Sophie Webb

A brilliant book to incorporate the scientific method into the classroom. This diary-style text gives the reader a day by day view of life in Antartica during a two-month 'summer' which is a balmy 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The author and illustrator, Sophie Webb, takes us on an adventure into the circle of life for Adelie penguins. There are detailed watercolor, gouache, and graphite drawings that bring the penguins and the scenery to life. There is also a handy glossary in the back.
This book show more would serve so many purposes in the classroom. For starters, there is the geography and social studies aspect. For example, the changes in latitude away from the equator result in twenty-four-hour sunlight, and why summer in the Antarctic is still 30 degrees Fahrenheit. As for social studies, she does a wonderful job summarizing how peace treaties have kept the Antartic a peaceful place in which no country has laid a claim.
As for the obvious scientific uses, besides the obvious education regarding Adelie penguins, the author discusses the lack of bacteria which causes dead creatures to mummify instead of decay - and she does not spare any details when she explains for that same reason, they have to bag all of their human waste and bring it back to civilization.
As if that weren't enough, the new vocabulary introduced is a bonus! For instance, I did not know that a gathering of Adelie penguins is called a 'rookery.'
The author's passion for these beautiful birds comes through in every diary entry. Sophie Webb does a great job drawing the reader in, satisfying their curiosity, and teaching the reader a few lessons along the way. show less

Ok, don't read picture books on an e-reader and expect to get the same experience as a paperbook. This book is *much* richer than the text. It's a little dry if one expects a narrative, but it's very lively and interesting from a scientific pov. I loved the illustrations, and the opportunity to learn what it's like to study penguins in the field.

For example, segregating a sub-colony behind a mesh corral, with only one gate - which is outfitted with a 'weigh bridge' - is a smart way to get show more lots of data but is only minimally disruptive. show less

This is a specialized book because it looks in a broad manner at a four month ocean voyage at the activities of a female biologist naturalist who specializes in birds. The author also provides all of the plentiful illusstrations, which are all appealing and colorful. The book is written in a chronological story narrative style. I have only a few complaints about this book. I would like the author to cite a few of her standards for research in bird identification. I am sure she has a few show more “bibles” and I would like to see them cited. Personally I would like there to be a Table of Contents. Finally, I would like to have the text not be split apart by two page illustrations. However, the pluses of this book far outweigh the negatives. I think even high school students could learn cool information about interesting subjects and career paths. I could see using this book in math class because the graphs could anchor math topics and the reading is accessible for high schoolers to use as extra reading. An approachable read that is fun, appealing, and provides lots of information about many new topics is a winner for me. show less

This book is formatted as journal entries from the author's month-long expedition into the Aleutian Islands to investigate the declining population of the Stellar's sea lion. The authors begins by giving the readers an illustrated map of the islands the group will the traversing and the vessel that will carry them, as well as a written description of the beginning of her journey. Each entry details what she saw/did each day. Her entries also include extremely informative descriptions of the show more species and animals native to the region they are traveling in, including information from food sources to migration habits. These are accompanied by illustrations which enable the reader to clearly identify said animal. The author also describes the marine ecology of the Arctic region, accompanied by illustrations. The book is not solely science, Webb does include her own observations and feelings, providing the reader with an image of life on a scientific expedition. show less