A guessing game about poo? Each book in the series features a different biome and has pictures of scat and has the reader guess the animal the scat belongs to. Turn the page to find out the answer and facts about that animal and what it eats. The photographs give you an up close look at the poo. There are several facts on each page inside different text boxes and captions. Vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to the reader is in bold and is included in the glossary at the back of the book. This is a humorous, fun look at animal scat. The warnings to not touch poop is an appreciated addition. Geared towards 1st – 3rd graders, this is sure to fly off the shelves.
The titles reviewed in this series: Poo Down Under, Poo In the Desert, Poo At the Zoo, and Poo in the City.
Accessible books about hunting for kids are rare and when a good series comes along, it’s time to buy! Epic’s On the Hunt series introduces six different animals that are typically hunted, discussing gear, safety, laws and preparation. Each book is visually appealing and well-organized and should be high on your library wish list.
Nonfiction text features are abundant in these books, starting with a clear table of contents and ending with a glossary, index and a page of print and web resources for further exploration. Spare text with bold words pairs nicely with the clean, crisp photos. Headings help with organization. Diagrams and maps are clearly labeled and sidebars impart interesting tidbits of knowledge to enrich the more basic text on the pages. Students will love the information and teachers will appreciate the nonfiction text features so clearly presented.
Books include hunting of the following animals: ducks, deer, elk, pheasant, turkey and wild hog. All these animals are hunted somewhere in North America, giving the series a wider appeal. The range of each animal is presented on maps and a favorite spot is highlighted. Hunters are portrayed as young and old, male and female. One hunter (Pheasant Hunting) is in a wheelchair, which is an encouraging and appropriate inclusion.
This highly engaging series is a definite purchase option, especially in areas where hunting is part of the culture. It is also a useful introduction to those that may not have any experience or prior knowledge, because of its very accessible text and highly visual presentation. Highly recommended.
Who would have thought that a picture book about measurement could be so fun? Blue Whale and Supersaurus are arguing over which of them is longer. Inchworm comes in and offers to help with the winner buying lunch. It takes inchworm (who is an inch long) 12 hours to measure Blue Whale, who is 1,300 inches long. Inchworm can’t measure Supersaurus, because he has to go into his cocoon. So, in comes centipede (who is a centimeter long) and he measures Supersaurus. It also take 12 hours and Supersaurus is exactly 3302 centimeters long. Wait! What does that mean? Dragonfly saves the day by doing the math and determines that the two behemoths are the same length!
This wonderful melding of math and science into a picture book is hilarious and educational. Readers learn the difference between the customary and metric systems as well as some cool science and end with some little known math terms (check out “zeptosecond”). Accompanying illustrations are cartoon-like and fun. Buy this book and start measuring. Your students will love it! Highly recommended.
Do you need to update your community helpers section of your library? This four book set geared toward your youngest learners is perfect! Each of the four books focuses on a different type of firefighter. Titles include: Smoke Jumpers, Firefighters on the Water, Airport Firefighters and City Firefighters.
Simple text and exciting photos that illustrate each firefighter’s type of job in an emergency situation are very engaging. For example, Smoke Jumpers starts with a forest fire scenario and moves through the course of fighting the fire, showing equipment and the work of the smoke jumpers.
There are several important nonfiction text features in these books. A basic table of contents and index show the book’s organization for young readers. Headings are clearly identifiable and students can easily find the sections they want. Unfamiliar words are in bold type and defined in the glossary. Each two page spread has a short passage and large photo that illustrates the text. Many of the photos are labeled to further note the important details. Additional exploration is possible with suggested books and webpages noted at the end.
These books are a well-organized and appealing introduction to different firefighting jobs and a sound purchase for those libraries looking to update their collection. Teachers will appreciate the many nonfiction text features. Students will love these books, because they are exciting and fresh, with many different types of people doing jobs that kids might want to do in the future Highly recommended.
