Chasing Guano: The Discovery of a Penguin Supercolony

by Helen Taylor

When scientist Heather Lynch came across a satellite image of the Antarctic Peninsula's remote Danger Islands streaked with pink, she knew exactly what she was looking at. . . .

Poop—guano, to be more specific—and a lot of it. The culprit, she suspected, was a previously unnoticed colony of penguins. A big one. And their favorite food appeared to be pink krill. For a closer look, Heather built a team for an expedition to the Danger Islands, an area notorious for its unpredictable sea ice. Their mission was to count the penguins, determine how long ago the colony was established, and make a case for protecting their habitat from overfishing and other threats. Penguins are particularly important to study because, as indicator species, they can alert scientists to issues affecting the larger ecosystem. Join Heather and her team on a fascinating exploration of these remote islands as they discover a “supercolony” home to one of the world’s largest populations of Adélie penguins. Features team photos from the expedition!

Genres: Picture Books, Climate Change, Nonfiction, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

Published August 6, 2024

About the author

Note: There is more than one author by this name.

Reviews

[Stephanie Lucianovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully informative, chock-full of fascinating facts, and a wonderful reminder about how staying curious and asking questions can lead to amazing revelations.

[Darcy Pattison · Rating 5 out of 5]

When scientist Heather J. Lynch saw satellite images of a pink island, she knew it was penguin poop. A lot of it. Why pink? Because penguins eat pink krill. But no one knew about this penguin colony. It was outside of protected waters, so scientists wanted first=hand observations. Immediately.
Read about the fascinating trip to the bottom of the world to count penguins! Fascinating reading.
"Scientists love a good puzzle!"

[Kathy Temean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children will be instantly drawn to this book when they read that it all started with Penguins pink poop that scientists noticed from satellite photos looking at Earth. Then, everyone will be roped in when they discover the story is also about an expedition to the Danger Islands, an area notorious for its unpredictable sea ice. Teachers will quickly pull this book off the library's shelf when they notice the mission was to count the penguins, determine how long ago the colony was established, and make a case for protecting their habitat. Readers will love being part of exploring these remote islands with scientists as they discover a “supercolony” home to one of the world’s largest populations of Adélie penguins.

I loved reading about the daily work the scientists did and how they employed drones to help them map out the islands and see the guano (poop), and see the things they discovered from the colors. The photographs in the book are stunning. Very few of us will ever be able to see these islands and the penguins that inhabit them in person, so this is a much-needed book. I am sure some children will be inspired to continue the research to help the Earth heal.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This nonfiction story is a mystery. It’s also a gripping adventure about locating a colony of penguins in a group of small islands in Antarctica. And it offers up questions about the impact of climate change. Stunning photographs are used to illustrate the expedition and there’s a treasure trove of information on each spread both in the main text and separate side panels. The introduction to the story is so surprising and sort of unbelievable that the book pulls you in immediately to learn more…about penguins, their habitat, and the details of organizing such an expedition. I suppose what struck me most was thinking about the scientists and the other teammates who were so driven and had so much passion to take on such an arduous journey. If the book cover alone doesn’t beg you to grab it, just do it anyway and read the first three pages. I guarantee, you’ll enjoy this picture book.

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

With descriptive language, the author gives the reader a feeling of being there. The reader experiences the visuals, of course, but also motion, scent, sound, and even a sense of danger, for example, “After a queasy four-day ocean crossing, the air thickens with an unmistakable aroma. Ripe, fishy, and slightly sweet—hello, guano! Squawking echoes from the shore.” And “A summer blizzard whips through. Cold bites. Visibility plummets. It’s time to make that quick getaway!” Besides excellent writing, the research is fascinating. The photographs and maps alone are worth the price of the book. But that’s not all; side bars offer information how to tell species of penguins apart, what equipment and clothing they use, and most importantly, why all who inhabit the planet should care about what happens to penguins on a remote island in Antarctica. Highly recommended.

