As the girl opens the nonfiction book and begins to read, coral mysteriously appears on the library tables. A girl reaches onto a shelf in a library and pulls out a book titled Coral Reefs. Chin's new book is created in the same style, and it's sure to delight readers.įrom first glance at the title page, you know it's going to be good. Combining elements of fantasy with facts about redwood forests was an imaginative way to share a nonfiction story. Jason Chin's book, Redwoods, was well received by readers and reviewers when it was published in 2009. The reviewer borrowed a copy of the book from her school library. danielle j.Flash Point (an imprint of Roaring Brook Press) 2011 Near the end of the book, an immersive four-page foldout brings readers to the canyon rim, to marvel at 'the grandest canyon on Earth.' The final pages of the book provide even more scientific information. They go into great detail on how rocks and fossils form, the plant and animal species found in the various ecological niches present in the canyon, and the very formation of the canyon itself. The perimeters of some pages are filled with delicate sketches and diagrams in muted colors reminiscent of the dry rock landscape.

This representation captures the essence of field geology: artifacts of the earth are indeed conduits to the past, brought to life through scientific imagination. In some cases, the shifts are to marine environments, a stunning juxtaposition with the desert landscapes of the present.

Turn the page, and the girl is transported back in time to the ancient geologic environments in which the rocks were formed, or the fossilized animals lived. As the two explore the rocks, fossils, and landforms along the trail, selected objects are cleverly featured through subtle die-cuts.

Chin's detailed, scenic watercolors portray actual sites (he takes a few artistic liberties, carefully documented in an author's note).

Travel guide-like narration ('After climbing out of the Inner Gorge, you'll find yourself on a broad, sun-baked slope') presents accurate scientific information, while the illustrations, laid out like photos from a camping trip, depict the pair's adventures hiking from the bottom of the canyon to the top. Vacationing in Grand Canyon provides a father and daughter-and readers-numerous opportunities to explore this National Park's geology and ecology.

Redwoods by jason chin