(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. "Nature runs on sunlight and water. Humans...use fossil fuels and toxic chemicals." Nature's adaptations have a lot to teach us about sustainable design and environmental stewardship. The authors discuss technological advances that have benefited humans (e.g., synthetic fibers, refrigerators, cell phones) and how these innovations are threatening the health of the planet. The approachable text, supported by lots of captioned photos, spotlights some of nature's more remarkable innovations and some engineering feats inspired by nature. A final chapter focuses on "Reducing Our Footprint." A reading list, websites, and links to relevant TED Talks are appended, as are a glossary and index.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. An unusual book about urban innovations, full of engaging color photos from different countries, including many from the author's Canadian hometown of Victoria, British Columbia. Young people will get ideas for projects they could recreate in their own neighborhood--murals, street libraries, community gardens, knitted decorative tree coverings, and more--and may even be inspired to get involved in local politics. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. Biologist Eriksson touches on numerous ocean-science topics, including the physical properties of water, ocean dynamics, and marine life, but focuses largely on the ocean's importance and the dangers associated with pollution and climate change. Several chapters provide suggestions for actions readers can take to protect and sustain oceans. The accessible text is well illustrated with captioned color photographs. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. Divided into four chapters, this title explores the intersection of nature and cities: times when nature comes uninvited (e.g., coyotes, bears) and times when city planners work to bring it back (removing pavement and creating green spaces). Plenty of well-captioned, fascinating photos illustrate the accessible text. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. Information about the history of international trade leads into why fair trade is an important component of today's fight for social justice and equality. Jones urges young people to get involved in spreading the word and changing their own consumer habits. Illustrated with compelling color photographs, the narrative includes anecdotes from the author's international travels in service to fair trade. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. With a focus on sustainability, four chapters examine farming across the globe, including new technologies such as robotic pollinating bees and the innovative use of an abandoned bomb shelter below London to grow greens. Well-captioned photos, including some of the author and her family growing up on a farm in Canada, illustrate the accessible text. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. This book examines the history of money; the economic and environmental impacts of consumerism and consumption, including child labor and pollution; and alternative systems such as "sweat equity," bartering, microlending, and tool and toy libraries. Plenty of well-captioned photos--including some showing kids involved in Habitat for Humanity and growing food for the hungry--illustrate the accessible text. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. Divided into the chapters "Earth," "Air," "Water," and "Fire," this book focuses on how trees help the earth and people by fortifying soil, cleaning the atmosphere, filtering the water supply, providing fuel, and more. Attractive photos from around the world of trees or their uses, including some of the author's personal shots, round out this comprehensive book of arboreal appreciation. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. Four chapters study garbage, looking at how waste and methods of "removal" have changed and how to reduce waste in general. Mulder shares innovative ideas to make use of trash, such as a Paraguayan music teacher constructing his students' instruments from found objects. Well-captioned photos, including some of the author's family, illustrate and personalize the accessible text. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. Beginning with bee characteristics and habits, this book goes on to explain what beekeepers do and what is threatening both honey and wild bees, such as habitat loss, use of neonicotinoid pesticides and herbicides, and parasites and diseases. Plenty of "Bee Fact" sidebars and photos of bees, their keepers, and kids will maintain interest. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. Divided into four chapters, this book explores the history of water use by humans; the natural cycle of water on earth; how people access, clean, and desalinate water; and ways in which we can conserve and preserve our water resources. Plenty of well-captioned photos, including some from the author's own travels, illustrate and personalize the accessible text. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. The myriad definitions of home are explored in this survey of domestic dwellings people have built across the world and over time. Arranged by structure type and filled with colorful photographs, chapters describe the materials and ingenuity involved in designing teepees, yurts, capsule hotels, and more (including many of the authors' past homes), spanning diverse socioeconomic situations and natural resources. Websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. Divided into four chapters, this book covers topics such as the drawbacks of fossil fuels; renewable energy sources (e.g., wind and solar); and newer ideas for fuel, including algae, fungus, and human waste. Plenty of well-captioned photos, from a Dutch windmill to a dog-poop "digester" that powers lights at an urban park, illustrate the accessible text. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. Divided into four chapters, this book looks at the history and anatomy of the bicycle, and explores reasons for its use, such as low cost and environmental impact. Well-captioned photos that show the unusual ways in which bikes have been put to work--from bicycle soccer in Europe to bicycle ambulances in Namibia--illustrate the accessible text. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Orca Footprints series. With chapter titles such as "Seeds and Plants," "Feathered Friends," and "Multi-Purpose Animals," this book adeptly explains different types of farming around the world. While a section discussing the 4-H program is included, it is mostly the well-chosen color photos, showing children from a variety of cultures harvesting crops or tending animals, that justify the subtitle. Reading list, websites. Ind

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey