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A review by srivalli
Powered by Plants: Meet the trees, flowers, and vegetation that inspire our everyday technology by Clive Gifford
5.0
4.5 Stars
Powered by Plants is a fantastic attempt to educate kids (& adults) about the numerous ways in which nature has been supporting us. Various inventions and marvels have their roots in nature. Scientists, physicists, engineers, etc., were inspired by the intricate workings of various plants and tried to replicate the same in their inventions. This continues even today.
The book is a small example of how we need nature and not the other way round. She can protect herself, thank you very much. We only need to follow her instructions instead of trying to control her. Nature is our savior; we aren’t hers.
The book talks of bamboo, vines, coconut, pomelo fruit (pampara panasa in Telugu), sugarcane, Willow (used to make aspirin), eucalyptus (insect repellant, antiseptic), mangroves, flax (cloth, glue), pineapple (leaf leather), cactus, tumbleweed, lily, lotus, seaweed, and many more plants.
I’ll have to add that some of the mentioned uses are indigenous and practiced for centuries. For example, we use just about every part of coconut (and its leaves). The rope made from coconut coir is a part of most households (at least in my region). In fact, the reeds from dried coconut leaves are slit and bunched to make broomsticks. My late granny would do it every summer when the coconut leaves crashed onto the earth due to thunderstorms.
The book is detailed and has beautiful illustrations. Every page is bright, colorful, and cheerful. The expressions on some plants are hilarious. Imagine a plant smirking at you. ;)
The text is tiny and seems crammed on the page. I had to zoom in a bit to read the text in the electronic copy. It might look better in the physical version. The illustrations will surely be a treat.
To sum up, Powered by Plants is a must-read for little ones and adults. After all, we need to respect and accept nature as supreme before we ‘protect’ her.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#PoweredbyPlants #NetGalley
Powered by Plants is a fantastic attempt to educate kids (& adults) about the numerous ways in which nature has been supporting us. Various inventions and marvels have their roots in nature. Scientists, physicists, engineers, etc., were inspired by the intricate workings of various plants and tried to replicate the same in their inventions. This continues even today.
The book is a small example of how we need nature and not the other way round. She can protect herself, thank you very much. We only need to follow her instructions instead of trying to control her. Nature is our savior; we aren’t hers.
The book talks of bamboo, vines, coconut, pomelo fruit (pampara panasa in Telugu), sugarcane, Willow (used to make aspirin), eucalyptus (insect repellant, antiseptic), mangroves, flax (cloth, glue), pineapple (leaf leather), cactus, tumbleweed, lily, lotus, seaweed, and many more plants.
I’ll have to add that some of the mentioned uses are indigenous and practiced for centuries. For example, we use just about every part of coconut (and its leaves). The rope made from coconut coir is a part of most households (at least in my region). In fact, the reeds from dried coconut leaves are slit and bunched to make broomsticks. My late granny would do it every summer when the coconut leaves crashed onto the earth due to thunderstorms.
The book is detailed and has beautiful illustrations. Every page is bright, colorful, and cheerful. The expressions on some plants are hilarious. Imagine a plant smirking at you. ;)
The text is tiny and seems crammed on the page. I had to zoom in a bit to read the text in the electronic copy. It might look better in the physical version. The illustrations will surely be a treat.
To sum up, Powered by Plants is a must-read for little ones and adults. After all, we need to respect and accept nature as supreme before we ‘protect’ her.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#PoweredbyPlants #NetGalley