(3) 4-6 Science Comics series. Illustrated by Pat Lewis. When beaked whale Zip is tagged with an underwater microphone by "aliens" (i.e., human scientists), he decides to travel the ocean and interview different whale species. Brisk text is packed with facts about whale biology and behavior and climate change. Sly humor balances serious observations about ecological damage and the interconnected nature of life on Earth. Digital comic-panel illustrations employ simple line work with a mostly blue-green palette (shifting to eerie photo-negative colors for human encounters). Whale and "Human Impact" glossaries and suggestions for further reading are appended.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) 4-6 Science Comics series. This continuing series gives the graphic-novel treatment to an exploration of one of nature's top predators. The text is heavily loaded with shark facts and yet doesn't feel ponderous. Detailed illustrations rely on shades of blue and green to emphasize the aquatic nature of the topic. The comic-book layout is easy to read, breaking the text up into manageable chunks. Glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Science Comics series. Illustrated by Jacob Chabot. This entertaining (and timely) volume in the educational graphic-novel series takes a look at the history of robots, guided by a mechanical bird from ancient Italy named Pouli ("the first machine that ever flew through the sky"). The comic-book layout is easy to follow, and the detailed text is matched with art that is bright, expressive, and meticulous. Glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Science Comics series. Man's best friend is discussed in this volume of a continuing series exploring science topics via graphic-novel format. The history, genetics, and behavior of dogs are all touched on. The brightly colored comic-book art has a lighthearted, sometimes even silly style that manages not to bury the detailed science lessons. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Science Comics series. With lighthearted graphic-novel presentations, this series continues to educate readers about science topics. As a little brown bat narrator recovers in a wildlife rehabilitation center, he meets--and introduces readers to--bats from around the globe. The basic comic-book layout and style make the book easy to read, while facts about types of bats, their habitats, diets, etc., are engagingly relayed. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Science Comics series. In this volume of a continuing series exploring science topics via graphic-novel format, readers learn about plagues, their causes, and how they spread. A scientist communicates with different disease cells (pictured as a blobby face with appendages); this humorous artistic choice lightens a difficult topic. Behind the book's silly premise there's lots to learn from the detailed scientific discussions. Reading list, timeline. Glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Science Comics series. Illustrated by Molly Brooks. Science, technology, and biography mix in this volume. The narrative covers the Wright Brothers' lives and inventions, their contemporaries and competitors, the science of flight, and aviation technology. The comic-book art and format lends a lighthearted feel, but the graphic flow is occasionally broken as the more technical content is conveyed in text- and diagram-heavy sections. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Science Comics series. Color by Sophie Goldstein. In this graphic novel set during a future ice age, a child stumbles upon a book about volcanoes and uses her new knowledge to bring Earth's heat to her people. Although there are some holes in the frame story's logic, the science is impressive, as are the contrasting illustrations of a frozen, abandoned California and the dynamic volcanic processes of its past. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 Science Comics series. Illustrated by Joe Flood. This topic gets the graphic-novel treatment. Flood's detailed panel illustrations cover a lot of ground, including nineteenth-century dinosaur hunters; nomenclature practice; and various geological, evolutionary, and paleontological discoveries. There's some humor along with a solid presentation of facts, and the clean design helps makes the information accessible; the somewhat advanced content makes the book most appropriate for upper-elementary-age readers. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Science Comics series. As the series title suggests, this introduction to coral is given the graphic-novel treatment. The panel illustrations are bright and colorful; a clean design makes the information accessible. The content is somewhat advanced, making this appropriate for upper-elementary-age readers. The lighthearted text, narrated by a fish, includes humorous asides along with a solid presentation of the facts. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo