Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear

March 28, 2016 | Amy M. O'Quinn

finding-winnie

Finding Winnie
The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear
Written by: Lindsay Mattick
Illustrated by: Sophie Blackall

Winnie-the-Pooh—the whimsical name that reminds children and adults everywhere of the silly, lovable bear who loved to dip his paw into pots of honey, have fun with his pals in the 100 Acre Wood, and spend time with his special friend, Christopher Robin. However, before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnipeg, and SHE was the inspiration behind author A.A. Milne’s famous stories. This delightful picture book tells the true tale of how Winnie-the-Pooh came to be.

In 1914, a young Canadian veterinarian named Harry Colebourn left his home in Winnipeg, Canada to travel overseas. The Great War (World War I) had begun in Europe, and Harry enlisted. He would be caring for the soldiers’ horses and doing his part to help with the war effort. When he reached the train station, he noticed a trapper with a bear cub. Something about the little cub touched his heart, and after much deliberation, he offered the trapper $20 for her. In 1914, $20 was A LOT of money. Nevertheless, the deal was sealed. Now Harry had a baby to tend to and a long trip ahead of him to boot. But he couldn’t just leave her behind! So Harry named the cub Winnipeg—Winnie for short—and boarded the train with her in his arms.

Read the full review of this wonderful picture book that recently won the 2016 Caldecott Medal at amyoquinn.com.

Samurai Rising

March 28, 2016 | bargerj

Samurai Rising
written by Pamela S. Turner; illustrated by Gareth Hinds
2016 (Charlesbridge)
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher

Warning: Very few people in this story die of natural causes

That warning is no joke. If you and/or your students, like me, are into comic book hero movies, this book will be to your liking. Minamoto Yoshitsune is like Batman on a horse. Before he could walk, his father and two older brothers are killed in their attempt to kidnap the Retired Emperor and gain respect for past slights. Losing parent at early age bringing about bitterness that fuels the hero to fight injustice as he grows older: check. Did I mention that, unlike the Caped Crusader, this is a true story? Yoshitsune is sent to a Buddhist monastery, by the man who vanquished his father, so he could follow the path of the monks. Instead of becoming a monk at age 15, he finds a traveling gold merchant who is a friend to his family. This is his chance to escape and start his plan to seek revenge for his family. Being caught after escaping from the monastery would have probably brought about a beheading, but when you want to exact revenge, you have to take your chances. Yoshitsune grows into a samurai who takes enormous risks in battle and survives. In one particular fight, he rides a horse down a cliff to penetrate a coastal enemy fortress. He’s an unbelievable fighter and leader.

Samurai Rising was a book that I couldn’t put down. Minamoto Yoshitsune is such an intriguing underdog that I kept flipping pages so I would find out what happened next to the most famous of all samurai. The writing, maps, and illustrations are all first class. You feel like you are riding along with Yoshitsune as he hurls himself into the battles. Middle and high school readers who like action and history will devour this book. Now I want a movie. C’mon Hollywood, make it happen!

Check out the book trailer at NC Teacher Stuff.

Their Great Gift

March 28, 2016 | Anastasia Suen

Their Great Gift: Courage, Sacrifice, and Hope in a New Land
by John Coy (Author) and Wing Young Huie (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The BIG Picture

With lyrical text and thought-provoking photography, Their Great Gift explores the experiences of immigrants in the twenty-first century, focusing on the lives of children. Images of families who came to the United States from many different parts of the world celebrate the diversity of our country and contain a vision of hope for the future.

#kidlit Writing Lesson: the small details

The book begins:

My family came here from far away . . .

TURN THE PAGE

because they dreamed of more.

This story is told in the first person voice with clear, spare, lyrical language. Most immigration stories are told from a single point of view, but this one is not. On each book spread are multiple photographs of immigrant families who came to the United States from all around the world.

How was this accomplished? The author and the photographer worked together to create this book. In the back matter the author writes:

I wrote text that was revised many times as we decided on pictures. While each family’s arrival story is unique, I wanted to focus on the overarching connection between immigrants–and between us all.

BONUS! Read an interview with the author and the photographer

Snippet: “This was the first time I’d ever worked directly with the artist.”

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

The Impossible Voyage of Kon-Tiki by Deborah Kogan Ray

March 28, 2016 | proseandkahn

voyage

The Impossible Voyage of Kon-Tiki by Deborah Kogan Ray. unpgd. Charlesbridge, October, 2015. 9781580896207. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review)

Is your ancient copy of Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki gathering dust on the shelves? You might want to dust it off and display it next to this attractive picture book. Full review over at Proseandkahn.

The Bug Book by Sue Fliess

March 21, 2016 | Roberta Gibson

Just in time for National Poetry Month we have The Bug Book by Sue Fliess.

