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by Boomert - The Great Barrier Reef Book: Solar Powered by Mark Norman 12 Jan 2010
In the same series as the award-winning The Penguin Book: Birds in Suits, and by the same author, comes this attractive, easily browsed book on a hot topic. Did you know the Great Barrier Reef is the only structure made by living creatures that can be seen from space? Such fascinating facts are presented in a book of bright photographs and blocks of accessible text. Small bytes tell, for example, that parrotfish take their rest in ‘a snot sleeping bag’. The way coral reefs are formed; the symbiotic relationships among some of their creatures (the cleaner shrimp runs a kind of ‘car wash station’ for larger fish); and the refuge provided by coral for other species are among the topics covered. There are pictures of diverse creatures such as giant clams, manta rays, green turtles, and the friendly potato cod. A small gripe: the theme of the reef being ‘solar powered’ runs through the book, but isn’t all life on earth dependent on the sun? Altogether, though, it’s a timely title of great appeal to seven-and-ups. It is well known that the reef is a barometer of the effects of climate change, and practical tips on helping reduce such change are included. An index and glossary also make the book family- and classroom-friendly.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (March 2009, Vol 88, No 6.) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.

Author Biography: Mark Norman
Dr Mark Norman is the head of Science at the Melbourne Museum and a world expert on octopuses, squids and cuttlefish.

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