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Saving the Countryside: The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit

Have you seen the delightful picture book biography, Saving the Countryside: The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit by by Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrated by Ilaria Urbinati?

Beatrix Potter is a beloved children’s book author and illustrator, best known for her book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit*, but she did much more. In addition to writing and illustrating 23 books, she also studied fungi, designed tea sets and toys, became an astute business woman, and later in life took up farming.

Linda Marshall’s biography covers highlights of Potter’s entire life in chronological order, but emphasizes the later years when Beatrix turned her efforts to preserving open land in England’s Lake District. All in all, Beatrix Potter donated over four thousand acres to the National Trust so that they could be preserved for future generations. That’s an amazing accomplishment.

In her “Author’s Note” in the back matter, Linda Marshall reveals she was stirred to write about Beatrix Potter after visiting the Lake District during a children’s author tour of England. Now Marshall’s rousing biography is likely to inspire and encourage her readers, as well.

Saving the Countryside is a wonderful choice for women’s history month, for budding artists and writers, and for those interested in conservation issues. Read a copy today and see how it stirs you.

For the complete review and activity suggestions, visit Wrapped in Foil blog.

Copyright © 2020 Roberta Gibson All Rights Reserved.

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The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America’s Presidents

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The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America’s Presidents
by Kate Messner (Author) and Adam Rex (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Who will be the NEXT president? Could it be you? When George Washington became the first president of the United States, there were nine future presidents already alive in America, doing things like practicing law or studying medicine.

When JFK became the thirty-fifth president, there were 10 future presidents already alive in America, doing things like hosting TV shows and learning the saxophone.

And right now–today!–there are at least 10 future presidents alive in America. They could be playing basketball, like Barack Obama, or helping in the garden, like Dwight D. Eisenhower. They could be solving math problems or reading books. They could be making art–or already making change.

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Nonfiction Monday

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Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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Ticks in Her Nose – the Story of a Wildlife Photographer for Kids

Lynn: Books for really young readers on careers are not easy to do well but a wildlife photographer/author that I especially admire, Suzy Eszterhas, has given us just that in My Wild Life: Adventures of a Wildlife Photographer (Owl Kids, 2020).  This fascinating story comes with a real bonus as the pertinent information includes a bounty of wonderful photographs that clearly expand on the points being made in the text. Eszterhas confides that she wanted to be a wildlife photographer as a child and she spent many hours in her backyard photographing her cats and squirrels, practicing the skills she would need.

Taking readers through many of the fascinating and challenging aspects of her job, Eszterhas provides information about how she preps the shots, finds and allows animals to grow confident around her, some of the techniques she uses to get shots including lying for hours belly down to achieve eye-level pictures and even flying in small airplanes—which makes her throw up in between clicking the shutter. She doesn’t pull any punches about the conditions she often has to live and work in. Kids will love some of the details like having to pee in a bottle while in a camouflaged blind, living in a tent for months without a shower, or waking up with ticks in her nose. She stresses that patience and having to wait for hours is often the key to success. And it is clear that being a woman in this very male-dominated field takes courage and determination.

Each chapter is an accessible and appealing 2 pages, which is ideal for young readers and the clear text is as informative as it is interesting. Several chapters are about the local experts and the scientists she works with and explains about her dedication to giving back to organizations that help wildlife. A concluding chapter is titled “Ask Suzi” and it provides additional information to questions about the profession.

The terrific photographs will draw readers in starting with the cover which is a beguiling shot of a group of meerkats sheltering from the wind up against her back. This book is sure to be a winner with kids who love nature and animals or are budding photographers themselves. All of them will come away with a real grasp of the skills and hard work necessary for this fascinating career and a deeper appreciation for the outstanding work done by photographers like Eszterhas.

Cindy: Eszterhas is an inspiration. Not only is this book as well done as Lynn says, but Suzi is also donating a portion of her royalties to her nonprofit organization Girls Who Click, a group that “empowers teen girls to enter the male-dominated field of nature photography and use their work to further conservation efforts around the world.” The free nature photography workshops are available online due to the current COVID crisis, perfect for distance and virtual learners. I wish I could take one! If, like us, you can’t get enough of Eszterhas’ extraordinary wildlife photography visit her website for more images that will take your breath away.