Sue Fliess is a master of the subtly humorous, fast-paced rhyming text that is so appealing to little ones. I particularly like the “go explore nature” message on the first page:

Grab a bucket. Check your guide.
Let’s go find some bugs outside!

The book is illustrated with colorful stock photographs of insects and other bugs, which will help children learn more about them.

The Bug Book will appeal to young readers interested in creepy crawlies, and nature in general.

Our related review is posted at Wrapped in Foil blog. For an insect poetry activity and further reading suggestions, see Growing with Science.

Basketball

March 21, 2016 | Anastasia Suen

Basketball (Making the Play)
by Valerie Bodden (Author)

Booktalk: The BIG Picture

Do you think about science when you play baseball? Probably not. But you use science anyway. See how the physics of launch angles and inertia affect dribbling and shooting.

#kidlit Writing Lesson: the small details

STEADY SPEED
A ball keeps going where
you threw it until something
stops it. This is called
inertia (in-NUR-shuh).

This page defines the word inertia, but it doesn’t do so by beginning with an unfamiliar word. It defines the new word by beginning with something that young readers understand:

A ball keeps going where
you threw it until something
stops it.

After showing readers what inertia looks like in the sport of basketball, the name is introduced:

This is called
inertia (in-NUR-shuh).

The phonetic spelling helps young readers pronounce this new unfamiliar word.

A new word is best defined by moving from a familiar idea to an unfamiliar one. Begin with something that young readers understand and then name it.

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Whose Hands are These?

March 21, 2016 | Sue Heavenrich

Whose Hands Are These?
By Miranda Paul; illus. by Luciana Navarro Powell
32 pages; ages 4-9
Milbrook Press, 2016

Hands can wiggle, hands can clap.
Hands can wrap and flap and tap.

But hands can help, too. What can they do? Turn the page to find out! This book shows how people living in your community use their hands to help each other. Some people use their hands to raise vegetables while others use their hands to slice and dice those veggies. Some create art while others fix engines.

What I like: Not only does Miranda introduce youngsters to a diversity of jobs, but she does it with rhythm, rhyme, and panache. This book is just plain fun to read out loud. What’s even more fun: every page is a riddle. Can you guess the answer before you turn the page?

There are so many ways to help other people. What will your hands do?

Head over to Sally’s Bookshelf for some beyond-the-book activities and an interview with author Miranda Paul.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Guinness World Records: Wacky Wheels

March 14, 2016 | Anastasia Suen

Guinness World Records: Wacky Wheels (I Can Read Level 2)
by Cari Meister (Author)

Booktalk: The BIG Picture

From the largest monster truck to the loudest bike horn, these Guinness World Records will rev the engines of imagination. Simple text and full-color photos will make learning about exciting topics fun for beginning readers.

#kidlit Writing Lesson: the small details

The book begins:

Bigfoot 5 is the largest
monster truck in the world.
It is 15 feet, 6 inches tall.
Bigfoot 5 weighs 38,000 pounds.

The wacky wheels on the book cover are explained first. Notice the bolded words? They show young readers the most important fact:

Bigfoot 5 is the largest
monster truck in the world.

The bolded words explain why each vehicle was included in the book.

And the marvelous math?

It is 15 feet, 6 inches tall.
Bigfoot 5 weighs 38,000 pounds.

Just right for Pi Day today . . .

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Animals That Make Me Say Ewww!

March 14, 2016 | bargerj

Animals That Make Me Say Ewww!
written by Dawn Cusick
2016 (Imagine Publishing)
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher

There is so much competition for food in the wild that the small amount of energy in a booger is worth eating.

Yes, I just wrote booger. So the gorilla equivalent of an energy drink or gel is nose candy? This and many more animal facts will keep young readers enthralled. Want to hear about flying hippo dung? Instead of using cell phones, hippos send their “thoughts” further out by swatting them with their tails. Marking your territory is big in the hippo world. Ever truly wonder about what happens in a kangaroo’s pouch? In over fifty years of living on this earth, I can tell you that I never thought about Mama Kangaroo having to clean her pouch. I’ll give you a hint: She’s not using baby wipes.

Unlike some other nonfiction animal books in this genre, Animals That Make Me Say Ewww! has a definite scientific purpose for this showcase of gross facts. It’s a fascinating biology lesson that can be used in other areas. In the introduction, author Dawn Cusick explains that gorillas and orangutans clean out their nose hor d’oeuvres in order to be able to smell food and predators. Other animals eat feces in order to have plant-digesting bacteria in their bodies. A great point of view lesson can be had here. For humans, these actions are disgusting, but for the animals it is a way to prolong their lives. Want to enliven an activity for teaching cause and effect? Find this book. Your group of readers will not be bored. If you teach symbiosis, there is a wealth of examples and photographs here.

Readers will say Ewww! when reading this book, but they will also say Oh! and Wow! That’s the sign of a winning book.