Into the Field Guides for Kids

I’m running behind today, but I guess it’s still Monday.

Today at Wrapped in Foil blog I’m featuring two children’s books in the  Into the Field Guide series.

The Into the Field Guides are lightweight and a perfect size to carry along on a hike. They won’t take up much room in a backpack. The guides feature color photographs and clear, simple descriptions to help youngsters learn to identify common animals, plants, and even rocks. They also include an introduction to some basic scientific concepts and facts. For example, the description of the stick insect explains how it uses camouflage to hide from predators.

A Walk in the Woods has descriptions of animals, plants, and rocks found in Eastern deciduous forests. For example, the bird section highlights American robins, Northern mockingbirds, chickadees, goldfinches, etc.

 

A Walk on the Beach helps young readers learn about common animals, plants, rocks, shells, and even debris found on the beach. The bird section includes information about water birds ranging from great blue herons and seagulls, to eagles and ducks.

These field guides would be perfect to accompany the The Great Backyard Bird Count citizen science event coming up soon.

What is the Great Backyard Bird Count? Basically all people need to do is count the birds they see over 15 minutes during the weekend of the event and then report the numbers on the website. Although it is called “backyard,” people can count anywhere birds are found, including parks, preserves, or fields. There is plenty of information and instructions about getting started at the website. It is a wonderful project for kids to participate in.

Seeing Through Walls

Seeing Through Walls: Superman and the Science of Sight
by Agnieszka Biskup (Author)

Booktalk: Super-sight allows the Man of Steel to see through walls and melt metal with his baby blue eyes. But what makes sight possible? And can anyone or anything in our world do what Superman does with his eyes? Get ready to find out with the help of the Worlds Greatest Hero.

Snippet: Superman’s eyes can see through walls and shoot beams to cut through steel. Although we can only wish for these powers, our eyes do have the amazing ability to see a remarkable range of colors. In fact, most people can see about one million colors. How? It’s a tag-team combo of reflected light and the cones in our eyes.

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2017 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Sea Otter Heroes: the predators that saved an ecosystem by Patricia Newman

Sea Otter Heroes: the predators that saved an ecosystem by Patricia Newman. 56 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing, January 28, 2017. 9781512426311. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Happy book birthday to Patricia Newman. Sea Otter Heroes is a fascinating look into how a scientist solved an ecosystem mystery. Full review at Proseandkahn.

A Celebration of the Art of Beatrix Potter

Today we are highlighting the art and books of Beatrix Potter with A Celebration of Beatrix Potter: Art and letters by more than 30 of today’s favorite children’s book illustrators.

Last year, 2016, was the 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter’s birth. To honor her, thirty-two famous children’s book illustrators produced artwork and stories inspired by Potter’s picture books. The featured illustrators range from Lauren Castillo and Tomie dePaola to Rosemary Wells and Pamela Zagarenski. See Kelly Murphy’s website for one example.

The official word is this book is for readers grades three up. You might be skeptical, but it does have the potential to appeal to a range of ages. Younger children will be probably be captivated by the assortment of illustrations and the excerpts from Potter’s children’s books. Adults will be interested in the accompanying essays by the illustrators, as well as the historical tidbits provided as background for Potter’s books. For example, we learn The Tailor of Gloucester was Beatrix Potter’s favorite and that it was based on a true story. How fun!

A Celebration of Beatrix Potter is a treasure trove to explore, especially for readers interested in art and books. It is valuable as a resource for art and history lessons, and as a reference. But best of all it is a fitting tribute to Beatrix Potter’s genius. Check out a copy today.

Stop by Wrapped in Foil blog for activity suggestions to accompany the book.

(Wow, I had forgotten how much fun it is to review children’s books.)

Radiant Child

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
by Javaka Steptoe (Author / Illustrator)

Booktalk: A picture book biography won the Caldecott Award!

Jean-Michael Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City.

Snippet: Somewhere in Brooklyn, between hearts
that thump, double dutch, and hopscotch
In his house, you can tell that a serious ARTIST dwells
As he sits at a table with pencils scattered everywhere.

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2017 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Under Earth, Under Sea by Aleksandra Mizielinkska and Daniel Mizielinski

Under Earth, Under Water by Aleksandra Mizielinkska and Daniel Mizielinski. 112 p. Candlewick Press, October, 2016. 9780763689223. (Review from copy borrowed from library.)

