December 2019 – STEM Friday

December 27, 2019

Titanosaur: Discovering the World’s Largest Dinosaur

Today at Growing With Science Blog we are featuring Titanosaur: Discovering the World’s Largest Dinosaur by Diego Pol, Jose Luis Carballido, and illustrated by Florencia Gigena.

Everything about this book is huge (and hugely impressive):

At 11.8 x 11.8 inches it is physically bigger than most picture books.
It is written by the actual paleontologists who dug up the dinosaur. Their excitement about the find bounds off of each and every page.
It features the biggest dinosaur ever found (so far)
It is likely to appeal to readers far outside its recommended age range

The story starts with a gaucho and his dog discovering a big bone on his ranch. What follows is an inside look at how a dinosaur skeleton is dug up and processed.

Accompanying the main text are sidebars that pull out keywords and explain them. For example, the first sidebar explains what a gaucho is, the second defines the word paleontologist, the third discusses how dinosaur bones are fossils. Although sidebars are standard in many nonfiction texts, these are particularly well done.

Florence Gigena’s illustrations are also top notch. They give continuity to the look and and expand the story. The best image by far is one of a man lying on the ground next to a femur to show how immense it really is! Another cool feature shows the placement of certain bones inside the skeleton of a transparent dinosaur. If that isn’t enough, there are many color photographs of the finds and team nestled in the artwork.

Titanosaur rises above the competition. It will enthrall youngsters already passionate about dinosaurs, but will also grab the attention of anyone interested in science or how scientists work. It is sure to be a super big hit. Dig up a copy today!

December 13, 2019December 10, 2019

Boom! Bellow! Bleat!

Boom! Bellow! Bleat!: Animal Poems for Two or More Voices
by Georgia Heard (Author) and Aaron DeWitt (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A collection of poems–peppered with an astounding variety of animal sounds–is meant to be read aloud together. The poems cover all major classes of animals: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, even a crustacean! End notes provide more information on the animals and how and why they make the sounds they do.

Snippet:

A 2019 Cybils Poetry nominee

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

December 13, 2019December 12, 2019

Insect Superpowers

Insect Superpowers, by Kate Messner; illus. by Jillian Nickell

80 pages; ages 8 – 12. Chronicle Books, 2019

The book’s subtitle describes what’s between the covers: 18 Real Bugs that Smash, Zap, Hypnotize, Sting, and Devour! So I could not wait to get my hands on a copy (it was released just a few weeks ago).

In six chapters, Messner presents a diversity of insect superpowers that rival any comic book hero: speed, mimicry, strength, defensive engineering, and the “Jaws of Doom”. She devotes an entire chapter to the “Masters of Chemical Weaponry” ~ featuring termites, the bombardier beetle and lubber grasshoppers. Good thing these insects are small, because their superpowers make them mighty.

“Imagine a human-size termite with a goo gun for a face,” writes Messner, “or a beetle the size of a bear that shoots a hot toxic chemical mist from its bottom!” The African bombardier beetle sprays a hot chemical mist from its rear end when threatened. It actually sprays a series of superfast pulses – about 500 per second – so it’s like a chemical machine gun, Messner points out. That’s enough to make birds back off.

What I like about this book: I like graphic-novel style. It’s filled with action: swoops! sluuurps! Chomp! Smack! Slash! Crunch! Pfffr-ffft!

I like the way Messner begins each chapter with an introduction of the insect: common name, scientific name, identification features, size, and superpower. Throughout the short chapter, she presents information in text boxes. She also includes an icon illustrating an arch-enemy for each insect. Total fun!

Head over to Archimedes Notebook for a book about animal farts and some related activities.

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

December 6, 2019

Can You Hear The Trees Talking?

Time to check out an amazing new middle grade book, Can You Hear the Trees Talking?: Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest by Peter Wohlleben.

Peter Wohlleben is the well-known author of the bestselling popular science book for adults, The Hidden Life of Trees. Now he’s applied his eye-opening approach to understanding trees in this book for young readers. He asks kid-friendly questions, such as “How do trees drink?” and answers them using current scientific knowledge and appropriate vocabulary. Even if you already know a lot about trees, be prepared to say, “Wow!”

Each question is answered on a two-page spread with gorgeous color photographs. Many of the spreads have activity suggestions, labelled “Try This!” I counted 18 hands-on activities. There are also many sidebars with extra cool facts and some quick quizzes to reinforce learning.

Let’s look at one example. Wohlleben asks, “What do tree children learn at school?” Wait, trees go to school? What is that about? Turns out that in mature forests young saplings spend a lot of time being nourished and shaped by their mother tree and other mature trees nearby. Isn’t that a cool idea?

Can You Hear the Trees Talking? is a must-have resource for educators and young botanists interested in trees. You could spend months with it. Check out a copy today!

Be sure to stop by Growing With Science blog for activity suggestions to extend learning.

December 6, 2019December 5, 2019

Superlative Birds

Superlative Birds
by Leslie Bulion (Author) and Robert Meganck (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Explore the fascinating world of superlative birds–from the bee hummingbird, the tiniest bird in the world, to the peregrine falcon, the fastest creature on Earth. The back of the book includes a science glossary, notes on poetry forms, and resources for more information about these birds.

Snippet:
Superlative Birds:
Which bird can do what birds do, best?
Which put world records to the test?
Which birds are beaks above the rest?
Superlative birds! Come see!

A 2019 Cybils Poetry nominee

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

December 6, 2019November 26, 2019

Growing Up Gorilla

Growing Up Gorilla, by Clare Hodgson Meeker. 48 pages; ages 8-12. Millbrook Press, 2019

The subtitle says it all; this is a book about “how a zoo baby brought her family together.” As the book opens, we meet Nadiri, a 19-year old gorilla preparing to give birth. She’s gathered a thick nest of hay around her, but when her baby is born she has no idea of how to respond and care for a tiny baby.

The keepers and staff at the Woodland Park Zoo were committed to having Nadiri raise her baby. But they were also ready for the possibility that she might not embrace motherhood immediately, because Nadiri had been rejected by her own mother and was hand-raised. So while they began caring for the new baby gorilla, they were determined to help Nadiri bond with baby Yola in a safe, non-threatening environment.

What I like about this book: Reading this book gives you a front row seat into what goes on behind the scenes in a zoo. Author, Clare Meeker takes us into the gorilla dens, introduces us to the other gorillas that become family, and shows us the love and dedication of the zoo staff. There’s also plenty of back matter so kids can see how humans compare with gorillas (we share 97.7% of the same genes), and some of the ways people are working to protect gorillas and their habitat.

Head over to Archimedes Notebook for an interview with the author.

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