by Pamela S. Turner
Photographs by Andy Comins
ages: 9+
First sentence: “THe sun is just peeking over golden Wyoming hills as Dr. Tyrone Hayes wakes his team.”
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I’m really kind of at a loss as to what to say about this book. Really, the only thing is: I think it’s very cool. I think it’s cool because it’s about an African-American research scientist. How many books are there out there about minority scientists? (Then again, I’m not sure I’ve read many books about scientists; maybe there are tons.) I think it’s cool because the photography is fabulous, even if it is mostly just frogs. Then again, I think it’s cool because it takes frogs seriously, and actually makes the study of them sound fascinating and appealing.

I think it’s cool because it connects the study of frogs to the environment and gives the science behind it all relevance. I think it’s cool because it is quietly environmentalist, without being preachy. I think it’s cool because while being a scientist isn’t really cool or hip or sexy, it is interesting.

But most of all, I think it’s cool because it’s accessible to kids. Simple text, without a lot of science speak, but it never talked down to the readers. Here’s hoping that someone, somewhere reads this book and wants to become a frog scientist.

Now, that would be cool.