Archive for Nature

Otters Love to Play

Written by Jonathan London
Illustrated by Meilo So

This new book is a well-researched tale about a litter of river otter pups as they grow and learn in their first year of life. It begins in early spring in the abandoned den of a beaver. After five weeks, the pups’ eyes open and the play begins. Their wrestling, chasing, and tug-of-war help the pups develop the speed and agility they need for hunting. The mother teaches them to swim so they can catch fish and eat other water-based delicacies. As they become more aware of their surroundings, they guard their territory. Throughout the winter, they continue to hunt and keep each other warm in the den. Then they play some more.

Extensive sidebars appear on every two-page spread so third graders can learn more about this lovable animal. Illustrations capture the playful nature and tenacity of the otters. As otters are part of the weasel family, this book would be valuable in the study of woodland creatures and in developing literacy skills.

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  • Otters Love to PlayTitle: Otters Love to Play
  • Author: Jonathan London
  • Illustrator: Meilo So
  • Published: Candlewick Press, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • Grade Level: K to 3
  • Genre: Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Science
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-6913-3
  • Extras: Index, About Otters

Platypus

Written by Sue Whiting
Illustrated by Mark Jackson

This is a great opportunity to learn about the creature that fascinates observers and puzzles scientists. Kids will love the platypus and want to know more.

The author starts out by following a male platypus as he goes about his daily foraging. His burrow is warm and cozy and nestled on the bank of a creek. His body and fur help him to move around his semiaquatic world. His flexible bill allows him to find and capture worms, insect larvae, crawfish, and beetles. He dives repeatedly to the creek bed until he fills the pouches in his cheeks for the coming meal. He has to hide quickly from predators. Meanwhile, the female tends to the eggs and nurses the babies.

The beautiful illustrations give a real feel to the environment of the platypus, the other animals, and even the plant life.

Third graders will get a chance to practice literacy skills while learning about life in Tasmania and Australia. This would be a good read aloud for discussion of what a monotreme is and how it differs from a mammal.

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  • PlatypusTitle: Platypus
  • Author: Sue Whiting
  • Illustrator: Mark Jackson
  • Published: Candlewick Press, March 8, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • Grade Level: K to 4
  • Genre: Science, Nature, Geography
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-8098-5
  • Extras: Numerous sidebars, Index, author’s note “The Puzzling Platypus”

Over On A Mountain

Written by  Marianne Berkes
Illustrated by Jill Dubin

Marianne Berkes continues her great series with this book that introduces 20 different animals that live on ten different mountain ranges on seven different continents of the world. This book will make teaching geography fun and easily fulfills the core curriculum standards for elementary literacy skills, math, and geography. It will be a wonderful addition to your school, classroom or home library.

Readers can count the animal babies, and read the numeral on the page, or vice versa. Likewise, they will enjoy the natural rhymes of the story and sing a song they already know with different words. Besides all that, they can identify the continents and animals that live on each. The cut paper illustrations are realistic enough to jump right into. Readers of all ages will be tempted to make their own cut paper illustrations.

This is a book that just keeps on giving.  The end pages have tips from the author as well as tips from the illustrator so readers can try out the techniques on their own. That is on top of all the added detailed information about the animals included in the book.

A particularly helpful section in the end pages deals with what parts of the book are facts and which fiction. These are decisions always difficult for young readers to distinguish on their own.

Facts about mountains and suggestions about how to compare and contrast are added benefits as well as suggestions for further reading.

While the youngest readers might not grasp everything in the end pages, older students will soak up everything this book has to offer.

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  • Over on a mountainTitle: Over On A Mountain
  • Author:  Marianne Berkes
  • Illustrator: Jill Dubin
  • Publisher: Dawn Publications, March 1, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: paperback/32pgs
  • ISBN:  978-1584695196
  • Genre: picture book
  • Grade level: Preschool to 4
  • Extras: Tips from the author, tips from the illustrator, fact or fiction, mountain facts, compare and contrast. More books related

Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature

Written by Sarah C. Campbell

Patterns exist in the natural world, not easily divided into categories like circle, triangle or square. What are we do make of them? Things like branches in trees or bolts of lightning?

A mathematician named Benoit Mandelbrot noticed similar patterns in natural shapes. The kinds of shapes that make the fronds on a fern also continue to make the whole fern. The same can be said about the development of broccoli or branches on a tree.

The beautiful photographs in this book as well as the simple, yet clear diagrams make it easy to see the patterns described.

