Clive Gifford

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Windmill Books (Rosen Publishing Group) for this DRC in exchange for a fair and honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed below are my own.

As someone who’s worked extensively with and has always loved children, I naturally have thoughts and concerns about the increased amount of time that they spend in front of screens, at increasingly younger ages. In this short and timely guide for children, author Clive Gifford demonstrates how to show more practice healthy habits while engaging in online activities. Mini, console-loving dinosaurs converse with each other and the reader, demonstrating real-world situations that children are likely to find themselves in and offering tips for them to have fun safely. The colors and overall presentation of the book are bright and welcoming, and the information, including the reflection questions, are presented simply and effectively.

Gifford’s tone is that of one who is very familiar with the online spaces that children inhabit. He understands the sense of excitement and fulfilment that they get from their time there. As such, his approach is not to completely deter them from spending time online altogether, but to appeal to them with kid-friendly logic about how to balance their time appropriately. The author respects children by speaking directly to them with the understanding that they will be on their own with their devices. At the same time however, there’s also the implicit assumption that an adult will be nearby. The author makes frequent references to children speaking with their adults, such as asking them questions about something they view online which may seem untrue.

In addition to the practical advice about their online behavior, Gifford takes care to talk to children about the physical care for the devices. This includes advice about handling them firmly so that they aren’t in danger of dropping, making sure that they don’t overcharge or overheat, and not eating or drinking while using them to prevent food gumming up the works, literally. These messages about the importance of caring for one’s belongings are important ones that children can carry with them as they participate in many activities, both online and off, and which parents and caregivers can reinforce.

I thoroughly enjoyed Gifford’s discussions with the reader about establishing the difference between fact and opinion, asking questions to determine whether something is too good to be true. This is a necessary skill for children to have in the age of AI and deepfakes (some of which they’ve likely encountered already) and the tips here provide them with a skillset that they can build on for the future. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the way that Gifford draws clear distinctions between online worlds and the real world. He firmly states that the real world is a fun, important place and that care of the physical body is important, hence the importance of taking stretch and snack breaks and setting timers. There’s a deep sense of empathy that runs through the text, coupled with the importance of emotional health and thinking about how online behavior can impact others. Gifford emphasizes the importance of establishing and maintaining human relationships with friends and family, and to be considerate of the people they talk to on the other side of the screen. These are great lessons for children (as well as older readers) and help reinforce the connection between responsible digital activity and social-emotional skills.

This book is the latest iteration of a long line of technology etiquette manuals for devices such as telephones (shout out to Bell Laboratories!) record players and personal computers, tailoring the guide to correlate with children’s needs in a new, constantly evolving digital age. Same traditions; new media. I see that it’s one of a series of books about online skills for children. I would like to read them all and see how they complement each other. The series would make a good acquisition choice for a library that seeks books about digital citizenship information for young readers. Although directed towards children, there’s a lot of potential for parents and caregivers to read the book with their children, prompting good and meaningful discussions that will be beneficial as they grow. show less

In a Nutshell: Not a book you will read for answers but to discover more questions about the world around you. Welcome to the ‘Mysteryverse’! #CliveGiffordRocks!

This is my fifth Clive Gifford book, and I am yet to be disappointed by his works. In fact, when I saw this book on Edelweiss, I grabbed it as soon as I saw the author’s name, without even bothering to read the synopsis. The content delivers, and how!

The word ‘multiverse’ has become quite popular in the last few years show more courtesy some books and movies. Playing around with the same, Gifford offers us the concept of ‘mysteryverse’, representing the (as yet) unknown and/or unknowable elements of our world and beyond.

As humans are inherently curious (which is also evident in our habit of poking our noses in others’ businesses!), we always want to find out more not just about ourselves but also about other creatures and the world in general. All of today’s scientific, technological, medical and other advancements spring from this curiosity. Our need to learn more has made us reach a point where we consider ourselves knowledgeable. This book proves how minuscule our awareness is, and how many components of the universe are still unfathomable to our puny brains.

This book touches upon a variety of mysteries connected to the human body, earth, wildlife, space, and miscellanea. Most of the information offered is mindboggling. There are scientific theories offered as possible solutions to a few of the puzzles, but as the title makes it clear, most of the trivia concerns unsolved mysteries. The number of questions and doubts the book will generate in your mind will far outnumber any answers or solutions it might offer.

As a STEM resource, the book stays restricted to tangible mysteries and doesn’t venture into unexplainable concepts such as ghosts or UFOs.

There is a glossary at the end, to explain the terms that can be explained.

The content thus delighted the geek in me. Where the book lost a star is in its presentation.

Each page is like a visual bombardment, with too many trippy illustrations in hallucinatory colours. I am not sure if this creative choice intended to add to the intrigue of the mysteryverse, but it made concentrating on the content very difficult. (Not to forget that I was reading this digitally, so the teeny font set against a rainbow of bright hues further aggravated my annoyance. I hope the physical copy will be more eye-friendly.)

All in all, if you can wear sunglasses to mitigate the effect of the pseudo-psychedelic graphics, this will be an excellent resource to learn more about things you cannot learn more about. show less

What a marvellous book this is!

We’ve seen so many books praising the skills of animals. But nature isn’t just animals. Finally, here’s a children’s nonfiction that celebrates plants and their ingenious ways of surviving and thriving in nature.

