I love reading about female scientist and this lovely picture book about how Meg Lowman studied the canopy was right up my alley!

Leaf Detective is a great book about encouraging children to go outdoors. A great read for k-3 age groups. Good for read-aloud and for kindergarten to 1st grade to start their reading journey. The illustrations are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. We purchased for our library!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This is a biography for older kids about Margaret Lowman who discovered unknown plants and animals in the rainforest.

Love a woman in science book! This STEM biography will get kids interested in ecosystems and conservation.

A fantastic addition to any library's biography section, "The Leaf Detective" is wonderfully illustrated and well written. Great read for kids that are interested in learning more about the rainforest.

The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang is a nonfiction children's book. Meg Lowman was always fascinated by the natural world above her head. The colors, the branches, and, most of all, the leaves and mysterious organisms living there. As a scientist, Meg set out to climb up and investigate the rain forest tree canopies-- and to be the first scientist to do so. But she encountered challenge after challenge. Male teachers would not let her into their classrooms, the high canopy was difficult to get to, and worst of all, people were logging and clearing the forests. Meg never gave up or gave in. She studied, invented, and persevered, not only creating a future for herself as a scientist, but making sure that the rainforests had a future as well. Working closely with Meg Lowman, author Heather Lang and artist Jana Christy beautifully capture Meg's world in the treetops.

The Leaf Detective is a beautifully illustrated and designed book. The artwork would make this book well worth looking at even if there were no text at all. However, the text is well written and very engaging- so this book is a win on both fronts. Meg's efforts and perseverance makes her story easy to get invested in, and her efforts to get through or around the obstacles in her path just might inspire those that read this book to put the effort in to do the things they are passionate about even if the way will be challenging. I liked the way facts and quotes from Lowman were included in the book- bringing home that this is real life not fiction. I loved the look, content, intent, and and feel of the book.The digital formatting on my galley was a little off, making it a little harder to read, but I am confident that this will not be a problem in the final version.

The Leaf Detective is a wonderful book that should be added to school library, classroom, and public library collections. I think there are many readers that would reread a personal copy as well, including my daughter.

Whenever I pick up a book geared for younger, youngest audiences, I am always looking for something that either is educational or that has images that really will pull a reader in - this book is both of those things.

Full disclaimer - I don't have kids, I have younger siblings and my family members have kids, so I have some idea of what both the parents and kids might like but am FAR from an expert.

All that said, I really enjoyed this book. The Leaf Detective is about Meg Lowman, a real woman, who paved the way for a number of things - female scientists, rainforest ecosystem understanding and conservation efforts. She really is a remarkable woman. The book is about her finding her way and trying different things in order to learn as much as she could about the rainforest and the different ecosystems throughout.

While this is essentially a picture book, it is a book of non-fiction and it includes so much more than just beautiful images. There are leaf facts and ecosystem notes throughout the pages and the page layouts vary and are interactive and so full of interesting facts.

In addition to telling Meg's story, the book also includes a wonderful Authors note and a diagram of the rainforest canopy levels and notes about them, along with a search and find for some leaf types.

What a stunning book! This picture book biography has it all: science, a woman scientist, conservation, a story of personal growth, an adventure story of exploring the rainforest canopy, lovely writing that's both clear and full of wonderful metaphors and language, and art that knocks my socks off. A picture book biography with something for everyone!

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the illustrations in this picture book. The reader gets pleasure from analyzing the art just as much as they learn from the text.

I received an electronic ARC from Astra Publishing House through NetGalley.
Mid to upper elementary level biography of Margaret Lowman.
Lang takes readers through Lowman's life and work as she was the first to study the rainforest. She had to fight for her courses and degree and had to design her own gear when she was ready to climb the trees and study the canopy. The text is relatable and readers see her struggles as a woman in this field along with her triumphs when she first makes new discoveries and when she works to save the rainforests around the world. Information blurbs about the rainforest are included on most pages. Readers will need to find the leaf and read the facts for further interaction with the book. The illustrations are vividly colored and capture the various environments.
An author's note included at the end tells of her personal connection to Lowman. This if followed by an illustrated graphic of the rainforest levels.

What a beautiful and informative book! I can't wait to see it on the shelves of my elementary school media center. The illustrations are so vivid and the presentation of the facts are inserted so cleverly. Her quotes add a clever addition to the author's personality.
Lowman's story is fascinating. To think that she initially had to view the rain forest through binoculars will amaze students at the outset. To follow her ingenuity and creativity in building a canopy walkway is breathtaking.
Her accomplishments as a woman scientist, when they were not acknowledged as they should have been, will provide pride in young female readers. The research into new species, leaf and tree structures and the beauty of the rain forest will inspire.all readers.
The author's notes add to the book., The bibliography, video and website discussion are invaluable. A must-read!

