Tag: natural world

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Where Do Ocean Creatures Sleep at Night? Fun for bedtime and storytime

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Where Do Ocean Creatures Sleep at Night?, by Steven J. Simmons & Clifford R. Simmons/Illustrated by Ruth E. Harper, (Apr. 2024, Charlesbridge Publishing), $17.99, ISBN: 9781623542979

Ages 3-7

Ocean animals sleep just like land animals do – and like kids do, too! This rhyming story is nonfiction that reads like a bedtime story and will appeal to younger learners. Beginning and closing with human children to place the reader in the story, Simmons and Simmons weave a playful rhyme that delves into the sleeping habits and underwater areas of a plethora of sea creatures including stringrays, whales, sharks, and octopuses. The story educates as it charms, giving readers interesting facts like “A clownfish can wiggle and do a dance. / It eats tiny animals and also plants. / It lives in anemones that keep away foes; / these homes are poison, and other fish know. / But for the clownfish it’s safe to stay, / and here it sleeps at the end of each day”. Harper’s realistic watercolor illustrations show the colorful range of different underwater flora and fauna, with gorgeous texture that brings life to every spread (seriously – I want a print of the octopus spread). Beginning with a group of children enjoying a day at the beach and playing with toys of the very animals we meet throughout the story, and closing with the kids winding down for a good night’s sleep – with their sea friends nest to them as they drift off in their “nice, dry bed[s]”, this is a great choice for bedtime, pajama storytimes, or under the sea-themed storytimes. Where Do Ocean Creatures Sleep at Night? is the third book in a series that includes Where Do Creatures Sleep at Night and Where Do Big Creatures Sleep at Night? and is a fun addition to early nonfiction collections.

I Heart Crafty Things has adorable Sea Creatures coloring pages for a post-storytime activity. LucyJaneLovesLearning on TeachersPayTeachers has free sea creature student name tags, if you have large storytime groups and do name tags.

 

EDITED TO ADD: There’s a downloadable activity kit for Where Do Creatures Sleep at Night? Download it here!

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Wombats are Pretty Weird… and pretty awesome!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis
Wombats Are Pretty Weird : A (Not So) Serious Guide, by Abi Cushman, (May 2023, Greenwillow Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9780063234437

Ages 4-8

This fun book is all about the wombat; a cute marsupial primarily known for pooping cubes. Wombats are Pretty Weird gives kids the full scoop on these marsupials, with some laugh-out-loud moments, usually to do with the aforementioned cubic poop. Joey the Snake is a comic sidekick to the wombats in this story, acting as a self-insert character for readers. There are loads of interesting facts: a wombat’s teeth never stop growing, and they have backward-facing pouches, unlike a kangaroo. They also have very tough behinds, made of cartilage, to protect their hind quarters from predators!

Kid-friendly with fun sidebars, cartoon art, narration and speech balloons, this is a good addition to animal nonfiction collections and early nonfiction collections. Backmatter includes a glossary and more facts about the three types of wombats.

Visit Abi Cushman’s author webpage for some free downloadable resources, including a Wombats are Weird activity guide!

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Jumper treats readers to a spider’s world

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Jumper : A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider, by Jessica Lanan, (Apr. 2023, Roaring Brook Press), $19.99, ISBN: 9781250810366

Ages 4-8

Have a look at a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider in this informative and playful story that is sure to capture readers’ hearts. Jumper is a spider in a community garden frequented by people and animals in the neighborhood. Driven by a thought-provoking narrative that asks questions – “What if you were very small?” “What if you could sense tiny vibrations through your elbows and knees?” “What if you could jump five times your body length?” – and responds with all the ways Jumper moves, feels, or jumps, giving readers the chance to think about how they experience their world and how Jumper experiences her world. Ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations  use shifting perspectives to move from close-ups of Jumper as she hides from a wasp or avoids a chickadee, to aerial views that capture large spreads, including a fold-out in the middle of the book. Back matter includes noteson spider physiology and behavior, a glossary, and notes on finding and identifying spiders. Superbly illustrated and written to inform and delight an audience, Jumper is an essential for collections. Pair this with Bethany Barton’s I’m Trying to Love Spiders (2019) for a fun, spidery STEM storytime.

