First line: "Manny and his dad come form a long line of gardeners." The following pages reveal the lush and lively experience and skills Dadbrings to dFirst line: "Manny and his dad come form a long line of gardeners." The following pages reveal the lush and lively experience and skills Dadbrings to developing landscapes that are verdant and healthy. They live in a space without outdoor planting options, but Dad turns their apartment into a "jungle". When Papa buys Manny his very own plant and urges him to keep it well and strong, problems arise. Manny opts to solve this himself, drawing on the boundless resources of a library to learn what he needs to know to rescue his own plant, Amigo. The happy resolve to this worry allows Manny and Dad to share plants with their diverse neighbors as Many claims his space as youngest among that long line of plant rescuers. I really enjoyed the vibrant and phenomenal abundance of the plants throughout, making each page a celebration of life as well as an invitation to look closely, find out more, and appreciate the nuances of plant shapes and colors....more
This is a very accessible and enjoyable story in which the older brother demonstrates awareness and agency in rself-regulatoing his anger issues. CombThis is a very accessible and enjoyable story in which the older brother demonstrates awareness and agency in rself-regulatoing his anger issues. Combining SEL and STEM content within the management system he uses allows this book (including back matter) to be both entertaining and also a learning tool for families and classrooms. Illustration is equally as effective as text in blending personality and story with the shifts in emotional mood and management while resonating with the science-related processes of volcanoes....more
Wow. Ann Bausum is a reliably thorough and compelling nonfiction researcher and writer, with this latest offering a stellar example. Perhaps an aspectWow. Ann Bausum is a reliably thorough and compelling nonfiction researcher and writer, with this latest offering a stellar example. Perhaps an aspect of her talent and skill is revealed in her author notes and other readable and appealing back matter. Her writing topics often arise from personal fascinations about history, and now, in this case, she shares her family history involving First Folio research and Shakespeare emersion, as well as multiple attendances at live performances of a play aimed at revealing folio creation history. Her intrigue and enthusiasm spill onto every page, delivered in voice and language that welcome readers to join in on her explorations. The organization, format, design, and contents of this book are ideal for late elementary and middle grades, but readers of any age beyond that are also likely to find it informative and entertaining enough to want others to know about it. In this case her narrative blends language that explains (and makes memorable) the technical processes involved in seventeenth century book production as well as the social/cultural patterns of stage plays prior to the first folio's existence. Bausum incorporates enough familiar direct address to readers to keep young minds fully engaged, often indicating those outreach comments with parentheses ("Yes, it really says that."- P. 39). Within the main text, her direct and thorough voice includes thoughts like "There is so much we will never know," and other comments that are both critically necessary and also frankly honest about surprise discoveries and the limits researchers encounter. This is an exciting introduction for young readers to the creator behind ubiquitous (and likely required) subject matter in their future. The creation, distribution, mysteries, benefits, and weaknesses of these historic Shakespeare texts make a centuries-old society and its pop-culture feel relevant and intriguing for those who might otherwise minimize their attention to this treasury of literature. HIGHLY recommended, for individual reading and for group discussion....more
Images from envisioning possibilities to bringing dreams to the real world are action-based but reveal powerful emotional strengths as well.. "Girls" aImages from envisioning possibilities to bringing dreams to the real world are action-based but reveal powerful emotional strengths as well.. "Girls" are shown to be young, teen, and adult, working in collaboration to innovate, renovate, design and build every manner of useful and creative items and structures. Tools of the trade (there I go again) are pictured and named within natural language and sequential images to provide models of success... and failure.
Some of my favorite lines in the book follow such a failure:
"Take a breath.
Take a break.
Then...
try again.
Because failure
isn't final.
It's where new
ideas are made."
A circle of girls, viewed from above, surrounds those words, joined as if in a familiar mantra of determination and persistence. Around the perimeter of their faces and enfolded arms are the tools they have used, will use, will master to make those dreams and ideas reality.
