Tuesday, November 24, 2015

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Night World

Night World by Mordecai Gerstein book coverNight World
by Mordicai Gerstein
Little, Brown (June 2015)
Picture Book

Summary:

Sylvie the cat persuades her boy to go into the darkness very late at night, where they are greeted by the shadows of roses and other flowers, and by nocturnal animals who whisper, "it's almost here." 

Why You'll Love It:
  •  This book will stand the test of repeated readings. The illustrations are full of seek-and-find elements that will have readers looking through the book again and again.
  • Bedtime stories are perennial favorites, but this celebration of sunrise adds a new twist: could work as both a morning and nighttime read.
  • Educators will see numerous science curriculum tie-ins here: animal behavior; concepts of day, night, and dawn.

Who Should Read It:

Great for PreK-2nd graders.


Night World illustrations Mordicai Gerstein


What Else You Should Read:

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Welcome to Mars

Welcome to Mars by Buzz Aldrin book coverWelcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet
by Buzz Aldrin & Marianne Dyson
National Geographic (Sep. 1, 2015)
Nonfiction

Summary:

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin challenges curious kids to think about Mars as not just a faraway red planet but as a possible future home for Earthlings! What will your new home be like? How will you get there? What will you eat for breakfast? 

Why You'll Love It:
  •  Besides being a living legend in the aerospace field, Aldrin isn't new to writing children's books -- check out one of his other successful writing ventures below in the "What Else You Should Read" section.
  • The book contains a topographical map of Mars as well as a description of tools you'd need on Mars in order to explore.
  • The book incorporates real photography and digital illustrations throughout and they enhance but never overwhelm the enthusiastic writing.
Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 4-7...and here's the educator's guide!

nonfiction science spacecraft Buzz Aldrin


What Else You Should Read: 

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Koala Hospital

Koala Hospital by Suzi Eszterhas book cover nonfictionKoala Hospital
by Suzi Eszterhas
Owlkids, October 13, 2015
Nonfiction

Summary:

Koala Hospital features a koala rescue center in Australia. It shows why koalas are in danger, how they come to be in the sanctuary, and the process of healing and rehabilitating koalas for return to the wild. Koala Hospital also focuses on the people who work at the rescue center and how they aid the animals. 

Why You'll Love It:
  • Topic-specific spreads make it easy for kids to dip in and out of the book, but they will likely read it from cover to cover. Interesting facts are incorporated throughout, even in the back matter. For example, koalas are one of the few mammals besides primates that have fingerprints; and “the word 'koala’ comes from an old Aboriginal word meaning 'no drink.’” (Koalas get moisture from their meals of eucalyptus leaves. While the leaves are poisonous to most animals, “koalas have a special digestive system that can break down the toxins”—though they sleep eighteen hours a day to recover from this hard work!)
  • Readers will enjoy learning about how hospital staff and volunteers care for the animals. For instance, a laundry basket creates a small space “like a nest that keeps koalas contained while making them feel safe,” and “a healthy joey will go to a human foster mother and live in her house full time.”
  • The cute marsupials practically pop off the page. Each spread features at least two photos, one of which usually fills a full page or bleeds across the gutter. Many are close-ups, while others show koalas in the hospital setting, with their foster mothers, or in their natural environment. Some especially endearing images include a joey dribbling milk during a feeding, a koala cuddling with a stuffed likeness of itself, and a marsupial snoozing high among tree branches.

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 2-5...and here's the koala hospital's website!

Koala Hospital photograph inside book


What Else You Should Read:
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