The Mystery of the Monarchs: How Kids, Teachers, and Butterfly Fans Helped Fred and Norah Urquhart Track the Great Monarch Migration. Written by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Erika Meza. Alfred A. Knopf, Penguin Random House. 2022. $24.99 ages 8 and up

 

"He created a gum tag that stuck 
to itself through a tiny hole punched
in the monarch's wing. This didn't 
hurt the butterflies and worked a  
bit better. 

Fred tagged for ten years, but never
got many back, and had no idea
where the monarchs spent the 
winter."

In July, while my family was here visiting from British Columbia, we were able to raise and release two monarch butterflies. Special thanks to our dear friend Judi who supplied the caterpillars, the jars, the netting, and the milkweed to ensure we had all we needed to give it a try. What a truly amazing experience it was! But, while we were watching with awe and hope, the news that monarchs are now on the 'endangered' species list made us very sad. They are so lovely, and incredibly resilient when you know their story of migration and their life cycles. 

Fred Urquhart grew up in Toronto with an intense love for insects. When he read a feature on butterflies and their migration, he wanted to know more about his favorite, the monarch. He asked a question of the writer concerning their destination when they disappeared in the fall. No one knew the answer to his question. Fred needed an answer! 

He learned all he could about them, then began tracking them. He marked them and asked others for their help in taking note of their path. His marriage to Norah Patterson led to a partnership that was marked by a mutual interest in finding out about their beloved monarchs. They developed a tag that didn't bother the butterflies and finally, people began responding with information that proved helpful in their quest. 

"Farmers, librarians, truckers, and doctors joined the Urquharts' "Insect Migration Association." Fred and Norah called their members "Research Associates" and sent updates on monarch science. Regular people acted as scientists - gathering tagging data, performing 
experiments, and sending their findings to the Urquharts."

It was kids and teachers from Canada, the United States and Mexico who helped the most. Year after year, Fred and Norah plotted lines on their map. They searched, and followed the butterflies endlessly. Catalina Aguado and Ken Brugger, who lived in Mexico and were keen on adventure, joined their butterfly family and after two years of searching made the most amazing discovery. 

"On January 2, 1975, 10,000 feet up 
in the cool forest on Cerro Pelon, they found ... 

Monarchs, millions of them. Blanketing the 
bark of oyamel firs. Packed wing to wing 
on branches like orange leaves."

Nearly fifty years after asking his question, Fred finally had his answer. 

The detailed text and dazzling artwork ('created using acrylic gouache, watercolor, ink, coffee splashes, and pastel pencils, before using Photoshop to tie it all up') make for a compelling story of proof that citizen scientists have a meaningful role to play in advancing scientific discovery. 

End matter is plentiful and includes notes from author and illustrator, archival photos, quotes attributed to Fred, the life cycle with photos and carefully written descriptions, and other pertinent data including a list of selected sources. 

Germy Science: The Sick Truth about Getting Sick (And Staying Healthy), written by Edward Kay and illustrated by Mike Shiell. Kids Can Press, 2021. $19.99 ages 9 and up

 

"Not only do germs not
emerge from nonliving 
matter, they also prefer 
to make their home on 
living things. A patch 
of your skin the size of 
a coin has 30 million 
germs on it - more
germs that there are 
people in all of Australia!"

You know that any book that covers the 'sick truth' about germs is going elicit some ewww moments. Edward Kay is very funny, and he ensures that this entertaining study of germs will keep kids interested and engaged as they explore the excellent research he has to share with them. 

He starts with humor before the kids even have time to take a look at the table of contents. 

"You can't tell by looking, but the book you're holding
is covered in germs! But don't be alarmed! Compared to
your skin, these pages are an oasis of sterility. Unless it's 
a copy that you're reading in a doctor's waiting room. In 
which case, ewwww, gross, it's DEFINITELY covered in 
germs." 

There are five chapters followed by a glossary, index, and a list for further reading. In the first chapter, readers quickly learn that they cannot escape germs; they are everywhere! The numbers are staggering. He offers some interesting comparisons to give readers scope for understanding how small they are and how many there are everywhere. Germs don't have a good reputation. The author reminds that they also do some very good things. He asserts that they are 'both harmful and helpful'. We need them to live. 

Further chapters discuss how they were discovered, how they make us sick (then causing our bodies to find ways to protect us), how they have changed history, and what we can expect for the future. The design is appealing. Each page has a heading, paragraphs of information that are accessible and fascinating, and cartoon illustrations that are sure to find favor with the target audience. If readers want to stay healthy, they do have the opportunity to learn what they need to do. In his nod to what the future might hold, Mr. Kay discusses the role germs could play in cleaning the environment and helping to solve crimes. 

His book is a great introduction, and a welcome addition to the Gross Science Book series. The world has been consumed with the spread of germs over the past eighteen months, and the ways we all can work to keep our bodies as healthy as possible.  Based on solid information and laced with humor throughout, this is a grand way to make learning fun for his readers while also providing pertinent and useful material.  

Tiny Monsters: The Strange Creatures That Live On Us, In Us, and Around Us, by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Raincoast. 2020. $23.99 ages 7 and up

 

"Some Like It Hot

You won't meet a marine scale worm
in your home or backyard. It lives deep in 
the ocean, near jets of scalding hot water
that flow from volcanic vents on the sea
floor. This worm preys on other animals
that live near the vents."

I was prepared to shudder while reading this husband-and-wife team's newest book of nonfiction. I am not keen to know too much, and certainly have no abiding need to know what creatures live on me, or in me. Around, perhaps! Kids will definitely want to know about the many tiny monsters described and shown here. This team has mastered the art of in-depth research, and their artistic acumen is shown in every book they write and illustrate. 

They offer a warning about what readers will learn in their amazing new book:

" ... after meeting some of these tiny monsters, 
you may never look at your cereal, your pillow, 
or your eyelashes in quite the same way." 

In brilliant collage artwork, based on images captured by using an electron microscope, readers are introduced to the tiny creatures promised in the title. Alongside each expanded image, a quick note about said creature adds pertinent information.  Perspective is an important part of many books from Steve Jenkins, and actual size is clearly shown on each spread. This allows access to new learning at every turn of the page. 

Many of the creatures shown are almost too small to be seen. Some will be familiar: ticks, lice, fleas. Many others are not. The white backgrounds help to provide a unique and up-close look at each tiny monster. A 'note about color' in back matter explains that the images are based on black-and-white electron microscopic images; "the colors in the book were chosen to highlight the forms and details of the animals, and they aren't always realistic."  Also included there are thumbnail sketches of each creature in order of presentation, and further information about them. 

Impressive, as always! They are all here on Earth with us; we might as well learn what we can about them.