Nonfiction Monday

Biomes: Discover the Earth’s Ecosystems with Science Activities for Kids by Donna Latham with illustrations by Tom Casteel introduces readers in grades 4-6 to nine environments: Deciduous Forests, Coniferous Forests, Tropical Rainforests, Deserts, Temperate grasslands, Tropical Savannas, Tundra, Mountains, and Oceans.

An introduction sets up the later chapters by explaining what a biome is, introducing much of the environment-related vocabulary that appears throughout and mapping the location of each biome on a world map. Chapter One provides background via an overview of our home on Earth and the basic adaptations of plant and animal life to our unique planet.

Biome-focused chapters define specific characteristics such as seasons, soils, rainfall, and highlight flora and fauna – a 5,000- year-old Bristlecone pine in a coniferous forest, glow-in-the-dark ocean dwellers of the deep sea, the 2-ounce Pygmy Tarsier found in the mountains of Indonesia – and so on.

Additionally, chapters incorporate information about broader concepts such as food chains, food webs, environmental changes, and the multiple ways in which each biome contributes to creating a sustainable planet. Vocabulary is highlighted in Words To Know sidebars.  Related STEM projects are listed at the end to check knowledge and offer hands-on reinforcement for concepts.  Each chapter includes a feature called Climate Change Corner that uses a QR code

Readers are challenged to ask questions and use critical thinking skills in response to calls to action: Essential Question, Try This!,  and Did You Know? Photographs and illustrations enhance content and provide visual interest.

The book is well organized and the content expands on familiar facts and introduces readers to details that are often overlooked. It is not only educational, but is also a pleasure to read. The conversational tone and age-appropriate vocabulary is appealing.

Recommended for STEM home and school libraries.

Picture Book Friday

My Hair, the debut picture book by Hannah Lee with illustrations by Allen Fatimaharan, chronicles an entertaining quest for a girl’s perfect birthday hairdo.

My birthday's coming up so soon,  

I'll need new clothes to wear.

But most of all, I need to know,

How shall I style my hair?

This first-person rhyming narrative highlights a wealth of possibilities as the young girl reflects on the many styles utilized by her family and friends – dreadlocks, Bantu knots, high top fade, braids, cornrows, short and cropped. What would be the perfect choice?

The exuberant tone pairs perfectly with vibrant large-scale illustrations in this delightful celebration of a little girl who loves her HAIR!

Recommended as a fun addition for home and school libraries.

Picture Book Friday

If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon by Joyce Lapin with illustrations by Simona Ceccarelli honors the 50^th anniversary of the moon landing in this imaginative exploration of an out-of-this-world birthday party.

The narrative traces the adventure from take-off to moon landing and finishes with the return trip to earth. The entertaining romp is also a clever device for introducing young readers to a wealth of facts tucked neatly into the story line.

You’ll make the 239,000-mile journey at 40 times the speed of a plane. Along the way experience zero gravity and then discover that gravity on the moon means a 100-pound person on earth only weighs 17 pounds on the moon. Gravity is so slight that the moon can’t hold onto atmosphere so spacesuits must be worn outside of the rocket ship. Favorite activities for any moon party will be bouncing and gliding in slow motion, exploring craters, and gathering moon rocks for souvenirs. Or perhaps making moon angels in the thick moon dust would be fun. Another possibility would be a scavenger hunt for many things that astronauts left on the moon during their visit.

And, of course, you’ll want to take advantage of the fact that a day on the moon lasts 709 hours, so you’ll have about 30 days to celebrate.  Pizza, cake, and punch pose unique challenges for the partiers when they return to the rocket to eat and the obligatory birthday piñata offers a last look at low-gravity hijinks. 

Text boxes appear on double-page spreads to provide additional details and a Glossary explains terms.

Ceccarelli’s bold artwork provides plenty of visual appeal. A wealth of detail reinforces both the fun and the facts.

IF YOU HAD YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY ON THE MOON is an entertaining picture book with the added bonus of being a delightful introduction to a study of the moon.

Recommended for home and school libraries.

