Rebecca L. Johnson

I've only recently discovered Rebecca Johnson's nonfiction, but I'm already definitely a fan. Most recently I reviewed When Lunch Fights Back and today I'm looking at another unique look at animal life.

The introduction shows a beautiful swallow with a surprise - it's radioactive. How could this happen to an animal? Well...the first chapter explains the history of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, explaining both the scientific and historical context. The chapter ends with a section on the show more long-term effect on humans in the dead zone and the creation of the Exclusion Zone around the disaster.

The next three chapters condense an extremely complicated situation, a number of species and their different reactions to the radioactive sector, and the differing opinions and theories of two groups of scientists into an admirably concise and fascinating narrative. Are animals really thriving in the dead zone? Is the radioactive area changing them for the better or worse? Can radioactive sites be reclaimed? The final chapter reflects on the lessons learned from studying Chernobyl, the part nuclear disasters continue to play in our lives, and the resilience of the animals who continue to live in these areas.

Back matter includes an author's note (primarily acknowledgements), glossary, source notes, bibliography, further information (books, websites, and videos), and index. The book is an over-sized chapter book style, which I am very happy with since it is so difficult to get older kids to check out nonfiction that looks like picture books. It's a concise 64 pages, but packs a ton of text, photographs, sidebars, and additional information into those few pages.

Verdict: This is a well-written book an a unique and interesting subject. But, it's from Lerner's Twenty-First Century Books imprint which means it's OMG EXPENSIVE. It's really, really hard to justify spending $27 on a book. It's not something timeless like Lego building either, where it makes sense to shell out extra $$ for a strong binding. This is an ongoing research project into the effect of nuclear disasters and there will undoubtedly be new titles on this subject coming out a few years down the road. So, if your budget can cover it, highly recommended. If, like me, you have a smaller budget, sigh sadly as you take it off the order cart.

ISBN: 9781467711548; Published 2014 by Twenty-First Century Books/Lerner; Borrowed from another library in my consortium (with a bigger budget); Still holding on a backlist of ordering because I really, really loved it, but will probably not purchase. show less

Johnson is back with another disgusting, fascinating, and completely engrossing book.

Like Lunch fights back and Zombie Makers, this title explores a selection of unique animal abilities. In this case, camouflage and mimicry and the way animals use the art of deception to hunt, hide, and otherwise benefit themselves.

The featured animals include the assassin bug, pictured on the front cover, who disguises itself with a "coat of many corpses" and uses this disguise to catch its prey, ants. Then show more there's the chick of the cinereous mourner, which is disguised as a poisonous caterpillar or the caterpillar of the Alcon large blue butterfly which uses scent and song to trick ants into caring for it. Harlequin filefish disguise themselves as coral to confuse predators and the Cyclosa spider takes things even farther by creating a large decoy of itself to scare away predators. A gliding lizard looks enough like a leaf to distract predators for a few precious moments, the cuckoo finch tricks other birds into caring for its own eggs, and, most amazing of all, the Grote's tiger moth actually avoids bats by jamming their echolocation!

Each chapter features a different animal and lasts 3-4 pages, with plenty of stunning photography. The animal and its ability is introduced in a short narrative and then there is a section titled "The science behind the story" which explains how scientists discover and research the animals' behavior. An afterword discusses instinct and genetics and how creatures learn the behavior described in the book. There is also a page dedicated to the scientists introduced in the book, source notes, glossary, bibliography, and further research and reading.

I love the way the author combines "isn't this gross/amazing/weird" with science, especially where the scientists talk about how they're still studying to learn how/why the creatures do what they do. It's written in a fresh, engaging way that doesn't over-dramatize the freaky parts and also keeps the science brisk and readable.

Verdict: This book will grab readers' attention from the first sentence and keep them absorbed until the end. Definitely worth the slightly higher price of Millbrook's titles - highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781512400878; Published 2016 by Millbrook Press; Purchased for the library show less

This is, technically speaking, a children's book. But it reminds me why I ended up studying biology, until the relentless focus on biochemistry, microbiology and physiology sapped the joy out the subject. It gently and lightly sketches a trail through the Census of Marine Life, highlighting a cross-section of the beautiful and wonderful creatures the project revealed. Johnson treads a skillful path of tone: explaining the project bit by bit without getting dry; putting the reader in the show more scientists' shoes without getting twee; and saying just enough to make each page revealing without turning it into a wall of text or distracting from the fascinating images. I am delighted with this one, and the nostalgic love of natural history that it stirred. show less

In 1986, a test sequence at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant turned deadly. In less than a minute, a combination of human error and equipment failure caused one of the reactors to explode. In addition to the immediate casualties, this accident scattered radioactive matter over much of Europe, and resulted in an exclusion zone covering parts of what are now Ukraine and Belarus. In the years since the human residents were evacuated, many types of plant and animal wildlife have rebounded in show more the area. But are these healthy specimens, living in an idyllic (if unintentional) wildlife preserve, or will they always be marked by the high levels of radiation present in the soil and water of their home? The answer is... complicated, as Johnson reviews the work of several scientists who have looked at different species and come to divergent conclusions. What are the takeaways for humans, who may (and most likely will) face other nuclear disasters in the future?

I found this a highly informative and quick read. It's over ten years old now, and I'd be curious to see more information on the continuing studies of both the Chernobyl and Fukushima exclusion zones (this book was written shortly after the Fukushima disaster, so contained mentions of it, but not much research had been done). An interesting read for those curious about the effects of radiation on wildlife and the research surrounding the Chernobyl disaster. show less