Jumper has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and School Library Journal.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Tales from the TBR: Picture Books about Animals

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It’s another installation of Tales from the TBR, and this time, I’ve got some fun books about animals for your collections! Enjoy.

Holey Moley, by Bethan Clarke/Illustrated by Anders Frang, (Aug. 2023, Kane Miller), $15.99, ISBN: 9781684645497

Ages 4-8

This hilarious story is full of wordplay, rhymes, and laughs. Gus the Goat meets Mavis the Mole and proceeds to start guessing where Mavis lives, adding his own rhyming flair: “A mole in a hole. A moley in a holey. A holey moley!” Mavis weathers Gus’s insistence on coming up with rhyming places where Mavis lives, to the reader’s delight. The back-and-forth dialogue is fast-paced, with illustrations that bring Gus’s imagination to life in the silliest of ways. A supporting cast of animal characters provide an audience for Gus. Originally published earlier this year in Great Britain, Holey Moley is a good addition to stories that engage readers with creative wordplay.

 

 

Just a Worm, by Marie Boyd, (March 2023, Greenwillow Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9780063212565

Ages 4-8

After being called “just a worm” in the most squeamish of reactions, Worm sets off through a garden to discover ways to prove people wrong. Some garden denizens are friendly, some are a little standoffish, but every0ne in the garden – including worm – has something important to contribute. An engaging narrative about recognizing one’s worth, Just a Worm is also a STEM story about how spiders, dragonflies, ladybugs,, bees, caterpillars and butterflies, and worms are the best neighbors a garden can have. Paper-quilling art adds an extra dimension of texture; back matter includes instructions on making a quilled paper butterfly that is sure to delight readers. Earthworm facts and a glossary complete this story that will find a home on fiction and STEM shelves.

 

 

Fish and Crab, by Marianna Coppo, (March 2023, Chronicle Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781797204437

Ages 4-8

Best friends Fish and Crab live together in an aquarium, where they share a bedroom. When it’s time to go to sleep, Fish has a lot of worries: what was that sound? What if aliens abduct them? What if it rains frogs? Crab brews a cup of herbal tea and hears Fish out, with some hilarious commentary. An adorable bedtime story with some chuckles in store, Coppo creates a sweet story about friendship and the importance of having a person you can turn to with all your worries and fears – no matter what time of day or night. The back-and-forth dialogue moves quickly, and the tempera and pastel illustrations move from bright colors to grey and black to denote nighttime conversations. Parents will get a kick out of this one, too; they’ll see themselves in this scenario. Endpapers add to the story, with black endpapers and a wide-open pair of eyes to denote who’s left awake in the beginning and end of the story. A storytime choice your readers will want to hear again and again.

 

 

The Fastest Tortoise in Town, by Howard Calvert/Illustrated by Karen Obuhanych, (Apr. 2023, Candlewick Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536228359

Ages 3-7

A charming story that acts as a prequel to a beloved fairy tale, The Fastest Tortoise in Town is the story of Barbara Hendricks, a “regular leopard tortoise” whose owner and best friend, a little girl named Lorraine, has entered her in a race. Barbara is nervous about her chances – she’s a tortoise, after all – but Lorraine encourages her and helps her build stamina by taking her for walks every day. When Barbara is frustrated at how slow she is compared to assorted toddlers, remote-controlled vehicles, and Lorraine’s grandfather, Lorraine is there to keep Barbara’s spirits high. Calvert spins an adorable story of friendship and perseverance, told in the first person from Barbara’s point of view, and touches on facing and overcoming fears. Obuhanych’s enjoyable, colorful mixed media illustrations show expressive animal and human characters; the panel-by-panel scenes from the actual race will have readers giggling as they enjoy the unlikely competitors. The story’s end leads into a well-known fairy tale; have some of the many versions available! A very cute addition to storytime collections.

