The Beetle Book

Author & Illustrator:   Steve Jenkins
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year:   2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   Kirkus Best Book; NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books; SLJ Best Books,  Booklist Top 10 Books for Youth ,ALSC Notable Children’s Books

Summary:  The book starts with the fact that one out of every four creatures on the planet is a beetle. It goes on to describe beetles, their anatomy, and all the different kinds that there are. The illustrations are colorful torn-paper collages and the small text keeps the focus on them.

Classroom Ideas: Classroom study of beetles, animals, and animal parts.

Extras: Index of beetles with latin names

Island: A Story of the Galapagos

Author & Illustrator:   Jason Chin
Publisher:  Roaring Brook Press
Publication Year:   2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   BCCB Recommended Title, National Science Teacher's Association-CBC, Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens

Summary:  The different steps in the evolution of the islands are shown here through the use of roman numerals (I. Birth, II. Childhood, III. Adulthood, IV. Old Age, V.Epilogue)
Through a series of comic-strip like illustrations the birth of the volcanic islands is shown and animals come to live there. The plants and animals gradually colonize the entire group of islands, and then the animals begin to evolve because of the environment. After six million years, the main island disappears but there are still fifteen large islands in the group.

Classroom Ideas: evolution, Galapagos, volcanoes, growth of islands

Extras: the endpapers pictures the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands and a map of the islands, The Addendums are about the naturalist Charles Darwin & his observation of the Galapagos, more information about the islands, and the number of endemic species there. The author's note talks about Chin's reasons for writing about the Galapagos and what parts of the book are his own speculation.

Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian

 

Author: Margarita Engle
Illustrator:   Julie Paschkis
Publisher:  Henry Holt and Company
Publication Year:   2010
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens, Booklist & Kirkus starred reviews

Summary: Told in an engaging first person voice, this is the story of a girl of the Middle Ages who defied conventional wisdom in order to study butterflies. In that time, people believed that they were evil insects born in mud, but Maria did not believe that. She observed caterpillars and realized that they changed into butterflies. She painted what she saw and dreamed of a day where people would understand the life cycles of animals that go through metamorphosis. The folksy gouache paintings perfectly illustrate the world of Merian and the spreads on black backgrounds are especially striking.

Classroom Ideas: classroom study of metamorphosis of caterpillars to butterflies, life cycles, scientists, women pioneers

Extras: a historical note about Maria Merian

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Author: Jay Cowley
Illustrator:   Nic Bishop
Publisher:  Scholastic Press
Publication Year:   1999
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   Horn Book Award, Horn Book Fanfare, Booklist Top of List

Summary:  Bishop's amazing photographs accompany simple text about the life of the tree frog. There are many other animals in the rain forest, but the tree frog escapes the scary boa constrictor in order to find a moth for dinner. The perfectly clear close-up pictures look and feel as though the reader has become the tree frog.

Classroom Ideas: Classroom study of the rain forest, predator/prey, animals

Extras: "Did you know?" author's note,

Sleep Like a Tiger

Author: Mary Logue
Illustrator:   Pamela Zagarenski
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year:   2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   Caldecott Honor; Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal starred reviews

Summary:  When a little girl doesn't want to go to sleep, her parents assure her that she only has to put on her pajamas, brush her teeth & wash her face, and climb into bed. Then she talks to them about all the animals in the world sleeping: dogs, cats, bats, whales, snails, and bears. Even tigers sleep. The little girl gets comfortable in her warm bed and falls asleep like a tiger. The illustrations are mixed-media on wood and practically beg the reader to enter the peaceful fanciful world. The final spread with the tiger asleep holding a girl doll and the girl curled up next to him holding a stuffed tiger is a masterpiece. If I was having a baby, THIS would be the theme of the nursery!

Classroom Ideas:This book is full of beautiful figurative language. There are great similes ("lying as still as an otter floating in a stream").

Insect Detective

Author: Steve Voake
Illustrator:   Charlotte Voake
Publisher:  Candlewick
Publication Year:   2009
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   Junior Library Guild selection, School Library Journal Best Books,

Summary:  In this book, Steve Voake takes a conversational tone to tell readers about insects who are everywhere doing "strange and wonderful things." The very accessible main text describes many of the acts of insects in the familiar world, while smaller factoids surround the illustrations. The pen and watercolor drawings are wonderfully detailed with a soft muted palette. The author ends his book encouraging his to go outside and experience insects for themselves.

Classroom Ideas: A class study of insects. It would also be a good introduction into scientists going into the world observing nature.