18 book series written by Ariel Factor Birdoff (11) and Suzane Nguyen (7)
This engaging high-low series is full of facts and photos of today’s most popular musical superstars and will entice even the most reluctant reader. Each book follows the childhood and career of a singer or songwriter in short, accessible text blocks and color photos. Titles and subtitles are large enough to draw attention immediately to the topic addressed. Abundant illustrations are explained in the accompanying captions. Highlights of the musicians’ careers, including favorites (foods, shows, pets, etc.) and top hits are located throughout each book in sidebars. A timeline of the stars’ careers begins with their start in the industry and typically includes song releases, awards and big events. And, awards are also shown in a simple table. Bold words within the text help readers determine context within the text and are further defined in the glossary at the end. A Table of Contents and Index are helpful for organization and students will enjoy learning more from the resources listed on the “To Learn More” page.
These slim books will fly off the shelves in your library as they pack a lot of information in a very accessible and highly engaging format. Biographies of contemporary musical artists are immensely popular and students will be very motivated to read them. Students will love the content and teachers will love the clearly presented nonfiction text features. These books are highly recommended and will be great additions in an updated biography section at the elementary and middle school levels.
A wordless picture book about a mother and son, who live with the reality of homelessness. The story begins with a mother waiting for her son outside his school, one of the many parents standing near the school. They walk to a fast food restaurant for dinner and then to the library, where the boy completes his homework as his mother reads a book. They leave as the librarian closes up and end at a bench to settle in for the night. The boy lays his head on his mother’s lap and sleeps while she watches over him protectively. The morning comes, he changes his shirt and brushes his teeth at a park fountain and they head to school for another day.
This beautifully illustrated book uses the power of pictures to tell a painful story. A loving mother that will maintain some sense of normalcy for her child in the harsh reality of homelessness that strikes a vast number (any number is too many) of people in the United States. An even larger group is the rather cliched “one paycheck away” from the same fate. A note from the author at the beginning of the story relates the intent of this book – to encourage thought and discussion about our responsibility to those that don’t have even the basic necessities. This book will certainly do just that. And, the youngest of readers will be able to reflect as a result.
This beautifully written verse novel about a neurodivergent 7th grader named Alex pulls you in immediately. Alex is in a self contained classroom because of outbursts in third grade. Now, in 7th grade, he desperately wants to be in a regular science class to learn about his favorite topics like everyone else. He still struggles to keep thoughts in his head and not let them explode out of his mouth or body. He has new friends in his SC class and still sees what used to be old friends but who now taunt and tease him. He just wants the chance to try. Alex has a lot on his plate as he learns to navigate asking for help to meet his goals and adjust to new demands on his studying. I loved how he really had to advocate for himself with his teachers, but also his parents. It’s hard to watch someone struggle and TRY, even though that is how we grow. Alex struggles with this too! I also really liked that when the students made mistakes, there were legitimate consequences and restorative methods for healing and moving forward. The other thing I enjoyed about the book was the mix of Spanish and English. Alex’s family has Puerto Rican roots, so at home, they speak a mix of Spanish and English. I do not speak Spanish, but interestingly, did not find it a barrier to understanding the family conversations. I didn’t even feel like they all needed to be translated. It was lovely to see it all mixed in as part of the norm. I highly recommend this beautiful book showing strength and bravery in the face of adversity and challenge.
Unique and interesting animals are a great way to encourage the curiosity of young readers. The Marsupials series by Bullfrog Books is sure to catch their interest! With less than a dozen words per page in simple sentences, the content is perfect for preschool and early elementary children. Bullfrog books uses large up-close photos to support the text. The Table of Contents is limited to the five sections of each book – the body of the book and the four endpaper sections; Parts of the animal, Picture Glossary, Index, and Learn More. The square shape of the book is easy for young hands to enjoy independently.
The Bullfrog Books Marsupials series includes the following titles: Kangaroos, Koalas, Opossums, Sugar Gliders, Tasmanian Devils, and Wombats
This hilarious picture book warns readers about the “villainy” of fish, from their hidden underwater lives to mysterious “schools” and possible evil plots. Full of wild humor and clever illustrations, it’s perfect for read-alouds and guaranteed to make kids laugh. Ideal for classrooms and library collections that celebrate silly, absurd stories.
A swarm of zombees invade a town on Halloween night. They are a ghastly green and drag a glowing sack. Did they come to eat our brains? The town gets out their smokers to ward off an attack. The text is rhyming and leads us on a frolicking tale with a twist at the end.
The illustrations are color and bright with the “ghastly green” drawing readers in. Each page contains two lines of rhyming text.
Perfect choice for a not so spooky Halloween read. Fans of Creepy Carrots will delight in this tale.
