Grade 4-8-In this photo-essay, Conlan details her three-month stay in Antarctica, highlighting some of her experiences and her involvement in ongoing experiments relating to the effects of human waste on marine life. Youngsters will enjoy the scientist's accounts of harrowing underwater experiences and diving in the polar regions-suiting up, the dive hut, safety precautions, and dangers-and descriptions of how it feels to be under six feet of ice. Information on the animals that Conlan observed, an introduction to U.S. McMurdo Station (base camp), and a brief history of the first two expeditions to Antarctica in the 1900s allow readers a glimpse of a continent that most people will never have the opportunity to visit. Descriptions of the marine biologist's encounters with playful Weddell seals and Ad‚lie and Emperor penguins and trips to neon-blue caves full of giant ice crystals, underwater sponge gardens, and glacier caverns add interest, as well. The color photos are clear and appealing. Curiously, most of the book is written in past tense, but the last few pages are written in journal form. Jennifer Owings Dewey's Antarctic Journal (HarperCollins, 2001) and Meredith Hooper's Antarctic Journal (National Geographic, 2001) both concentrate on Antarctic wildlife. Sara Wheeler's Greetings from Antarctica (Peter Bedrick, 1999) includes brief information on life at the pole, penguins and small seals, ice, cooking, and the history of the South Pole and Antarctica, accompanied by lots of diagrams and photos.
Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. Conlan, a Canadian marine biologist, describes her experiences living at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and diving into the frigid waters below the ice. There she conducted experiments and observed sea life during seven summers, beginning in 1991. The first-person text creates a feeling of immediacy as Conlan recalls memorable moments, such as her first dive through a six-foot tunnel of ice, her panic during an equipment failure, and her underwater encounter with a Weddell seal pup. Well-captioned, color photos appear throughout the book. A few of the pictures look like informal snapshots, but most are excellent in composition and clarity. Conlan, who refers to herself as "the luckiest person in the world," offers readers an engaging account of her adventurous career in scientific field research. Carolyn Phelan
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