The afterword about Mandelbrot also tells readers that fractals are how the wiring of the Internet works and would be necessary to make something like Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak to work.

This beautiful book is a fantastic way to interest readers in mathematics, science and the natural world. Third grade readers will be able to read it on their own. Teachers and librarians will find it useful in fulfilling the core curriculum standards as well spring-boarding a student’s interest far and beyond anything they considered up to this point. Art teachers can use this volume to entice students to think about using fractals in their artistic endeavors. What a wonderful book this will be in every school library!

 

  • Mysterious PatternsTitle: Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature
  • Author: Sarah C. Campbell
  • Illustrator:  Photographs by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell
  • Publisher: Boyds Mills Press, 2014
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • ISBN:  978-1-62091-627-8
  • Genre: Nonfiction
  • Grade Level: 3 to 6
  • Extras: Step-by-step activity for making a fractal, afterword about the man who discovered fractals

The Case That Time Forgot

Written by Tracy Barrett

The third installation of the “The Sherlock Files” has the great-great-great grandchildren of Sherlock Holmes racing around London, literally racing against time. Their friend, Karim, is trying to find an Egyptian artifact before a certain date. The amulet is supposed to be able to stop time every fifty years, and the date is quickly approaching. Karim knows of their renowned ancestor and their past casework. His grandfather has told Karim of his ancestor, who hid the amulet. They begin only with the grandfather’s story and notes Sherlock left in his unsolved casebook. They have plenty of help from the Society for the Preservation of Famous Detectives (SPFD), but they are hindered by someone who seems determined to get to the amulet first. Their search takes them to museums and the clock tower of Big Ben. Can they find the amulet in time? Will it stop time if they do?

This book holds much fun for third graders getting heavily into chapter book series and developing their comprehension of language in general. The concept of pictographs, for example, should increase their understanding of written language. An excellent interview with the author and excerpts from another book are included.

It was named a 2011 Bank Street – Best Children’s Book of the Year.
Written by Tracy Barrett

The third installation of the “The Sherlock Files” has the great-great-great grandchildren of Sherlock Holmes racing around London, literally racing against time. Their friend, Karim, is trying to find an Egyptian artifact before a certain date. The amulet is supposed to be able to stop time every fifty years, and the date is quickly approaching. Karim knows of their renowned ancestor and their past casework. His grandfather has told Karim of his ancestor, who hid the amulet. They begin only with the grandfather’s story and notes Sherlock left in his unsolved casebook. They have plenty of help from the Society for the Preservation of Famous Detectives (SPFD), but they are hindered by someone who seems determined to get to the amulet first. Their search takes them to museums and the clock tower of Big Ben. Can they find the amulet in time? Will it stop time if they do?

This book holds much fun for third graders getting heavily into chapter book series and developing their comprehension of language in general. The concept of pictographs, for example, should increase their understanding of written language. An excellent interview with the author and excerpts from another book are included.

It was named a 2011 Bank Street – Best Children’s Book of the Year.

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  • Case that Time ForgotTitle: The Case That Time Forgot
  • Author: Tracy Barrett
  • Publisher: Square Fish/Henry Holt and Company, 2011
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Paperback, 158 pages
  • Genre: Chapter book, mystery
  • ISBN: 978-0-312-56358-5
  • Lexile: 700L

 

The Prairie that Nature Built

Written by Marybeth Lorbiecki
Illustrated by Cathy Morrison

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The inner workings of the wild prairie are on display in this engaging picture book. Written as a cumulative poem, it’s a celebration of a unique habitat.

 

This is the prairie that nature built.
These are the critters
That worm and squirm
Alive in the dirt so dark and thick
Under the prairie that nature built.

 

Young readers will gaze upon prairie dogs, ferrets, and snakes hiding safely in their burrows. They’ll see plant roots stretching deep underground to hold water long after the rains have gone. And they’ll learn how flowers, insects, birds and various mammals intermingle and benefit from each other. But on the prairie, there are dangers, too. Lightning can spark a fire, setting the ground ablaze and chasing the animals away. A pounding rain quenches the fire, leaving the blackened reeds to mix with the soil. Months later, from out from the ashes a green shoot sprouts upward. Life renewed once again.

 

Lorbiecki’s use of rhyme, cumulative verse, and repetition will enhance the literacy skills of young readers. Dramatic text and images capture the beauty and vulnerability of this disappearing habitat. Morrison’s artwork is full of fine detail, which allows third graders to find something new with each reading. Back matter includes in-depth information on prairies, vocabulary and terminology, reading activities and additional resources. This book is also available as an interactive book app.

