Title: Santo’s Search for Glaciers
Author & Illustrator: D. B. Clay
Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media
ISBN: 979-8-88622-095-7
Pages: 34
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book / Climate Education
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Hollywood Book Reviews
Author D. B. Clay has taken a firm stance on the issue of climate change by educating children, as well as all readers, in his illustrated book titled Santo’s Search for Glaciers. In this story, Santos brings personified penguins Petie, Pablo, and Pepetie to life, sharing conversations about the environment with them. The main theme is the melting of glaciers, which in turn has devastating effects on the Earth by lessening the fresh water supply, changing the coastlines by raising sea levels, and contributing to global warming by reducing the reflection of the sun’s heat.
Santos lives among the ice sheets, with his penguin friends and frolics in a warm-water swimming hole with Leo the leopard seal. There is a wonderful picture (page 9) where Pablo, the only flying penguin, had Santo on back as his wings soared and flew high above the Southern Ocean along Antarctica’s coast. There also is another remarkable picture (page 11) where the food chain is illustrated as algae and plankton are eaten by krill, then in turn the krill are eaten by small fish, then up the food chain to penguins and ultimately big fish. These two illustrations are so well done which will cause readers to pause and admire the fanciful artwork, in my opinion.
The story goes on with clever wordsmithing, including occasional rhymes, revealing the many aspects of the Earth’s cycles of warming – and cooling. The epilog at the end is used to state scientific causes-and-effects from various events; be that of volcanos jettisoning many hundreds of millions of tons of ash into the atmosphere, resulting in a global winter by blocking the sunlight from hitting the Earth, as well as the Earth’s wabbling rotation having ramifications in the climate. The book is geared to educate the younger generation to grasp a foundation to the many issues society is facing today, as they will no doubt be exposed to much of the political and scientific changes in coping with mankind’s manipulation of various aspects, namely burning fossil-fuels and increasing the carbon footprint.
With a heavy dose of scientific background about the climate, a fun-filled adventure of Santos, creative text and inspiring illustrations, D. B. Clay’s Santo’s Search for Glaciers is yet another must-read children’s story, amidst his many other titles featuring Santo, the jolly old wise man with amazing friends.