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Category: Science Books (Page 81 of 87)

Insect Books for Children’s Book Week

May 13, 2010 / / 2 Comments

Did you know this week, May 10-16, 2010, is Children’s Book Week? (For more information, see the Children’s Book Council).

With great timing, I just had a grandma ask me to recommend a book for her 4-year-old granddaughter, who is interested in bugs.

Here’s a few of our favorite picture books, both fiction and nonfiction. They are in no particular order and there are many other very good books about insects and spiders out there. I chose these because of they haven’t lost their appeal over the years.

Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries have a wonderful nonfiction series, asking the question “Are you…?” Are you a butterfly? Are you a grasshopper? Are you an ant? All are beautifully done and well-researched books. The child is brought into the story in a creative way.

At that age, the First Discovery Series books are fun to explore nonfiction. They have clear acrylic pages that change the scenes when you turn them. We have The Ladybug and Other Insects by Gallimard Jeunesse and Pascale de Bourgoing and Butterflies.

Lois Ehlert’s books are visually lovely, and Waiting for Wings is no exception. This book gives the child a chance to learn about both butterflies and plants.

Diane Cronin and Harry Bliss have a lovely series of fiction books with invertebrate main characters. Diary of a Spider, Diary of a Fly and Diary of a Worm are sweet and funny. We discovered them at a bit older age (6 or 7), but I think an advanced four-year-old child would enjoy them.

Two Bad Ants might also be for a bit older child, because in this classic fiction book the ants get into scary situations and the illustrations are not as bright and colorful. Children with a sense of adventure and a good imagination will enjoy it.

We like the ubiquitous Eric Carle books, such as The Very Busy Spider. They are fiction, as Carle has the butterfly in A Very Hungry Caterpillar emerging from a cocoon. (Butterflies don’t make cocoons.) I just substitute the word pupa and explain why.

Ruth Heller’s How to Hide a Butterfly has fascinating illustrations to explore and a wonderful rhyming text. There are insects and spiders hidden in each two page spread.

I hope you find something useful here.

Do you have any favorite picture books about insects that I’ve missed?

All the books on this list are personal copies that we purchased. For information on my affiliation with Amazon, see the disclosure page.

Arbor Day Musings

April 30, 2010 / / 2 Comments

Today is Arbor Day. Frankly, I am a bit sad. Why?

First of all, I am sad because this year my parents decided to log the small woods that is on their property. They knew I wouldn’t be happy, so they didn’t let it slip until it was already done. And they were right. I felt loss for the walnuts and oaks who had been standing since as long as I can remember. I miss them.

Arbor day also reminds me of the story of Herbie the elm tree, which is a poignant one. Rambling Woods has a good summary of the Herbie story.

Maybe I miss the trees more because here in the desert trees are small and shrubby. A big tree is a rare and beautiful sight.

tree22

In any case, a book that came in the mail this week struck a chord with me.

I will say up front that this is an adult book, it is not written for children.

Keepers of the Trees:  A Guide to Re-Greening North America by Ann Linnea has the details right. It is printed on recycled wood-free paper. Keepers of the Trees

Linnea writes about the stories of fourteen men and women who are dedicated to conserving trees, including herself. She includes people from a diversity of outlooks, races, genders, lifestyles and backgrounds, all brought together by their love of trees.

The author has a compelling writing style and sets just the right tone. The book isn’t preachy or heavy-handed at all. Basically, it is about the people and their work.

People like Corella Payne, who researches public health issues such as asthma for her job, and then volunteers as a Treekeeper for public parks during her off hours. Corella sees the link between being outside with nature, and overall health and well-being.

The story of Merve the logger stands out in my mind because of my recent experiences. Merve has been selectively and sustainably logging the same spot in Canada for years. Although he has removed the same amount of timber that he would have gotten if he had simply clear cut, the forest remains in place, still viable and diverse. He respects the soil, leaves natural drainage systems intact and tries to take trees that are mostly at the end of their natural life cycle. Inspiring!

The layout of Keepers of the Trees is visually appealing, with many color photographs and figures. In the back is a list of practical things that you can do if you are interested in “tree-keeping.” Suggestions include planting a tree, adopting a tree, and mentoring a child.

I think I will take up that suggestion to mentor a child by taking my son to see another cork oak I found out about recently. Seems like the right thing to do on Arbor Day.

And if you are interested in helping a child learn more about trees, check my review of the Leaf and Tree Guide at Wrapped in Foil.

Edit: Tricia has a fabulous list of children’s books about trees at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

What are you doing for Arbor Day?

Please read the disclosure page for information about my affiliation with Amazon. Book was provided by publisher.

Recommended Science Books

March 20, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Although I often review science books at my Wrapped in Foil blog, so many great science books are out right now, I thought I’d bring some to your attention here. Not only are science books fun and exciting to read, they make wonderful jumping off points for experiments and activities.

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has just come out with their list of Outstanding Trade Science Books from 2009. Go take a look for summaries of each book, reviews, and links to related websites for further investigations on each topic.

Some examples of recommended science books, organized by theme:

Flying Animals

Even an Ostrich Needs a Nest: Where Birds Begin. Irene Kelly. Holiday House. ISBN 978-0-8234-2102-2

What Bluebirds Do. Pamela F. Kirby. Boyds Mills Press. ISBN 978-1-59078-614-7

A Place for Birds. Melissa Stewart and Higgins Bond (Illustrator). Peachtree Publishers. 32pp. Trade ISBN 978-1-56145-474-7

Face to Face With Penguins. Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott. National Geographic Children’s Books. ISBN 978-1-4263-0561-0.

Flying Eagle. Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Deborah Kogan Ray (Illustrator). Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-57091-671-7.

Up, Up, and Away. Ginger Wadsworth and Patricia J. Wynne (Illustrator). Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58089-221-6.

Here’s the book trailer for Up, Up, and Away:

In the Trees, Honey Bees! Lori Mortensen and Cris Arbo (Illustrator). Dawn Publications. ISBN 978-1-58469-114-3

Cold and Snow

Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia. Sy Montgomery. Color photographs by Nic Bishop. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 978-0-618-91645-0.

Under the Snow. Melissa Stewart. Illustrated by Constance R. Bergum. Peachtree Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56145-493-8.

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder. Mark Cassino and Jon Nelson. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-6866-2

Ice Scientist: Careers in Frozen Antarctic. Sara L. Latta. Enslow Publishers, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7660-3048-0

Water and Oceans

Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again. Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, and Craig Hatkoff. Scholastic Press. ISBN 978-0-545-12335-8.

Our World of Water. Beatrice Hollyer. Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an Imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-8050-8941-7

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau. Dan Yaccarino. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-375-85573-3.

Into the Deep: The Life of Naturalist and Explorer William Beebe. David Sheldon. Charlesbridge Publishing. 48pp. Trade ISBN 978-1-58089-341-1

Over the Coasts: An Aerial View of Geology. Michael Collier. Mikaya Press. 120pp. Trade ISBN 978-1-931414-42-5

If you are interested in biographies of scientists and inventors, any book from Mike Venezia’s series is a good place to start.

(Please check the disclosure page for information about my affiliation with Amazon.)

Have you read any good science books lately? I’d love to hear about it.

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