Category: Nonfiction Monday Review

Posted on

#Nonfiction Monday No Boundaries

We are featuring another recent book about female scientists today:  No Boundaries: 25 Women Explorers and Scientists Share Adventures, Inspiration, and Advice by two National Geographic Explorers, Clare Fieseler and Gabby Salazar.

The idea for this book came out of an observation by Clare Fiesler. When she was reading a 2013 edition of National Geographic, she noticed only 10% of the scientists quoted throughout were women. Looking through more editions, the average was about 19% women. To rectify this imbalance, she and Gabby Salazar started a documentary about female explorers, which grew into this book.

The authors gathered an amazing group of women to highlight. They have included diverse women working on a wide range of projects from all around the world, from Linguistic Anthropologist Sandhya Narayanan to Volcanologist Stephanie Grocke. Inspiring!

I opened the book first to Danielle N. Lee’s section. Dr. Lee is a fantastic science communicator (I’ve followed her on social media since she was in graduate school.) She’s a mammologist who studies  rodents, from local field mice to giant pouched rats in Tanzania (so cool!). In this book, I loved reading about how she discovered science as a career. I also applaud her advice about securing enough funding to cover a college education before starting.

As you would expect from any book by National Geographic, the illustrations are eye-popping full color photographs.  Even better, we learn about how Visual Storyteller Hannah Reyes Morales and Conservation Photographer Jenny Adler capture some of those amazing images.

No Boundries  is perfect to help girls (and boys, too) evaluate potential careers. Discovering what careers are possible and how women achieved their goals is a absolute treasure. Explore a copy today!

Check out the interview with the authors at Science Friday:

How Can We Inspire The Next Generation Of Female Scientists?

Check our growing list of children’s books about women scientists at Science Books for Kids.

Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 – 9
Publisher ‏ : ‎ National Geographic Kids (February 1, 2022)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1426371764
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1426371769

 

Disclosure: The book was provided by my local library. 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.

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

Posted on

#Nonfiction Monday Our Seasons Board Book


As spring moves to summer, it is a good time to explore the unique board book, Our Seasons: The World in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn by Sue Lowell Gallion and illustrated by Lisk Feng.

Our Seasons is a sculpture as well as a book. Each spread is cut in the shape of a globe sitting on a base. Opened, the book can stand alone because the front and back covers fasten together with magnetic closures, giving it three dimensions. Visit the Phaidon Press website to see photos of how it works.

The text is layered. For those who aren’t familiar with that term, there is a primary rhyming text that would be good for reading aloud to younger readers and a prose secondary text that is perfect for older children who want to learn more.

Our Seasons will likely capture the attention of young artists. It would also be perfect for a lesson on seasons. Open up a copy today!

Related Activity Suggestions:

To understand why we have seasons, it is useful to show the tilt of the Earth. With this book, you can use a flashlight or other light source to show how it works without having to hunt up a globe.

Here’s how it works, check out this cool video:


Do you have a favorite season? Our favorite is fall. Check out our growing list of autumn science children’s books at Science Books for Kids.

 

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 5 – 6 years
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Phaidon Press (April 20, 2022)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1838664327
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1838664329

 

Disclosure: The  publisher provided an e-ARC 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.

 


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

Posted on

#Nonfiction Monday Who Is A Scientist by Laura Gehl

Want to encourage young readers to consider careers in STEM? Check this picture book collection of 14 mini-biographies, Who Is a Scientist?  by Laura Gehl.

 

The layout of the book was a lovely surprise. On the first page is a photograph of a woman in a bright red skirt doing what looks like a flamenco dance in the middle of a field. No lab coats in sight! Readers soon learn that the featured woman is Isha M. Renta López, a meteorologist who also loves to dance and play volleyball. The next page shows  her with a weather balloon and explains a bit about her job using short sentences and vocabulary appropriate for ages 4-9. Throughout the rest of the book, we find similar spreads with candid photographs of the featured person doing their hobby on the left and a professional one of them doing their job on the right.

The book features a diverse group of people, so young readers learn scientists can be any race or gender. Although they all call themselves “scientists”, a full range of STEM is represented, including a mathematician, engineers, and those in the computer technology field.

It also shows scientists have fun hobbies. The book helps youngsters relate to people in STEM fields and encourages them to give STEM a try.

As the last page says,

Who is a scientist?
One day…maybe you!

In the back is a QR code that links to a video of the scientists introducing themselves (see video below).

Who Is a Scientist? is perfect for children interested in learning more about STEM and scientists. Investigate a copy today!

Want to Learn More?

Visit Laura Gehl’s website to download a teaching guide.

Learn about the scientists featured in the book by watching this video:

For more children’s books about female scientists, check our growing list at Science Books for Kids.

Older children (middle grade) might enjoy books from the Scientists in the Field Series.

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 – 9 years
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Millbrook Press ™ (October 5, 2021)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1728441080
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1728441085

Disclosure: The book was supplied for review purposes by Blue Slip Media. 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.

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

Posted on

#Nonfiction Monday Secrets of the Sea

I love finding nonfiction picture book biographies about people I’ve never heard of before and Secrets of the Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist by Evan Griffith and illustrated by Joanie Stone is a perfect example.

The story reveals the life of a remarkable woman.

Jeanne Power was born in France, but moved to Sicily with her husband in 1818 when she was 23. Formerly a busy seamstress, she was likely not used to staying at home. To pass the time, she began to study the animals and plants of her new surroundings. The ocean intrigued her the most, but how could she observe what was going on in the water? Build one of the first glass-sided aquariums of course!

During her studies, Jeanne Power concentrated on the paper nautilus, which is a type of octopus. At the time, no one was sure whether the nautilus borrowed the delicate shells they carried from other creatures or whether they grew them. Jeanne Power figured out the answer. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but she was able to publish her findings.

Matching the compelling story, Joanie Stone’s beautiful digital illustrations, from the bubbling water of the end papers to last pages of the text, reflect the vibrant blue palette of the ocean Jeanne Power loved so much. Gorgeous!

The back matter is extensive, including notes about “Jeanne’s Life and Legacy,” “The Paper Nautilus,” information about “Marine Biology and Conservation,” a “Note on Historical Research,” and a “Bibliography.”

Secrets of the Sea would be a great choice for a science unit on oceans or for Women’s History Month. Explore a copy today!

Related Activity Suggestions

See more information about the paper nautilus in this video (preview for appropriateness before showing to children).

For budding marine scientists, Monterey Bay Aquarium has a wide selection of lessons for learning at home.

For more children’s books about female scientists, check our growing list at Science Books for Kids.

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 6 – 9 years
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books (March 9, 2021)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0358244323
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0358244325

Disclosure: The book was provided by our local library. 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.

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