The Observologist

Starred review from January 29, 2024
Weedy gardens, leaf-strewn backyards, and “the shady side of a building where the sun barely touches” become spaces for discovery in this affectionate solo debut by New Zealand cartoonist Clarkson (The Tiny Woman’s Coat). Styled as a naturalist’s sketchbook, earth-toned comics of larger-than-life bugs and their damp, shadowy habitats, accompanied by hand-lettered descriptions, encourage inquisitive readers to “spend a lot of time gazing at the ground.” Clarkson distills complex topics—such as how to tell a carnivorous centipede from a vegetarian millipede or a cocoon from a chrysalis—using text that emanates amazement. A diagram of an earthworm that “breathes through its skin” includes subjective, nonscientific appreciation of its “lovely, pretty shade of pink like a rose or an iced bun,” and various fauna interject their own humorous remarks, keeping the mood playful, as when a cockroach inquires, “Would you think I was yucky if I lived in your cupboard?” Clarkson’s fond factoids and mindful sketches express joy in learning while promoting empathy for tiny creatures, with step-by-step instructions on moving worms out of harm’s way and saving moths from water “without accidentally making the situation worse.” Nature nerds will rejoice in this compendium of creepy-crawlies. Ages 7–12.

August 22, 2023
An observologist is someone who makes scientific expeditions every day and notices interesting details in the world around them. This is the first thing we learn in The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson, a charming new nonfiction book for budding natural scientists. This playful catalogue combines detailed illustrations and comics with educational information and surprising stories about over 100 different creatures, encouraging those who read it to take a moment to consider the tiniest things that live among us. As we journey through nature uncovering extraordinary facts about the most ordinary of creepy-crawlies, we move from the slugs and snails hiding in a damp corner to the busy bees working hard in a weedy patch and the common house-dwellers you can discover behind your bedroom curtains. There are details about how to relocate moths and spiders safely, unveil the trickiest of camouflaged critters, and even sneak up on a bug if need be. The book explains taxonomy and classification in an engaging and age-appropriate way and concludes with a final exam, a certificate for newly crowned observologists, and an impressively long index. This book is the ultimate boredom-buster and a wholesome antidote to the digital world, with plenty of warmth and humour ideal for curious young people aged 7–12. The Observologist teaches young readers to embrace curiosity, show patience and care for their environment in unexpected ways.