 

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction

Birds Everywhere! For the burgeoning birder in your life!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Birds Everywhere, by Camilla de la Bedoyere/Illustrated by Britta Teckentrup, (March 2023, Big Picture Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536229738

Ages 6-9

The latest in the “Animals Everywhere” series has gone to the birds! Birds Everywhere features birds from all over the world, from prehistoric birds like the archaeopteryx to the more modern-day birds like parrots and finches. Teckentrup’s colorful digital artwork introduces a nonstop parade of avians, all labeled to acquaint readers with new flying feathered friends. de le Bedoyere’s factual text is engaging and informative, with thought-provoking questions and fun facts throughout. Birds Everywhere looks at bird biology and evolution; habitats and eating habits, and more. Sections on penguins and barn owls give readers a spotlight of sorts on some favorites. Endpapers feature penguins, with a fun challenge at the close. The foil-embellished cover will draw eyes right away. Fun and informative, this is perfect for a quick reference and introduction to birds for emerging readers.

 

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

New in the Nature Book series: A Shell is Cozy

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Shell is Cozy, by Dianna Hutts Aston/Illustrated by Sylvia Long, (May 2023, Chronicle Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781797212470

Ages 5-8

Enjoy a study on the world of shells in the newest entry in Aston and Long’s Nature Books series. Ink and watercolor illustrations bring the many types of shells to life; Aston moves between brief and meaningful observations – “A shell is cozy”; “A shell is everywhere”; “A shell is athletic” – and more informative explanations to explain her observations. Cursive font poses the initial observations; smaller, print text the explanations. Each shell is labeled, helping facilitate understanding and knowledge. Aston writes to educate and to delight, including facts like jazz musician Steve Turre using “the same shell instrument… as his Aztec ancestors did…”, or that sea scallops “clap” their shells to swim away from predators. A great addition to a long-standing, popular natural world series.

Create an activity pack with a seek and find sheet from Education.com, a set of seashell identification cards from Cara Ratner on TeachersPayTeachers, and this field journal from the American Museum of Natural History.

 

 

A Beetle is Shy, by Dianna Hutts Aston/Illustrated by Sylvia Long, (May 2023, Chronicle Books), $7.99, ISBN: 9781797215877

Ages 5-8

The softcover edition of the 2016 book, A Beetle is Shy, hits shelves this week and is a good choice for libraries that need a backup or whose budgets are facing some challenges. Here, Aston and Long introduce readers to the many types of beetles: their life cycles, their sizes, where and how they live. They touch on the beetle’s prehistoric origins, with a beautiful rendering of beetles preserved in amber, and discuss the many areas of the world where beetles are on the menu! The ink and watercolor art is breathtaking, with vibrant colors truly showing off beetle’s jewel-like appearances. Scripted verse observations, like “A beetle is tasty”; “A beetle is prehistoric”; “A beetle is a digger… a runner… a hopper… or a swimmer” lead to brief informational text to explain. A great addition to your nature, STEM, and insect collection.

Do you have bug fans, or want to do a program on insects? You can put together a fun learning activity pack with this Beetle Mania activity from Education.com, a beetle coloring sheet, also from Education.com, a Build a Stag Beetle activity from Teaching Resources by AJ, and a beetle lifecycle activity sheet from itsMamaMiller, both from TeachersPayTeachers. DK has a good Beetle Facts for Kids webpage, and NatGeo Kids has fact pages on both the stag beetle and the dung beetle.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Tales from the TBR: The Llove Llama books

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Love Llama Travels the 7 Continents, by Monica Talbot-Kerkes & Sharla Charpentier/Illustrated by Aljon Inertia, (Dec. 2022, Book Endeavors), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1736282908