Give your earth science teachers something to delight and amaze their students. This impressively designed, over-sized volume will not sit for long. The authors take the reader on a layer-by-layer tour through the depths of earth and water and it is fascinating!

Full review at Proseandkahn.

Seven and a half tons of steel by Janet Nolan

Seven and a half tons of steel by Janet Nolan. Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. unpgd. Peachtree Publisher Ltd. August, 2016. 9781561459124. (Review from copy borrowed from public library.)

I am sharing this widely with my colleagues at school as well as my librarian colleagues in the Valley. More at Proseandkahn.

Our Country’s Presidents

Our Country’s Presidents
written by Ann Bausum
2017 (National Geographic)
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher

Readers are curious about how Presidents coped with the challenges of their eras and how they lived their personal lives.

It’s so nice when you can go to one place for the information that you need. As a person who has trouble finding his car keys or reading glasses, this is very comforting. Our Country’s Presidents is your one stop shop for commander-in-chief research. It’s organized chronologically in six historical periods. These are like the aisle signs in the grocery store. They guide you to what you need so you don’t walk around the store endlessly looking. Not that I’ve ever done that. Each period is accompanied by a timeline to give context to the era. The staple items in this store of knowledge are the presidential profiles. A full page official portrait introduces each profile. Need to know the ingredients of this leader of the free world knowledge stew? There is a text box that lists several pieces of information (family, number of terms, party, etc.) about the featured president. The bulk of the profile is a several paragraph narrative highlighting the president’s accomplishments. I appreciate that Ann Bausum doesn’t pull punches in these narratives. She tells you the good, the bad, and the ugly in language conducive to young readers. Sprinkled in between the presidential profiles are twenty topical essays that help give this book an even heartier flavor. Topics like the president’s role in the branches of government, the first ladies, and kids in the White House, are included in the essays. This is a National Geographic book, so you are going to get the creme de la creme of nonfiction illustrations and photographs. Like a five star restaurant, they don’t make an unattractive product. In the back matter of the book, there is a chart of each election result and a page of books, videos, and websites that will prompt further research.

I am the patriarch of a family of history nerds. This is the kind of book that we can get cozy in a comfortable chair and be lost in American history for hours. The profiles will be great for biography presentations such as wax museums. Our Country’s Presidents is also full of terrific fun facts. Chester A. Arthur was nicknamed “Elegant Arthur” for his penchant to change clothes to match each occasion of the day. Not a “khaki pants everyday wearer” like this blogger.

This book is an excellent resource for information about the history of our nation’s highest executive office.

Martin’s Dream Day

Martin’s Dream Day
by Kitty Kelley (Author) and Stanley Tretick (Photographer)

Booktalk: This day–August 28, 1963–was a momentous day in the Civil Rights Movement. It was the culmination of years spent leading marches, sit-ins, and boycotts across the South to bring attention to the plight of African Americans. Years spent demanding equality for all. Years spent dreaming of the day that black people would have the same rights as white people, and would be treated with the same dignity and respect. It was time for Martin to share his dream.

Snippet:

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2017 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Shining a Spotlight on Lee & Low’s Tiny Stitches, Biography of Vivien Thomas

Although I’ve been on a sabbatical of sorts at Wrapped In Foil, I wanted stop by to call attention to the awesome picture book biography Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Hooks and illustrated by Colin Bootman. It’s an incredible story about an inspiring man.

Vivien Thomas wanted to go to college and study medicine, but the money he had saved to go to school was wiped out when the stock market crashed at the beginning of the Great Depression. Instead, he found a job working for Dr. Alfred Blalock at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Blalock saw Vivien’s potential and taught him how to do medical research. Regardless of the roadblocks thrown at him because of his race and lack of degrees, Vivien Thomas developed medical techniques still saving babies’ lives today.

On her website, Gwendolyn Hooks explains it took her six years to research and write this book. The depth of knowledge and attention to detail shows. She also explains Vivien’s unusual name. She says his parents had picked out the girl’s name Vivian, but when they had a boy, they quickly changed the “a” to an “e.” A unique name for a unique man.

Tiny Stitches is an outstanding picture book biography. Share a copy with a child soon. Who knows where it might lead?

For the rest of the review, visit Wrapped In Foil blog.

See the previous Nonfiction Monday review by proseandkahn, as well.