picture book Archives - Page 661 of 768

Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story
by Suzanne Slade (Author) and Jessica Lanan (Illustrator)

Booktalk: This picture book biography examines the life and career of naturalist and artist Anna Comstock (1854-1930), who defied social conventions and pursued the study of science.

From the time she was a young girl, Anna Comstock was fascinated by the natural world. She loved exploring outdoors, examining wildlife and learning nature’s secrets. From watching the teamwork of marching ants to following the constellations in the sky, Anna observed it all. And her interest only increased as she grew older and went to college at Cornell University. There she continued her studies, pushing back against those social conventions that implied science was a man’s pursuit. Eventually Anna became known as a nature expert, pioneering a movement to encourage schools to conduct science and nature classes for children outdoors, thereby increasing students’ interest in nature. In following her passion, this remarkable woman blazed a trail for female scientists today.

Snippet: The more she learned, the more she wanted to share her discoveries.

So she began to draw.

Slowly. Carefully.

Her bugs looked to so real they almost crawled right off the paper!

Amazed by her art, a professor started using her pictures during his lectures.

Farmers studied her detailed sketches to identify hungry bugs stealing their crops.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Under the Umbrella
by Catherine Buquet (Author) and Marion Arbona (Illustrator)
Translated by Erin Woods

Booktalk: The weather has never been worse. The man with the stormy heart is soaked and he’s going to be late! His mood is as black as the sky. Outside a nearby patisserie, a little boy stands under the shelter of its awning, gazing at the beautiful treats on display. When the wind snatches the man’s umbrella and drops it at the child’s feet, can this hasty curmudgeon slow down long enough for an unlikely friendship to blossom?

Snippet:
He grumbled at the raindrops
on the rooftops of the town.
He growled at the clouds
and the crowds
that slowed him down.