Ages 4-7

The kickoff to a children’s series that teaches geography and the natural world, The Llove Llama Travels the 7 Continents is a cute story about finding friendship. Born in South America, a sweet llama named Llove decides that she needs to search the world for a friend. As she explores the continents, she meets all sorts of new friends: a sloth named Bob, living in the Amazon Rainforest; a penguin named Peppermint living in Antarctica; a narwhal named Ned, living in Africa, and more, all of whom direct Llove to other continents in her search for a special friend: a child! Compass roses throughout help place readers as Llove explores the world in search of her friend. Comprehensive back matter includes fast facts on the animals mentioned in the story and discussion questions. Colorful maps place Llove and her animal acquaintances in their respective continents. Colorful cartoon art and expressive, friendly animals make this a fun go-to for preschoolers and early grade schoolers.

 

Ned the Narwhal Voyages the 5 Oceans (The Llove Llama and Friends), by Monica Talbot-Kerkes & Sharla Charpentier/Illustrated by Aljon Inertia, (July 2021, Book Endeavors), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1736282960

Ages 4-7

Now that readers have met Llove the Llama, it’s time to meet the friends she made on her journey! Ned the Narwhal is born with a rainbow horn and flipper wings, setting him apart from the other narwhals. When Ned is bored with life in the Arctic, he decides to be like his friend, Llove the Llama, and travel the world. Being a narwhal, he sticks to the world’s oceans, meeting all sorts of new friends, including sharks, crabs, and seals. He learns some valuable lessons, the most important being that everyone is special. Upbeat rhyme, colorful maps, and illustrations throughout place the reader and invest them in the story. Back matter offers fast facts on all the animals and the oceans appearing in the story; discussion questions offer opportunities to reinforce and deepen learning.

The Llove series is a cute way to introduce young learners to world geography and link it to the natural world. The third book in the series stars Bob the Sloth – the first animal Llove meets on her journey – and published in September 2022. Visit the Llove Llama and Friends website for more information about the series and free resources, including coloring pages to keep handy for a post-storytime activity.

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Board Books and Pop-Ups Bonanza!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It’s time for the latest board book bonanza! These books are great for collections and for stocking stuffers: let’s take a look.

The Pop-Up Guide: Animals, by Maud Poulain/Illustrated by Peggy Nille, (Sept. 2022, Twirl Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9791036345166

Ages 3-5

Twirl’s Pop-Up Guides are so much fun for toddlers and preschoolers. The fourth in this series is all about animals and their environments, with spotlights on nine areas: the African Savanna, the forest, the Far North, the rain forest, the backyard, the ocean, the desert, the river and the mountains. A brief factual paragraph gives kids introductory information to each area, and each spread folds out into a 3-D landscape. Animals are clearly labeled, as are environmental objects like pine cones, ice floes, and water lilies. The Pop-Up Guide are great ways to introduce new vocabulary and new ideas, with colorful illustration and sturdy pages that hold up to multiple reads. If you’re putting these into circulation, keep a reference copy on hand for storytimes. Great for a STEM storytime!

Pop-Up Topics: Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures, by Arnaud Roi, (Oct. 2022, Twirl Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9782408037512

Ages 3-5

Twirl has another pop-up series for young learners now! Pop-Up Topics has slightly more informational text and a more refined topic range for growing minds, while keeping the same exciting and eye-catching 3-D pop-ups that exploring fingers enjoy. Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric features includes 10 pop-up spreads on dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures with a short, informational paragraph on each, and at-a-glance statistics like region, size and weight, and time period. Fan favorites like Tyrannosaurus Rex Stegosaurus are here alongside the lesser-known Sarcosuchus, a prehistoric relative to the modern-day crocodile, and flying reptile Quetzalcoatlus. If your budget permits, pick up a back-up copy or two, or keep this in storytime reference; while sturdy, the flaps may not hold up to the beating that dino books take (at least, in my library!).

