The shortlist for the 2022 Pacific Northwest Book Award has just been announced, and Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is on it! Chosen by independent booksellers from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska, this annual prize honors books from regional authors. The final awards will be announced in early January. Visit the PNBA website to see the full shortlist.
A fine new review of Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is out in Science Magazine: “A masterful storyteller, Hanson interweaves his own formative
experiences into the narrative…The book’s forward-looking approach seems
intended to encourage readers’ curiosity about climate change, with the
notion that, once suitably informed, they will feel compelled to take
action.” Read the full review here.
Jonathan Balcombe gives high marks to Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid in a review for The New York Times. "Hanson is an affable guide and storyteller," he writes, "with a knack for analogy, a sense of humor and the natural curiosity of a scientist." Read the full review here.
With Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid about hit store shelves, Thor has adapted an essay from the book for The Wall Street Journal. It draws on some of his favorite examples of how plants and animals are responding to climate change, from migrating trees to the lizards and squid named in the book's title. Read the full essay here.
Thor's new book, Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid, has received another starred review, this time from Library Journal. They write: "This compelling read will spark the interest of everyone who cares about what is happening to the natural world." Read the full review here. Read more about the book, and pre-order a copy here.
Thor and BUZZ were featured in a recent two-part story on bumblebee declines for Northwest Now, a regional interest show based at PBS affiliate KBTC in Tacoma. Click here to watch the first installment (4 minutes), and click here to watch the second (4 minutes).
Thor's latest article for PBS Nature, "Lights Out For Bugs," explores the growing impacts of light pollution on nocturnal insects, and the simple things we can all do to help. Click here to read the essay.
Thor's new book, Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid (Basic Books, September 2021), just received a coveted starred review from Publisher's Weekly. They write, "With contagious curiosity, Hanson nimbly avoids pedantic, moralistic
admonishments. Nature-lovers will be thrilled to see science so vividly
described, and will marvel at the incredible ingenuity of creatures
across the globe." Read the full review here. Pre-order the book here.
Thor is writing and hosting an ongoing series of ultra-short (<1 minute) films for PBS Nature to share with their large social media following. Each episode unfolds like a natural history haiku - a tiny lesson in biology that viewers can look for in their own outdoor adventures. Find links to the latest episodes at Thor's website, or on the PBS Nature TikTok and Instagram pages!
