Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2011 Webb shares her observations on yet another scientific cruise (My Season With Penguins, Looking for Seabirds, etc.); this mission to the Eastern Tropical Pacific collects data to help determine why dolphin populations continue to decline, despite decades of maritime law that now protects them from purse-seine tuna fishing. Webb pursues a collateral interest-counting seabirds-which may ultimately contribute information related to the dolphin problem. Descriptions of marine mammals, seabirds, and flying fish are supported by meticulous illustrations of their pelagic habitat. Even children accustomed to high-quality nature photography will appreciate the advantage of detailed illustration to compare related species, suggest the range of life within an ecosystem, and imagine underwater scenes that could not be seen by a human eye in the darkness of extreme depth. Although this close-up of a researcher at work bears some kinship to the Scientists in the Field series, lack of attention to what becomes of the data post-voyage may frustrate children interested in following the dolphin study, and Webb’s failure to discuss exactly how one enumerates sea life (how, for instance, do you count flying fish when they “erupt” from the ocean in hundreds or thousands?) is a notable omission. Nonetheless, readers who enjoy general works on marine biology will find Webb’s journey to be an inviting lens through which to view some of their favorite sea creatures. A hybrid glossary/index is included. EB - Copyright 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 09/01/2011 The author-illustrator of the Robert F. Sibert Honor Book My Season with Penguins: An Antarctic Journal (2000) and Looking for Seabirds: Journal from an Alaskan Voyage (2004), Webb takes readers along for a third voyage. During four months aboard a NOAA research vessel, she and her shipmates study open-ocean ecosystems in the eastern tropical Pacific. One dated entry describes biologists shooting dolphins with crossbow bolts designed to collect tissue samples, while another tells of watching trails of plankton in the sea (and in the ship’s seawater toilet) at night. Webb writes clearly, and the first-person, present-tense account of her activities and observations gives a sense of immediacy to the narrative. Created using watercolor and pencil, the illustrations (including a helpful map) add color and movement to every double-page spread. Although some of the pictures, particularly those of people, seem a bit awkward, the paintings of birds, dolphins, whales, fish, sea, and sky are more natural and graceful. A good choice for children intrigued by marine biology. - Copyright 2011 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2011 Gr 4–8—Webb's voice comes through in her journal entries describing a four-month National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expedition in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) to study the population levels of dolphins previously affected by tuna purse-seine fishing. Quietly and with no wasted words, the narrative details daily life aboard the McArthur as well as how field observation was done, what was learned, and how the data collected could be used in future studies. The illustrations, done in watercolor, gouache, and graphite, amplify and personify the text by showing where and how the scientists lived and worked. Other marine mammals besides dolphins are described and carefully drawn, as are the ocean-going birds of the Pacific. Graphs detail such issues as the numbers of dolphins drowned in purse-seine tuna nets before that method was banned, and maps help readers understand the extent of the ETP, an area of the Pacific Ocean stretching from California to Hawaii to Peru. This volume is delightful to browse and is informative in its storytelling. Although there is no table of contents, the two-and-one-half-page combined glossary/index will guide youngsters to specific topics.—Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA - Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.