The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees, Sandra Markle

From the publisher:

Honeybees are a crucial part of our food chain. As they gather nectar from flowers to make sweet honey, these bees also play an important role in pollination, helping some plants produce fruit. But large numbers of honeybees are disappearing every year... and no one knows why. Is a fungus killing them? Could a poor diet be the cause? What about changes to bees' natural habitat? In this real-life science mystery, scientists and beekeepers are working to answer these questions... and save the world's honeybees before it's too late.

Strengths: The photographs in this book are incredible, the layout motif of a honeycomb ties everything together nicely and doesn't overpower either the photos or the text, and the information is clear and fascinating. The language and  less formal style make the book accessible and make the science graspable for even readers who might not have a strong science background.

Weaknesses: Picture captions are adequate to good, but I think more could have been done with those to enhance the text for stronger readers who wanted more in-depth information.

Reminds me of the excellent Scientists in the Field series but at a more basic level. 

Recommended.

I read an e-ARC of this book.

How Many Baby Pandas, Sandra Markle

If this isn't just the cutest book ever, I don't know what is.  It's got pictures of baby pandas on every page.  Amazing.  Pandas are fairly ugly when they're born, though, did you know that?  They are hairless and pink and their eyes are closed.  On the left you can see a photo of one of the newborn baby pandas from the Animal Planet website.  See what I'm saying?


This nonfiction, informational book is about sixteen baby pandas that were born China's Wolong Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center and raised with the help of scientists.  It incorporates basic counting lessons into the panda information, and like I said, it has all kinds of adorable pictures of the pandas as they grow. My favorite picture in the book, I think, is at the very end where they show the scientists all holding the pandas in a row. 

If you like to learn about animals, this is a great book for you.

I checked this book out from the Highland Elementary School library, but it is also available at the Multnomah County Public Library.