The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson

The Observologist is a fun and fascinating introduction to wonders of creation available for viewing in your own back yard.

The Observologist: A Handbook for Mounting Very Small Scientific Expeditions by Giselle Clarkson. Gecko Press, 2023, 118 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-15

If bugs could talk, they’d have a lot to tell you about life cycles, tasty things to eat, predators to avoid, and poop. Since they can’t talk, you should check out The Observologist for tips on how to find them, what to do with them, and what to look for. “Observology” (not a real word—yet) is defined as “the study of looking,” and the introductory chapter shares the basic principles as well as tips, tricks, and basic taxonomy. A page on “Your Evolutionary Family Tree” can easily be skipped, as well as nods to evolution scattered throughout the text. A far more prominent theme is wonder at the variety and ingenuity of the natural world—all discoverable just beyond the back steps, or even inside the house.

For example, the tardigrade, an animal that feeds on lichen, is about the size of the period at the end of a sentence, but comes equipped with a brain and digestive system. Fungi is something between an animal and a plant, with characteristics of each, as well as its own special properties. Worms can feel pleasure and pain. Garden snails are hermaphrodites (both sexes in one). And so on. As the book was originally published in Australia, many of the specimens are unique to Down Under. But no less fascinating.

The author/illustrator provides bounteous drawings of animal specimens, as well as their feeding places, eggs, and predators. These are cartoony but accurate, with humorous speech bubbles and asides that will keep young readers chuckling before they start looking. (Do you know how to recognize spider poop?) Once specimens are found, the author seems to have a Ghandi-like reverence for them. (Don’t squash that fly! Encourage him gently to leave the room.) The Observologist is not a book to read straight through, but it’s endlessly browseable and worth checking out more than once.

Overall rating: 4 (out of 5)

  • Worldview/moral value: 3.5
  • Artistic/literary value: 4.5

 Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below may earn us a commission. Read more here.

Order from Amazon.

Stay Up to Date!

Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.

Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

Support our writers and help keep Redeemed Reader ad-free by joining the Redeemed Reader Fellowship.

Stay Up to Date!

Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.

Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

Janie Cheaney

Janie is the VERY senior staff writer for Redeemed Reader, as well as a long-time contributor to WORLD Magazine and an author of nine books for children. The rest of the time she's long-distance smooching on her four grandchildren (not an easy task). She lives with her equally senior husband of almost-fifty years in the Ozarks of Missouri.

We'd love to hear from you!

Our comments are now limited to our members (both Silver and Golden Key). Members, you just need to log in with your normal log-in credentials!

Not a member yet? You can join the Silver Key ($2.99/month) for a free 2-week trial. Cancel at any time. Find out more about membership here.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.