 

  • PrairieTitle: The Prairie that Nature Built
  • Author: Marybeth Lorbiecki
  • Illustrator: Cathy Morrison
  • Publisher: Dawn Publications, 2014
  • Reviewer: Lauren Abbey Greenberg
  • Hardcover: 32 pages
  • ISBN: 978-1-58469-491-5
  • Genre: Picture Book / Creative Nonfiction / Science / Nature
  • Publication Date: September 1, 2014

Cheery: The True Adventures of a Chiricahua Leopard Frog

Written by Elizabeth W. Davidson, Ph.D.
Illustrated by Michael Hagelberg

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Cheery is a Chiricahua (Cheer-a-cow-ah) Leopard Frog. In his own words, he shares his life with young readers starting at the beginning when he’s just an egg floating in a pond. As he grows from a tadpole to a full-grown frog, he swims and eats and sings songs all night long with his fellow Leopard Frog friends.

But Wise Old Frog warns Cheery of life’s dangers. Invasive crayfish and bullfrogs not only cause diseases, but often feast on Leopard Frogs. After one winter’s hibernation, Cheery wakes to find most of his friends gone. What happened? He learns that many frogs got sick or fell prey to the invasive creatures. Cheery’s loneliness turns to confusion as he is caught in a net, put in a bucket, and whisked away to a strange place. However, upon hearing the familiar call of other Leopard Frogs, he feels safe. Now at a zoo habitat, Cheery and his friends have plenty to eat and can repopulate without the threat of danger. When they are a full family again, they are moved back to their old pond to swim and eat and sing.

This book hits just the right notes for third grade readers, leaving them feeling encouraged and hopeful. The disappearance of the Chiricahua Leopard Frog is just one example of the many frog species that are endangered or extinct. The author, a research scientist at Arizona State University, provides extra information on amphibian decline and the importance of frogs to our ecosystem. A curriculum guide is also included and offers reading strategies and questions for the classroom. Additional materials can be found on the publishers website: www.littlefivestar.com.

  • CheeryTitle: Cheery: The True Adventures of a Chiricahua Leopard Frog
  • Author: Elizabeth W. Davidson, Ph.D.
  • Illustrator: Michael Hagelberg
  • Publisher: Little Five Star / Five Star Publications
  • Reviewer: Lauren Abbey Greenberg
  • Format: Paperback, 40 pages
  • ISBN: 978-1-58985-025-5
  • Genre: Picture Book / Nonfiction / Animals / Endangered Species

Burton and the Christmas Tree

Written by V.A. Boeholt

Illustrated by Nathaniel P. Jensen

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Firry is an evergreen who is very proud of his appearance. In fact, he’s a little too proud.  He’s more interested in being beautiful than in bringing joy. When he’s among the first chosen to be sold as a Christmas tree, that means he’s unceremoniously thrown in the bottom of the truck. All the other trees piled on top of him and a bumpy road to market leave him in a terrible state. He’s left to rot by the side of the road. Only through the efforts of a friendly scarecrow named Burton, and his animal friends, is Firry repaired and restored to glory. Firry is set up in the town square and enjoyed by the entire town. It turns out the sap that dripped on top of Firry from the other trees looks like sparkling gems in the light. This warm parable about caring and helpful creatures is sure to delight the reader. The illustrations provide a lively backdrop and add to the story.

Fourth in a series “Friendship Tales from the Farm” for the third grade reading level, this volume is loaded with life lessons and reading activities. Themes to look for and a history of the decorated Christmas tree are the first two pages after the story ends. The author then includes tips and points for connecting with the story, many ideas for activities, online resources, a glossary and information about the author, illustrator, and publication team. In addition, the author’s website (www.scarecrowstories.com) has plenty of information and a blog for busy minds.

  • Burton and the Christmas TreeTITLE: Burton and the Christmas Tree
  • AUTHOR: V.A. Boeholt
  • ILLUSTRATOR: Nathaniel P. Jensen
  • PUBLISHER: Five Star Publications, Inc.
  • REVIEWER: Sue Poduska
  • ISBN: 978-1-58985-206-8
  • GENRE: Paperback, Christmas, Self acceptance
  • LEXILE: 800

A Squirrel’s Story: A True Tale

Written by Jana Bommersbach

Illustrated by Jeff Yesh

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A Squirrel’s Story: A True Tale is one of the best books for use in the 3rd or 4th grade classroom because of both the fun story line and the facts about squirrels the reader will absorb. Teachers and parents will enjoy following the mama squirrel as she raises her babies and teaches them the values and the character traits that they will need to grow into responsible adult squirrels.

