Graphic novels can be so much more than entertaining and fun to read. They can be educational!! Really, they can be and they’re so much more than what some parents, educators or kids might think that they are. The Earth Before Us series from Amulet Books is a great example of how much and how different a graphic novel can be. Mammal Takeover! is the third book in this entertaining and educational series that is about old school Earth.
Mammal Takeover! starts with Ronnie as she’s sitting on the swing questioning how her ancestors survived the Ice Age. After all, it’s winter and she’s cold. All of sudden Miss Lernin appears in a tunnel that she’s dug in the snow to answer her questions and take her on a tour. Miss Lernin is the Miss Frizzle of the series as she acts as narrator and educator for Ronnie and those reading the book.
What’s immediately evident in Mammal Takeover! is that the book is absolutely crammed with animals. On any given page there might be eight different animals that have their scientific name phonetically spelled out, as well as written in standard spelling. There is movement on every page and as a result of this it’s a color smorgasbord in the book. If you’re rating graphic novels on the sheer amount of information that’s transferred in a book this series would win.
As Miss Lernin and Ronnie travel through the Eocene, Ologocene, Miocine and Pliocene we see how different species evolved. The book is also loaded on facts. The Josephoartigasia was the largest rodent ever found and is a relative of the capybara. Thus, it’s not too surprising that this creature looks like a 400 pound version of the snub-nosed slow mover.
The two make their way through the Holocene Epoch until they’re back on the playground where it all started. As an educator and someone who loves history, I really enjoy this series of books. If you’re familiar with the Science Comics series from :01 First Second then you’ll understand how they weave education, the illustrations and a story together.
From that angle, the narrative element in Mammal Takeover! wasn’t as strong as I wanted it to be. One thing that young readers enjoy reading about Science Comics is that they usually have an excellent and credible story that makes people want to follow along. The dialogue is usually laced with jokes, in addition to lots of facts about whatever the book is about.
Mammal Takeover! has more of a tour guide approach than a narrative one. Because I want to read about ancient animals I was a willing participant. Our 10 year-old son wasn’t into this book as much the Science Comics ones as much because they require a little bit more attention. It’s so crammed with information and pictures that it can feel a bit much at times for those who aren’t already interested in the subject.
If you’re studying dinosaurs, evolution or to an extent; climate change, you’ll read Mammal Takeover! and find yourself taking notes or dog-earing pages to remember things. Those readers will enjoy the huge amounts of information that’s displayed on each page. Other readers who are looking to discover something new might find the onslaught of vocabulary and tightly packed pages a little intimidating. Ages 9 and up who like dinosaurs will enjoy this or those 12 and up who like science will find it interesting.
There are affiliate links in this post, because, dinosaurs.
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