Extras: A great list of activities for kids to do outside along with an index.

Can we Save the Tiger?

Author: Martin Jenkins
Illustrated: Vicky White
Publisher:  Candlewick
Publication Year:   2011
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   School Library Journal Best Books, Kirkus Best Books, Outstanding Science Trade Book, ALA Notable, Horn Book Honor, Cybils Award Finalist

Summary:  The book begins with a description of extinct species like the dodo bird and then moves on to endangered ones. In very kid friendly language, Martin describes the plight of these animals as well as the difficulties that surround saving them from extinction. The font changes size for key phrases (they're big, they're fierce, tigers are beautiful). White's pencil sketches are perfect for the topic- looking almost like you could find them in a scientist's field notebook. Some of them included very subtle watercolors and the captions are done in a handwriting font with facts about the animals. The familiar tone encourages young readers to read more, but never talks down to them.

Classroom Ideas: A classroom study of animals that are extinct or endangered.

Extras: A list of websites where the reader can find more information about endangered animals.

The Tarantula Scientist

Author: Sy Montgomery
Illustrator:   Nic Bishop
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year:   2004
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   Sibert Honor, School Library Journal Best Books, Kirkus starred review, Outstanding Science Trade Book

Summary:  The story of Sam Marshall, a scientist who studies tarantulas. It follows him into the rainforest as well as back to his laboratory. Along the way, Sam encounters other rainforest animals as well as some dangers. The close up photographs of tarantulas are either incredibly cool or incredibly creepy depending on who you are, but they are definitely amazing. The information included really captures the life of a research scientist in the field.

Classroom Ideas: A classroom study of spiders or rainforests could include this book. It would also be interesting to read as an introduction to what scientists really do.

Extras: A map of the rainforest areas where tarantulas are found, along with labeled photographs and information about Sam's findings in the rainforest. There is also a glossery, index, and bibliography.

Spiders

Author & Illustrator:   Nic Bishop
Publisher:  Scholastic
Publication Year:   2007
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   Sibert Honor, Orbus Pictus Outstanding Nonfiction

Summary:  This book tells facts about spiders. The use of colored text for interesting tidbits draws in the reader and encourages them to read the rest of the page more carefully. The full-color photographs are amazing and I may have nightmares about the closeup of the wolf spider with hundreds of babies riding on her back!

Classroom Ideas: Would be a welcome addition to any classroom study of spiders.

Extras:

Actual Size

Author & Illustrator:   Steve Jenkins
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year:   2004
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   ALA Starred, Child's Magazine Best, Bccb Blue Ribbon, ALA Top Sci-Tech Books, Booklist Editor's Choice

Summary:  Including all sorts of animals from the 1/3 inch dwarf goby to just the eye of the giant squid, this book strives to show just how big or small animals actually are. The illustrations are clever paper collages that are realistic without being scary. The crocodile teeth look incredibly dangerous, but my favorite is the mesmerizing tiger eyes!

Classroom Ideas: This would be a great book to introduce different animals to the youngest readers. The perspective offers here is perfect to help kids truly understand some of the differences. And it would be a great way to encourage them to research more about these animals.

Extras: An author's note includes information about each animal pictured including its size, habitat, diet and methods of defense.

Tweak Tweak

Author: Eve Bunting
Illustrator:   Sergio Ruzzier
Publisher:  Clarion
Publication Year:   2011
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   featured on "Calling Caldecott" blog,

Summary:  Mama Elephant and Little Elephant are going for a walk. Mama says to tweak her tail when she has a question, and Little is full of questions. She wants to know about the frog's jumping, the monkey's climbing, the crocodile's swimming, the butterfly's flying, the bird's singing, and whether she could do any of those things. The mother assures her that she can do other elephant things and that she can ask questions, learn, and grown to be a "big, strong, smart, beautiful elephant." Any mother/child pair could see themselves in this sweet story.

Classroom Ideas: For the younger readers, they could identify with the mother/daughter pair here. You could also use this book to teach repetition and onomatopoeia as the "tweak, tweak" is repeated, and as part of a unit on elephants.

Color Zoo

Author & Illustrator:   Lois Ehlert
Publisher:  J.P. Lippincott
Publication Year:   1989
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   Caldecott honor, ALA Notable

Summary:  Ehlert plays with animals, shapes, and color in this board book for younger readers. She uses creative cutouts to transform the pages into different forms.

Classroom Ideas: This could be used in a pre-K classroom to teach animals and colors or with older kids when teaching geometry.