Saskia Gwinn (text) and Ana Albero (illustrator). Scientists are saving the world: So who is working on time travel?, Walker Books Australia, November 2022, 32 pp., RRP $29.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781913520540
In this engaging introduction to many fields of science, a little boy asks his Mum, “If all the scientists are saving the world, who is working on time travel?” His mother tells him that there are lots of scientists out there studying all sorts of amazing things. They are digging up dinosaurs; travelling in space; researching the weather; listening to animals; building robots; swimming with sharks; studying seeds, insects and rocks; saving lives and the planet; and mapping the universe.
For each one of these fields of endeavour, one or more people specialising in it are named and briefly described. Some of these scientists are no longer alive, such as Mary Anning, but others are working on their research currently. Readers may well not have heard of some of them, but this is what makes the book all the more interesting. The little boy has it explained to him that all scientists started out just like him – a youngster with an interest in the world around him.
The format contains the illustrations and text in boxes and frames, almost like comic or graphic novel style. The drawings are brightly coloured and attractive. The book concludes with 24 stylised portraits in boxes, listing all the scientists named in the text with brief information about each one. There is no index or glossary, but they are not really needed. This is a good introduction to science for young readers.
Reviewed by Lynne Babbage
