From the series Alien Landscapes on Earth!
Reading Level Grade 3Interest Level Grades 2 – 5Copyright 2026
ReviewedColorful spots dot a dried-up lakebed. It may look otherworldly, but the Spotted Lake can actually be found in British Columbia. Learn how these colorful spots appear and disappear as well as why this lake is still important to the people who live there. Dynamic images and a whimsical design make for an out-of-this-world read before a back matter feature blasts off to find similar formations in space.
'The Alien Landscapes on Earth! series (6 titles) takes readers around the globe to visit strange vistas that feel as if they belong on another planet. This entry heads to British Columbia, where a color-changing, polka-dotted lake rests in the Similkameen Valley. Topical spreads with smooth writing and large photos walk readers through the reasons for the shallow lake’s unusual appearance (mineral-rich water plus evaporation), its importance to the Okanagan people of Canada’s First Nations, the algae that thrive in its incredibly salty water, and how scientists study this extreme environment to learn about space. Fact bubbles dot the spreads, imparting Spotted Lake trivia as readers get to see how cool science and this planet really are. Point fascinated kids to Geo Rutherford’s Spooky Lakes (2024) for even more mysterious waters.', Julia Smith, Booklist
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