The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth
Understanding Our World and Its Ecosystems
by Rachel Ignotofsky
2018
The Wonderous Workings of Planet Earth is a graphic nonfiction book by artist Rachel Ignotofsky that functions as an introduction to ecology for young readers. Parts of the book are fully accessible to kids, other parts seem designed to supplement what teenagers might be learning in high school biology. Ignotofsky's art is charming, and has a clarity that often resembles an infographic or instructional poster. You could just about use this as a textbook, certainly it could serve as a starting point for other reading to learn more about the topics it introduces.
The heart of Ignotofsky's book, taking up well over half its pages, is a tour through some of the unique, distinctive ecosystems on each continent. In North America, we see the redwood forest, mangrove swamps, and Midwestern prairie. Globally, we take in sights like the Andes, Alps, and Himalayas; the Amazon, Sahara, and savanna; and several that might not've made the shortlist in other books, like the Siberian Taiga, Mongolian Steppes, the Horn of Africa, Great Barrier Reef, and Arctic Circle.
Each system gets a two-page spread with a full-page illustration paired with a page of text. Each illustration depicts the biome inside a terrarium, a motif that's both pretty and emphasizes the way each system is somewhat self-contained. We see terrain, common plants and animals, and diagrams showing how energy moves through the system from the primary producers, though all the consumers, and up to the apex predators. Ignotofsky also discusses the threats that human activity pose to each environment.
There are a few more ecosystems too, that fall outside the continental framework - a pond and fallen log, a drop of water, the open ocean and sea floor.
Before her tour of these ecosystems, Ignotofsky takes us on a brief tour of introductory biology and ecology, with an emphasis on understanding how each system is made up of multiple populations of plants and animals that fit together in particular ways. After the tour, we learn about the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and water cycles. We also learn more about how humans have affected the environment, especially through climate change, and the many consequences of a warming planet. Ignotofsky also talks about steps we can take to help, which includes predictable individual actions, but also advocacy to your legislature, and poverty reduction as climate action.
The heart of Ignotofsky's book, taking up well over half its pages, is a tour through some of the unique, distinctive ecosystems on each continent. In North America, we see the redwood forest, mangrove swamps, and Midwestern prairie. Globally, we take in sights like the Andes, Alps, and Himalayas; the Amazon, Sahara, and savanna; and several that might not've made the shortlist in other books, like the Siberian Taiga, Mongolian Steppes, the Horn of Africa, Great Barrier Reef, and Arctic Circle.
Each system gets a two-page spread with a full-page illustration paired with a page of text. Each illustration depicts the biome inside a terrarium, a motif that's both pretty and emphasizes the way each system is somewhat self-contained. We see terrain, common plants and animals, and diagrams showing how energy moves through the system from the primary producers, though all the consumers, and up to the apex predators. Ignotofsky also discusses the threats that human activity pose to each environment.
There are a few more ecosystems too, that fall outside the continental framework - a pond and fallen log, a drop of water, the open ocean and sea floor.
Before her tour of these ecosystems, Ignotofsky takes us on a brief tour of introductory biology and ecology, with an emphasis on understanding how each system is made up of multiple populations of plants and animals that fit together in particular ways. After the tour, we learn about the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and water cycles. We also learn more about how humans have affected the environment, especially through climate change, and the many consequences of a warming planet. Ignotofsky also talks about steps we can take to help, which includes predictable individual actions, but also advocacy to your legislature, and poverty reduction as climate action.
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