Friday, April 15, 2016

Science Comics: Coral Reefs ~ ~ Blog Tour & Review



SYNOPSIS: Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic--dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!

This volume: in Coral Reefs, we learn all about these tiny, adorable sea animals! This absorbing look at ocean science covers the biology of coral reefs as well as their ecological importance. Nonfiction comics genius Maris Wicks brings to bear her signature combination of hardcore cuteness and in-depth science.

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HALL WAYS REVIEW: Oh, how I wish a book like Coral Reefs had been around when I was in middle school. Narrated by a sassy little yellow prawn-goby fish, this colorful, fun, humorous, and wonderfully informative book takes readers on quite a tour.  Don't misjudge this as comic fluff; it is far from it. The book covers a lot of material without shying away from the scientific words and big concepts.   

As expected, coral reefs are defined and explained, but author Maris Wicks looks at the bigger picture of the ocean and how coral reefs play a global role. Each section introduces new concepts, and Wicks does a great job of summarizing and repeating key content.  The narrating goby fish provides witty asides, but is always clarifying what's true and what isn't so there is no confusion.  Climate change/global warming and being a good eco-citizen are all discussed, though I was very surprised that there was never a warning to readers about the importance of keeping a distance and not touching living coral.

The illustrations are wonderfully bright and interesting and along with the loads of information, Coral Reefs is a book to return to again and again. The Grammar Police did find a typo and a couple of errors, but I still highly recommend it to middle grade readers and adults alike (I learned a ton!).  This needs to be on the shelf in every school library and science classroom. 

Thank you to ReadWriteLove28 and First Second Books for providing me a gorgeous print copy in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Maris Wicks lives in sunny Somerville, Massachusetts. She is the author behind Human Body Theater, as well as the illustrator of New York Times-bestselling Primates, with Jim Ottaviani. When she's not making comics, Wicks works as a program educator at the New England Aquarium. She is quite fond of being in the water, whether it's swimming in ponds or scuba diving in the Atlantic Ocean.  Find out more about Maris and her work: 
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