POETRY FRIDAY

I promised myself that I was going to participate in Poetry Friday every week in 2017. Unfortunately, I had to do a presentation this morning, and wasn't quite ready, so I spent last night and this morning pulling that together.

Even though I'm too late for  Poetry Friday, it's still Friday, so I'm having my own poetry party! Today I'm featuring one of the books that got away, a CYBILS nominee that provoked lots of discussion, but didn't quite make the cut.

NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON'T: Poems about Creatures that Hide is David L. Harrison's newest book. Poems are divided into five sections- sea life, reptiles and amphibians, mammals, insects and spiders,  and birds. End notes include an informational paragraph about each of the 19 featured animals. Giles La Roche's 3D collage illustrations are sure to fascinate young readers.

These poems and paragraphs would be terrific mentor texts for young scientists and poets!

From the section about sea life…

"Ghost Crab"

List of words
ghost crabs know
danger, freeze,
blend, slow,
look, run,
stop, go.

Sea, food,
wave, tide,
eat, fast,
scurry, hide,
dig, hole,
dive, inside.

Gull, danger,
sand, white,
disappear,
plain, sight,
sun, burn,
safe, night


From the mammal section…

"Polar Beer"

Seal, be wary
of the bear.
It's white on white
against the glare
when snow sparkles
the frosty air.

Seal, be watchful,
have a care.
Beside the hole,
it's waiting there.
Dive! Escape
the great white bear!

From the insect section

Crab Spider

Spider used
a bloom to hide it
until a fly
flew down beside it.
Then with spider's
aptitude
the buzzy fly
became fast food.

Fellow Denverite, Linda Baie, is hosting POETRY FRIDAY over at Teacher Dance. Head over there for a lot of great poetry.

TINY CREATURES: THE WORLD OF MICROBES- NICOLA DAVIES

 Got any young doctors or scientists hanging around at your house? If so, Nicola Davies, TINY CREATURES: THE WORLD OF MICROBES is sure to delight!

You know about big animals
and you know about small animals…
(picture of a blue whale with men in a rowboat to show scale

but do you know that there are creatures so tiny
that millions could fit onto this ant's antenna?

So tiny that we'd have to make the ant's antenna
as big as a whale to show them to you?

The use of scale in this book is so clever-for example, the picture of a giant ant's antenna on the first page, then on another two page spread- a single drop of water can hold twenty million microbes, that's about the same as a the number of people in New York State  has a picture of apartment buildings with people's heads, or yet another, "a teaspoon of soil can have as many as billion microbes, that's the same as the number of people in the whole of India. I'd love to have the illustration from the India page hanging in my living room!

Davies goes on to explain some of the different jobs microbes play in the universe- how they decompost soil, wear down mountains and build up cliffs turn milk into yogurt, and make people sick and well. Emily Sutton's illustrations are detailed and perfect.

Read the NY Times review here.

SEA TURTLE SCIENTIST- Stephen R. Swinburne

I'm not surprised to discover that the SCIENTISTS IN THE FIELD series has several (at least four, I think) books on the CYBILS nonfiction list. Today's offering, SEA TURTLE SCIENTIST, follows Dr. Kimberly Stewart, the "turtle lady," in her efforts to save the sea turtles of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The reader follows Stewart in her midnight watches of enormous mama turtles crawling up onto the beach to lay eggs, and her digging of nests that have hatched. The book includes chapters on how the turtles hatch and begin their journey, how the community is working to save the turtles and interestingly, a chapter on a native from Saint Kitts, that used to hunt sea turtles, but now works with Stewart on her conservation effort. Swinburne presents the complexities of conservation- the local people depend on sea turtles for food and use the shells to make jewelery, which is a source of income.

The story of Stewart's work is interspersed with numerous (I counted at least ten) related articles, e.g. WIDECAST (a Caribbean organization that works to save sea turtles), sea turtle facts, a history of Saint Kitts, how sea turtles are killed, etc. Back matter includes a glossary, a selection on how to help sea turtles, another on how to adopt sea turtles, and a bibliography of books and websites for further reading. By the time I was finished reading, I had resolved to stop using plastic grocery bags and also to go on an eco-vacation to a turtle preserve.

THE NEXT WAVE- ELIZABETH RUSCH

I love books that talk about how people work. 
And the grit that it takes to make something happen.
And how many "mistakes" have to happen before an invention is successful.

