Copyright Date:
2022
Edition Date:
2022
Release Date:
11/15/22
Illustrator:
Coleman, Stephanie Fizer,
Pages:
1 volume (unpaged)
ISBN:
1-682-63311-X
ISBN 13:
978-1-682-63311-3
Dewey:
E
LCCN:
2022939545
Dimensions:
25 x 27 cm
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
A local park turns out to be rich in wildlife as two young "community scientists" learn from a day of organized observation and discovery.Joining teams of volunteers led by expert naturalists, cousins Ava and Gabriel compete for sightings as they comb open woodlands and underbrush for animal species. Young readers will have no trouble following along and understanding the rules and procedures, not to mention keeping track of finds, because along with many having their names called out in the dialogue, each accurately rendered bird, insect, and other creature is numbered in the pictures and identified in a running side list. By day's end, 84 types of animals have been cataloged, from a mosquito and pillbug ("It's a crustacean. Did you know some bugs are related to lobsters?") to white-tailed deer and an elusive blue-spotted salamander. Along with a version of the list broken down by category (amphibians, reptiles, birds, etc.) that serves as an index, Richmond appends both expanded nature notes and an invitation to take part in similar community "biodiversity counts" (also referred to as "Bioblitzes"), explaining that they are "important tools for learning about the health and biodiversity of an area." Ava and Gabriel are brown-skinned; the human figures in Coleman's expansive outdoor scenes are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Budding zoologists will be strongly tempted to join in. (resource list) (Informational picture book. 7-9)
Bibliography Index/Note:
Includes bibliographical references.
A young boy and his cousin compete to identify the most different species on a biodiversity count day at a local park
You might be amazed at the large number of insects, birds, and small mammals that inhabit even a very small plot of land. In this story Gabriel's dad, a ranger for the local municipal park, is helping with a Biodiversity Day (or Bioblitz), and he invites Gabriel and his cousin Ava to participate. With Gabriel's expertise in bugs and Ava's eye for birds, the two cousins are eager to start the hunt in the park. They are placed on different teams, competing to see which group finds the most species of animal life in the time allotted.
Readers follow the two teams through a variety of habitats, where they spot dozens of different species over the course of the day. Kids will enjoy finding all the species (some are hidden in the illustration) that appear on the lists compiled in each habitat. Several different techniques for viewing species—rolling logs to discover critters living underneath and shining lights on white sheets at night to attract moths, for example—are highlighted.
Plot action in this community science adventure revolves around the competition between the cousins, who check in with each other at intervals to compare lists. In the end, Ava's team spots one more species than Gabriel's, but Gabriel earns a special award for discovering a species of special concern in their area, a blue-spotted salamander. Because of all they have learned from the Bioblitz, the cousins realize that the real winner is the park and all its visitors.
After reading Bioblitz!, students—as well as their parents and teachers—will be eager to participate in a biodiversity day in their own community!
Common Core
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Novel
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Book
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Print
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Manga
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Book
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Adult
Language
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