Kid Lit Quick Pick: Flying Frogs and Walking Fish

Flying Frogs and Walking Fish
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Informational picture book

Summary:

See animals roll, fly, walk, leap, climb, swim and even flip! This book melds science, art, biology, and the environment to show how animals move in our world today.

Why You'll Love It:

• The award-winning husband-and-wife team neatly categorize animal locomotion into seven distinct groups and then introduce each section with a common animal and basic information regarding its typical movement.
• Readers can find additional facts about each animal in the end pages, neatly organized into categories of locomotion (walking, leaping, swimming, climbing, flying, rolling, jetting).
• Good for browsing--with the potential for launching readers into further investigation.
• Set against white space, the collage illustrations portray the animals in a subdued palette of earth tones that enhances the natural representation of each creature.

Who Should Read It:

Great for kindergarten thru 3rd graders.

What Else You Should Read:

• How to Swallow a Pig by Steve Jenkins
• Circle by Jeannie Baker
• Fabulous Frogs by Martin Jenkins

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Glow

Glow: Animals With Their Own Nightlights
by W. H. Beck
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Dec. 15, 2015)
Informational Picture Book

Summary:

Why be afraid of the dark when there is so much to see? Whether it's used to hunt, hide, find a friend, or escape an enemy, bioluminescence--the ability to glow--is a unique adaptation in nature. In this fun and fascinating nonfiction picture book, join world-renowned photographers and biologists on their close encounters with the curious creatures that make their own light.


Why You'll Love It:

•  Set against black backdrops, the photographs are often hauntingly beautiful, and closing pages note the creatures' habitats, actual size, and binomial nomenclature.
• The cover photograph of a bizarre, long-toothed fish with a personal flashlight quickly catches the eye -- this book is sure to capture-and hold-readers' attention.
• This overview is an effective jumping-off point for younger readers; for those interested in learning more, extensive back matter provides more detailed information on the animals discussed, as well as a bibliography. 

Who Should Read It:

Great for 1st-4th grade -- introduce the concept of bioluminescence with one of these video clips.

What Else You Should Read:

•  See What a Seal Can Do by Chris Butterworth
• Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies
• Bats: Biggest! Littlest! by Sandra Markle

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold

Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold
by Joyce Sidman; illustrations by Rick Allen
Houghton Mifflin (November 4, 2014)
Nonfiction poetry

Summary:

A collection of poems that explores how animals survive the cold during the winter season. Provides additional facts about the animals and the season. 

Why You'll Love It:

• While most poems address familiar topics (snowflakes, moose, trees, chickadees), springtails (snow fleas) and skunk cabbage (an early flowering spring plant) will be new to many.
• Each poem is accompanied by facts as well as a glossary in the back of the book.
• This book perfectly marries poetry, science, and art! Check out the hand-colored linoleum blocks used in the illustrations:

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 1-5...and here's the educator's guide.

What Else You Should Read:

• Pug: And Other Animal Poems by Valerie Worth
• Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman
• Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors by Joyce Sidman