Geo Librarian

  THE MONARCH written by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-6659-4342-0 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 Picture book nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher on Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A gorgeous, lively picture book companion to Kirsten Hall and Isabelle Arsenault’s beloved and acclaimed The Honeybee that celebrates the inspiring journey of the monarch butterfly. What’s that? In the air! Over here? Over there! It’s the start of a brand-new story… With sweetly fluttering verse and lush, gorgeous illustrations, this brightly beautiful picture book celebrates the wonders of monarch butterflies—a treasured species in need of care and preservation! REVIEW In this book, readers follow a butterfly's journey from caterpillar to butterfly. The adorable butterfly zips and zooms through the book, visiting a barn to find a mate while sipping from...

CAVES written by Nell Cross Beckerman, illustrated by Kalen Chock Orchard Books, 2022 ISBN: 9781338726626 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW "In the shade,          of the woods                    is a hill                              with a hole."  Thus begins this remarkable nonfiction book about caves.  Combining poetry and expository text with stunning paintings makes this a book both informative and a work of art.  Each poetic spread invites readers to come into the caves and is followed by an open look at a cave with the expository text introducing information about caves and caving in general or a specific cave system.  The book covers general cave features such as water seepage and flow, stalacti...

HAPPY SLOTH DAY! by April Pulley Sayre with Jeff Sayre Beach Lane Books, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5344-5373-9 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book summary & cover provided by Goodreads.com & the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Take a stunning sloth’s-eye view of the world in this beautiful and informative photographic nonfiction picture book from award-winning author and photographer April Pulley Sayre. Come meet sloths in the rainforest canopy where these slow, gentle creatures live and see what they eat, how they hide from predators, and much more. Young readers will also learn about some of the other creatures that share this interconnected and fragile tropical forest ecosystem. With gorgeous photographs, a text that’s perfect for reading aloud, info-packed side bars, and detailed end matter, this book will captivate sloth enthusiasts of all ages! REVIEW April Pulley Sayre's beautiful poetry and amazing photography in Happy Slo...

THE LIZARD LADY by Jennifer Keats Curtis and Dr. Nicole F. Angeli,  illustrated by Veronica V. Jones Arbordale Publishing, 2018 ISBN: 9781607180913 Source: publisher for review Picture book nonfiction Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Join the Lizard Lady as she cuts her way through thick Caribbean forests searching for critically endangered St. Croix ground lizards. Hunted to extinction on the island of St. Croix by invasive species brought by colonizing farmers, these lizards are now only found on surrounding islands in the US Virgin Islands. Readers learn that scientists can be women and that the day in a life of a scientist can be anything but boring. Co-author Nicole F. Angeli IS the Lizard Lady--can she help save these animals? REVIEW This brief book takes a look at the scientific work of Dr. Nicole Angeli as she strives to help save the endangered St. Croix ground lizards.  Dr. Angeli is one of the co-aut...

BERTHA TAKES A DRIVE How the Benz Automobile Changed the World by Jan Adkins Charlesbridge, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-58089-696-2 Ages 6-9 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK It's 1888 and Bertha Benz's husband, Karl, has invented the prototype Benz motorwagen. But the German government declares the vehicle illegal, and the church calls it the devil's work. Unbeknownst to her husband, Bertha steals away with her two sons and drives nearly one hundred miles to prove just how amazing the motorwagen is. Bertha's mechanical savvy gets the boys to Grandma's house safely, and the remarkable mother/son road trip reduces global concern about moving vehicles. REVIEW I'm a big fan of books that highlight the actions of brave, clever women.  Jan Adkins has done an admirable job of telling one story from the life of one such women.  I had to laugh at the determination of this woman, Bertha Benz, to prove...