Galápagos Islands: The World's Living Laboratory

 

with illustrations by Amy Grimes

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Welcome to the Galapágos Islands, a pristine archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, where locals and visiting scientists work among giant tortoises, salt-snorting iguanas, diving penguins, and erupting volcanoes. They are looking for just the right balance between humans and nature to lead the world to a sustainable future.

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Far off the coast of Ecuador lies a group of volcanic islands unlike any other. Home to species as diverse as giant tortoises, salt-snorting marine iguanas, and the birds that made Charles Darwin famous, the Galapágos are a living laboratory for scientists working on the most urgent problem of our times: How can humans exist in harmony with nature on the only planet we are ever likely to have? Karen Romano Young, author of Antarctica: The Melting Continent, again takes to the field, visiting the archipelago to observe its environments first-hand and to interview the people who are lighting the way for the rest of us. Illustrator Amy Grimes brings Karen’s experience into vivid visual life for those of us who haven’t been there – yet.

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• Presents STEM/STEAM topics through an engaging, first-hand narrative

• Conveys urgent environmental messages as readers discover how scientists are studying the continent

• Tours Galápagos animal life and ecosystems -- from marine iguanas to Darwin finches 

• Demonstrates the challenges faced by Galápageños, and shows what's going on with kids. 

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Amy Grimes is a Bristol based illustrator who graduated from Camberwell College of Art in 2014 with a first in Illustration.Particularly inspired by nature and the natural patterns found there, Amy’s bright and bold illustrations feature botanical motifs and leafy landscapes. Amy’s work is all drawn by hand on an ipad, with a variety of hand-painted textures scanned and added digitally afterwards, to create a digital collage. 

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SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL 

​★Young, Karen Romano. Galápagos Islands: The World’s Living Laboratory. illus. by Amy Grimes. 64p. What On Earth Bks. Jun. 2024. Tr $21.99. ISBN 9781804661154.

Gr 3-5–Far out in the Pacific Ocean, a series of islands have changed our understanding of life on Earth. The Galápagos have been studied by scientists for over 100 years, and the discoveries made there have been significant to the global community. Every year, science uncovers more secrets about these remote islands and the flora and fauna that live there, highlighting the importance of preserving this unique ecosystem. This informational nonfiction book is told from a first-person perspective of one visitor to the Galápagos. From lava tubes to underwater life to the plethora of creatures who reside on land, the landscape of the Galápagos is unique and important to the scientific community, specifically, and to the world as a whole. The conversational narrative guides the storytelling of the book, and frequent asides provide additional information about the subject. Broken into chapters, the design of the book takes readers through an extended journey around the islands in manageable segments, and the accompanying illustrations increase the accessibility of the book. Additionally, a glossary provides detailed definitions of complex concepts introduced within the text. This book is an in-depth investigation of one of the most naturally biodiverse places in the known world. VERDICT This is a thorough and well-designed text that is best for confident, older elementary readers.–Mary Lanni

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              UK School Reading List Book of the Month, June 2024 

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