 | Gift of dust : how Saharan plumes feed the planet Author: Brockenbrough, Martha | |
| Price: $14.99 | ||
Summary:
An ancient catfish becomes a fossil, and as the lake where it lived dries up, the fossil turns to dust--but this isn't ordinary dust. This dust begins in Chad, West Africa, but winds carry it across the continent, over the Atlantic ocean, to nourish and replenish the Amazon rain forest and beyond.
| Illustrator: | Martinez-Neal, Juana |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (03/15/25)
School Library Journal (+) (04/00/25)
Booklist (03/01/25)
The Hornbook (+) (00/07/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 03/01/2025 Plumes of dust originating in the Sahara, big enough to be seen from space, are the subject of this illuminating picture book showcasing an unusual phenomenon and emphasizing the interconnectedness of life on our planet. In short, descriptive lines, Brockenbrough describes how ancient fossils in North Africa are blasted by the wind, causing particles from those fossils to travel across the ocean, where the dust feeds plankton, to the Amazon rain forest, where the plume replaces minerals in the soil leeched away by heavy rains. Martinez-Neal’s watercolor artwork is full of swirling golden splatters and speckles across each scene, which emphasizes the ubiquity of the dust and the importance of the process. The lyrical focus on the cyclical nature of materials on our planet is nicely balanced by more concrete facts, such as the surprising weight of the plume, and detailed back matter offers yet more information on the dust, including distinguishing between regular household dust and the Saharan dust. Brockenbrough’s subject here might seem insignificant, but she persuasively draws attention to its vital importance with this appealing, eye-catching presentation. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
