Lonesome George finds His friends. By Tori Kosara
This as a very simple non- fiction book about a nearly 100-year-old Galapagos tortoise named George. Did you know they could grow to weigh up to 500 pounds? This is not your typical 25cm Hermanni garden tortoise! Poor old George is the only one of his kind left on the volcanic Galapagos Islands, making him a tad lonely.
George decides to take a slow tour of his island to discover some other animals with whom he might be friends. First up George meets a sea lion who likes to sun himself on the beach just like George. He then meets a turtle and we can read some clear characteristic between tortoises and turtles. Sally Lightfoot crab is probably too shy to become friends with, as she hides too easily.
Sperm Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins are potential sea playmates. Cormorants, Penguins, Finches, Frigate birds, Albatross – George encounters many possible feathered friends. Marine Iguana and Volcanic lizards are reptiles just like George!
After all these encouraging friendly encounters all in a day’s island stroll, George snacks on some guava and cactus before settling into a mud wallow to sleep. The Illustrations are all close-up photos on colorful backgrounds. This is a text that an animal loving child will enjoy reading to a parent.
More details can be found here on the National Geographic Kids site.
How to Clean a Hippopotamus – A look at unusual animal partnerships. By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page A second non-fiction picture book, this one addressing the symbiosis between certain animals. I already reviewed a Tomie de Paola book about this here – Bill and Pete.
There are some extraordinary zoological facts presented here in concise detail, in short captions for the several collage-based illustrations on each page. The illustrations contain plenty of detail and this could work as a small group read or a read alone book. Whereas Lonesome George is for the specific animal lover, How to Clean a Hippopotamus has universal appeal. Children will be fascinated by why a Nile Crocodile will kill all animals except the Egyptian Plover, nicknamed the toothpick bird! The giraffe has entered into a similar partnership with the Oxpecker, which can keep a giraffe tick and parasite free while enjoying its dinner.
I had a real aha moment myself while reading this book. Because hippos are in water for so many hours at a time algae and other water plants start to cover their skin. What can help with this problem? Well I know regular readers of my blog will have already guessed – An African helmeted turtle. This relationship is actually reciprocal, as the turtle can use a hippo’s back as a sun-basking platform. Now we know why maybe Owen and Mzee had an instinctive attraction to each other. T
he book looks at many more symbiotic relationships with animals and culminates with the one we know best, man and dog. There is a brief synopsis about symbiosis at the back as well as a very brief description of each of the many animals mentioned. I found this book educational while being entertaining and exceptionally well written; I warmly recommend it.
I love the jacket flap summary about the authors. “Robin Page and Steve Jenkins share a burrow in Boulder, Colorado, where they work and forage together, occasionally picking lint of each other’s sweaters. They enjoy a happy host/parasite relationship with their ten-year old son, Jamie. Their two other nestlings have fledged”. This gives you a taster of the humor one can incorporate into non-fiction.
Books 74 and 75 in the Read to Me Picture Book Reading Challenge
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
What a learning experience your blogposts are! Thank you for that link to the National Geographic site — I’ve learned a great deal this morning, and I haven’t even had breakfast yet. The fact that a Galapagos tortoise can go for a year without food or water staggers my mind.
Seeing the symbiosis between hippo and turtle did indeed give insight into why Owen would head for Mzee. (And why it took Mzee a while to warm up to him, since he isn’t of the species that usually interacts with hippos.)
Fascinating stuff, Joanna!
I really enjoy National Geographic kids, it is just as informative as their material for adults. I just hope even in his aged state George find some good friends. Even a tortoise can get lonely!
P.S. Thanks for sharing the jacket flap! That was delightful!
They sound like a fun family, don’t they ? 😉
Thoroughlyy enjoyed your post — turtles and more turtles. I do believe you love them. Did you have a turtle as a child? 🙂 I think kids who enjoy animals, would delight in both these books. I found the information about the symbiotic relationship between species of great interest. Thought of you as I held a non-fiction book in my hand yesterday about a scientist and her bird — she conducted years of research and a strong relationship. She talked about the emotions of the birds, which I knew nothing about. Just as her bird died, it looked at her and said “I love you. You be good.” My eyes teared.
I do like tortoises and turtles, though have never had one as a pet. I do get why they are often the anthropomorphic animal of choice in children’s stories! That book sounds wonderful, Pat, and so moving. Was it for children? I am convinced that intelligence and developed emotions are not restricted to mammals.
Hoping my library has these!! 🙂
*crosses fingers* 🙂