It makes sense, then, that I would love Elizabeth Rusch's newest book, THE NEXT WAVE: THE QUEST TO HARNESS THE POWER OF THE OCEANS, explores the work of three different teams, all working to harness the power of waves to generate energy for homes and businesses.
 First, Rusch takes into the lives of Mike Morrow and Mike Delos-Reyes, two kids who liked to take things apart. The two attended Oregon State University, where they invented a wave device for their senior project. Twenty years later, they dragged out their design and founded M3Wave, a company committed to harnessing the power of the ocean.

Annette von Jouanne is a professor at Oregon State University (she wasn't there when Morrow and Delos-Reyes attended). As an electrical engineer, she is concerned "about our heavy use of nonrenewable resources, how much we burned fossil fuels for energy, and all the pollution that they made). Rusch details Von Jouanne's team as they try, and fail, and adjust, and try again, over, and over and over. Finally, Rusch invites her readers to visit the work of a third company, Ocean Power Technology, which "might be the first in the water to provide real energy to real people."

THE NEXT WAVE is part of the SCIENTISTS IN THE FIELD series. Like other books in the series, the book not only includes terrific information, but it's also beautifully designed. Color photographs enhance the text on pretty much every page. There are numerous side bars and pull out articles, maps and diagrams, to build the readers' understanding of the topic.  End matter includes a glossary, carefully detailed sources and places where the reader can go for more information. 

THE MYSTERY OF DARWIN'S FROG

This afternoon, I was wandering through Tattered Cover. I told myself that I was NOT going to buy books, I was simply going to buy a coffee and listen to an author. If I really, really, really liked her book, I might consider buying it. But I was definitely not going to buy any other books today. My resolve held firm until I found THE MYSTERY OF DARWIN'S FROG, written by Marty Crump, a Utah herpetologist, and illustrated by Steve Jenkins and Edel Rodriguez.

Crump invites readers into the world of scientists, tracing the evolution of the body of knowledge about a tiny frog with a pointed noise, who was discovered by Charles Darwin in Chile in 1834. After watching this frog for several decades, scientists made an interesting discovery. The frog, who they first assumed was the mother, held its tadpoles in its mouth. After further research, scientists determined that the holder of the babies was actually the father, who slurps up the eggs, or sometimes the baby tadpoles, a few minutes after they are born, holds them inside his vocal sac, feeds them with the lining of his vocal sac for approximately two months, and then opens his mouth and burps up the young frogs.

There is so, so, so much to love about this book. First, it's full, full, full of interesting information, first about frogs, but then also about the work of scientists. I loved learning how generations of scientists built upon each other's work, gradually accumulating more and more knowledge about this strange but wonderful species. I also loved learning about Crump's process-- her questions and wonderings, and how she and her niece went to Chile and studied the frogs. I loved the gorgeous full color photographs, taken, I'm pretty sure, by Crump, and the watercolor paintings of the scientists. And of course I loved Steve Jenkins' collages (but so I don't mislead you, most of the book is illustrated with photographs, which perfectly match the text, there are only four or five illustrations by Jenkins).

I really was not going to buy books tonight, but this is one I have to own!

THE MYSTERY OF DARWIN'S FROG

This afternoon, I was wandering through Tattered Cover. I told myself that I was NOT going to buy books, I was simply going to buy a coffee and listen to an author. If I really, really, really liked her book, I might consider buying it. But I was definitely not going to buy any other books today. My resolve held firm until I found THE MYSTERY OF DARWIN'S FROG, written by Marty Crump, a Utah herpetologist, and illustrated by Steve Jenkins and Edel Rodriguez.

Crump invites readers into the world of scientists, tracing the evolution of the body of knowledge about a tiny frog with a pointed noise, who was discovered by Charles Darwin in Chile in 1834. After watching this frog for several decades, scientists made an interesting discovery. The frog, who they first assumed was the mother, held its tadpoles in its mouth. After further research, scientists determined that the holder of the babies was actually the father, who slurps up the eggs, or sometimes the baby tadpoles, a few minutes after they are born, holds them inside his vocal sac, feeds them with the lining of his vocal sac for approximately two months, and then opens his mouth and burps up the young frogs.

There is so, so, so much to love about this book. First, it's full, full, full of interesting information, first about frogs, but then also about the work of scientists. I loved learning how generations of scientists built upon each other's work, gradually accumulating more and more knowledge about this strange but wonderful species. I also loved learning about Crump's process-- her questions and wonderings, and how she and her niece went to Chile and studied the frogs. I loved the gorgeous full color photographs, taken, I'm pretty sure, by Crump, and the watercolor paintings of the scientists. And of course I loved Steve Jenkins' collages (but so I don't mislead you, most of the book is illustrated with photographs, which perfectly match the text, there are only four or five illustrations by Jenkins.

