Energy island : how one community harnessed the wind and changed their world
(Book)

*Starred Review* The small Danish island Samsø has received worldwide attention for its energy independence, achieved by shifting completely from fossil fuels to renewable resources, such as wind power, captured on its shores. The leader of the movement? A grade-school teacher who started his visionary campaign with his students. Imagine if we really could make enough energy from the sun, and our crops, and even our own legs, to power up the whole island! In this first title in a planned series of picture books about sustainable energy, Drummond combines winsome, kinetic, ink-and-wash illustrations with a succinct, simply phrased, smoothly flowing narrative that describes how Samsø transformed itself. Some people had big ideas. Some people had small ones. But all were important in working toward our goal. The frequent sidebars that explain such terms as nonrenewable energy feel aimed at a slightly older audience than the main body of text, and younger children will likely need help grasping references to complex ideas, such as how electricity is captured and sold. Still, through the story of one community, Drummond offers a wholly engaging look at the ways we may produce and use energy in the future while delivering an inspirational challenge: We're all islanders on the biggest island of them all planet Earth. So it's up to us to figure out how to save it. --Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2010 Booklist

Energy independence may not seem like a gripping topic for a picture book, but Drummond (Tin Lizzie) tells the story of the Danish island of Samso so engagingly that families may find themselves considering wind turbines for their backyards. Windy Samso was chosen for a pilot energy independence program by the Danish government. The government's choice doesn't excite the islanders to begin with: " 'Why us?' said Dorthe Knudsen. 'Let some other island take on the challenge.' " When a big storm knocks out the island's power cable, and the farmer with a big turbine is the only one whose lights are on, the project suddenly seems a lot more interesting. Drummond uses the island's high winds as a metaphor for the project's excitement with the oft-repeated phrase "Hold on to your hats!" Instead of spreads, the pages are broken up with many small spot illustrations (Drummond's loopy, sweetly tinted drawings make even immense wind turbines seem adorable); more extensive information about wind power appears in (appropriately) green sidebars. His honesty about the project's glitches makes the triumphant conclusion all the more resounding. Ages 6-10. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 1-4-The "ordinary" residents of Denmark's Samso Island reduced carbon emissions 140 percent in only 10 years, due, in large part, to a teacher's persistent efforts that accelerated after a storm cut off energy from the mainland. Wind turbines, solar panels, biomass furnaces, and electric cars helped the island achieve energy independence. Watercolor illustrations showcase this remarkable achievement. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

On Samsx, an island "in the middle of Denmark...in the middle of the sea," the inhabitants decided to "harness the wind" and become as energy-independent as possible. Drummond's vignette illustrations perfectly capture the community spirit as the Danes realize their dream. Helpful sidebar information expands the science introduced in the descriptive first-person narrative. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(Informational picture book. 7-10)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* The small Danish island Samsø has received worldwide attention for its "energy independence," achieved by shifting completely from fossil fuels to renewable resources, such as wind power, captured on its shores. The leader of the movement? A grade-school teacher who started his visionary campaign with his students. "Imagine if we really could make enough energy from the sun, and our crops, and even our own legs, to power up the whole island!" In this first title in a planned series of picture books about sustainable energy, Drummond combines winsome, kinetic, ink-and-wash illustrations with a succinct, simply phrased, smoothly flowing narrative that describes how Samsø transformed itself. "Some people had big ideas. Some people had small ones. But all were important in working toward our goal." The frequent sidebars that explain such terms as nonrenewable energy feel aimed at a slightly older audience than the main body of text, and younger children will likely need help grasping references to complex ideas, such as how electricity is captured and sold. Still, through the story of one community, Drummond offers a wholly engaging look at the ways we may produce and use energy in the future while delivering an inspirational challenge: "We're all islanders on the biggest island of them all—planet Earth. So it's up to us to figure out how to save it." Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews.

Energy independence may not seem like a gripping topic for a picture book, but Drummond (Tin Lizzie) tells the story of the Danish island of Samsø so engagingly that families may find themselves considering wind turbines for their backyards. Windy Samsø was chosen for a pilot energy independence program by the Danish government. The government's choice doesn't excite the islanders to begin with: " ‘Why us?' said Dorthe Knudsen. ‘Let some other island take on the challenge.' " When a big storm knocks out the island's power cable, and the farmer with a big turbine is the only one whose lights are on, the project suddenly seems a lot more interesting. Drummond uses the island's high winds as a metaphor for the project's excitement with the oft-repeated phrase "Hold on to your hats!" Instead of spreads, the pages are broken up with many small spot illustrations (Drummond's loopy, sweetly tinted drawings make even immense wind turbines seem adorable); more extensive information about wind power appears in (appropriately) green sidebars. His honesty about the project's glitches makes the triumphant conclusion all the more resounding. Ages 6–10. (Mar.)

Gr 2–6—This account of how the residents of a Danish island made large and small changes to switch to renewable energy sources puts names and faces to processes described in more conventional discussions of alternative energy. Before the transformation, Samsø's most remarkable feature was its continual winds. A determined teacher spent several years trying to convince residents to create their own energy sources to break their dependence on energy generated on the mainland. Two residents eventually agreed to proceed with wind-turbine projects. When a fierce winter storm disrupted the usual electrical transmission, the only source of power on the island came from one of the wind turbines. Once the citizens became convinced of the potential benefits of energy independence, the projects multiplied: solar panels, biomass furnaces, electric cars, and bicycles. Now people from around the world come to Samsø to learn about ways to harness renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions. Informative sidebars supply information on global warming, renewable and nonrenewable energy, and conservation. What is most remarkable about this island, though, is how ordinary people achieved an extraordinary 140 percent reduction in carbon emissions in just 10 years. The illustrations further personalize the story with energy of their own as they bring Samsø and its residents to life. A fine choice for most libraries, even those with a number of more conventional introductions to alternate energy sources.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato