From seed to sprout, seedling to bloom, See a Pumpkin Grow walks the reader through the life cycle of a pumpkin. The simple text and colorful up-close photographs make the content accessible for young readers. Chapter headings and bold glossary terms provide content support.
This is a perfect addition to all elementary school libraries. See a Pumpkin Grow can be used to support life cycle lessons or to introduce the pumpkin patch or farm field trip.
Animal Scales is part of the Amazing Animal Parts Level 1 Blastoff! Readers. Starting with the scales on a butterfly’s wings, this book will help broaden young readers understanding of animal features. The book goes on to highlight scales on snakes, eagle’s feet, and fish.
The book contains a Table of Contents, bolded glossary terms, illustrated glossary, and an index. More information is available digitally through Bellwether’s Factsurfer links. The links include text information on butterflies, snakes, and a video on scales and feathers.
Amazing Animal Parts Level 1 Blastoff! Readers series focuses on the how different animal features help with survival. The series also includes: Animal Ears, Animal Eyes, Animal Feet, Animal Noses, and Animal Tails.
Despite her family’s poverty, a young girl satisfies her love of music by listening to the songs of daily life through her window. Looking out into the street, the whole world seems at times like a parade. The cats, dogs, cows, and horses add their sounds to the bustling past. It all makes Eloísa want to dance, though she’s too shy to do so out in the street. Also anchoring her to the inside of the window is her mother’s illness. When the village children gather their instruments to practice right outside her window, As Eloísa and her family listened, symphony of music invigorated her mother enough that she ventured outside.
This is a story about the power of music and rhythm of life in a small rural community. It also portrays the feelings of isolation and helplessness when a loved one either does not receive or does not respond to medical care. The story is set in the past in a Cuban village and interspersed with Spanish words.
In Careers in STEM: Zoologist, the reader is introduced to what a zoologist is and the explores some of the diverse kinds of animals a zoologist might study. The book continues with information on what types of things that zoologists study and how they go about that study. It also includes how a person becomes a zoologist.
Bellwether Media again does a great job with a series that provides age appropriate content in an engaging and accessible way. With supportive non-fiction text features (table of contents, labels, bold glossary terms, and index) the reader has helpful tools to enhance comprehension.
Additional resources linked through Bellwether Media’s FactSurfer portal provide extended learning opportunities with one text resource and one video resource. A third link is not functional at this time.
This is a lovely picture about about relationships; the relationship between an old man and old woman, between the old man and a bird, between an old man and his grandson, and between a grieving family and a community. Music the tie that binds all these relationships together.
An old man plays the piano as his wife paints and hums. The piano music drifts down into the valley and attracts a bird. When the bird adds his song, the old man exclaims, “bravo, little bird!” The old man’s grandson and the bird’s babies join the songs. When the old man dies, the bird, the grandson, and the wife no longer feel like music. A cardinal from the valley below comes to see why the music has stopped. With the encouragement of the little bird, the cardinal brings the music from the valley up to the old woman and the boy, reigniting their music.
With its rich, descriptive text and lovely pictures, Bravo, Little Bird! is highly recommended for all collections.
This book is a celebration of how a black barbershop plays an important role in the black community. The ‘shop is a sound booth, a gallery, a sports show, a comedy club, a playground, a showroom, a classroom, and a studio where community shares wisdom, joy, and love. Each spread begins with, “The ‘shop is our…” and continues with a description. Word choice and cadence reflect the culture of a black urban barbershop.
The illustrations are bright and cheerful and depict the shared experiences at the barbershop. Characters are mainly brown skinned boys and men with a variety of hair styles..
In We Are the Builders!, Ramla, a young woman wearing a hijab, walks through a diverse neighborhood identifying ways people young and old can make a difference in their communities. Each of ten identified community roles is described in poetic verse and includes an invitation to join in helping through that role. The book recognizes that improving a community requires the engagement of multiple roles.
The endpapers explain that We Are the Builders! is a picture book version of the authors social change ecosystem map. Through identifying the role that best fits our interests and strengths, we can change the world for the better.
Jenny Chow just can’t get the hang of chopsticks and everyone in her family knows it. Her struggle has her feeling like an outsider in her extended family. Jenny’s cousin is having a party featuring the family’s annual chopstick challenge. Some onomatopoeia and Chinese characters accompany her unsuccessful practice attempts. Jenny realized that trying the same thing again and again will not help her improve.
Jenny gains inspiration from a set of tongs and fashions her chopsticks with a rubber band and folded star; acting like a training wheels. Through persistence and practice Jenny successfully participates in the chopstick challenge, an important family tradition. Her family is there to cheer on her success.
Tricky Chopsticks is a story highlighting family traditions and ingenuity when faced with a challenge.
Neighbors Sophia and May are best of friends who know they can always rely on each other to be there. One day their adventures together take them beyond their yards to a nearby field. There they find a wild blooming field of sourgrass. May shares, “My mom says it show up every spring, keeping a promise.” Sharing sourgrass becomes a sweet representation of their deep bond.
May moves away, straining their bonds of friendship, withering their joyful connection, and leaving Sophia with only their imaginary friends. Frequent letters soon dwindled to nothing. Sofia begins to wonder if she has been forgotten. Spring brings the promised return of the sourgrass and with it all of her wonderful memories. Inspired by the sourgrass’s promised return, Sophia reaches out again to May by letter hoping that the promise of their friendship will also be kept. The story ends with a return letter from May and a glimpse of a little redheaded girl who could fill the void of May’s absence.
Sophie is a dark skinned girl with cornrows and May, a light skinned girl with brown hair. Pastel illustrations convey the connection and the feelings of the two friends.
Ollie was excited to have a play date with her grandma’s new puppy, Milo. She learned, however, that puppies need supervision or they can be destructive. After Milo chewed up Ollie’s drawing, Ollie needed time alone and went for a walk. Milo followed her and they ended up having a fun time playing fetch, going to the pond, and jumping in mud puddles.
Cute black and white illustrations with red accents. Some pages contain cut outs, connecting of the theme from one page to the next. Review by Kathy Beach, teacher.