I really was not going to buy books tonight, but this is one I have to own!

TORNADO! THE STORY BEHIND THESE TWISTING, TURNING, SPINNING AND SPIRALING STORMS- Judith Bloom Frindell and Dennis Brindell Fradin

When it comes to nonfiction, there are some publishers and series that I know I can count on. National Geographic definitely fits into that category. The books are attractive, with visuals engage even the most dubious reader. The writing is strong and interesting. The information is accurate. There are lots of terrific nonfiction tools- headings, charts, graphs, maps, glossary, etc.- that kids need to be able to use.

This week, some new books from National Geographic arrived in my mailbox. The first one on the stack, TORNADO! THE STORY BEHIND THESE TWISTING, TURNING, SPIRALLING AND SPINNING STORMS is one I will be using at school today.

TORNADOES, aimed at intermediate grade or middle school readers (but you know I will be leaving it on the kitchen table for my high school guys to find!) is divided into four sections. The first, "An Emergency Situation" tells the story of a tornado that struck Greensburg, Kansas, in May, 2007, destroying 95% of the town and killing 11 people. The second chapter, "Nature's Most Violent Storms," contains lots of terrific tools- gorgeous photographs, a diagram of how tornadoes form, a chart of the Fujita Scale (this measures the strength of tornadoes), a map of common tornado sites in the United States, a sidebar article about why tornadoes are often accompanied by hail, and a pictoral dictionary of some common tornado terms.

The third chapter, "Killer Storms," tells the stories of some of the deadliest U.S. tornadoes. The last chapter, "Twister Prediction" explains the science involved in predicting tornadoes, including a really amazing two page spread of 25 photographs of a tornado passing over a weather probe camera in South Dakota. End tools include a glossary, list of additional print and web resources, messages from a tornado survivor and a scientist, and a bibliography and index.

A terrific and very timely new resource!

Review copy provided by publisher

DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONES WILL GROW? by Susan A. Shea, illustrations by Tom Slaughter

REVIEW COPY PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER

I love books where kids have to think a little before they make predictions about what will come next.

I loved Q IS FOR DUCK.

I loved TOMORROW'S ALPHABET.

The kind where kids are sitting on their knees by the second page, dying to see the pictures so they can predict what will come next.

DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONES WILL GROW is another book I'm going to put into my "predict-a-little, think-a-little, kids are for sure going to love this one" category.

The first two page spread is an introduction:

If you look around

you'll see,

Some things grow,

like you and me.

Others stay the way

they're made,

Until they crack or rust or fade.

Do you know which ones will grow?

Think, then answer,

YES or NO.

From then on, each half of two page spread contains a couplet.

The left hand page is a living thing,

the right hand side is non-living.

If a cub grows

and becomes a bear,

Can a stool grow and become…

Now, here comes the really fun part, and the part I know that kids are totally going to love. Each right hand page is a fold out, where you have to lift a flap to see the answer. And each flap is a different size or opens a different direction. The flap on the stool page, for example, lifts from the middle of the page up, and the stool becomes a chair.

Another one of my favorite pages:

If an owlet grows

and becomes an owl…

Can a washcloth grow and become…

(Pretend you are lifting the full page flap that's attached at the top)

a towel?

Tom Saunders' illustrations really complement the text. They are bright colored and eye catching- simple shapes placed on top of other shapes, in kind of a collage-ish effect.

You could use this book as an introduction to a unit

on living and non-living things.

You could use this book for teaching reading strategies. It'd be a great book for teaching readers how to cross-check pictures against beginning sounds.

You could give it as a baby present.

Or you could just read it aloud.

Because it's way fun.

And kids are going to love it.

LITTLE SKINK'S TAIL- JANET HALFMANN

AUTHOR: Janet Halfmann

ILLUSTRATOR:  Laurie Allen Klein

Review copy provided by Sylvan Dell Publishing

One of my most vivid childhood pet memories involves a gerbil. And his tail. And my father. And a little blood (my father's, not the gerbil's). And several words not appropriate for a children's literature blog. A brief synopsis of that story: Cathy Phillips gave us pet gerbils. My dad was trying to pick up one of the gerbils. You were supposed to pick up gerbils by the tail, but you had to stay pretty close to their body. My dad got too far away. The gerbil somehow bit my dad. The gerbil's tail fell off. My dad swore. 

