GeekDad: ‘Galápagos Islands’: A Book Review

Subtitled “The World’s Living Laboratory,” Galápagos Islands by Karen Romano Young is a picture reference book that helps children discover the diverse natural history of the world’s first UNESCO heritage site. The book offers a fascinating insight into the islands’ special geology, and unique flora and fauna. The Galápagos is a place I imagine every GeekDad reader would love to visit, and this book will whet your appetite all the more. It’s a great introduction to one of the world’s truly special places, but the book’s neatest trick is to invite us to think not just about the Galápagos archipelago but the rest of the planet too. 

What Is Galápagos Islands?

The book is published by WhatonEarth Books, who always deliver excellent books. Galápagos Islands is for slightly older readers than some of their books. There is a lot of text to read and it’s perhaps less easy to dip in and out of. It would suit readers of around 10+. The book is beautifully illustrated by Amy Grimes. 

Karen Romano Young tells the story of her trip to the islands as a tourist. A tourist with a deep interest in the natural world. She uses this as a jumping-off point to introduce us to the wonders of the Galápagos, first setting out its marine structure and life, before moving onto land to look at marine iguanas, Galápagos tortoises, and of course, Darwin’s finches. 

Throughout out the book, Romano Young describes the conditions that make the Galápagos so special, before highlighting the efforts to keep it that way. This book examines just how important the islands are for investigating biodiversity and its central role in the development of the theory of natural selection by both Darwin and modern evolutionary biologists. 

The final section of the book examines how climate change is affecting the islands and the measures taken to mitigate its impact, as well as looking at the effects of tourism, both positive and negative. One fascinating section describes the effect COVID-19 has on the islands, and how Islanders are using the temporary turning off of the tourist tap to build a better, stronger archipelago. 

The book is an A4-sized hardback of 64 pages, consisting of five chapters, a glossary, source notes, and an index. 

Why Read Galápagos Islands?

With Galápagos Islands, Karen Romano Young has managed to marry the scientific importance of the islands with the enthralling nature of its biodiversity. She shows why it’s such an amazing place to visit while emphasizing why it needs to be kept as pristine as possible. 

At the time of writing, we’re deep into a General Election cycle here in the UK, and climate politics is an important (if often sidelined) part of the debate. The same is true across Europe, with costly green policies being used as leverage by right-wing parties to foment discontent. 

The message of the final third of Galápagos Islands will no doubt be lost on those with a climate denial disposition, but it highlights how precarious the planet’s position is. The data and information in this book are up to date and the way in which they are delivered shows how the Galápagos Islands represent the planet in microcosm. 

The islands are teeming with a huge variety of life, all interdependent in myriad often unfathomable ways. Small changes can have devastating consequences for Island life. If that is true in the Galápagos, it’s true everywhere. This message isn’t overtly stated in the book but it’s easy to read between the lines. Children who read this book will better understand the fragility of the planet’s ecosystems and the need to look after the planet. 

The Galápagos Islands put lots of science learning into action via volcanoes, evolution, and marine biology. As the book states, they’re a living laboratory. In my time reviewing for GeekDad, I’ve read a number of books that explain these subjects, but none do such a great job conveying how they manifest themselves in the real world. The islands are a unique setting and Karen Romano Young has brought them to life in a vivid relatable way. The islands may be unique but there are many similarities with the rest of the Earth. The genius of this book is to explore the wonder of the Galápagos while inspiring us to think deeply about the planet as a whole. 

If you would like to pick up a copy of Galápagos Islands you can do so here, in the U.S., and here, in the UK. (Affiliate Links)

If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews, here. 

I received a copy of this book in order to write this review.

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