 

Happy Little Pets: I Take Care of My Puppy, Illustrated by Michael Slack, (Jan. 2023, Chronicle Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9781797205267

Ages 1-4

Happy Little Pets is an adorable new board book series from Chronicle! Combining pet care with learning, the books are a sweet introduction to having a pet. I Take Care of My Puppy has 15 interactive elements that let kids fill the puppy’s bowl, brush their fur, and trace their finger through a walk around the block. Moving parts, bold fonts, and a cheery, expressive puppy will appeal to readers. The final spread invites readers to take care of their own puppy for a week, with sliding panels to check off every day after they feed, walk, play, and take their puppy out for a potty run. It’s a great way to introduce responsibility into a conversation, and for preschoolers who may not have a pet, a chance to try a puppy on for size – accompany with a stuffed animal for a test run! Sliding panels can be a little fiddly with new books, but the pages are sturdy and will hold up.

 

Happy Little Pets: I Take Care of My Kitten, Illustrated by Michael Stack, (Jan. 2023, Chronicle Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9781797205274

Ages 1-4

I Take Care of My Kitten is the companion to I Take Care of My Puppy, with an adorable black and white kitten that readers can name, feed, brush, and pet. There are 15 interactive elements for toddlers and preschoolers to explore, and they can spend a week caring for their own kitten (Can be a toy! Get creative!) and marking off their progress at the end of the book. Kids can learn about the responsibility involved in having a kitten, including cleaning the litter box and helping them find a scratching post to sharpen their claws. Kid-friendly artwork and sturdy panels engage readers from the get-go.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Over and Under the Waves explores the ocean

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Over and Under the Waves, by Kate Messner/Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, (Sept. 2022, Chronicle Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781797203478

Ages 4-7

Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal’s latest Over and Under story explores the ocean ecosystem. Narrated in the first person by a child while out rowing with their family, we encounter sea lions sunning on the rocks, birds soaring overhead, and a mother and baby otter cuddling among the kelp. A glimpse below the water reveals an entirely different, bustling world: shimmering fish and bristly urchins; lurking eels and drifting jellies, and a giant surprise! There’s a sense of wonder in Messner’s storytelling, beautifully translated by Neal, who creates spread after spread of mixed media realistic ocean life. The family is present only to help place the reader in the story; nature takes center stage, with the human characters occasionally appearing from the side of the spread, or from far above to provide perspective. Endpapers show sea stars, fish, and shells in white silhouette across a field of deep blue. An author’s note describes Messner’s inspiration for the tale, and an “About the Animals” section provides a brief informational paragraph on each animal in the story. Recommended books and websites direct readers to further reading. A thoughtful meditation on the ocean, and an excellent addition to both this series and STEM/STEAM and nature collections.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Spend a relaxing read At the Pond

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

At the Pond, by David Elliott/Illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford, (May 2022, Candlewick Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536205985

Ages 3-7

David Elliott adds to his poetry series with At the Pond, a meditation on a day in the life of all the animals who live in and around the pond. Red-winged blackbirds sing and a family of mallards have a morning swim; dragonflies buzz by and a water snake guards her nest. It’s a lovely glimpse at the natural world, alternating beautiful lyrics and amusing wordplay. One spread illustrating a frog’s lifecycle from tadpole to frog reads, “Polly! / Polly! / Pollywog! / Golly! / Golly! Golly! Frog!”; another, a reflection on a water strider: “…enigmatic / but prolific. / Each day / he writes / his story / in rippling / hieroglyphics”. Amy Schimler-Safford’s mixed media illustrations create spread after spread of alluring images with deep greens, blues, and browns setting the background for brilliant pops of color. A gorgeous book for nature lovers and a great accompaniment to discussions on ecosystems. Back matter includes more information about the flora and fauna that makes an appearance in the book.

Publisher Candlewick has a downloadable teacher’s guide for companion books in the poetry series. Education.com has coloring sheets and activity sheets to extend pond-related learning.