Terrific to share at Alyson Beecher's Kid-Lit Frenzy for Non-Fiction Picture Book Wednesday here! Tweet at #NFPB2014
Getting ready for summer (solstice), and two books about animals and their homes are my latest non-fiction. All will be interesting to read for learning about their various topics.
Summer
Solstice – written by Ellen Jackson and illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis
This book is filled with information from the
origins of celebrating the summer solstice to today’s celebrations all over the
world. For young students who are interested in how people make sense of their
world as they observe it, this would be a fascinating read. It begins with Lithuanian
villagers rolling a flaming tire down a hill, shows the beginnings and reasons
for sun worship, and includes both discoveries made by ancient peoples and how
they observed the actual solstice, to someone who just wishes to discover what’s
happening today. Illustrations show the details that are described in the text.
Whose Nest?– written by
Lynette Evans and illustrated by Guy Troughton
This is a
‘lift the flip’ book in beautiful watercolors that is kind of a riddle book.
The first text asks the questions, then lifting the flap gives the answer, and
more information about the creature whose nest it is. From frogs to rabbits to
birds, it’s an adventure in animals who create nests, and they aren’t all
birds!
This book will be a terrific companion to Whose
Nest!
Even An Octopus Needs A Home - written and illustrated by Irene Kelly
What a great book, filled with the
way animals find shelter, something every living creature needs. Included are parakeet
treetop apartment buildings, termites that build towers as high as 30 feet, and
octopi that squeeze into the tiniest places. How? Because they have no bones. I
imagine students will love reading this, and be so interested in the animals
and their adaptations. The vibrant watercolor illustrations add beautifully to
the information.
I have several non-fiction books waiting, but won't get to them until next week. Happy Reading!
I think nonfiction texts keep getting better and better! I like how so many of them have started pointing out animal adaptations, including what type of home they live in. Thanks for sharing, Linda!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Michele. Lately I've been browsing in our school library, making such wonderful findings. We have a lot of non-fiction because each students studies their own topic, so through the years, books on many topics are acquired. Those animal books really are well done.
DeleteThese look enchanting, Linda! I've sent your post on to the librarian in the elementary school. The flip book made me nostalgic...my own children so loved these!
ReplyDeleteYes, the flip books are so exciting for younger kids. The Summer Solstice was well done with a wealth of information, at least for a beginning interest. Thanks, Tara.
DeleteI discovered Even an Octopus Needs a Home in my school library over the summer and was enchanted by it as well! So much information. I love when school libraries can grow and reflect different units of study over time. Always so upsetting when the funding isn't where it needs to be.
ReplyDeleteYes, I just found it in our library. We are fine, but I keep hearing (first) about librarians being cut in our public school libraries, then I suppose the budgets for books are, too. So important, and so many teachers spend so much on books for their students, like you! We are lucky that the Denver Public Library is terrific, too.
DeleteThese all look great! I love the title Even an Octopus Needs a Home. ;-) I know I would love Whose Nest? The cover to Summer Solstice is so bright and inviting. Thanks for this list!
ReplyDeleteThanks Holly, hope you can find them, and enjoy them. You had so many good ones this week, too!
DeleteHi, Linda. These books look wonderful. I have a friend who is posting a daily photo of just-hatched robins in their nest. She would love Whose Nest.
ReplyDeleteYes, I bet she will love it. It's a beautiful book!
DeleteSummer Solstice looks interesting. I really need to venture out from just (for most of the time) reading about people and animals for the NFPB reading challenge. They're great but obviously I'm missing out!
ReplyDeleteI love how beautifully illustrated picturebooks such as the ones you highlighted here inspire kids to look at the natural world differently. Whose Nest looks great - as well as the other two titles. Thanks for sharing, dear Linda.
ReplyDeleteThe Summer Solstice book would be a great companion to The Lightning Thief! So many of my students don't know what the summer solstice is, so it'd be fun to share with them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for for sharing!