That’s a good thing because her mother has been caring for the various beasts since childhood, but now she’s leaving on a business trip so the work will fall to Zoey. Zoey discovers that she can see magical creatures that might need her help. The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world. Peebles, an inventor who lives nearby, is black. There are no ethnic indicators in the text, but the illustrations reveal that Ada, her family, and bratty neighbor Milton are white Nina appears to be Southeast Asian and Mr. This installment incorporates drones, a wireless camera, gecko gloves, and the Turing test as well as the concept of an ecosystem. As part of the series formula, science topics and gadgetry are integrated into the stories and further explained in a “Behind the Science” afterword. Story-crafting takes a back seat to scene-setting in this series kickoff that introduces the major players. Nina does the legwork and Ada provides the technology for their search for the dognapper. Reed’s dog, Marguerite, is missing, they leap to the conclusion that it has been stolen. She records her observations in a field journal, a project that intrigues new friend Nina, who lives nearby. Temporarily housebound after a badly executed bungee jump, Ada uses binoculars to document the ecosystem of her new neighborhood in San Francisco. Using science and technology, third-grader Ada Lace kicks off her new series by solving a mystery even with her leg in a cast. Photosynthesis is thrilling to ponder, and Bang and Chisholm shout their enthusiasm for the process-and for the interconnectedness of all living things-from the (probably solar-paneled) rooftops. Without plants, / there would be no life on Earth.” Sunlight is represented visually throughout by tiny yellow dots that travel in and out of Earth’s lush blue and green landscapes, often to gorgeous effect.

Without plants, / you would have no food. Mirroring the format of Bang’s more energy-focused My Light (2006), this one is in part dedicated to Ben, “who felt it was more important that the sun’s energy fuels life than that it can change into electricity.” Here, too, the sun speaks in a meditative first-person voice: “All living things- / including YOU- / pulse with my light / and keep it circling / round and round on Earth.” Elsewhere, the style and cadence evoke an awestruck child on the playground, excitedly sharing newfound knowledge: “Without plants, / you would have no oxygen.

Living Sunlight by Molly Bang