Acta Herpetologica 11(1): 99-100, 2016 ISSN 1827-9635 (print) © Firenze University Press ISSN 1827-9643 (online) www.fupress.com/ah DOI: 10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-18119 Book Review: Susan Newman. Frogs amphibians and their threatened environment. Discovery and expression through Art K-3. Frogs are green Franco Andreone Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Via G. Giolitti, 36, I-10123 Torino, Italy. E-mail: franco.andreone@regione.piemonte.it It is my strong conviction that science and research are useless without a parallel diffusion and dissemina- tion to people. Indeed, well-known evaluation meth- ods, such as impact factor (IF) and Hirsch (H) indices, are rather good methods established by measuring the quotation of a paper by other (scientific) people, usu- ally scientists in scientific journals. In other words, citation indices still remain in the same “environment”, with a scientific community basically quoting itself. On the opposite, I believe that one of the best and real indicators of a paper (or of man’s career) is the capac- ity to pass through walls and reach common people, in order to transmit information and provide useful educa- tion and instruction. At the end, whether this is done in early or adult age, it does not really matter. Personally, I believe that this can be done in an easiest and most effi- cient way by specifically addressing to children. As we all know, kids are eager to learn and to understand. Eve- rything. In such a sense, talking to them about amphib- ians maybe a weird idea, but, at the end, a good propos- al indeed, and a good way to address their interests and sensitivities in the future, specially seen the need for new generations to conserve amphibians and their envi- ronments (AmphibiaWeb, 2016). In such a sense the book “built” (not only and not simply written) by Susan Newman is for me a real jewel. In many ways. This book is mainly destined to educa- tors and provides a true roadmap to teach young readers and explorers the love for amphibians. Susan has coped her strong passion for frogs (she is the founder and the promoter of “Frogs are green”, a non profit organisation created in 2009 to bring awareness to what’s happening on our planet, especially to the fact that frogs everywhere are disappearing: http://frogsaregreen.org/) with art. In such a way the aim of the organisation is to give kids the opportunity to learn about the environment, frogs and other amphibians, and to express themselves through art. In this way Susan’s love for science has been put together with the great and somehow innate interest that children (in this case up to the age of 3 years) have for frogs and drawings. The book chapters (in reality, much more than a sim- ple book, Susan’s work is a sort of handbook: easy to be followed) has been designed directly by Susan (who is a graphic by profession) to give educators a roadmap to teach kids about amphibians, animals that, at the end, are not easy to find in nature and even to spot in zoological parks, although frogs and toads are true characters which often inhabit childhood tales. The pages of the book are full of interesting and correct information, accompanied by a wealth of photographs as well (many of which rep- resents frogs from my beloved Madagascar), with explicit and clear indications about Youtube links where looking at videos. Photos represents animals and environments. Although, of course, frogs are dominant all through the text, many other animal species are represented. This is because the final aim of the book is to talk about envi- ronments with the excuse of dealing with amphibians. Frogs depicted in the photos are species with peculiar and fantastic colourations and forms, but also more com- mon species and, in several cases, dead animals, as in the case of chytrid effects. I believe that is really important to show that animals and nature are not only and not always beautiful and attractive, but in many cases suffer of pol- 100 Franco Andreone lution and other kinds of threats. In this ways, kids learn and understand what should be done. As already said, one of the ways children are driven to understand (maybe love) amphibians pass through art. All through the text kids are asked to draw what they heard and learned. This is really important, since drawing activity becomes a true way to approach the inner feel- ings and transform the “simple” and sometimes