Ever since that time, I've had a fascination with animals that have parts that come off and grow back. Gerbils. Starfish. And now skinks. LITTLE SKINK'S TAIL is a delightful little story of a blue-tailed skink. One day he is out in the forest eating ants, when a crow tries to eat him. The skink disconnects his tail, which wiggles and distracts his predator long enough for Little Skink to escape. He's glad he's alive, but misses his tail, and spends most of the rest of the book wondering how other tails might look and work on his body.

I know my primary grade friends will love this book. First, they will be fascinated by the idea of the skink losing his tail (An afterword includes several activities about animal tails and footprints, I would have loved to see a page with photographs and information about skinks). I know, too, that my little guys will love joining in on language like puffy-fluffy, sticky-prickly and stinky, stinky, stinky, and I envision myself reading this book over and over again. I also picture our littlest readers picking up this book and reading it to each other- the strong story line and fun language will make it a sure winner.

An added attraction- Sylvan Dell has a website with cross curricular activities related to the book. I especially liked those related to science and math. Activities include a skink diagram to label, a map about skink habitats,  animal cards to sort and classify, an activity about the purposes for tails, and websites to check out. Some really nice, rich thinking activities for our little guys. I've been working with my primary grade teachers on how to make their literacy stations richer and more interesting, and any of these activities would be terrific.

A great addition to any primary grade unit on woodland animals, animal adaptations, or predator/prey relationships…

SAMANTHA HANSEN HAS ROCKS IN HER HEAD- Nancy Viau

Samantha Hansen is a spunky ten-year-old naturalist, who loves, loves, loves rocks. She lives with her mother, who designs birthday cards and feeds the family weird kinds of birthday cake on a daily basis, and a teenage sister, whose secret belly button piercing sets off the metal detector at the airport. Sam spends most of her time making lists about rocks and other natural phenomena,  trying to control her temper as she deals with an oh-so annoying older sister, and gathering snippets of information about her father, who has passed away. 

This is a fun, fairly light, read about a girl who loves science. There's lots of "rock information" embedded throughout the book, and I could see using the book as a read aloud during a unit on geology, or a unit on the Grand Canyon. Sam is a consummate list maker, and I could also see myself sharing the book during discussions of that genre. I do have to admit that I was a little uncomfortable with Sam's developing interest in boys- I know fourth graders are starting to care more about the opposite sex, but it's not something I encourage.

11 PLANETS: A NEW VIEW OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM by DAVID A. AGUILAR

In 2006, astronomers surprised the world with the announcement that Pluto had been reclassified. The ninth planet was no longer a planet, instead it was a dwarf planet. As a person who has spent her entire life living on one of NINE planets, this was more than a little troubling to me. No more!

David Aguilar's 11 PLANETS: A NEW VIEW OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM  presents a whole new framework for understanding our universe. The planets are broken into three groups- terrestrial (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars), gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), and then the dwarf planets (Ceres, Pluto, and Eris). Aguilar devotes a two-page spread to each of the eleven planets. The left page is a full color painting. The right page contains the text, another picture or labeled diagram, and a small captioned picture about the origin of the planet's name. Additional two-page spreads explain other extraterrestrial bodies such as moons, meteorites, and comets. 

David Aguilar is the Director of Science Information at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.  His voice in his book is knowledgeable, but it's also very kid- friendly, e.g. "Unlike any other planet in our solar system, Uranus has a 98-degree tilt to its axis. Scientists think that really early in its history, it was hit by something really big that knocked it completely over on its side."

Aguilar's space artwork has been exhibited in galleries nationwide, and I can see why. The artwork in this book is breathtaking; careful captions also make it a terrific teaching tool, e.g. "An ice sheet on Jupiter's moon Europa is a perfect viewing place. From here, we can see the Giant Red spot- a hurricane that has raged for hundreds of years. Astronomers believe a vast ocean is hidden beneath Europa's ice."

One of my favorite parts of this book was an appendix entitled "The Solar System in a Bag." This section lists common household objects, e.g. a large yellow grapefruit- the sun, a box of salt- one small  grain is Mercury, a box of raw brown sugar- one grain is Earth, a cherry tomato (Jupiter) and three rolls of gauze (tied end to end these are the length of the tail of the Great Comet of 1843. You'd need a really big space (Eris is 10 football fields away from the Sun) but this would be so much fun to try with kids!

A great new "space read!" I could see myself sharing this with kids from ages 5 to 105!