Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Something amazing might be found on a mountain walk.The first pages traverse a landscape of meadows, farms, forests, hills, and a rocky mountain, then focus on a pair of hikers, one taller, with pale skin and straight, black hair, and the other shorter, with brown skin and a knit cap, at the top. Nogués' gently humorous storytelling voice encourages observers to think about fossils in seemingly ordinary gravel, soil, and strata. The large trim size gives space for Lora's edge-to-edge painting of rocks, flora, and fauna in greens, grays, and browns. Interspersed pages catalog geologic eras, marine creatures whose fossils can be found in mountain strata, and a look at the slow collision of land masses to form mountains. The conversational narrative, translated from the Spanish, has a simplicity and gentle pacing that build to demonstrate how ideas and discoveries in geology-including the presence of oyster fossils on high ground, the layering of the fossil record, and plate tectonics-fit together to explain the results of eons of geologic time. The sense that the history of the world can be seen in the present is nicely conveyed by the illustrations: A dinosaur appears in a mountain lake, tall ferns sprout from the meadow, the hikers dive under the sea. A glossary interprets seven terms used in geology.A marvelous combination of scientific inquiry and wonder. (author's note, illustrator's note) (Informational picture book. 5-10)

ALA Booklist

Geologist Nogués introduces readers to the information that can be obtained about the fossil record by using geological methods. A caregiver and child take a walk through the countryside and up a mountain where they discover a trove of oyster fossils. How and when did they get there? What follows is a relatively complex discussion of geologic time, strata layers, dating techniques, plate tectonics, and evidence of an ancient sea. The text operates on several levels: as straight narrative, in related full-page sidebars, and through informal conversations between the adult and child. Information is clear and succinct, but the details may prove challenging for younger readers. Lora's mostly full-bleed gouache artwork makes use of greens, browns, and reds and will help readers visualize the concepts discussed. She makes good use of cutaway views and spot art for certain details, and her sidebars, like "Tiny Marine Beings," are particularly informative. Smoothly translated from Spanish and appended with a glossary that expands on key terms, this makes an accessible introduction to an underreported topic.

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

How did the oysters get up to the top of a mountain?

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Something amazing might be found on a mountain walk.The first pages traverse a landscape of meadows, farms, forests, hills, and a rocky mountain, then focus on a pair of hikers, one taller, with pale skin and straight, black hair, and the other shorter, with brown skin and a knit cap, at the top. Nogués' gently humorous storytelling voice encourages observers to think about fossils in seemingly ordinary gravel, soil, and strata. The large trim size gives space for Lora's edge-to-edge painting of rocks, flora, and fauna in greens, grays, and browns. Interspersed pages catalog geologic eras, marine creatures whose fossils can be found in mountain strata, and a look at the slow collision of land masses to form mountains. The conversational narrative, translated from the Spanish, has a simplicity and gentle pacing that build to demonstrate how ideas and discoveries in geology-including the presence of oyster fossils on high ground, the layering of the fossil record, and plate tectonics-fit together to explain the results of eons of geologic time. The sense that the history of the world can be seen in the present is nicely conveyed by the illustrations: A dinosaur appears in a mountain lake, tall ferns sprout from the meadow, the hikers dive under the sea. A glossary interprets seven terms used in geology.A marvelous combination of scientific inquiry and wonder. (author's note, illustrator's note) (Informational picture book. 5-10)