 

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RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul

What happens when an award-winning author and illustrator pair decide to tell the story of a larger-than-life, awe-inspiring woman? The answer is a sublime picture book biography,  RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Frank Morrison.


Aretha Franklin was an astounding singer who led an amazing life. Her early training was in gospel music, where she honed her unique sound. When she switched to rhythm and blues her career took off, spanning many years with a long series of hits. Aretha’s incredible voice makes you want to stand up, to cheer, to dance, and to take action.

The creative format of the book both captures and celebrates her spirit. Each double-paged spread shouts out one word that encapsulates an idea from Aretha Franklin’s life by spelling it out in capitals the same way she spells out the word in her song R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The word is followed by two lines of rhyming text that tell her story.

G-R-O-O-V-E
Aretha finds her groove when she’s rocking R&B.
No woman of her time has more cart-toppers than she.

RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul introduces young readers to an incredible singer and person. It will appeal to budding musicians and history buffs alike. E-N-J-O-Y a copy today!

See the rest of the review and an activity suggestion at Wrapped in Foil blog.

Copyright © 2020 Roberta Gibson All Rights Reserved.

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Global Citizenship: Engage in the Politics of a Changing World

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Global Citizenship: Engage in the Politics of a Changing World
by Julie Knutson (Author) and Traci Van Wagoner (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Readers ages 12 to 15 discover the resources and information they need to learn about issues of global concern and strategies for taking informed action, as outlined by the Sustainable Development Goals set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly.

Each chapter centers on a specific human right defined by the United Nations’ “Convention on the Rights of the Child,” focusing on the political, human, economic, environmental, and cultural guarantees born of our common humanity. Readers learn about the history and evolution of citizenship, about past and ongoing human rights struggles, about economic justice, and about environmental sustainability and the climate protests happening around the world. They also learn about cultural appreciation and preservation in an age of global convergence. All of these issues have major ties to the present and align with the values being described by today’s movements, such as Black Lives Matter, which aims to reduce violence toward Black communities and individuals.

The book also has QR codes that can be accessed with a phone or tablet. A list of the QR code URLs also appears in the Resources at the end of the book.

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Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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Birding Adventures for Kids: Bird Identification & Activities

Cindy: At the public library, Lynn found this great new birding guide for children getting started in this rewarding hobby that gets them outside and active. Audubon Birding Adventures for Kids (Quarto, 2020) by Elissa Wolfson and Margaret A. Barker is more than just an identification guide. It’s divided into three sections: Meet the Birds, Outside with Birds, and Inside with Birds, the last two provide ideas and directions for games, activities, and adventures to have in order to learn more about the birds.

Most of the 25 birds selected for the Meet the Birds section are ones that are found throughout the United States at one season or another. A range map is provided for each species, just as is provided in identification books published for adults. A color photo of a single or pair of the species is included along with a “fun fact.” Did you know that Hummingbird eggs are the size of peas? Each species is identified by common name, scientific name, field marks, length (in inches and centimeters), and voice descriptions for songs and calls. There’s also information on feeding (what they eat and how they consume it), conservation issues, tips for helping the species (food or plants to provide), and similar species. There are also a few groan-worthy bird jokes thrown in for fun. “What kind of crows always stick together?….Vel-crows!” HAHAHAHA.

Lynn: Following the section Cindy describes are two more sections that the parent/grandparent in me loved. These are the sections that get kids moving, learning, and entertained. These two chapters provide well-designed activities, one set for outside and one for inside. Each activity clearly lists materials needed, directions, follow up, and discoveries. Some are more involved than others but most require just simple materials. One does require binoculars but I liked this one too as a good basic lesson on how to use binoculars. Glossary and an appendix have related bird information.

