Frog Song

Author: Brenda Z. Guiberson
Illustrator:   Gennady Spirin
Publisher:  Henry Holt
Publication Year:   2013
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   School Library Journal, Booklist, & Publisher's Weekly starred reviews,

Summary:  Eleven different kinds of frogs from around the world are examples of how frogs keep from drying out. The illustrations are magical- drawing the reader into the world of the frogs. They are extremely saturated, but somehow still contain amazingly realistic details. An absolutely gorgeous book!

Classroom Ideas: The text in this book is full of onomatopoeia, and the Science connection is strong. The frogs could be placed onto a world map and their habitats and biomes discussed.

Extras: Photographs and facts about each frog. Author's note about frogs in danger because of pollution. Bibliography and list of online sources.

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle

Author & Illustrator:   Claire A. Nivola
Publisher:  Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Publication Year:   2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   featured on Calling Caldecott blog,  National Science Teacher's Association-CBC, Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children, Orbis Pictus Recommended Title, Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens






Summary: From her earliest years, Sylvia Earle was a scientific complete with collections of wildlife and a scientist's notebook. When she was 12, her family moved to Florida and she "lost her heart to the water." (according to her mother) The main events in her life are shown in a comic strip way until she begins her studies with whales and the spreads get larger and larger and begin to move across the gutter. The jeweled-tone illustrations are drawn in great detail with showing the majesty of the ocean.


Classroom Ideas: Class study of biographies, ocean biomes, 

Extras: Author's note with more details Earle's life and about taking care of the ocean, labeled drawings of the animals that Earle encountered, and a bibliography

Redwoods

Author & Illustrator:   Jason Chin
Publisher:  Roaring Brook Press
Publication Year:   2009
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   Horn Book Fanfare, Booklist starred

Summary:  A boy takes off on an ordinary train ride while reading a book about the great redwood trees. But out the window dinosaurs can be seen and when he leaves the train stations, he's suddenly in a redwood forest. After learning all about the forests and the animals that live there, he rappels down a cliff to find himself back in the city, leaving the book to found by another child and the adventure to begin again. The illustrations are beautiful watercolors and the book is highly imaginative.

Classroom Ideas: A classroom study of trees or coniferous forests

Extras: An article about redwood trees in danger and an author's note about Chin's inspiration for writing about the redwoods.

The Hat

Author & Illustrator:   Jan Brett
Publisher:  Putnam
Publication Year:   1997
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   Abby Award, Publisher's Weekly Best Book,

Summary: This book is a companion book to The Mitten. In it, Lisa decides to hang up her woolen clothes to get ready for the upcoming winter when one of her stockings (socks) blows off the line. Hedgie the hedgehog gets it stuck on his head, but rather than admit that he's stuck he tells all the other animals that it's his new hat. When they make fun of him, he assures them of that his hat will keep him dry, warm, and cozy in the snow. Finally, the girl chases him down and takes back her sock. But wait- all of the other animals are now wearing her other woolens as hats. Brett's amazingly framed illustrations are full of Scandinavian details. 

Amazing author's note on her website tells about the trip she took to Denmark to research for this book: http://janbrett.com/newsnotes/the_hat_newsnotes_page_1.htm

Classroom Ideas: A great example of a circular story- kids could easily write about what happens next as Lisa tries to chase down all of the other animals. Brett's books are set in wintery climates that would be fun to research, starting with the story in the illustrated author's note.

Mouse & Lion

Author: Rand Burkert
Illustrator:   Nancy Eklhom Burkert
Publisher:  Scholastic
Publication Year:   2011
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   featured on the "Calling Caldecott" blog; Kirkus, School Library Journal, & Publisher's Weekly starred reviews, Booklist Editor's Choice & Notable Books

Summary:  A retelling of the classic Aesop fable set in the African grasslands. This book is printed on such luscious paper with gorgeous brush, ink, and pencil illustrations. The story is the traditional tale, although in the author's note he says that he wanted Mouse to take top billing here since it's usually the lion. It's written with a very sophisticated tone and would be an interesting compare & contrast Pinkney's Caldecott-winning take on the same tale.

Classroom Ideas: This book has amazing vocabulary (hurrying, scampered, tawny, runt, "in a bad humor", Sire, whiskery, hurled.....) It would be great to talk about scarcity of words and choosing them carefully with young writers. The setting also takes center stage here and a discussion of the grasslands (striped African grass mouse & baobab tree) would be appropriate. Fables are always great sources for discussing theme as well.