Picture Book Friday

THERE’S ONLY ONE YOU by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook with illustrations by Rose Butcher is a celebration of diversity and the special qualities that make each of us one-of-a-kind!

Are you outgoing or introvert? Boisterous or quiet? The simple but charming rhyming text speaks directly to the reader as it explores the many ways in which YOU are unique and assures the audience that being you is wonderful! The text pays attention to the obvious – differences in appearance – but gives equal consideration to other more subtle qualities:

Do your feelings spill out?

Do they lay low and hide?

The narrative explores interests, abilities, manner of speaking, even the various ways in which learning takes place.  This joyful and uplifting story concludes by focusing on how we relate to one another --

Families are families,

but soon you will find

That each can be different –

A “best-for-them” kind.

Butcher's thoughtfully detailed illustrations create a richly diverse neighborhood that invites children to find themselves and their families within the pages.

Recommended for home and school libraries.

Nonfiction Monday

River Rescue is a narrative nonfiction story describing the consequences of an oil spill and the work of Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc. Tri-State is identified as a coauthor with Jennifer Keats Curtis. Illustrations are provided by Tammy Yee.

The text begins with a thorough explanation of what happens to birds like ducks and herons when they encounter an oil spill and the step-by-step process of rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing birds back into the wild. The language is straight forward and the conversational tone invites readers to immerse themselves in the shared experience.

Like other Arbordale titles, there is a special section at the end of the book titled FOR CREATIVE MINDS. Preventing Oil Spills & Helping Animals offers details on how readers can help reduce oil contamination and pollution at home. Wildlife Identification challenges readers to match photographs to names of animals rescued by Tri State. Q & A with Tri-State Executive Director Lisa Smith offers additional facts in response to specific questions about oil spill rescue procedures. 

The richly-detailed illustrations provide a lovely visual context and perfectly compliment the story.

Recommended for STEM for nature studies, biology, and wildlife content.

Ideal for home and school libraries.

Picture Book Friday

Some Days by Karen Kaufman Orloff with illustrations by Ziyue Chen explores the varied feelings that young children experience.

The text is shaped around a year in the life of a boy and girl as they deal with “Kites up in the sky days.” and “Need my mommy now days.” The rhyming text examines a multitude of emotions – joy, excitement, contentment, disappointment, anger, sadness, and more through everyday experiences –

“Take a little doze days.”

“Hurt myself somehow days.”

“Drippy nose and sneeze days.”

Large, cartoon-style characters fill double-page spreads that are uncluttered and maintain reader focus on the essential narrative points. “Running for the bus days.” Positions the viewer directly in the path of the oncoming children.  “Some days are feeling kind of mad days.” gives readers a birds-eye view of the girl angrily scribbling across a paper with crayons.

Children will readily identify with the characters and recognize the emotional responses portrayed in the varied situations. Good days and difficult days are thoughtfully juxtaposed and the book concludes with a strong positive message:

“But MOST days are…

Ready? One, two, three days.

Lots to do and see days.

Learning to be me days.”

SOME DAYS gives parents and children a warm and honest look at childhood emotions, acknowledges both the positive and negative moments, and creates a perfect opportunity to talk about feelings: how they come and go, and ways to cope with our emotions when they sometimes seem too big to deal with in the moment.

Recommended as a read-aloud or read alone title for home and school libraries.

Nonfiction Monday

Rivers and Streams! With 25 Science Projects for Kids by Rebecca Siegel with illustrations by Tom Casteel provides a reader-friendly opportunity for children, ages 7-10, to dive into the stated subject. 

The introduction explains that there are more than 165 major rivers and goes on to define the properties of a river and contrast rivers with other bodies of water such as oceans and canals to establish a basis for the chapters that follow. In addition, it details how good science practices will facilitate completing the ongoing science projects that appear throughout the book at the conclusion of each chapter.

The well-organized and engaging chapters that follow encourage youthful scientists to explore multiple topics:

How and why rivers and streams are important to the water cycle, habitats, and their value as a resource.

