Sandra Markle

American children's author Sandra Markle and British illustrator Alan Marks join forces in this poignant picture book about a koala mother and her joey who survive a bushfire, and must then find a new home range where they can live. Unable to run very fast, or for very long, the koala mother climbs a tree when the fire comes, and she and her joey get lucky, having chosen a tree beyond a fire break. Climbing down into a burnt out world, the pair begins the long trek to find a place with the show more eucalyptus trees they eat. Eventually finding themselves in some human suburbs, they must contend with a neighborhood dog, as well as a growing number of curious human observers, until they finally find a new forest to call home...

Finding Home is the third picture book I have read from this author/illustrator team, following upon their Little Lost Bat and Snow School, and might be my favorite of the three! I found the narrative engrossing and very poignant, and was rooting for the mother koala and joey to escape the fire and then find a new home. I have vivid memories of watching news stories about burned and homeless koalas during the 2019 bushfire season, including the one where a woman stripped off her own shirt to safely pick up one of these creatures. As it happens, according to the brief author's note here, Finding Home is based on the real-life story of another koala survivor named Cinders, who famously lived through two bushfires and who wandered through a suburban area before being relocated. The accompanying artwork from Marks, done in watercolor, pen and pencil, was likewise appealing, capturing the appeal of these adorable creatures, and the desolation around them after a fire. Recommended to young animal and nature lovers, and to anyone looking for naturalistic stories about koalas. show less

American children's author Sandra Markle and British illustrator Alan Marks team up in this picture book about a little Mexican free-tailed bat, born in a massive bat colony in Bracken Cave, in central Texas. Nursed by his mother, who must leave him each night to hunt, the little bat grows steadily for a week, until one night his mother, taken by a hunting owl, does not return. Desperate to find her, his search slowly takes him toward the cave mouth, where he encounters an unfamiliar mother show more bat, looking for her lost baby...

Published in 2006, Little Lost Bat is the second picture book I have read from this author/illustrator team, following upon their more recent Snow School, which was about snow leopards. This one had the same pairing of informative and educational text and gorgeous artwork. It was also quite poignant, and I confess to having a lump in my throat when the little bat's mother was killed, and didn't return to him. Of course, the owl too has to eat, and it is a part of nature, but because the focus was on the mother-child bond, it made it emotionally resonant. The conclusion, in which the bat is adopted by the mother bat who lost her baby, was reassuring, and according to the author's brief note on the colophon, in keeping with what scientists know of actual parenting practices amongst this species. Apparently tests have revealed that around 10% of Mexican free-tailed bat mothers are raising offspring that are not their own, biologically speaking. I have no idea how this was determined, but if true, indicates the benefits of communal living, as these bats reside in huge colonies. In any case, with the proviso that adults be aware of the potentially sensitive subject matter of losing a parent, this is one I would recommend to young animal lovers, particularly those fascinated by bats. show less

Author Sandra Markle and illustrator Mia Posada join forces in this engaging and informative look at the long migration of the bar-tailed godwit, a species of bird that regularly migrates from Alaska to New Zealand. The narrative follows the story of one young godwit, who hatches in Alaska, quickly grows to maturity, and makes her first flight to New Zealand - a distance of 7,000 miles - with a flock of other young godwits who have never taken this journey before. Astonishingly, they fly show more without stopping, burning off much of the fat they put on in Alaska. Once in New Zealand, the godwit lives for a year or two, before making the return trip to Alaska to have young of her own...

I have encountered both Markle and Posada before, Markle through her marvelous Animals Explorers Saw series, and Posada through such excellent titles as Who Was Here?: Discovering Wild Animal Tracks and Summer Green to Autumn Gold: Uncovering Leaves' Hidden Colors, so I was excited to track down The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit's Amazing Migration. It did not disappoint, providing an engaging narrative, and a wealth of fascinating information. Apparently the arrival and departure of the godwits are major events in New Zealand, signally the beginning of different seasons, and reported on the news. This reminds me a bit of the American custom of Groundhog Day, in which animal behavior gives an indication of seasonal change to the human population. The godwit's journey is an amazing one, especially when one considers how tiny these creatures are, and how far the have to fly, and I thought Markle's approach here was a wise one, giving children a personal stake in the story through the individual godwit's narrative, but also providing additional information at the back, as well as a list of further resources. The accompanying artwork from Posada was lovely, with muted color palette and a collage style well-suited to the story. Recommended to all young animal and nature lovers, and to anyone seeking picture-books about animal migrations. show less

Walking her dog on the shores of Lake Erie one September afternoon, Jilly sees what looks like black rain over the lake, only to watch it morph into an orange cloud. Alarmed by this phenomenon, she runs to tell her mother, and together the two set out, discovering that the cloud is actually a kaleidoscope of monarch butterflies, making their way south on their annual migration, and all resting in one gorgeous tree nearby...

Pairing a gentle, poetic narrative from author Sandra Markle, who show more drew upon her own childhood experience seeing such a sight as a girl when writing the story, with the lovely artwork of illustrator Leslie Wu, Butterfly Tree is a picture book tribute to the extraordinary beauty of these butterflies, but also to the magic of specific moments when we connect with the natural world around us. I've read a number of other books from Markle, whose work tends to focus on animals and ecology, but this is my first from Wu, whose illustrations look like they were done in oil paint. They have a soft, indistinct feeling to them that matches the story, and the sense of this being an experience that will become a treasured memory. I don't know that I loved this as much as some other online reviewers, but I found it appealing, and I appreciated the back matter, which gives more information about monarchs, as well as further reading ideas. Recommended to young butterfly and nature lovers. show less