The Hot Truth About Climate Change
January 15, 2021
Earth's climate has changed before, but science shows us that now it's changing more quickly and with serious consequences--what can be done? The team that produced Hey There, Earth Dweller! (2019) returns to explain "the big story of climate change." In 10 neatly organized chapters, Horst provides historical background, describes research, discusses causes and consequences, and presents a variety of present-day and potential remedies. He refers to current debates as "squabbling" and emphasizes the point that most scientists agree there's a problem. Each chapter begins with a summary and list of topics; a line reminding readers of the chapter subject appears along one edge of each spread. The writer addresses his young readers directly in a reassuring, conversational tone. He talks about the origin of fossil fuels, the Industrial Revolution, and bovine methane emissions. He includes a story from First Nations Australians reflecting knowledge of the sea level rise that created the Coral Sea as well as the "hockey stick" graph showing the rise in Earth's temperature over the last thousand years. Panders' lighthearted illustrations offset the weight of the substantial text. Sadly, the opening map wildly distorts the size of Northern Hemisphere continents and islands. All the measurements in this Canadian-published Dutch import are metric; this is appropriate in a science book, but U.S. readers unaccustomed to this world standard may find themselves confused. A mordant "climate bingo" game concludes the book. A comprehensive account engagingly presented. (acknowledgments, index) (Nonfiction. 9-15)
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March 1, 2021
Grades 5-8 This Dutch import, an entertaining, rather irreverent overview of climate change, starts back 4.5 billion years ago. The storylike text flows chronologically, documenting Earth's beginnings, evolving scientific theories, methods of tracking changes, energy and resource competition, and what people are doing to make things better. The graphic-rich pages feature plenty of humorous drawings, maps, and flowcharts, while relatively short articles bring in little-known oddities sure to pique kids' interest. An especially effective final chapter addresses why some people deny that there's anything wrong, and makes the point that every time anyone takes a long, hot shower they're basically joining the deniers' ranks. A final activity, Climate Bingo, substitutes first-time events for numbers: Formula 1 racing is abolished, leaf blowers are banned, malaria arrives in France, palm trees thrive at the North Pole. There are no chapter notes and no bibliography, and Celsius and metric measurements are used throughout. Though limited as a research tool, this visually appealing account is inviting and ultimately reassuring.
COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
January 1, 2021
This deep dive begins by discussing the difference between naturally driven climate events in Earth's past and the exponentially damaging effects of industrialization and a growing human population. The book also examines current and long-term consequences of a hotter climate on the environment, wildlife, and human society; measures to combat the threat; and resistance from climate change deniers. The mostly sober text includes some lighter touches: a breakup letter to fossil fuels ("You in particular, Oil") and the doodle-like limited-palette illustrations add humor and visual interest. Metric-only measurements may be problematic for US readers. A climate bingo game and an index are appended.
(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)