How rivers influence migration, transportation, and farming as well as the value of rivers as a source of energy.

The diversity of animal-life from insects to mammals and the ways in which they have adapted to the specialized environment that exists in flowing water.

Ways in which plants prevent erosion and create unique habitats such as the Everglades.

The relationship between rivers, streams, and climate.

Ways in which humans have changed rivers from ancient times through the present.

Cartoon-style illustrations are augmented here and there with photographs to create visual interest. Text boxes set out challenges labeled INVESTIGATE or CONSIDER AND DISCUSS. WORDS TO KNOW defines important vocabulary. DID YOU KNOW? highlights special facts. Each chapter concludes with a series of hands-on STEM projects to enable students to reinforce learning, enhance understanding, and develop critical thinking skills.

Recommended as a valuable STEM resource for home, school, and library collections.

Picture Book Friday

Butterflies On The First Day of School by Annie Silvestro with illustrations by Dream Chen is an ideal story for young readers facing the beginning of a new school year.

Playing off the familiar “butterflies in my stomach” description for feeling nervous, Silvestro crafts her story of a little girl who truly has butterflies in her stomach. Rosie begins her day feeling too anxious to even enjoy her mom’s chocolate chip pancakes and climbing on the unfamiliar school bus doesn’t help. But Rosie soon discovers that making a new friend enables her to release the first butterfly that flutters from her lips. As the day progresses, Rosie finds more friends and fun, releasing all her butterflies one after another.

Silvestro contrasts the butterfly fantasy against the reality of kindergarten life: meeting the teacher, sharing, painting, building with blocks, romping on the playground, and telling her mother all about her fabulous first day of school.

Chen’s vibrant colors and richly detailed illustrations are a charming backdrop for the lively text.

Now’s the time to add this charmer to your home or school library.

Midwest Book Review -- Praise for GRACIE JANE

I was delighted to receive the following review for my latest picture book.

"Gracie Jane" is the first title of a cowgirl series that is full of action, humor, charm, and character. Written in exciting action prose with a hint of rhyme, and fully color illustrated, "Gracie Jane" tells the tale of a cowgirl who rescues a little lost pup from a flooded river and takes the orphan, named Fifi La Rue, home to the ranch. Now the question was, what could Fifi La Rue do that would be helpful and useful on the ranch? Kids will love the amazing tricks and troubles that just sprout around Fifi La Rue on the ranch. One scrape after another, Gracie Jane's refrain is, " Fifi La Rue, what did you do?" The overwhelming good humor of Gracie Jane is exemplary in view of the many escapades of Fifi la Rue. For a larger than life portrait of an honest Western cowgirl, read the series of adventures that begins with "Gracie Jane."

 at http://www.midwestbookreview.com

Picture Book Friday

Koala Is Not A Bear by Kristin L. Gray with illustrations by Rachel McAlister explores the nature of family as Koala tries to find her place in a camp full of animals. 

Grizzly is happy to welcome Koala to the bear cabin, but Kangaroo insists Koala is not a bear. As the story unfolds, Koala and Kangaroo take turns offering evidence to support their opposing viewpoints. Koala can climb trees agrees Grizzly, but so can lemurs, Kangaroo is quick to point out. New clues are disclosed with each turn of a page. Does Koala hibernate? No! Does he have a pouch like Kangaroo? Yes!

The humorous text encourages critical thinking in young readers as they assess the clues and gradually narrow down the options until the answer is revealed. Cartoon-style illustrations enhance the reader-friendly narrative.

Recommended for home and school libraries.

Nonfiction Monday

The Renaissance Explorers with History Projects for Kids, by Alicia Z. Klepeis is part of the Renaissance For Kids Series from Nomad Press. Klepeis structures her work around chapter biographies of Niccolo de Conti, Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, Pero da Covilha, and Ferdinand Magellan in her focus on the lives of early European explorers.

