Woodland Litter Critters ABC

WOODLAND LITTER CRITTERS A B C by Patience mason with illustrations (photographs)by Robert Mason.

Take a look around
Critters are all around you
Make some for yourself?

I love the clever ways that "litter" comes together to form all manner of creature. Kids could use this as a model for making other projects such as counting and other concept books, too.

The Secret Life of the Wooly Bear Caterpillar.

THE SECRET LIFE OF THE WOOLY BEAR CATERPILLAR by Laurence Pringle with illustrations by Joan Paley. Boyds Mills Press, 2014.


Caterpillar's life
Is one of change after change
And at last a moth.

Half a Chance

HALF A CHANCE by Cynthia Lord. Scholastic Press, 2014.

It is another time of change for Lucy as she and her parents have just moved to New Hampshire to a house on a lake. Dad is taking off immediately to go photograph an endangered insect in Arizona. This is a constant in Lucy's life: new home, Dad gone. But somehow, Lucy is determined to find her place in her new world. The lens of her camera helps her see more clearly. This summer brings her closer to Nate, whose family's summer place is next door. Through Nate, Lucy learns about the loons that nest on an island in this lake. Lucy's summer will be a time of change, no doubt. But perhaps that change is a GOOD thing? Pair this with Cynthia Voigt's SOLITARY BLUE and Gary Paulsen's THE ISLAND.

Maple

Her name is Maple
Like the tree she's named after
A tree that she loves.

Singing through the trees

FOREST HAS A SONG by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater with illustrations by Robbin Gourley. Clarion, 2013.

A variety of poetic forms share the author's love of the forest and of nature in general. Different seasons are represented in the short and spare poems. Accompanied by watercolor illustrations, this may well be a book that can serve in a multiple of capacities. Certainly it can function as a mentor text and accompany poems by Frost, Kilmer, and others. It is also perfect for daily read alouds, to spur an artistic representation of spoken words, or a book for kids to return for revisits over and over again.

Citizen Scientists

Loree Griffin Burns' CITIZEN SCIENTISTS: BE A PART OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY FROM YOUR OWN BACKYARD (Holt 2012) is a prime example of the power of narrative nonfiction. Burns explains how ordinary people, including children and teens, can play an essential role in the study of nature and the environment. From bird watching (and counting) to tagging butterflies, to tracking ladybugs, we can all help scientists by providing much needed data. Data about migration, about species variation, and other factors might assist scientists in their studies of species and their habitats. Burns accomplishes all this in a straightforward narrative that describes the efforts of these citizen scientists and then offers suggestions to readers about how to become involved. Detailed appendices provide more information as well. <163>

family and friends

THE HERO OF LITTLE STREET by Gregory Rogers (Roaring Brook Press, March 2012) is the third book in the boy bear series (and it is not necessary to have seen the other two to enjoy this one). it is a textless adventure in picture book/graphic novel format that follows a boy escaping a gang of bullies. Readers can tell their own story as they follow our "hero"into a museum and then into a painting. <34>




THE FAMILY TREE by David McPhail (Holt, March 2012) presents the story of a tree that has been in one family for a long time. When the family first arrived, they left one tree standing for shade and shelter. As time passes, the tree grows taller and is slowly surrounded by new members of the family. One day, the tree is scheduled for destruction; it will be cut down to make room for a new highway. However, one young boy is determined to save the "family tree." <35>

science in action

FAR FROM SHORE: CHRONICLES OF AN OPEN OCEAN VOYAGE by Sophie Webb (Houghton Mifflin 2011) takes readers along on a long term voyage of scientists to study birds, mammals, and other life in and around the open ocean. Webb, author of the Sibert winning MY SEASON WITH PENGUINS, uses watercolor illustrations and sketches and diagrams to illuminate the findings of the scientists who are searching for answers to some questions such as: now that purse seine catching is illegal, are the numbers of dolphins on the increase? The four month journey provides more questions than answers in some cases, though, as Webb and her colleagues study the myriad of lifeforms that make up the ecosystem of the open ocean. <27>

For the Birds

I am trying to catch up to all those wonderful 700+ books I read in 2011 but did not have the chance to blog. So, mixed in with some new books will be some of the ones that I completed reading over the holidays. Here are two books that pair up nicely in the nonfiction category. One is a biography of a famous birder; the other discusses how birds communicate.



BIRD TALK: WHAT BIRDS ARE SAYING AND WHY by Lita Judge (Roaring Brook Press 2012) uses a bot of anthropomorphism (and what a great term to teach kids) to present information on how birds communicate with sound and with movement. Nicely detailed illustrations show readers grebes, boobies, and mergansers among other more familiar species as they communicate without words to others in their flock, to outside predators, and even to their human co-inhabitants. <688>




FOR THE BIRDS: THE STORY OF ROGER TORREY PETERSON by Peggy Thomas with illustrations by Jim LaMarche (Calkins Creek 2011) is a biography of the man who eventually went on to write the most practical and valuable field guides for birders. Peterson was intrigued by birds as a youth and pursued a career in painting them as an art student. Later, he worked as an environmentalist, a naturalist, a guide: all professions ultimately centered on his passion for wildlife, especially birds. LaMarche's illustrations are lush and seem lit with the same passion as their subject. <689>