born in 1953, is a scientific pioneer and arbornaut (treetop explorer) known as “the mother of canopy research” for her treetop explorations of the world’s forests. Using hot-air balloons, human slingshots, cherry pickers, construction cranes and walkways, she has worked to map the canopy's biodiversity and to champion forest conservation around the world. Before her innovations, as Lang reports in this book for readers aged 5 and up, most scientists studied show more rainforest treetops through binoculars. Some even cut trees down to study the tops of them.

Meg had been a “leaf detective” since she was a young girl growing up in New York. She collected leaves, identified them, and labeled them. She pursued her passion in college, although one professor refused to let her in his class because she was a female. In graduate school at Sydney University in Australia, she was the first one to study the rainforest. Rainforests have so much to offer for scientists, because the hot, humid environment stimulates a diverse variety of plant and animal species. Lang observes, “We now believe the canopy is home to approximately half the plant and animal species on land.”

Lang reports many fascinating bits of information that Meg discovered, such as the fact that 15 to 25 percent of tropical rainforest leaves are eaten every year, mostly by insects, and mostly at night. She writes, “To insects, a tree is not just a tree, it is a ‘salad bar’ - all-you-can-eat leaves.” In turn, “for birds and mammals, a tree is a buffet - juicy fruits and plump beetles, salamanders, and frogs.”

Much of Meg’s best research was done after she invented the canopy walkway, so she could research day and night, alone or with others. She even started to give rainforest tours on the walkways.

Lang explains how water from the rainforest is important to the whole world: its moisture affects rainfall as far away as Texas. Rainforest trees help clean the air, absorbing carbon dioxide and providing oxygen. Some rainforest trees provide medicines not available from other sources. When the trees are cut by developers seeking timber or rubber or paper, the air becomes less clean.

Meg became devoted to saving the trees, and began teaching ecology around the world. She teaches alternatives to tearing down trees for those who live near rainforests so they can still prosper economically. For example, she shows them how to construct walkways and give canopy tours, and she encourages them to harvest and sell crops from the trees rather than cutting them down. The author writes that Meg is using her voice “to inspire people to save their rainforests to save themselves, because to Meg, a tree is not just a tree. . . . It is essential for life on earth.”

The author concludes with a note in which she gives more background on Meg’s work and talks about her own trips to the canopy in the rainforest with Meg. Meg gave her, she writes, “a new appreciation for the interconnectedness of our world and transformed me into a tree lover.” She includes some photos of their adventures.

A two-page spread in the back matter provides a look at the layers, leaves, and life of the rainforest. The author also includes a bibliography and list of other sources.

Illustrator Jana Christy created beautiful illustrations using leafy patterns to show both the gorgeous variety of the rainforest and the bravery and creativity of Meg Lowman. Throughout the book, she also showcases factoids about the rainforest inside leaf designs rather than the usual rectangular call-out boxes.

Readers will want to check Meg’s website, in which she declares:

“What causes me to leap out of bed each morning is the opportunity to explore, research, and conserve global forests; mentor the next generation (especially women and minorities) in sustainability and forest stewardship; and educate diverse audiences through advising and storytelling.”

Evaluation: Meg’s story is so inspirational. And much of the material in the book could inspire units in biology as well as social sciences for educators. Best of all, the author is donating a portion of her royalties from this book to Meg Lowman’s TREE Foundation. show less