The book covers a wide variety of plants of all types and demonstrates one unique ability that they have, which human engineers have replicated or are trying to replicate. These range from common plants such as the peace lily to weeds such as show more tumbleweeds to carnivorous plants such as the Venus Flytrap to underwater plants such as the kelp to trees such as the willow.

The book is 80 pages long, and each of these pages (except for a few) contains details on one specific plant, its features and the ability that we humans could learn. I liked how the content was presented from the first person perspective of the specific plant on that page. This created a beautiful connect and also helped incorporate a touch of humour to the narration.

The accompanying illustrations are fabulous and show not just the plant but also a detailed view of their relevant habits. Every page is completely in colour, and I am sure the physical copy would be outstanding to look at.

The only complaint I have is that the text is a little cramped up. I think this is because there is a lot of content per page. Though the text is definitely easy to understand for the target age group (7-12 years) and is sectioned into logical paragraphs, it still looks a bit cluttered on the digital copy. This might not be an issue in the physical copy.

Humankind has always considered itself the smartest of the species. This book shows that even plants can be way smarter than us and we still have a long way to go in making the maximum use of available natural resources while causing minimal destruction to the environment. Hopefully, we learn a little humility as well by reading about these amazing plants and trees. Humans have a lot to learn from nature after all; high time we stop considering ourselves the masters of the planet and incorporate more respect in our dealings with nature.

Recommended not just to every little plant lover but to anyone who wants to see the wonders of nature. What a wonderful addition this would make to homes, schools and libraries!

This is my third book by Clive Gifford and all three of them have been enlightening experiences. Definitely a children’s author worth reading!

4.5 stars.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions and NetGalley for the DRC of “Powered by Plants”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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As the author explains at the outset, “Inventions are machines, objects, materials, or processes that did not exist before. . . . Many inventions fail, but those that succeed can transform the way we live and work.”

He then proceeds to review the development of notable inventions from batteries to rockets to trampolines to robots.

Like other books in the “50 Things” series, this small book is replete with excellent illustrations, fascinating fact-boxes, and easy to understand show more information.

Social ramifications are not part of the story. For example, as author Elan Mastai pointed out in All Our Wrong Todays, “when you invent a new technology, you also invent the accident of that technology. When you invent the car you also invent the car accident. When you invent the plane, you also invent the plane crash.” And so on. It's an interesting concept that could have added to the depth of the content.

Moreover, inventors who are white and male get primary coverage. The author calls Thomas Edison the “King of Inventors,” and he gets a large write-up in the book.

[caption id="attachment_37261" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thomas Edison[/caption]

But there is no mention of Granville T. Woods, the most prolific African-American inventor of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who came up with numerous inventions including a steam-boiler furnace, telephone, telegraph system, electric railway and automatic air brake for railroad safety. As a black man, however, Woods often had difficulties in enjoying his success as other inventors made claims to his devices. Thomas Edison made one of these claims, stating that he had first created a similar telegraph and that he was entitled to the patent for the device. Woods was twice successful in defending himself, proving that there were no other devices upon which he could have depended or relied upon to make his own device.

Over the course of his lifetime Granville Woods would obtain more than 50 patents for inventions; nevertheless, he spent the last years of his life in virtual poverty as he battled in court for control of them. Thomas Edison, meanwhile, had an estimated net worth upon his death of $12 million in 2013 dollars.

Then there is Charles Drew, the African-American who described a technique he developed for the long-term preservation of blood plasma, and convinced hospitals to set up blood banks. His invention saved countless lives. Similarly, the black doctor Daniel Hale Williams was an important pioneer of open heart surgery. There is a section in this book for medical inventions that have saved lives, but these men don’t appear in it. (You can learn about many more important black inventors here.)

Women also rarely appear. In the section on computers and coding, there is no mention of Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer. She is often regarded as the first computer programmer.

Ruth Wakefield gets a mention in the text for her chocolate chip cookies. And Ruth Handler for the Barbie Doll. But there are many more who deserved inclusion, and for inventions more sophisticated than "women's matters" like cookie recipes and doll development. These include Hedy Lamarr (a pioneer in the field of wireless communications), Mary Anderson, who invented windshield wipers, and Giuliana Tesoro, who obtained more than one hundred and twenty-five patents, just to name a very few.

[In the “Who’s Who” of great inventors at the back of the book, which includes little thumbnail pictures and bios, there is one black (Otis Boykin) and two women (Katharine Blodgett and Grace Hopper).] Otis Boykin could also have been included in the section for inventions that save lives. He created an improved electrical resistor that is used today in computers, radios, and tv sets, but also pacemakers.

Nevertheless, there are lots of positives about this book. The author selected many interesting and fun aspects of a huge subject, and includes lots of fascinating factoids. (Did you know the first mechanical flushing toilet was invented by Queen Elizabeth I’s godson for her use?) It might not have occurred to many readers to realize that such everyday items like can openers and safety pins had to be invented by someone. Combined with some great photographs and infographics, I don’t think anyone is going to be bored by the subject matter.

Evaluation: This book does a very good job at introducing the depth and breadth of inventions. All of the pictures and facts will make the time fly, and no doubt inspire further inquiries, at which time any omitted portions will become clear. In addition, the author summarizes very potentially complex subjects, such as how to breathe underwater, how submarines navigate, and how rockets accelerate. A brief glossary is at the back of the book. show less