STEM Friday

June 17, 2022

Book of Dinosaurs: 10 Record-Breaking Prehistoric Animals

Today at Growing with Science Blog we are featuring the new picture book Book of Dinosaurs: 10 Record-Breaking Prehistoric Animals by Gabrielle Balkan and illustrated by Sam Brewster.

In Book of Dinosaurs, explore which record-breaking dinosaurs had:
• The toughest armor
• The sharpest eyesight
• The biggest belly
• The spikiest tail

and more.

Readers are asked to guess which dinosaur wins the category based on an amazing illustration of that dinosaur’s skeleton and a set of clues about it. Turn the page for the big reveal, a colorful illustration of the animal and more details about its biology.

It is unusual because the text is written in first person point of view. It is as if the dinosaurs are telling their own stories. And the facts have been finely distilled to the most interesting and informative.

The illustrations on the reveal pages have texture overlaying in the shape of creature’s skeleton from the previous page. Basically, the reader can feel (and see) the skeleton as it would be positioned inside. Pretty cool!

There are many books on the market about dinosaurs. Book of Dinosaurs fills an important niche between the board books /simple picture books for the 4-6 year olds, and the massive encyclopedic titles for older readers. Plus it is engaging and fun to read. Get it into the hands of a dinosaur-loving reader today!

And be sure to visit Growing with Science for more information and related activity suggestions.

June 17, 2022June 16, 2022

The Ocean

My new Focus on STEM column, The Ocean, is in the June Quick Tips for Schools and Libraries newsletter.

Snippet: Get to know about ocean zones and marine life through books and online resources for young and middle-grade learners.

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

June 10, 2022

What A Shell Can Tell: Where They Live, What They Eat, How They Move and More

Summer conjures up thoughts of a trip to the beach. Today we have a new picture book that is a perfect selection for accompanying a trip to the beach as well as for celebrating #WorldOceanDay on June 8 and #NationalSeashellDay on June 21, What A Shell Can Tell: Where They Live, What They Eat, How They Move and More by Helen Scales and illustrated by Sonia Pulido.

Award-winning marine biologist Helen Scales introduces children to the wonders of all molluscs (The British spelling for the phylum is used throughout. In the US, they are called mollusks.) She answers a series of questions, such as “What is a shell?” “What can a shell’s color tell you?”, “Who else uses shells?” etc.

Because Scales is an expert in the topic, the answers are spot on. They are well organized, informative, and up-to-the-minute accurate. They are also enjoyable to read. Although the recommended reading age is 6 to 9 years old, I would say that it is more like 6 years old (probably with an adult to help) plus. Adults will likely learn new things from it.

The text is well done, but it is the gorgeous illustrations that will keep you going back. They feature vibrant colors, the interesting shapes, and water that ripples off the page.

What a Shell Can Tell is great to accompany a trip to the beach, or to conjure up cool waves in your own home. It would be a must-have resource for libraries, too. Enjoy a copy today!

And stop by Growing with Science blog for more information and an ocean of activity suggestions.

June 10, 2022June 9, 2022

How Does Solar Energy Work?

How Does Solar Energy Work?
by Jennifer Swanson (Author) and Glen Mullaly (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Find out what solar energy is and how it is harnessed and used. Discover the history of this technology as well as need for solar power and how it could change our world.

Snippet:

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

June 3, 2022June 2, 2022

How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps

How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps
by Pamela S. Turner (Author) and John Gurche (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: The epic story of human evolution in seven big steps! Find out how, when, and why did we:

1. stand up,
2. smash rocks,
3. get swelled heads,
4. take a hike,
5. invent barbecue,
6. start talking (and never shut up), and
7. become storytellers?

Snippet:
A NOTE ON RACE
The modern concept of race is relatively recent. It is tied to efforts by early European scientists and naturalists to arrange life on a religiously inspired ladder with a Christian God at the top, followed by angels, then white people, with other races just a step above monkeys and apes. These racial concepts were closely tied to a wave of European colonialism that began in the sixteenth century.

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

May 20, 2022May 19, 2022

I LOVE Strawberries!

I LOVE Strawberries!
by Shannon Anderson (Author) and Jaclyn Sinquett (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: With scrapbook-style journal entries, young readers learn how Jolie convinces the “old people” (aka her parents) to let her grow her own strawberries from seedling to table. Growing strawberries is a lot of work and responsibility, but Jolie is ready with the help of her faithful rabbit Munchy! Together they find out just how delicious, rewarding, and sometimes complicated it can be to grow your own food.

Creating a garden calendar and notebook, how strawberries grow, what pests to look out for in a garden, why ladybugs are helpful, and how a good gardener takes care of strawberry plants are all explained in Jolie’s journal entries. Informational backmatter includes tips on growing strawberries, an explanation of integrated pest management for greener, safer gardening – and even tips for how to find a pick your own strawberry patch near you.

Snippet:

BONUS! Download the coloring pages and Educator’s Guide

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

May 13, 2022May 12, 2022

The Cottonwood Tree

The Cottonwood Tree
by Serena Mangus (Author) and Anait Semirdzhyan (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Cottonwood trees grow throughout North America and play a critical role in their ecosystems. In this “autobiography,” a cottonwood tree tells its life story beginning when it is only a seed in a bed of fluff, floating over a river somewhere in the American heartland, and ending more than 80 years later when it is toppled by a fierce storm. Along the way the seed grows into a majestic tree, spreading its life-giving branches to birds, insects, and animals.

The tree also recounts its visits over the years by a special human who was born in the same year. As a boy, this human climbs the cottonwood’s branches to watch the river and dream. As a father, he brings his daughter to visit. As an old man he grieves to see the tree knocked down but rejoices when he sees new sprouts emerging from the stump. He knows the tree is not done yet!

Snippet:

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

May 6, 2022May 5, 2022

Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers

Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers (Storytelling Math)
by Rajani LaRocca (Author) and Chaaya Prabhat (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: For the Hindu holiday of Raksha Bandhan, Bina is determined to make beaded bracelets for her brothers all by herself. She finds out which colors her brothers like and dislike and sets to work. Working with her every-other-one beading pattern causes Bina to discover something new about patterns–and her brothers.

Snippet:

¡Ahora en edición bilingüe inglés-español! @ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

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

May 2, 2022May 26, 2022

Time to Shine

Time to Shine: Celebrating the World’s Iridescent Animals
by Karen Jameson (Author) and Dave Murray (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Have you ever noticed the rainbow-like shimmer on certain bird feathers, insect bodies and animal scales? This effect, called iridescence, changes depending on the angle from which its viewed, and animals across the globe use the effect to both blend in and stand out. Take a closer look at these creatures and their sparkly “clothes” with rhyming couplets and prose text with further context for each animal’s particular environment and adaptation.

Snippet:

Linda is hosting Poetry Friday at A Word Edgewise

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

April 29, 2022May 5, 2022

Eggs from Red Hen Farm: Farm to Table with Mazes and Maps

Eggs from Red Hen Farm: Farm to Table with Mazes and Maps
by Monica Wellington (Author / Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Maps and mazes show children where their food comes from as Ruby and Ned gather eggs from their hens and ride their red truck to deliver the eggs–to the farmer’s market, the restaurant, the school, the grocery story, and the bakery. The baker uses the eggs in her yummiest cookies–and gives them to Ruby and Ned!

Snippet: “I’m good at counting money,” says Ned.
“You take care of business here,” says Ruby. “I’ll make the deliveries.”

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