An introduction, Exploration During the Renaissance, asks the question, “Why leave the comfort of home and family to strike out to new lands where danger might lurk?” Of course, there is the familiar answer, “Europeans were searching for a sea route to India and Asia.” But there were a number of other factors that influenced the timing of this exploration. Improvements in the technology of navigation, shipbuilding, and map making created better opportunities for success. European monarchs sponsored expeditions to expand empires, gain wealth, monopolize trade, and impose Christianity on indigenous people.

Each biographical chapter utilizes primary sources and a timeline to trace the life of an explorer and identify their contributions to the growing body of knowledge about exotic places and their people, culture, plants, and animals. Conti, a Venice merchant, self-funded his twenty-five-year-long expedition to Persia, India, Sumatra, and Borneo. He returned with information about the inhabitants as well as spices, animals, and geography. Dias was sent by King John II of Portugal to find a trade route to India. Dias was the first to sail around the Southern tip of Africa into the Indian Ocean before being forced to return home by his crew. Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese navigator, built on the experience of Dias and became the first to sail from Europe to India. Covilha traveled to India and Ethiopia as an emissary of King John II of Portugal, successfully establishing a relation between Portugal and Ethiopia. Magellan’s circumnavigation of the world changed navigation forever by improving maps and establishing new trading routes.

  

As with the other volumes in the series, readers are challenged to ask questions and use critical thinking skills in response to a series of hands-on projects that are offered at the end of each chapter. Maps, photographs and illustrations highlight the subjects and provide historical context. Multiple text boxes offer additional facts, quotes, and insights on a variety of topics from the famous Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta to the use of an astrolabe for navigation. Calls to action are strategically placed throughout: Wonder Why? poses additional questions for consideration.  Connect contains QR codes for audio and video files. Words of Wonder directs readers to a multi-page glossary at the end of the book. Resources provides a list of books, videos, and museums for further exploration.

The book is well organized and the content expands on familiar facts and introduces readers to details that are often overlooked such as the cruelty that often accompanied the explorers in their encounters with people of other cultures or religions. The text and illustrations are richly detailed. The conversational tone and age-appropriate vocabulary is appealing.

Recommended for home and school libraries.

Picture Book Friday

Holy Squawkamole! By Susan Wood with illustrations by Laura Gonzalez is a lively twist on the traditional tale, The Little Red Hen.

In this rollicking Southwestern-themed story, the Little Red Hen hankers after some guacamole and tries to enlist the help of Coati, Armadillo, Snake, and Iguana to gather the ingredients from her garden and then mash and mix them in her cocina. True to the original plot, everyone has an excuse to avoid the work, but each is quick to offer to share in the treat. So, the Little Red Hen, la gallinita roja, gathers avocados, plucks tomatoes, digs onions, and snips cilantro all by herself. She mashes and mixes all by herself. Then … she adds a secret ingredient and invites all the lazy animals to share in the dish.

The lively text utilizes Spanish terms that are cleverly integrated into the narrative. Gonzalez’s vibrant illustrations are detailed and warmly appealing.

Wood enriches the content with two author notes: The History of Guacamole traces this delectable dish back to ahuacamolli (avocado sauce) first made by the Aztecs of Mexico in the 1300s. And there is also, La Gallinita Roja’s Guacamole Recipe with some helpful hints.

A glossary provides definitions for the Spanish terms.

Recommended for young readers or as a read aloud.

Picture Book Friday

When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree, the debut picture book by Jamie L.B. Deenihan with illustrations by Lorraine Rocha, is a light-hearted twist on the familiar phrase, “When life gives you lemons…”

In this instance, Deenihan imagines what would happen when a gadget-obsessed child, whose birthday wish list is laden with electronics, receives a lemon tree from Grandma instead. What’s the point of a lemon tree? It doesn’t do anything and it requires looking after. Told in the second person, the narrator begins by reminding the astounded child to mind her manners – No faces! No tears! And definitely, no tossing Grandma’s gift! Just smile and say thank you.

