The Frog Scientist

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Tyrone Hayes works to discover the effects pesticides have on frogs and, in turn, us.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Meet the Frog Squad submitted by Rachel S. on August 5, 2014, 10:27am Ages 10-14.

As a child growing up in the painful time of segregation, Tyrone Hayes found joy in searching South Carolina's waterways for frogs. Today, Hayes is a researcher at Berkeley examining the effects of the pesticide atrazine on frog health. He travels across the United States studying frogs in the field.

The Frog Scientist is a supportive text for children studying the scientific process. The book clearly explains concepts such as the hypothesis, the need for controlled variables in experiments, and the importance of peer review. Scientific terms are defined in the glossary in back. Younger children may find images of the frog dissection upsetting, but Turner explains that studying these frogs could save millions of others.

Readers learn that Hayes struggled in college at first but went on to graduate from Harvard with honors; Hayes credits his research mentor who believed in him and encouraged him to persevere. Now a professor himself, Hayes is committed to nurturing the academic potential of his student research assistants. His students admire him both for his demanding work ethic and for his sense of fun and adventure.

Comins’s photographs of dozens of frog species, as well as Hayes and the team in action, are vivid and eye-catching. In addition to the selected bibliography, a list of websites links to further resources. These include Hayes’ website and Frogwatch USA, where kids can sign up to help scientists monitor frog populations.

Hayes’ enthusiasm for his work is infectious, and will draw readers in to his explorations of the link between the frogs’ health, that of the environment, and of humans.