Review of "Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo’s Ice Worm Intervention," by Oneeka Williams M. D.

Review of

Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo’s Ice Worm Intervention, by Oneeka Williams M. D., ISBN 9781684018413

Four out of five stars

 In this book the science is excellent and while the superpowers of the main character will appeal to the young reader, it does tend to diminish the perspective of science.  Dr. Dee Dee dynamo is an incredible young girl that arrives in Alaska to attend the Cordova Ice Worm festival. Ice worms are actual creatures that live in ice and find temperatures warmer than that of ice detrimental or even fatal. They cannot survive at temperatures above forty degrees Fahrenheit.

 After explanations about the life style of the ice worms, the growing issues of the destruction of the Earth’s ozone layer as well as global warming are explained. The explanation of greenhouse gases and how they benefit Earth are very well done at a level that can be understood by the elementary school reader.

The consequences of a rising global temperature are discussed, including the consequences to the ice worms and other creatures adapted to Arctic conditions. Given her tremendous powers, Dee Dee Dynamo refreezes large sections of the ocean ice, solving the problem, albeit temporarily. With the help of her friends, Dee Dee Dynamo constructs a machine that filters carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

 My problem with the book is that very little ink is consumed in describing the realistic things that children can do to reduce their carbon emissions. That will work and until a real Dee Dee Dynamo emerges, is the only way to battle this global problem. Superpowers are an exciting plot device, but in this case the stakes are so high that their appearance diminishes what should be the real message.