In their present lives and in their own futures.
As designers, collaborators, dreamers, and builders of better communities, structures, and a new world.
Highly recommended for ALL readers. Girls of course, but equally valuable for youth of all identities....more
When it comes to a picture book about simple machines, bring it on! There are NOT enough in general, and certainly not current ones written by master-When it comes to a picture book about simple machines, bring it on! There are NOT enough in general, and certainly not current ones written by master-author Lola M. Schaefer. Like it or not, we (from birth through death) are surrounded by simple machines and the more complex ones that rely on simply machine elements to operate. Sure, technology rules the day, but even the hinge on your laptop is a simple machine. While teaching, I witnessed the fading (then disappearance) of exploration and teaching units on simple machines, to my great dismay. Kids, from toddlerhood on, are fascinated by wheels and ramps and wedges and every other real or improvised "tool" they see or touch. This rhymed text is an essential and simple necessity for those little ones, and possibly for their generational caregivers who missed those study units that labeled and explained and integrated simple machines into their lives. Colorful, fun, and entertaining in its own right, but also essential for every young child- boy or girl! Love it!...more
**spoiler alert** This title suggests that readers could likely assume they know what "sex" means. In 430 oversized, colorful, comic-style pages, it p**spoiler alert** This title suggests that readers could likely assume they know what "sex" means. In 430 oversized, colorful, comic-style pages, it proceeds to prove that assumption wrong. It unpacks the latest science-based and non-judgmental informational imaginable about everything sex-adjacent and sex-specific that any young person could ever hope to know. It does so with brilliant organization of complex content, explored and explained with characters who are vibrantly surreal "people of color" with orange, green, violet, and other non-human skin tones, culturally diverse clothing, varying physical patterns (including so-called disabilities), hair-and-body-types, etc. EVERYONE can find themselves within these pages, and also find their questions answered in direct and accessible language and simple drawings. (Includes table of contents, index, and glossary.) The premise is a sex-ed classroom with a well-prepared educator who begins with this- defining the most important words about SEX. RESPECT. TRUST. JOY. POWER. JUSTICE. CHOICE. (This is not a spoiler alert because it is dealt with in the earliest pages.) Throughout the many sections, the narrative (teacher's) voice directs determined readers to turn to such-and-such pages if they are curious to read about specific things sooner (Reproduction is on page 295), first actively building the most essential understanding and knowledge in the many pages prior to that. Every topic from body-image to body-function to body-acceptance to body-exploration to body-health to body-autonomy is discussed in an interactive, ask-yourself, discuss with trusted adults approach. The bottom line in all this colorful, helpful content is that the reader is the ultimate valid evaluator of what feels right and safe and personally helpful. Next in line, but equally important, is the clear assurance that those feelings and attitudes can and will shift over time, and that is also valid. The affirmative tone of this is as warm and welcoming as anything I have ever encountered for kids or adults. The section on CONSENT is worth reading on its own merits with even younger audiences, if more explicit sections are better suited to this approaching puberty or expressing interest/comcerns. This is the exact opposite approach (and design and format) of the kinds of books or pamphlets used to "teach" youth about puberty and body function when I was a child or during my teaching years. Those materials were usually hidden from sight of peers, or pulled out to giggle about in secret, or otherwise treated as shameful. This large volume demands attention and will certainly be treated as a prized and publicly shared treasure, as it should be. Sadly, it will undoubtedly be challenged in classroom or library shelves in our current controlling/repressive social atmosphere. I'm happy to say I obtained my copy from the library and confirmed it is used in several schools nearby. It is priceless and can save lives. Read it....more
This compact picture book presentation is effectively designed to allow even early-device-adopters to use and learn from it. The content is aimed at aThis compact picture book presentation is effectively