Student readers will be able to master the reading independently, but as a classroom addition to science and biology, this book will also work great as a group story. The author has taken observations about squirrel activity to weave a story about how a parent teaches a young one how to be independent, gain confidence, and be nurtured to healthy growth and development by telling The Squirrel’s Story. 

The author has done an excellent job with additional classroom activities in the last few pages of the book. The curriculum guide includes third grade vocabulary words and exploration, creative language activities, and writing guidelines. Also included for readers is a word matching game. Teachers are encouraged to allow students to be the reporter, the poet, or the researcher and to discover how to write their own true story based on observations.

Art is an extra bonus activity included in the curriculum addendum and teachers and parents will enjoy adding this to the fun when reading and teaching this book. The author offers several online sites for more activities and information to enhance the student. Activities address both visual and auditory learners making this book a great addition to the classroom. Other books by the publisher can be found at www.eStarPublish.com and specific additional information on this book can be found at the website www.SquirrelsStory.com.

  • A Squirrels StoryTitle:  A Squirrel’s Story: A True Tale
  • Author: Jana Bommersbach
  • Illustrations: Jeff Yesh
  • ISBN: 978-1-58985-252-5
  • Publisher: Five Star Publications, Inc.
  • Reviewer: Terri Forehand
  • Genre: Nature, Juvenile literature
  • Lexile 690

 

Animal Tales

Written by Terry Jones

Illustrated by Michael Foreman

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Animal Tales is a lovely collection of short stories, perfect for reading aloud to the third grade crowd.  Each tale is filled with humor, absurdity, and lessons with a careful delivery that will appeal to readers of all ages.

“The Frog That Found A Fortune” is about a nervous little frog who finds what he believes to be a long lost diamond from the Crown of England.  Readers are taken on a wild ride as the frog imagines himself being rewarded for it’s return with barrow loads of slugs that lead him to become a virtual slug baron.  But then, as frog starts to worry about all the barriers that might stand in the way of getting the diamond back to Buckingham Palace, a magpie steals the precious jewel forcing the unusually sensible frog to realize that life is good in his lovely, damp hedge and that the magpie has just saved him a whole lot of trouble.

This is just one of the circus like tales that put animals in human like situation and unlikely partnerships.  There’s Bear and Skunk, who save each others lives through love and gratitude,  overcoming their differences to become the odd couple.  There’s Jack the Rabbit and Old Mr. Fox, Crocodile and Tiger…

Written as legends in a wonderful story-telling voice that often addresses the reader, these Animals Tales are made to be shared.  The morals and lessons presented in each story are multi-faceted and complex, lending themselves to vibrant post-read discussion.  Not all the endings are happy.  Not all the messages are direct.  But every story begs to be explored.

In addition to giving readers something to think about and enhancing comprehension, the stories help boost vocabulary with the seamless insertion of words such as IGNONIMY and  INSATIABLE.  North American readers will also be introduced to British expressions such as trousers and petrol.

The stories are dispersed with lovely anthropomorphic pictures.  My favorite is the image of badger (an old, misunderstood war hero) teetering on a ladder above his store with an array of groceries and bratty kids shown in delightful detail below.  Similar pictures accompany the paragraph long “Wonders of the Animal Kingdom” captions (The Transylvanian Limping Bat, Electric Wombats, Money Salamanders, The Fake Elk, Bendy Giraffes, The Mongolian Deep Fried Bat.. ) which read like news editorials, spoof ads and short entries from an animal encyclopedia of the absurd.

There is truly something for everyone in this wonderful collection, with laugh out loud outrageousness that will have kids rolling with laughter to clever humor that adults will find difficult to explain.  “The Amazing Terry Jones Presents…” includes two other titles, Fairy Tales and Fantastic Stories, that are also available in hardback and ebook – equally perfect for the classroom or sitting around the campfire.

  • Animal TalesTitle: Animal Tales
  • Author: Terry Jones
  • Illustrator: Michael Foreman
  • Publisher: Pavilion Children’s Books (Anova Books Groups)
  • Reviewer: Yolanda Ridge
  • Book Length:  87 pages
  • ISBN: 9781843651635 (hardback)
  • Genre: Fantasy, animal legends
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