I learned a lot myself from the information on common birds despite being a life-long birder. Did you know only the female duck “quacks”? Or that Chickadees hide seeds and go back to them months later? This appealing book will help create more birders and will keep kids nicely occupied with science and bird-related activities. This is an ideal book for kids and caregivers both and may be of special interest to everyone with children doing virtual school in this time of Covid-19.

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Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots: A Fun Information Literacy Primer for Children

Lynn: You’d have to live in a cave in the wilderness not to know that far too many Americans have a very sketchy concept of what a fact actually is or how to verify it. The need to understand this important issue is one of national importance these days as it is clear that millions of adults don’t grasp the difference and the impact on our culture is stark. Here, with a great way to start addressing the issue, is Michael Rex with a fabulous picture book, Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots (Penguin/Nancy Paulsen, 2020). With brightly colored cartoon-style robots, Rex’s appealing book takes on this topic with our youngest readers. The question is posed on the very first page.

“Do you know the difference between a fact and an opinion?

It can be a hard thing to understand. Even these robots get confused.

But maybe if we work together, we can figure it out.”

Taking it step by step, the robots define the two concepts and then provide simple examples to practice. The examples are engaging and child-centered with plenty of humor. The robots are goofy but Rex does a wonderful job of presenting the information in a clear, understandable, and appealing way. Kids are going to WANT to read this book all the way through thanks to the level of humor but more importantly, they are going to grasp and remember this idea. The story also includes the concept of needing to search for more information sometimes and also reminds readers that while we need to respect other people’s opinions, we can’t argue with facts.

If I could, I’d buy this book for every classroom and library in America!

Cindy: What a great way to introduce an important skill in information literacy. Elementary librarians, take note! What if you read this book aloud and then had your students write a declarative sentence and have them present it for the other students to respond with Fact or Opinion? This could work in a virtual class meeting as well. Students could make a 2-sided notecard with the FACT on one side and OPINION on the other and hold them up to their cameras. Lots of ways to use this in an elementary classroom as well.

This book for the very young audience brings to mind a book for older students that we reviewed over at Booklist Reader during the last presidential election cycle and it’s worth mentioning again as the facts, opinions, and faulty logic arguments ratchet up. Read our blog post about Bad Arguments: Learning the Lost Art of Making Sense (The Experiment, 2014) by Ali Almossawi if you missed it the first time around. It’s a good time to separate facts from opinions and to do it without faulty logic.

 

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Gridiron: Stories from 100 Years of the National Football League

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Gridiron: Stories from 100 Years of the National Football League
by Fred Bowen (Author) and James E. Ransome (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The National Football League is the most popular sports league in the United States. Its championship game, the Super Bowl, is watched by millions of people every year. But it wasn’t always like this. In the last one hundred years, football has changed from a poorly organized, often overlooked sport to America’s favorite pastime. Discover the league’s scrappy beginnings in an automobile showroom, and early players like Red Grange, the Galloping Ghost. Relive the very first championship game, played indoors after a circus had visited, and famous games like the Ice Bowl. See the NFL at war, and meet some of the remarkable athletes who helped desegregate the league. Learn how the draft came into existence, and about the teams that strove for that almost impossible goal–a perfect season.

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Hear the author talk about the book.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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Rare and Blue: Finding Nature’s Treasures

Have you seen the gorgeous new picture book Rare and Blue: Finding Nature’s Treasures by Constance Van Hoven and illustrated by Alan Marks?

Although we are used to seeing blue skies and bodies of water every day, blue plants and animals are less usual, and some are extremely uncommon. Most of us may have seen a blue jay, but what about a cerulean warbler? Take a trip around the world to find eight rare or endangered species that are shades of blue, then learn about why their numbers may be dwindling and what can be done. End with a trip that is out of our world.

The layered text works well. In bold print is a challenge for the reader to find a blue plant or animal:

To find electric blue,
hike into a tall forest,
Listen for…

with the answer appropriately in blue font. The secondary text gives more details about the organism and why they are in decline.

Rare and Blue is a visual treat that will intrigue young scientists and artists alike. Tour a copy today!

For the full review and activity suggestions, visit Wrapped in Foil blog.

Copyright © 2020 Roberta Gibson All Rights Reserved.