Once past her disappointment, the narrator gently guides the girl through the steps of caring for the young tree, sharing a wealth of valuable gardening information with the reader along the way. With the passage of time, the tree matures and so does the young gardener who discovers that there is something even more fun than growing, naming, and decorating her tree.  She can pick lemons, and with grandma’s help, make lemonade (the recipe is included) to sell on the sidewalk. Cash in hand, she heads to the store where we discover her passion has changed. She returns home, not with the once longed for technology, but with an abundance of plants to share with her urban neighbors!

Deenihan does more than celebrate the joys of a garden in this humorous tale. She subtly reminds us of the benefit to be found in patiently working toward a long-term goal, the joy of being outside in nature rather than cloistered with electronics, and the importance of community.

Rocha’s diverse cartoon-style characters are a perfect fit for the urban environment of the story. The illustrations are colorful and richly detailed, encouraging readers to take a second and third look.

A charming story that I happily recommend for home and school libraries!

Nonfriction Monday

The Renaissance Inventors with History Projects for Kids, by Alicia Z. Klepeis is part of the Renaissance For Kids Series from Nomad Press. Klepeis structures her work around chapter biographies of Johannes Gutenberg, Leon Battista Alberti, Leonardo da Vinci, Gerardus Mercator, and Galileo Galilei to introduce readers to the lives of some of the most prolific inventors of their time.

An introduction, Invention During the Renaissance, examines factors such as economic growth, expansion of trade, movement of people from farms to cities, and the increased number of educated individuals brought about by the availability of books that combined to create opportunities for invention.

Each biographical chapter utilizes primary sources and a timeline to trace the life of an inventor with careful attention paid to the obstacles met and overcome in their quest for discovery. Readers not only explore some of the more familiar inventions, but are also provided with additional information about lesser known successes.

Before Gutenberg could make his idea for a printing press a reality, he had to create a metal that could be used to form the letters, formulate an ink that wouldn’t run or smudge, and determine the precise pressure needed to transfer letters onto paper. Prior to becoming famous for his printing press, he first invented a new technology for polishing gemstones.

Alberti’s interest in science and technology, combined with his association with artists resulted in his first book, On Painting, which demonstrated how to create three-dimensional images using the concept of perspective. His fascination with architecture and engineering resulted in a second book, On The Art of Building, which led to his work in designing some Italy’s famous churches. Alberti’s curiosity took him in many directions. In 1450 he designed the first machine for measuring wind speed. In 1467, he invented the cipher wheel for encoding messages.

Leonardo da Vinci is a name that is synonymous with the Renaissance because he is so well known as an artist, scientist, and inventor. He also worked as a military engineer and architect. He studied botany, geology, aerodynamics, mathematics, and human anatomy. The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, two of da Vinci’s most famous paintings are known all over the world, but he is equally famous for in experiments with parachutes, helicopters and airplanes.

Mercator taught mathematics, geography, and cosmography and was skilled in the use of Italic script. These interests served him well when he began working to make maps, globes and scientific instruments. In 1569, Mercator produced a new map and atlas that enabled explorers to more successfully navigate their way around the world.

Galileo’s contributions to the science of astronomy included confirming the earlier work of Copernicus, improving the telescope, and discovering the moons of Jupiter. He also designed a pendulum clock. His mathematical skills added to our understanding of mechanics and the laws of motion.

As with the other volumes in the series, readers are challenged to ask questions and use critical thinking skills in response to a series of hands-on projects that are offered at the end of each chapter. Photographs highlight the subjects and provide historical context. Multiple text boxes offer additional facts, quotes, and insights on a variety of topics from Renaissance women to the Chinese invention of the toothbrush. Calls to action are strategically placed throughout: Wonder Why? poses additional questions for consideration.  Connect contains QR codes for audio and video files. Words of Wonder directs readers to a multi-page glossary at the end of the book. Resources provides a list of books, videos, and museums for further exploration.

The book is well organized and the content expands on familiar facts and introduces readers to details that are often overlooked. It is not only educational, but is also a pleasure to read. The text and illustrations are richly detailed. The conversational tone and age-appropriate vocabulary is appealing.

Recommended for STEM home and school libraries.

Picture Book Friday

The Hug by Eoin McLaughlin, with illustrations by Polly Dunbar, is a perfectly charming picture book formatted to create a pair of stories that mirror each other and meet in the middle.

