Saving the Night: How Light Pollution is Harming Life on Earth, written by Stephen Aitken. Orca, 2023. $21.95 ages 9 and up

 

"When you can't see in the dark, 
sounds become very important.
Geckos carefully poke their heads
out of their hiding places and start 
chirping in the night to attract 
potential mates. The aye-aye, a type 
of lemur, locates its prey using 
echolocation - it is the only primate
known to do so. Other animals rely 
on smell to find their way in the 
night." 

For those of us who live in urban areas, it is very difficult to appreciate night skies until you 'get out of town'. The wonders of the stars, the sounds in the darkness, and the Northern lights are often lost to us because ambient artificial light hides that beauty. If it is happening to us, it is also happening to many other living things.

The table of contents invites middle graders interested in learning more about how light pollution is a threat to every living thing on the planet. It took root with the invention of the light bulb in 1879. As happens throughout the well-designed books from the Orca Footprints series, the pages include informative sidebars, captioned clear photographs, DARK MATTERS facts placed on star shapes, and occasional explanatory blocks of relevant additions to the conversational tone of the text itself. They range from astonishing to frightening. 

"Reindeer grow tufts of hair between their hooves in 
the winter, turning their feet into little snowshoes. At 
the same time their eyes turn from yellow to blue, 
increasing their sensitivity to lower light levels so 
they can see better in the long, dark winters. How 
is that for custom design?" 

and 

"An estimated 300 million to 1 billion birds die 
every year in North America by colliding with 
buildings - 7 million from collisions with 
communication towers alone. Many of these 
birds are on their migrations."

The author writes clearly in four chapters named Night and Day in the Natural World, Artificial Lights on Land, Lighting the Oceans, Lakes and Rivers, and finally Guardians of the Night. He tells of the wonders and woes of light, and provides a clear look at how creatures both help and are hindered in the world today. It is quite fascinating as we have come to expect from books in this series. Readers come away from the reading more fully informed. 

The book closes with an invitation to readers to think seriously about lighting at night, about lightbulb choice, about being part of the effort 'to bring back the night' to their own neighborhoods. Don't be afraid of the dark, embrace it and learn about its true beauty. 

A list of print and online resources is placed in back matter, as are a glossary and an index.