designed to allow even early-device-adopters to use and learn from it. The content is aimed at arming media consumers of any age, but especially young ones, with the internal thinking to sort facts from flimflam, propaganda, and advertising manipulation. The approach incorporates old-school shortcuts (check the "about" and the .org tags) with a warning that there are generally ineffective since so many have figured them out and worked around them. The recommended logic and analysis strategies are presented alongside plenty of practice samples and discussions, all of which are very engaging for young audiences. This is wonderful for individual reading and consideration but also for guided lessons. Brief enough to "fit into" von the tightest curriculum. Highly recommended....more
Simple text and illustrations allow the youngest readers to find themselves in the pages of this book, sparking curiosity and appeal for engaging withSimple text and illustrations allow the youngest readers to find themselves in the pages of this book, sparking curiosity and appeal for engaging with the good earth, seeds, and crops....more
Several picture books (as well as adult resources) have been appearing on this topic: the damage caused by our "built" environment, especially highwaySeveral picture books (as well as adult resources) have been appearing on this topic: the damage caused by our "built" environment, especially highways and roadways around the world. An opening quotation states that highways are visitors to our Earth. The disruption to animals nesting sites, food sources, migration patterns, and mating options are causing irreparable harm, whether intended to do so or not. This serves as an excellent introduction to the topic AND to those other more specific picture books and more advanced content, exploring the species and locations around the world who are benefitting from retrofitted access routes. It combines simple text, familiar animal examples, and also illustrations that demonstrate the remarkable approaches utilized, ones that demonstrate careful study and insight to the natural behaviors of those animals who are threatened. ...more
This is a highly readable and engaging text for middle grade readers that will answer questions about how space travel can actually happen with human This is a highly readable and engaging text for middle grade readers that will answer questions about how space travel can actually happen with human bodies/beings and their daily needs. Using humor and direct descriptions, in more specific and scientific ways, the author delves into the efforts to make life workable and tolerable while living in space. I was slightly disappointed that the only mention of extended travel to eventually reach Mars occurred in the final few pages. This made sense, in exploring the groundwork of how life in space was gradually improving, but it might disappoint kid-readers....more
It is written in rhymed lines with a direct address to younger readers, occasionally tending a bit didactic, but with wonderfully charming and colorfuIt is written in rhymed lines with a direct address to younger readers, occasionally tending a bit didactic, but with wonderfully charming and colorful illustrations of diverse kids. Framed in a school setting, each reappears in various scenes, sometimes choosing positive actions and sometimes benefitting from the advice to calm down or deal with life in kind ways...more
It also advocates for readers of any age to volunteer at rescue shelters as companions, playmates, and general helpers for canines waiting and hoping It also advocates for readers of any age to volunteer at rescue shelters as companions, playmates, and general helpers for canines waiting and hoping for a fur-ever home.
The talent and strategies that shine in SCURRY! are center-stage in this picture book, beginning with the eyes on that cover! In this case, though, Whipple builds on the fact that so many DOG parts and patterns are familiar to readers. Then she uses photos and friendly phrasing to clarify, correct, and expand on readers' awareness of this ubiquitous but diverse species. The question/answer approach, compare/contrast text patterns, and the widely varied cartoon-comic dog characters with something significant to say keeps the pages turning and the information memorable.
Back matter is kid-directed and also irresistible, with pages showing how to make a dog toy, compare breed facts and images, consider an instructional/safety page about how to app[roach an unfamiliar dog, images and insights revealing what volunteering might involve, and an answer to that frequent question: Are dogs just tame wolves?
What, you can't really imagine I'd offer her answer here, can you? Get the book and read for yourselves!
