Amazon Adventure

May 15, 2017
This addition to the Scientists in the Field series follows Scott Dowd, senior aquarist at the New England Aquarium and self-proclaimed “fish nerd,” as he ventures into the Amazon as part of ongoing efforts to protect tiny tropical fish that fill aquariums around the world. Montgomery (The Tapir Scientist) joins Dowd and others who are part of Project Piaba (“small fry” in Portuguese) as they head up Brazil’s Río Negro. Color photographs (many underwater) and captivating, take-you-there storytelling immerse readers in the ecosystem: “We pass trees that seem to be barely holding their crowns above the water.... We’re hot, eager to enter the cool, dark river. Within a minute, tiny fish are nipping at our skin.” The journey includes a visit to an ornamental fish festival that explodes with its own color. Addendums to each chapter provide facts on other, sometimes deadly, Amazon species. The message underneath this true and fascinating fish tale: protecting fish, such as cardinal tetras, and the sustainable fisheries and fishers (piabeiros) that catch them, can help protect the Amazon rainforest itself. An expansive and engaging story of biological interconnectedness and beauty. Ages 10–12.

May 1, 2017
Experienced nature chroniclers visit a tiny Amazon town that celebrates its tropical fish trade.In the company of Scott Dowd, senior aquarist from Boston's New England Aquarium, and others on the Project Piaba team, Montgomery and photographer Ellenbogen travel up an Amazon tributary, the Rio Negro, to see tiny fish in their native habitat. During the dry season, discus, cardinal tetras, and other ornamental species, locally classed as piaba, are collected for sale to aquarists around the world. Modernizing this fish trade might preserve a way of life in tiny Amazon towns and the surrounding rain forest as well. In Barcelos, the travelers observe an annual celebration with elaborate costumes, dancing, and floats displayed by contesting teams. Aboard their boat, they watch veterinarians from abroad teaching Brazilian professionals techniques for the collection and preservation of healthy fish that the Brazilians, in turn, can pass on to the locals. And even farther upriver, they visit a tiny community of piabeiros, fish gatherers. Their trip is reported smoothly and illustrated with well-chosen photographs of local fishermen and women, scientists, dancers, and the fish themselves, often in the dark, tannin-stained waters of the Rio Negro. Like other titles in this series, chapters are separated by short, interesting side stories. An adventure that might help protect an ecosystem. (map, selected bibliography, Web resources, acknowledgements, index) (Nonfiction. 10-15)

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Starred review from July 1, 2017

Gr 5-8-Scientists studying fish ecology in specific biomes often dwell on the evils of overfishing, but along the Rio Negro, a major tributary to the mighty Amazon, scientist Scott Dowd has noticed something radically different: a fishing industry that not only supports the human population in this rain forest area but also protects the ecology. Essential to the balance are thousands of tiny fish, or "piaba," such as cardinal tetras, which are beloved by aquarium keepers for their brilliant shades of neon reds and electric blues. Dowd was appalled on his first visit to the region after seeing the vast numbers of these small fish being brought to the market for sale, believing the entire ecology of the rivers was at risk. He ultimately learned that the majority of them would have died as the rainy season ended and the once-flooded Amazonian forest dried out. Instead, the careful management of the local fishermen preserved the forest and "saved" the fish. Since his initial visit in 1991, Dowd and other members of his research team have been exploring this unusual balance between wild nature and human economy, finding the other animals this industry protects, from pink dolphins to Goliath birdeater tarantulas. Montgomery's knowledgeable text paints a clear picture of this way of life that's relatively unknown to many. A plethora of color photos splash across the pages, some muddy in texture owing to the tannin-hued waters of the Rio Negro, but their message is as lucid as the text. This fishing industry is a lifesaver. VERDICT Another addition to a spectacular series, this is an eye-opening first purchase for science collections.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

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Starred review from May 15, 2017
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Sibert Medalwinning Montgomery returns to the impressive Scientists in the Field series with this narrative account of one little fish. The Amazon, an essential part of the earth's ecosystem, is teeming with life; new species are still regularly discovered there. Montgomery and photographer Keith Ellenbogen join forces with Boston aquarist Scott Dowd in search of piaba, a bright, shy fish that plays a large role in the preservation of the Amazon. Sold as valuable pets, the gathering of these fish has led to a flourishing trade: piabeiros who gently fish for piabas from canoes. Removing the piabas from their natural habitat may seem detrimental, but overcrowding during the dry season means almost 90 percent of piabas are stranded. Furthermore, piabeiros rely on their trade and protect their industry, keeping this stretch of the Amazon free of the industries that pollute other areas; the fishery becomes not only sustainable but mutually beneficial. Montgomery thoroughly mines the social and economic effects the piabas have on locals, alongside an in-depth exploration of the Amazon River and its ecosystems. The science and sociology are interesting and unusual, and the narrative itself enthralling: a nerve-racking section detailing the most dangerous inhabitants of the Amazon River, just before Ellenbogen submerges himself, will have readers holding their breath (those dangers are, mostly, debunked several pages later). A true-to-form installment in a valuable series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
Montgomery travels up the Rmo Negro in Brazil with a group promoting sustainable fish harvesting practices, and shares her endless zeal as she meticulously details her adventures. Inviting photographs bring the experience to life. Interspersed text boxes include profiles of other Amazon animals and an extended look at how Ellenbogen produces his photographs on and under the dark, murky river. Websites. Bib., ind.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2017
Called piaba ( which roughly translates to small-fry' or pip-squeak' ) by locals, several hundred fish species are harvested from the Amazon basin using methods that have developed into a model of environmental sustainability, organized to protect the critically important Amazon ecosystems while remaining economically viable. In Brazil, author Montgomery travels up the Rio Negro to the town of Barcelos with a group organized by Project Piaba, a venture that has partnered with Barcelos's residents to promote sustainable practices. Leading the tour is Scott Dowd of the New England Aquarium, a lifelong freshwater fish enthusiast. Montgomery shares her endless zeal and scientific curiosity with readers as she meticulously details her adventures: snorkeling to see fish that dazzle and shimmer in the tannin-stained river, the gorgeous and elaborate costumes and floats of the annual Festival of the Ornamental Fish, and the care taken by scientists to treat fish diseases as well as teach the fishers (piabeiros) best practices in keeping the fish healthy during transport to freshwater aquariums. Inviting photographs of people, fish, and the beautiful Amazon flora bring the experience to life. Text boxes interspersed throughout the main account include profiles of other animals of the Amazon (including dangerous piranhas, electric eels, and anacondas) and an extended look at how Ellenbogen manages to produce such beautiful photographs on and under such a dark and murky river. Appended with a bibliography, websites, and an index. danielle j. ford

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)