History Smashers: Earth Day and the Environment, by Kate Messner

 

Publication March 11, 2025

Earth Day is every day. In fact, it's been going on for much longer than the official proclamation of an Earth Day. As you'll discover, it's been going on for not just years but decades. Centuries, even. This book gives reference to more than just the happenings and reactions to an official Earth Day but takes us back to see where the idea of taking care of the earth we live on began. 

I won't try to summarize the history of the goal of saving the earth, obviously, but will say that Messner does her usual excellent job of combining fact, humor, and thought provoking bits of information and comments throughout. While I can't claim to have read the entire series, this one differed from some recent ones I've read in that it seems to be more wide-ranging. By that I mean it covers a vast array of time and place. We may think of Earth Day as a single event but its beginnings were wide spread and its impact felt for centuries before someone got around to making it an official day. I have Native American roots and was delighted to see their role given attention. Also, as someone who has always been fascinated by the Mayan culture, the reminder that the terraces and reservoirs that were used by the Maya people were some of the most visible means of cultivating our earth's resources while helping protect them for the long term, too. And these efforts are simply the tip of the iceberg. 

Bottom line, there is a great deal of info to be digested here as well as suggestions on how we as both individuals and groups can preserve our world for future generations. I mean, maybe you'd like to go live on barren Mars but I think I'll stick to good ol' planet Earth. Messner's writing style flows nicely and is easy to understand and digest. Even better, she documents her sources and there are lots of both fun and informative illustrations to help readers grasp what they are reading. The ample use of sidebars and color helps. There is certainly more to see, read, and learn. Thanks #RandomHoouseChildren's books for sharing this early copy with me. The retired teacher in me thoroughly enjoyed it and, yes, learned more than a few things.

Trouble Dog: From Shelter Dog to Conservation Hero, by Carol A. Foote, Larry Day (illustrator)

 

Publication Feb. 26, 2925

While I knew what a scent dog was, I wasn't familiar with the term conservation dog. Not to mention the countless miles they may travel to do their job. Pretty amazing to think a shelter dog, one returned for being destructive and just too much to handle, could thrive in such a position. Tucker, the star of this story, is actually based on two real dogs, so be sure to read the after matter that discusses conservation dogs in greater detail. There are even real photos there. 

Given a second-chance by Laura, who not only has a goal but seemingly the patience of a saint, Tucker takes to the training and is pictured on several trial runs during training as well on real missions. His energy (not to mention the destruction he left in his wake early on) is nicely portrayed in the colorful illustrations. Kudos the Larry Day, the illustrator. I liked that Tucker was shown working in various sites in different ways. This helps illustrate the diverse set of skills such a dog must learn as well as the diverse cast of humans around the world they may work with. Tucker definitely proved his skill more than once. 

There's much to take away from this book aside from learning something about conservation dogs. Maybe most importantly it shows us not to cast a dog aside because it isn't the right fit for a situation, whether that be simply as a loving pet or a working dog who travels the world. Let's face it, some dogs have way more energy than others, hence usually subtle hints to potential adopters to consider their situation before adopting a dog simply because it's cute or reminds you of another pet or whatever. We can all learn a great deal from how Laura handles a difficult but lovable dog. 

The book is well written and flows nicely, with the illustrations adding greatly to our understanding. The addition of the true stories of the dogs Tucker is based on at the end with ample info on not just conservation dogs but how smell is used and what might make a dog a good fit for the position was a bonus. Thanks #WmBEardmansPublishingCompany for allowing me this sneak peek at how some dogs' natural abilities are being used for the good of all. I loved the illustration used at the top of the selected reading suggestions, too, of Laura curled up with a book with Tucker sprawled on her lap. My rescue corgi mix gives this one four paws up and many tail wags. 

Wild Horses: Running Free, by Linda L. Richards

 

Publication Oct. 17, 2023      Orca Wild, 11

As it turned out, I'd barely gotten into this book when a news article on efforts to remove the wild horses that run free in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park popped up on my computer screen. Much of what this book covers in the impact and conservation efforts surrounding the controversial program is echoed in the article, making this book all the more timely. I won't detail the article other than, for those interested in looking it up, to say it was out of Bismarck, N.D., by Jack Dura, of the Associated Press. One thing I did note, however, was something that I was curious about, the efforts to use sterilization as a means of control, which is also covered in the book. So, author Richards has done her homework, which is nicely reflected by the extensive index, glossary, and list of resources both on and offline, at the end. 

As for the book, while I've got to admit that sections demanded thought, it was actually a relatively quick, easy read. The photos are wonderful, food for this one-time horse-crazy girl's heart. In fact, the author's intro could have been written by me, including trying to adopt a stray horse, in both our cases a neighbor's wayward equine. The book is organized in five sections, with smaller sections within each. There's a wealth of info within, much of it maybe vaguely familiar to me now but nice to see made available in a shorter, more succinct manner than often rendered. The author's love of horses is obvious and she frequently gushes that everyone loves horses, which may be true in theory but, well, competing groups always prioritize and horses don't rank number one with everyone. As she says, however, it isn't that they don't like horses. They simply want to do different things with the land they now inhabit, whether grazing cattle herds, building homes, or drilling for oil, etc. It's obvious who's side she's on.

As a girl who read everything horse, while I might have struggled with some aspects of the info shared depending upon the age I encountered it, overall it was well laid-out and understandable. I particularly enjoyed the look at some lesser known types of horses. We're all surely familiar with the Chincoteague Pony (see, there I go assuming everyone reading this has read "Misty of Chincoteague") and perhaps the Brumby horses of Australia or Queen Elizabeth's favorite ponies in England, but some of the lesser known ones are fascinating.  Heck, you'll also discover how horses see and why (probably) zebras have stripes. So, part fun, part history, and part conservative, an interesting combination that resulted in an intriguing read...all richly illustrated with color photos, many taken by the author herself. Thanks #NetGalley and #OrcaBookPublishers for letting me dive back into my horse-crazy days. This one would be an excellent gift for any horse crazy kid or adult out there, even more so if they have a desire to help preserve the legacy of the wild horse.