These two titles belong in every library, many classrooms, and family homes. They offer the brilliance of "coffee table books" in enticing and engaging casual audiences while also providing well-selected and curated informational content in ways that entertain and invite questions and further reading or discussion. These titles also offer mentor examples for anyone considering writing nonfiction, for developing photographic skills, or even for those interested in using photos by others to enhance your text. ...more
Valuable, informative, realistic, and helpful. Represents diverse service embers,family members, ages, situations. An essential and practical tool for Valuable, informative, realistic, and helpful. Represents diverse service embers,family members, ages, situations. An essential and practical tool for children/families living with this experience, but also for others to understand and develop empathy....more
This book "caught me with my pants down", so to speak. I expected some humor and kid-appeal, but this slim, comically-illustrated, and cleverly writteThis book "caught me with my pants down", so to speak. I expected some humor and kid-appeal, but this slim, comically-illustrated, and cleverly written book is irresistible, informative, and a winner for every age and interest. From the word-play title and cover with a spinner-option to view the star in a variety of "underpants", I was a fan. Each aspect of each stage and page of history related to the covering/protecting of the lower body and its related parts is drawn, explained, and connected to some health or science or cultural reality of that time and place. Examples span the globe and thousands of years, including fossil remains. As a lifelong elementary teacher I thought I had read all I'd ever want to know about underwear, history or otherwise. I was wrong. I've already recommended this to countless readers of many ages. Librarians and classroom teachers can be assured that the publishers recognized the extent to which this book will make the rounds, changing hands often, so they prepared by producing a very study cover, binding, and pages to support durability. Not unlike a decent pair of underwear. Expect to pull this out for use as mentor text for figurative writing, and perhaps buy additional copies to get it into more hands more quickly....more
Written and designed as a book-club/how-to book for identifying and evaluating patterns of friendship relationships, this slim work makes a useful booWritten and designed as a book-club/how-to book for identifying and evaluating patterns of friendship relationships, this slim work makes a useful book for large group, small group, individual, classroom, and even counselor engagements. It is both informative and analytical as well as requesting readers to examine their own feelings, behaviors, and values. For this topic and this target audience I ate seen nothing that would work better for both the validity and usefulness of the content and the appealing format, language, and presentation, which incorporates both questions and advice from individuals peers (whose identities are protected.)...more
As an educator who taught study units on bees across several grades, I would have loved to ahve this in our collection of trade books on the topic. ItAs an educator who taught study units on bees across several grades, I would have loved to ahve this in our collection of trade books on the topic. It is a masterful combination of illustration, imagination, and nature's appeal (with a hint of storytelling and a recipe throw in). It is an undeniab nonfiction gem, with carefully drawn and labeled scientific diagrams of plants, insects, and distinct types of honeybees (workers, drones, queens). Starring an appealing bear beekeeper and his human grandma (a twist that kids will gleefully accept!), the care and keeping and uses and results of beehive management are shown and described our the course of four seasons. There is plenty to attract and sustain the attention of fairly young audiences in these warm and charming illustrations, from expansive scenes to detailed interiors to those labeled/numbered diagrams and step-by-step directions for aspects of care and processing. Meanwhile, the accuracy and thoroughness of the contents could easily be used as an introductory text to a beekeeper class. Outstanding....more
It's a fun new offering for young readers that comes with a guarantee of lasting appeal and long shelflife in classrooms, libraries, and family collecIt's a fun new offering for young readers that comes with a guarantee of lasting appeal and long shelflife in classrooms, libraries, and family collections: WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A ROCK?
Endpapers with classifications on labeled rock samples invite close inspection and also serve as a sort of field guide for beginning collectors. Then a simple text written in direct address invites YOU, the reader, to pay attention and notice rocks.
Suggestions for what YOU can do with the rocks you find expand the mundane (kick it, skip, it drop it) with lovely language and lively images. Reminders to extend the range for searching, respect areas/spcimens that should be collected only as memories, and ideas for ways to sort, catalogue, and display collections entice readers to begin a new hobby.
If this sounds a bit didactic, have no fear. The lively language, colorful spot- and full-spread illustrations, and the emerging personalities on the page portray a lovely friendship and imply some larger truths.
Noticing can lead to discovering.
Imagining can lead to creating.
Beauty and value lie below the surface of first appearances.
And, of course, sharing makes everything better.
Back matter offers further suggestions, including a brief but excellent list of titles on this timeless topic. ...more
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