trivial science teaching in a real sentiment for conserving fragile creatures and environments. The book is structured in six chapters. In the first chapter Susan presents general aspects about frogs and amphibians. This is done with the use of photographs and solicit the small readers to draw using different colours and shapes. Chapter two (The food chain) introduces the variety of ecological adaptations in amphibians using slideshows, videos and discussions. Chapter three (Frog friendly habitats) presents rainforests and other habitats in the world hosting a great variety of amphibians. This argument is much more given in details in Chapter four (Biodiversity and the Rainforest). In this teachers invite kids to paint themselves as frogs. In Chapter five (Repro- duction & care of young) the variety of breeding modes and development is illustrated in detail, soliciting the sur- prise of young people using videos and links. Finally, in Chapter six (Threats to survival), amphibians are present- ed as fragile organisms and major threats are discussed using photos, videos and direct explanations. At the end, Susan’s book turns out to be an interesting experiment where passion for animals goes together with education. This is something that researchers and academ- ics should always take in mind when doing science: conser- vation, in a changing world, is possibly the first target. And passes always through comprehension and understanding. REFERENCES AmphibiaWeb (2016): AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. Berkeley. Acta Herpetologica Vol. 11, n. 1 - June 2016 Firenze University Press Feeding Habits of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei (Testudines: Chelidae) Elizângela Silva Brito1,*, Franco Leandro Souza2, Christine Strüssmann3 Morphology, ecology, and behaviour of Hylarana intermedia, a Western Ghats frog Ambika Kamath1, Rachakonda Sreekar2,3 A new account for the endangered Cerrado Rocket Frog Allobates goianus (Bokermann, 1975) (Anura: Aromobatidae), with comments on taxonomy and conservation Thiago Ribeiro de Carvalho1,2,*, Lucas Borges Martins1,2, Ariovaldo Antonio Giaretta1 Molecular phylogenetics of the Pristimantis lacrimosus species group (Anura: Craugastoridae) with the description of a new species from Colombia Mauricio Rivera-Correa, Juan M. Daza* Population structure and activity pattern of one species of Adenomera Steindachner, 1867 (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in northeastern Brazil Maria Juliana Borges-Leite1,*, João Fabrício Mota Rodrigues2, Patrícia De Menezes Gondim1, Diva Maria Borges-Nojosa1 Vocal repertoire of Scinax v-signatus (Lutz 1968) (Anura, Hylidae) and comments on bioacoustical synapomorphies for Scinax perpusillus species group Marco Antônio Peixoto1,*, Carla Silva Guimarães1, João Victor A. Lacerda2, Fernando Leal2, Pedro C. Rocha2, Renato Neves Feio1 Amendment of the type locality of the endemic Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris Fritz et al. 2005, with some notes on the highest altitude reached by the species (Testudines, Emydidae) Federico Marrone*, Francesco Sacco, Vincenzo Arizza, Marco Arculeo Photo-identification in amphibian studies: a test of I3S Pattern Marco Sannolo1,*, Francesca Gatti2, Marco Mangiacotti3,4, Stefano Scali3, Roberto Sacchi4 No evidence for the ‘expensive-tissue hypothesis’ in the dark-spotted frog, Pelophylax nigromaculatus Li Zhao, Min Mao, Wen Bo Liao* No short term effect of Clinostomum complanatum (Trematoda: Digenea: Clinostomatidae) on survival of Triturus carnifex (Amphibia: Urodela: Salamandridae) Giacomo Bruni1,*, Claudio Angelini2 Yeasts in amphibians are common: isolation and the first molecular characterization from Thailand Srisupaph Poonlaphdecha, Alexis Ribas* Introduction of Eleutherodactylus planirostris (Amphibia, Anura, Eleutherodactylidae) to Hong Kong Wing Ho Lee1, Michael Wai-Neng Lau2, Anthony Lau3, Ding-qi Rao4, Yik-Hei Sung5,* Correlation between endoscopic sex determination and gonad histology in pond sliders, Trachemys scripta (Reptilia: Testudines: Emydidae) David Perpiñán1, Albert Martínez-Silvestre2,3, Ferran Bargalló3, Marco Di Giuseppe4, Jorge Orós5, Taiana Costa6,* Book Review: John W. Wilkinson. Amphibian Survey and Monitoring Handbook. Pelagic Publishing Franco Andreone Book Review: Susan Newman. Frogs amphibians and their threatened environment. Discovery and expression through Art K-3. Frogs are green Franco Andreone