Category: Animals

Posted on

The Voyage of Turtle Rex

Kurt Cyrus has done it again with his new book, The Voyage of Turtle Rex. Cyrus travels on the border between fiction and nonfiction successfully with the dramatic story of a giant sea turtle’s adventures growing up in ancient seas.

If you are familiar with Cyrus’ previous award-winning book, Tadpole Rex, you already know about his breathtaking, vibrant illustrations and tightly-crafted rhyme.  Although a computer screen does not do them justice, Cyrus has examples of some of the illustrations at his website. How does Cyrus create the stark black lines of varying width that give such depth to each page? He uses a scratchboard technique and adds details like bubbles and a crust of barnacles to make the giant sea turtle come alive.

Not only has Cyrus done his research about the creature, Archelon, itself (he even includes the fact the turtles may sleep under the mud for long periods), but also he obviously spent the time to craft the story to perfection. Showing the contrast in size between the tiny baby turtles on the beach in the beginning, to the adult turtles laying eggs on the same beach at the end, by including the same local dinosaurs for scale in both scenes is pure genius. He also brings the story neatly to present day with a few perfectly-chosen words.

The Voyage of Turtle Rex is a must-have book for your shelf, because it can be used in so many ways. You could pull it out for a poetry unit, a science unit, and for any reader interested in dinosaurs. This book sure to thrill and entrall dinosaur-loving children of all ages.

See an interview with Kurt Cyrus at Miss Rumphius Effect

Growing with Science has related science activities

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books (April 4, 2011)
ISBN-10: 9780547429243
ISBN-13: 978-0547429243

Book was supplied for review purposes.

nonfictionmonday

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at Writing Nonfiction for Children.

Posted on

Beco’s Big Year Has Elephant-Sized Child Appeal

Talk about huge child appeal! Beco’s Big Year:  A Baby Elephant Turns One by Linda Stanek has it all:  an adorable baby elephant as the main character, a compelling and well-written story, behind-the-scenes peeks at zoo life, and captivating photographs. What a fun book!

Beco was born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on March 27, 2009. The story follows his birth and adventures during the first year. Linda Stanek deserves a lot of credit for her writing, which engages a child’s interest and is heartwarming, but never steps over the bounds into anthropomorphic. She goes back to her teacher roots and delivers a lot of educational value in a very easy to read package. Did you know female Asian elephants have tushes rather than tusks? This book is jam-packed with interesting facts about elephants and their handlers.

If you are planning a trip to a zoo, teaching a unit on elephants, know a child interested in animals or know a child who wants to be a zookeeper, Beco’s Big Year:  A Baby Elephant Turns One is a perfect choice.

For more photographs, videos and ideas for science activities, see Growing With Science

Shirley at Simply Science has a review.

Jeff at NC Teacher Stuff also has a review.

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 48 pages
Publisher: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (August 2010)
ISBN-10: 0984155430
ISBN-13: 978-0984155439

A big thank you to Shirley at Simply Science for sharing this wonderful book.

nonfictionmonday

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at Rasco from RIF. Go see her wonderful review of a book about tulips!

Posted on

Silk and Venom

Silk & Venom: Searching for a Dangerous Spider by Kathryn Lasky and her husband, photographer Christopher G. Knight is a new biography of arachnologist, Greta Binford. For the spider squeamish and spider enthusiast both:  Yes, this book is filled with large, colorful photographs of spiders. In the back is a “Glossary of Spiders” that shows sixteen different kinds of spiders. This isn’t a general book about spiders, however, the story follows scientist Binford on her journey to the Caribbean to find a certain species of brown recluse spider.  She is looking into how spiders of the genus Loxosceles, the brown spiders, may have migrated and evolved.

You may recognize Kathryn Lasky as the author of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series. She has also written a number of nonfiction titles. On the book jacket, she admits that she has always been afraid of spiders, but when she heard an interview with Greta Binford on the radio, she was so impressed with the scientist’s passion for spiders, she immediately wanted to know more. Her husband, photographer and documentary filmmaker Christopher G. Knight, revealed that he had to learn new techniques to photograph creatures as small as spiders, but his work paid off.

Greta Binford is a professor of biology at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. After a general introduction to spiders in the first chapter, the book delves into Binford’s childhood interest in nature. The text unfolds in such a way that children will be able to relate to getting dirty and picking up earthworms, as well as her brother tricking her into eating cat food. Perhaps unexpectedly, Lasky also mentions Binford’s childhood struggles with her religious beliefs. She mentions her belief in God, but how she grappled to come to grips with the stories of the Bible.

The book then turns to Binford’s current research into the venom of the brown spiders. Venom is the poisonous fluid that spiders inject with their fangs to help subdue and digest their prey. In the case of the brown recluse and its relatives, the venom can cause open sores that are slow to heal in humans, and sometimes more severe reactions. One group of species in South America has quite different venom and Binford is interested in how that might have come about.

Silk & Venom is sure to interest budding middle grade scientists. It might also entice a spider-phobe or two to become interested in spiders, just like it did for Kathryn Lasky.

For related activities see:

Spider Webs

Baby spiders and spider books for the younger set

Reading level: Ages 4-8 (Amazon, this is probably better for 9-12)
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Candlewick (February 22, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0763642223
ISBN-13: 978-0763642228

This books was provided for review purposes.

nonfictionmonday

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week. This week’s post is at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

Posted on

Hiding In Deserts

Hiding in Deserts by by Deborah Underwood is part of an educational series about animals camouflaged in their environments. Like others in the series, each section shows an animal hidden in an appropriate setting and then the next page shows the animal revealed as the background is faded away.

Although there are several books about camouflage available these days, I liked this one for its straightforward, no-nonsense presentation. It is also recommended by the National Science Teacher’s Association.

Activities to use with this book:
BrainPop Jr. has some camouflage information and activities

Reading level: Ages 5-7
Publisher: Heinemann Raintree Educational Books (September 2010)
ISBN-10: 1432940333
ISBN-13: 978-1432940331

nonfictionmonday

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week. This week’s post is at NC Teacher Stuff.