Hedgehog is sad and needs a hug, but he’s simply too prickly and his forest friends invent imaginative excuses to delay. Fox is in a hurry to go knock over a garbage bin – Squirrel must count his three acorns … again – Magpie needs to sing a very, very long song. McLaughlin balances Hedgehog’s need with the other animals’ genuine concern about being poked as they endeavor to evade their friend’s request. Eventually, wise Owl encourages tearful Hedgehog to remember that although he’s “a little bit tricky to hug … there’s someone for everyone.”

The next turn of the page proves Owl correct. For there is Tortoise, perfectly armored against all those prickles. The two rush into each other’s arms, “As happy as two someones can be.” Readers then discover the book can be flipped and read from the back with the Tortoise on a similar quest, but his hard shell is equally unappealing for Badger, Rabbit, and Frog when they are asked for a hug.

Dunbar’s delicate watercolors leave plenty of clean space on the cream-colored pages to enable the well-drawn characters to shine. The magical moment, when Hedgehog and Tortoise hug, culminates in soft, swirling lines and dancing stars that surround the pair as their dream is realized.

McLaughlin’s thoughtful use of simple words and sentence structure creates a text that is accessible for young readers and the story would also be a delightful read-aloud selection.

Recommended for home and school libraries. 

Nonfiction Monday

The Renaissance Thinkers with History Projects for Kids, by Diane C. Taylor is part of the Renaissance For Kids Series from Nomad Press. In this volume, Taylor structures her work around chapter biographies of Filippo Brunelleschi, Niccolo Machiavelli, Thomas More, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Francis Bacon as a means of introducing readers to some of the most influential thinkers of that time.

An introduction examines the Renaissance in terms of economic change, religious conflict, technological advances, and the effects of humanism. Each chapter utilizes primary sources and a timeline to trace important life stages from early years through the influences that shaped each thinker, to their greatest areas of impact and on to their legacy. And finally, readers are confronted with interesting topics to consider and/or debate. How have the innovations utilized by Brunelleschi in designing the Florence Cathedral influenced architecture? Do “The ends justify the means” as Machiavelli contended? How has Thomas More’s concept of Utopia been interpreted by writers in the present day? Why did it take so long for the discovery, by astronomer Copernicus, that the earth revolved around the sun to be accepted as fact[J1] ? In what way does the scientific method described by Francis Bacon shape modern research?

Readers are challenged to ask questions and use critical thinking skills in response to a series of hands-on projects that are offered at the end of each chapter. Photographs highlight the subjects and provide historical context. Multiple text boxes offer additional facts, quotes, and insights to broaden the scope of each concept. Calls to action are strategically placed throughout: Wonder Why? poses additional questions for consideration.  Connect contains QR codes for audio and video files. Words of Wonder directs readers to a multi-page glossary at the end of the book. Resources provides a list of books, videos, and museums for further exploration.

The book is fascinating, informative, and a pleasure to read. The text and illustrations are richly detailed. The book is identified as being for ages 10-15. The conversational tone and age-appropriate vocabulary is appealing. However, conversations about the philosophical, political, and cultural atmospheres, particularly those related to Machiavelli and More, will benefit from adult guidance. The scientific material is clearer and provides easier discussion points.

Recommended for home and school libraries.

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 [J1]

JUST LIKE GULLIVER earns award

I'm delighted to announce that JUST LIKE GULLIVER has been chosen to receive the Mom’s Choice Awards® Honoring Excellence Gold Seal and has been named as among the best in family-friendly media, products and services.

The adventure of a young groundhog who is frightened of his shadow until a fun-filled journey through the woods and farms surrounding his burrow allows him to discover his courage on Groundhog Day.

An author's note provides factual information about Groundhogs.

Cross curriculum connections for: Folklore, Shadows, Groundhog Day, and Groundhogs.

For more information visit my website: http://www.janetsquiresbooks.com/home.html

http://www.janetsquiresbooks.com/children-s-fiction.html