Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Book lays bare the fascinating natural world
I thought I may review The Observologist by listing 10 things I learned from reading it and looking – sometimes awestruck at its rich simplicity – but I realised within the first few pages that you can pick up Giselle Clarkson’s glorious new book and learn 10 or more things merely by reading just a couple of pages.
Who knew that toadstools and mushrooms are one in the same? Or that the study of ants is called myrmecology? Or that sparrows’ wings beat differently when they are getting something like a blade of dry grass? And who would have thought, when you take the time to stop and look, that a humble snail’s shell can be so beautiful?
The Observologist is possibly the most detailed “picture book” of the year, but Clarkson’s comic-type but comprehensive illustrations and Vida Kelly’s wise design afford plenty of space so its facts and, of course, observations live and breathe. It’s a remarkable achievement to break down complex scientific information, make facts fun and playful for “budding natural scientists”, and introduce readers – of all ages – to worlds they may not realise are right in front of them. Playful yes, but certainly not lacking in scientific rigour (check out the small type of its two-page index).
Even more noteworthy, Clarkson presents it all without a nod to modern devices and technology so beloved of many of us today. It makes for a largely egalitarian book where you can go outside to a damp corner or weedy patch and keep busy for hours; there’s no need for specialist equipment or trips to exotic climes.
Humour plays a big role, too. I smiled reading the explanation of Observology (The Study of Looking) and laughed aloud at the picture page Boring Situations Improved With Observology (Indecision at the plant shop and there’s a power cut are particularly apt for my kids and me).
Clarkson is right when she states: A good thing about being young is that you’re closer to the ground than most adults, so you have an excellent view of what’s going on down there.
Another good thing about being young is that nobody thinks you’re strange if you pay attention to a worm, an ant or a puddle. Adults tend to feel embarrassed doing that type of thing.
Hopefully, the book will encourage adults not to feel weird and accompany their young ones outside into the four humble and readily accessible places suggested for observology: A Damp Corner, Pavement, A Weedy Patch and Behind the Curtains (see, you don’t even have to go outside). There are suggestions for extending your observology – draw what you see – and handy hints on how to relocate a spider or help an exhausted bee. We’ll be making good use of how to get a fly to go outside when – if – summer kicks in.
A quote from Clarkson is the best way to end: Asked about what she hopes the book helps children feel towards the natural environment, she answered: “I hope it will encourage children to see that a fascinating, lively, natural world is more than just big animals in faraway places – it’s all around us. I think being a conservationist starts when you feel a personal connection to a plant or an animal or a place, and observing the quiet magnificent of a spider, a moth or a dragonfly is a wonderful way to being building that relationship with nature.”
Given that, The Observologist is a job very well done indeed.