Tag Archives: conservation and environment

Cold

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written by Tim McCanna and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki

What is “cold”? It is many things – a desert at night, a bat-filled cave, a deep ocean or a meadow with snowflakes falling. it is a feeling and a promise. And, it is a place where animals and humans live and can thrive.

Told in eloquent rhyming prose and accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, the concept of “cold” is described in a way that draws in the reader, who can imagine the feeling of being cold as they turn the pages. The story is calm and the detailed illustrations convey that gentleness in a beautiful manner.

Explanations of cold and climate change are added to the end, giving some good scientific information in short, accessible paragraphs. Why we have winter and how animals are adapted to the cold weather is clearly noted. The notes on climate change are concise and factual and the empowering suggestions for helping to fight it are realistic for kids and their adults.

This book will be a great addition to your library as a sweet wintertime read aloud as well as a start to a winter weather or climate change lesson. Highly recommended.

Tide Pool Troubles by Ashlyn Anstee

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Shelby and Watts are “Planetary Investigators”, aka detectives with an environmental focus in this first book of a new graphic novel series. Shelby, a fox with a notebook, is a budding detective while her friend, Watts, loves facts and encyclopedias. They are called upon to investigate the disappearance of shells on the beach. Fred, a hermit crab in a very tight shell, is frantic. He needs a new shell for a home and protection, but there are aren’t any to be found. His pals are in the same “pickle” (“in a difficult situation” as defined by Watts).

So, Shelby get to work tracking down the shell thief. They follow several clues, all of which are noted in Shelby’s notebook. And, Watts adds in relevant facts about the beach and its inhabitants. They discover the missing shells and the so-called thief – Arty, the rhino, who was collecting beach shells and didn’t know the havoc he was creating in the hermit crab world. Shelby and Watts give some great tips about saving the beach at the end of the story, like “leave the beach cleaner than when you found it”.

This simple nine chapter graphic novel is a nice transition story. It is much shorter than its 94 pages appear, with several single panel pages. Color is vibrant and text is accessible. Interesting facts about ocean creatures are interspersed throughout and do not interrupt the flow of the story. Recommended.