Lindsay Moore (1)

Talented author/illustrator Lindsay Moore, whose previous two forays into picture book natural history—Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival and Yoshi and the Ocean: A Sea Turtle's Incredible Journey Home—were both excellent, turns here to the story of Arctic terns. Born in the long summer of the Arctic, these far-traveling birds grow to maturity in their parents' care, and then join others of their kind on the long migration to the other pole, to the Weddell Sea that forms part of the show more Antarctic Ocean. Here too they enjoy the summer, before beginning the long migration north again...

Engaging and educational, Sun Bird: The Amazing Journey of the Arctic Tern explores an avian species about which I knew very little, when first picking up the book. It's amazing to think that these birds are believed to experience more sunlight than any other species on Earth—hence the title of the book—and that many of them will fly one and a half million miles during the course of their lifetime, a distance equivalent to three round-trip visits to the moon. I enjoyed the descriptive main narrative here, and the informative afterword, and I appreciated the accompanying artwork, done in graphite, watercolor, ink, Conté crayon and colored pencil. This is only Moore's fourth title—in addition to her picture books, she contributed the illustrations to Rosanne Parry's A Whale of the Wild—and I hope she continues to create more wonderful nonfiction for children. Recommended to young animal lovers and would-be naturalists, and to anyone looking for children's books about the Arctic tern and about migration. show less

The true story of a loggerhead turtle named Yoshi, injured in the waters off the southern tip of Africa, found by a Japanese fishing vessel and taken to an aquarium in Cape Town, where she would reside for the next twenty years of her life, is told in this beautiful picture book from author/illustrator Lindsay Moore. Fitted with a tracking device once she is healthy and full grown, Yoshi is released back into the wild, embarking on 24,862-mile sea voyage from the southwestern coast of show more Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean to Australia, to the beach where it is believed she first hatched. In the course of her epic journey she swam for 982 days, through two oceans, and sent 23,167 satellite messages from her tracking device...

Having absolutely loved Lindsay Moore's debut picture book, Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival, as well as the illustrations she contributed to Rosanne Parry's children's novel about orcas, A Whale of the Wild, I was eager to track down this second picture book. I have a soft spot in my heart for sea turtles in general, ever since reading Carl Safina's marvelous adult book, Voyage of the Turtle, which is about leatherback turtles, and I fully expected that Moore would do justice to her subject. I was not wrong, enjoying both the poetic narrative about Yoshi's journey, with its description of her watery travels, and its refrain echoing the tracking device's messages, as well as the beautiful artwork created in graphite, watercolor, drawing inks, Conté crayon and colored pencils. The extensive back matter gives more information about Yoshi's route, about loggerhead turtles, ocean geography and currents, sea turtles in general and tracking devices used by scientists. If I had any criticism to make of the book, it would be that the paper was a little too thin, but perhaps this was a deliberate choice, given the unusual length of this title, which at 58 pages was fairly long for a picture book. Leaving that design issue aside, this is one I would wholeheartedly recommend, to all young animal lovers, particularly those fascinated by the oceans and by turtles. show less

"Polar bears are patient beasts, as patient as glaciers. We know how to hope and how to wait." So begins the poetic narrative of this lovely work of picture-book natural history from author/illustrator Lindsay Moore. Following its ursine narrator as she hunts for seals, and then swims long distances to find new hunting grounds, it highlights the central role of sea ice, in the lives of this majestic species. Although life is becoming more difficult for polar bears, as the sea ice shrinks, show more the narrator concludes with a message of hope, reiterating that her kind "know hope to hope and how to wait..."

Apparently Moore's debut in the world of picture-books, Sea Bear: A Journey of Survival pairs a beautifully-written and thought-provoking text with absolutely gorgeous artwork, created using graphite, watercolor, drawing inks, conte crayon and colored pencils. The scenes here are simply beautiful, with a breathtaking sense of enchantment. Moore captures the wintry wonder of the Arctic, and the awe-inspiring majesty of these icy-white bears of the north, both in her artwork and in her textual narrative. Her afterword gives more information about polar bears and sea ice, and about the other species of the region. Emotionally resonant - I got a lump in my throat, as the bear was forced to swim on and on, through the stormy seas - artistically appealing, and educational as well, this lovely picture-book offers a call to action, beautifully depicting one of the many reasons - the survival of this amazing species - that we humans should act to slow climate change.

This is an astonishingly assured debut for Moore! I certainly will be looking for more of her work, and recommend this one to young polar bear lovers, and to anyone looking for picture-books about them, or about the deleterious effect of climate change. show less

In Moore’s striking homage to a tenacious reptile, a blend of moody oceanscapes and alliterative prose takes readers along on a rescued sea turtle’s dramatic 25,000-mile marine journey. Released with a tracking tag in 2017 after 20 years in a South African aquarium, Yoshi begins a record-setting migration that encompasses two oceans and a little over two years. A periodic refrain, "Hello from Yoshi. I am here," reminds readers of the tracking device’s presence and time’s passage, show more while realistic multimedia art shows the loggerhead turtle’s progress through the vast ocean. Intimate images depict Yoshi navigating fishing grounds and inclement weather, culminating with an arrival to the waters off Western Australia and high hopes for a continued life. Expansive back matter includes a detailed map of the trip. show less