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Explore Insects with The Bug Book by Sue Fliess

March 21, 2016 / / 1 Comment

Sue Fliess‘s newest picture book, The Bug Book, starts with text that really reflects the best way to teach science to kids:

“Grab a bucket. Check your guide.
Let’s go find some bugs outside!

As you can see from the quote, the text is written in lively rhyming verse. The illustrations are bright, colorful photographs from stock sources. See our full review at our sister blog, Wrapped in Foil.

You can also check out the official trailer:

Insect Poetry Activity:

  1. Download/print some colorful bug photographs.

buckeye-butterfly-dbg-4(Feel free to use images from our Bug of the Week category for this educational project).

2. Encourage children to write their own insect poems inspired by the photographs. Younger children can create descriptive word lists. Acrostic poems (spelling a word with the first letters of each line) can give hesitant poets a comfortable structure to get them stated.

Active
Numerous
Tiny
Soldiers

3. Gather the poems into a small book or display them on a wall.

Related:

Check out our recent series of insect science lessons for kids.

Insect Science Investigations

See our growing list of children’s poetry books with an insect theme.

poetry-books-about-insects-for-children

Age Range: 3 – 5 years
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (February 23, 2016)
ISBN-10: 044848935X
ISBN-13: 978-0448489353

Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title or cover links and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Looking for more children’s nonfiction books? Try the Nonfiction Monday blog.

Bug of the Week: Aphid Mummies

March 16, 2016 / / 0 Comments

We have talked about aphid mummies before. They are the hardened shells formed when the aphids are parasitized by tiny wasps.

aphid-mummies-316This week the oleander aphids, Aphis nerii, have a high percentage of mummies. In fact, it was hard to find healthy bright yellow aphids. The mummies are all the beige to dark brown forms.

alate-aphid-mummy-227In this photograph there’s a winged aphid that is mummified (the only live aphid is right behind it).

alate-aphid-mummy-227

If you look closely, you can see the dark round hole in the back to the aphid’s abdomen where the adult wasp emerged.

Parasitic wasps are one reason aphids may disappear from plants so quickly.

The “Dirt” on the #Kidlit Book Dig In!

March 11, 2016 / / 2 Comments

Right in time for the spring gardening season and for STEM Friday, we have Dig In! by Cindy Jenson-Elliott and illustrated by (“dirt by”) Mary Peterson.

Cindy Jenson-Elliott’s new book celebrates the simple pleasures of mucking around in the soil. Each page reveals a new discovery, from earthworms to pill bugs.

With only a few words per page, the text is simple enough to read to toddlers or for beginning readers to tackle on their own.

I dig in the dirt…and find a seed.
Seed waits.
I dig in the dirt…and find a spider.
Spider runs.

The illustrations are linoleum block prints with just the right touch of humor. It might be fun to accompany the book with a quick art lesson using ink stamps or making potato prints to celebrate the illustrations.

It seems that digging in the dirt is a pastime too few young children get to indulge in these days. Dig In! is sure to encourage young readers to get outside and explore the world under their feet.

Related Activity:

Have everyone put on some old clothes and take your children out to a place they can examine some soil. Start by simply sitting on a patch of soil. Ask your children what they think soil is. Is it alive? (Yes, components of soil are alive.) What does it consist of? Are all soils alike? Smell the patch of soil, what do you smell? Touch the soil. What does it feel like? Is it wet or dry? Warm or cool?

Then allow the children to dig into the soil with their hands. Sandbox digging tools can be helpful, but not necessary. If age appropriate, supply a hand lens or magnifying glass. Talk about what they discover.

Some things to look for:

(Links go to related posts with activities)

Sue also has a review and suggestions for related activities at Sally’s Bookshelf.

soil-little-pill-bug

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: Beach Lane Books (March 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1442412615
ISBN-13: 978-1442412613

Disclosure:  An ARC was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.

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