Loved it! 😍

A great story for scientifically-inclined young readers, especially those who find pleasure exploring the world around them.

Synopsis

A curious girl detective explores the world around her, including the ocean’s amazing bioluminescence.
The debut title in a new books series for young readers that are simple introductions to micro-science.

Young Isabel dreams of being a super detective and takes her favorite toy—a large magnifying glass—wherever she goes. A scientist at heart, Isabel uses her magnifying glass to stop and observe, often seeing things that other children overlook whether it’s tiny mouse footprints or strange-looking bugs. When Isabel and her family take a trip to the bay at night, they see an amazing and beautiful occurrence of bioluminescence in the water. A lover of mysteries, Isabel uses her science smarts, great detective work, and her trusty magnifying glass to uncover the secret of what causes this extraordinary natural phenomenon.

Author Rick Allen is an AAUS scientific scuba diver who has collected data for oceanographic researchers and speaks about kelp forest ecology whose aim with Isabel is to excite young readers about the wonders of our ocean and marine environments.

Isabel loves examining the world through her trusty magnifying glass, and she is especially adept at using it to solve mysteries just like her favorite detective. Whether she is helping her parents determine the culprit of a garden mishap, or she is exploring the varied life forms at the seashore, Isabel is always on the hunt for answers. So, when Isabel and her parents venture out onto a bay near their home one evening, she is captivated by the glowing lights she observes every time the water moves. And it takes one more special tool for Isabel to see beyond what her eyes can sense in order to spot the creatures responsible for the water's bioluminescence.

This picture book celebrates the children who look beyond what is expected and truly recognize how the world works. Short, accessible phrases make the book particularly well suited to young readers, and scientific words are broken down into smaller pieces the first time they appear in the text. The phrases are placed beside full color, digitally rendered illustrations to bring the whimsy of bioluminescent life to children's minds. Whether or not readers have ever studied plankton and other tiny sea creatures, this book does a good job of introducing the idea of these important creatures in an approachable way. For the most part, the text and illustrations work well together; it is only on rare occasions that a close overlap in color makes the text difficult to read.

Young elementary school aged readers with an interest in STEM concepts will find this to be a book that will encourage them to dive deeper into the study of biology. Disappointingly, there is no glossary or appendix to help readers better understand the scientific terminology in the text; such an addition would elevate the book from a storybook to an informational nonfiction text. Overall, however, the story is accessible to young girls in particular, and the vivid images of the plankton stand out as a means of better understanding these microscopic creatures. This is an intriguing addition to library collections for young scientists.

Reviewed by

I review books for kids, tweens, and teens and blog about them on my website. To date, I have over 500 published reviews. Sign up for my monthly newsletter at www.maryrlanni.com to get recommendations straight to your inbox! I primarily write reviews, but will create video reviews upon request.

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Isabel and the Invisible World

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