[Laura Stegman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Guano: The Discovery of a Penguin Supercolony by Helen Taylor is a fascinating nonfiction STEM book for middle grade readers about a team of scientists tracking penguins in order to make a case for protecting their habitat from overfishing and other threats. Set in the remote reaches of the Danger Islands off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, it features gorgeous photographs of the scientists' equipment, the penguins, the magnificent landscape, and more. Kids will love learning about the team's day-to-day life, the ship on which they live for a month, and the preparations they must make to avoid being trapped by the ice, as well as how penguin guano seen from satellite photos in space prompted this very important journey to learn more about earth's changing ecosystem. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An American scientist studying satellite images sees a giant pink stain on an island cluster in the Antarctic, the Danger Islands, surrounded by sea ice year round. She knows immediately what it might be: penguins who eat krill. An expedition heads out to count the penguins and you get to come along! Watch science at work in this cool picture book. The primary text is simple but faces climate change head on. Many pages have a blue box filled with extra, more detailed information. You could use this as a great read aloud for 3rd - 5th grade, plus with all the extra information and the back matter, this would be a cool research book. Fascinating, loads of fun, with some quick escapes and scientists racing deadlines, too!

[Kerry Aradhya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know what guano is? I didn't -- until I read this book. Guano is penguin poop, and you can see it from space! This fact appears at the beginning of this nonfiction book, providing a hook that will definitely snag a lot of readers in late elementary through middle school. Once they're hooked, they'll be taken on what feels like a real-life field trip to the Danger Islands of Antarctica to discover why guano is so abundant there. They'll learn about penguins, climate change, how field research is conducted, and how and why penguins "offer a window into a changing ecosystem." The text is incredibly engaging and informative, and the captivating photographs show real science in action. Highly recommend!

[Megan Clendenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the discovery of a penguin colony on the Danger Islands off the tip of Antarctica. Readers are taken on a journey to the island alongside the researchers through breathtaking photographs and fascinating details about this scientific exploration. There are truly so many details about the day-to-day life and experience of the researchers, I think kids will be mesmerized to see science in action. The book not only has plenty of information about the penguins, but also about what studying them can teach scientists about the effects of climate change, and about what they might do to help protect penguins for the future. This book will inspire future scientists.

[Lisa Varchol Varchol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a captivating book, brimming with fascinating information about the process of locating penguins living in the Danger Islands, off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The reader is immediately pulled into the story with bright, full-spread photos (including photographs from the expedition), and author Helen Taylor's incredible storytelling makes this the kind of nonfiction book that kids won't be able to put down. I was rooting for the lead scientist, Heather, and her team as they worked to track, count, and protect this penguin colony. What a wonderful and inspiring book!

[Abi Cushman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this book brings us right in with the scientists on their expedition. We learn not just about the scientists' goal of calculating the number of Adelie penguins in Danger Islands, but about the broader issue of what a changing population means for the ecosystem. Sidebars provide more context and useful information, and gorgeous photographs depict the penguin colonies, the landscape, the scientists, and the technology used by the scientists. This is a must-have for school and home libraries!

[Nora Nickum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fascinating, with clear, concise text, and just FULL of big, amazing photos that immerse the reader in the world of Antarctica, penguin colonies, and scientific expeditions. It's so interesting that components of important Antarctic research can even be done from a computer in New York. And the finding of how many penguins were on those tiny islands--WOW!
I highly recommend this book.

[Jessica Stremer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really interesting story about how scientists discovered a penguin super colony. The book is illustrated using photographs which are clear, crisp, and engaging. The primary text has a wonderful narrative thread, while text boxes throughout the manuscript provide even more information and context. This is the type of book that can be read again and again. A must have for home and school libraries.

[Christine Zandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows us what it's like to work as a researcher studying fascinating penguins. But it's not easy since some of these places are almost impossible to reach. We travel with the team and find out what it takes to do this kind of work. A story like this will inspire kids to become future scientists. Full-color photos throughout put the reader right into the adventure.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When scientists noticed a pink tinge on Antarctic islands, they suspected a penguin colony had been eating a lot of krill and leaving pink guano behind. This informative book documents the investigation and discovery of a previously unknown penguin colony. Penguin-lovers and budding scientists will love this book!

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An elementary nonfiction book about an exploration to Antartica to chart colonies of penguins and all that the trip entailed and lead to scientifically.