Oh I love this story about how Margaret Lowman led the way to explore the rainforests and fight for conservation efforts. I learned a lot about how scientific research in rainforests was done. I didn't realize that even as recently as the 70s we didn't know about rainforest systems. This would be a great book to read to launch a rainforest unit or just to spark curiosity in kids. I would love to take one of the rainforest canopy walkway tours. So much interesting content! And the illustrations were absolutely great!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
It's really hard to find good nonfiction picture books. This read like a story and had beautiful pictures. It would be engaging for young readers.

“We are part of our ecosystem, not outside it.” - Meg “Canopy Meg” Lowman

The Leaf Detective is a children’s non-fiction book about Mega Lowman, a scientist who set up to climb and investigate the tropical rainforests. She and her friend, Peter O’Reilly, created the world’s first treetop canopy walkway. This book shows us how she studied and persevered to help the rainforests around the world.

I read this book to my preschool students(ages 3-5)because the study for this month is trees. I introduced difficult and unknown words before I read the book. And since this is a long book, I (1) split it up into two days and (2)paraphrased some parts of the book or did a picture walk. My students didn’t seem to mind it though. They were mesmerized by the illustrations and loved seeing the different animals that live in the rainforest. I liked the little facts and/or definitions dispersed throughout the book. Although this book is geared towards elementary school, my preschoolers loved it. Two thumbs up from my students and 5 beautiful stars from me!

Thank you Netgalley and Astra Publishing House for this ARC.

Beautiful illustrations accompany the text in this inspirational biography of Meg Lowman. The book depicts Lowman as a great role model for young children in her roles as scientist, environmental activist, and innovative thinker. The quotes from Lowman interspersed in the book as well as the fact boxes add to the text in a positive way. Recommended as a read aloud for elementary classrooms and an excellent addition to school libraries.

I enjoyed The Leaf Detective by Heather Lang. The book hit many important notes for me showing strong women in a professional role, showing women scientists, and showing how she persevered despite criticism. All of these qualities I want to impart on my students and my own daughter. The delightful illustrations added to the great writing.

A delightful book! A must have for classrooms and and a great gift to inspire for budding explorers and scientists. Packed to the brim with brilliant illustrations and packed with interesting and facts and great talking points. This book explores a pioneer in scientific discovery and a trailblazer woman in science. A joy to explore for young children and adults alike!

The Leaf Detective is the story of Meg Lowman, a scientist who pioneered ground-breaking developments in the study of rainforest ecosystems. Meg began her work in the early 1980s after graduating from college. Before this time, scientists studied the rainforest canopy from the ground by using binoculars. Through trial and error, Meg designed different tools that would enable her to study the rainforest while up in the canopy itself. The amount of life and the complexity of the ecosystem were amazing, but rainforests were being destroyed for farmland and lumber at an astounding rate. Meg’s alternative solutions offered people in rainforests areas other ways to live off the land and forever changed the way we view these ecosystems.

The first impression one gets from this book is how visually stunning it is. Jana Christy’s artwork illustrates the beauty and diversity of rainforest life. Heather Lang's text tells a riveting, multi-faceted story. On one level, it is the biography of a scientist who has had to overcome gender stereotypes to succeed in her profession. On another level, it discusses the scientific process and rainforest biology. The Leaf Detective could be used in schools for different cross-curricular purposes, and it is an essential purchase for elementary school libraries. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Vivid illustrations and a brave scientist make this story a delight for all ages. The watercolor illustrations immersed me in the world of rainforest trees and wildlife.

The story of scientist Meg Lowman, who grew up lonely, nature her only friend, will make children who feel different feel seen. Along with the story of Lowman’s research, the book contains factoids about the rainforest.

One thing I did not like is the telling of Lowman’s interactions with the Western Samoans, Cameroonians, and Ethiopians. The book explains the knowledge she shared with them, but it does not show what they knew. This creates a culturally imperialist story reminiscent of the “ignorant native” trope. These people likely had wildlife and forest knowledge that Lowman did not.

Overall, a delightful and exciting book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I received an advance copy of, The Leaf Detective. Meg loves leaves, she has always loved leaves. She decides to become a scientist, and study leaves. This is a great book, especially for girls, knowing they can be anything they want to be!