Best "Guide to the world's living wonders:" Atlas Obscura: Wild Life

 Atlas Obscura: Wild Life

An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders

by Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer

Hachette Book Group, Inc. 

Workman Publishing 

2464 pages

ISBN: 9781523514410

Atlas Obscura Wild Life is chock full of factoids, trivia, photos and full color illustrations of curious species of plants and animals from every corner of the world. Painstakingly indexed for ease of use and divided into seven catagories, this book is a treasure for the curious reader. From forests to grasslands to shallows and deeps to deserts, the authors have covered little known species most of us will only encounter in these pages.

Interesting animals fill the pages: the platypus, for example is probably the silliest looking animal and is indeed a strange creature. It lays eggs but nurses its offspring. It has fur yet swims underwater. It can pull in the webbing on its feet allowing it to walk on its claws on land. They are shy and only spotted in Australia and Tasmania. Another strange creature is the great Indian bustard, a giant of the bird which can reach up to four feet tall and weigh up to thirty-three pounds, it can actually fly. Fewer than one hundred bustards remain and are found near the border of India and Pakistan. 

The ocean boasts its own array of different creatures: the peacock mantis shrimp lives in the Indian Ocean and can be found in the southwestern Pacific. The authors describe its appearance as, "...a jumbo prawn crossed with a birthday cake." This shrimp has eyes with twelve color receptors that allow it to see up to 100,000 colors. Scientists are still studying this unique ability. A bird who likes to fly (literally) is the airpot snowy owl which can be spotted at many airports in all kinds of weather and even in the day time. They are quite at home where there are flat runways and air fields which mimics their native tundra. 

This book would make a great gift for anyone who loves animals or adventure. Reluctant readers will find this book easy to devour as facts in bold type are set off to show the species range and species scientific name. Color photos of every plant and animal make it a great book for visual learners. 

Highly, highly recommended grades 5 and up. 

Picture Book Biography: The One and Only Googoosh

 

The One and Only Googoosh: Iran's Beloved Superstar

by Azadeh Westergaard

Viking 

An impint of Penguin Random House, LLC

2024

40 pages

9780593114636

Mixed media art using block prints, collage pieces using paper and cardboard, colored pencils and brushes give this picture book biography a definitive texture allowing elements to appear almost in 3-D. Author illustator Azadeh Westergaard captures the sights of her homeland she remembers as a chld, "...snowcapped peaks of the Algorz Mountains," and the sounds of the streets as vendors sell pomegranate juice, and the aromas as bakers pull out fresh barbari bread. A tiny girl first appears with her father onstage and people are charmed. She gathers national attention as her fan base grows. Googoosh becomes Iran's favorite singer until war comes, the theaters are shut down, people flee, "the roar and thunder of a revolution... which turns Iran, "...into a typhoon of turmoil."  

People flee their homeland to seek a new life somewhere safe, but they never forget the songs Googoosh sang. They hold them tight and remember a peaceful Iran. Time marches on, "...as the years slipped through our gingers lie the stringed prayer beads our grandfathers used to mark time." Googoosh is allowed to leave Iran in 2000 and she performs in Toronto, Canada. Generations of Iranians love her music which they hold in their, "collective history andt now exists only in the land of memories." 

Beautiful prose and striking imagery evoke memories of Iran before the revolution. Googoosh is remembered as Iran's first superstar and is celebrated in this compelling picture book about a famous person in a country's culture. Non-Iranian people may not know Googoosh, but this children's book will change that. 

Highly recommended for the biography section as well as the children's picture book section of every library. The One and Only Googoosh is too important a book to miss! A biography of a famous Iranian is important, but even more so here since Googoosh is a famous FEMALE Iranian. 

Ages 4 to 8.