Book Review: S is for Saving the Planet: A How-to-be Green Alphabet

S Is for Save the Planet: A How-to-be Green Alphabet by Brad Herzog.
Ages 4 to 8, 40 pages
Sleeping Bear Press, 2009

Pollution. Global warming. Deforestation. Dangerous debris. Plant and animal endangerment. What can kids do to help Mother Earth with these huge environmental problems? Plenty! Using the letters of the alphabet and 26 poems to introduce each topic, S Is for Save the Planet explains today’s tough environmental challenges and offers simple solutions that will prompt young readers to take action. Many of the conservation how-to tips listed in this delightful ABC book are, well, as easy as ABC! The letter "I" stands for insulate, "P" is for plant a tree, and "V" is for vermicomposting, to note a few of the suggested activities.

But that’s not all! In addition to the rhymed text, each page also contains a sidebar jam-packed with statistics and intriguing bits of information. One sidebar notes that Americans drive over a trillion miles in their cars each year. That creates a lot of air pollution! Readers are advised to carpool, ride a bike, or walk whenever possible. Another sidebar cautions against letting helium balloons fly free. Why? If it reaches the ocean, sea animals might eat the balloon and die. Soft, full color illustrations depict children in action: picking up litter on the beach, using water from a rain barrel, and recycling used toys and clothing. Geared for children ages four to eight, S Is for Save the Planet, will inspire readers to give deeper thought to what actions they can take to protect planet Earth, not just on Earth Day, but every day of the year! Web Resources are enclosed at the end of the book. Downloadable teachers’ guides are available here.

This book was reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer.

Brad Herzog is the author of several alphabet books with Sleeping Bear Press. As a former newspaper sportswriter, his interests and talents have provided the inspiration and knowledge to write books such as H is for Homerun, T is For Touchdown and E is for Extreme, just to name a few. He also has titles with Rigby Books and Sports Illustrated for Kids. As an author of memoirs, magazine articles, screenplays, poems and fiction, Brad says ‘I simply write about whatever intrigues me - whether it is driven by profundity or whimsy or curiosity.’ His book titled S is For Saving the Planet is perfect for Earth Day and elementary classrooms.

Bio written by Laura Crawford.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up posted at Anastasia Suen's Picture Book of the Day blog.

Book Review: Where Should Turtle Be?

Where Should Turtle Be?
Written by Susan Ring
Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein
32 page picture book, Ages 4-8
Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2009

Turtle breaks free from his nest on the beach and begins to search for his home. A wrong turn lands him first in the woods, where Bear thinks he is a box turtle, then to a pond where frog thinks he is a painted turtle, and then to a salt marsh where Beetle thinks he is a diamond back tarapin. Turtle does not feel comfortable in any of these places, and his frustration grows throughout the story, until he laughingly (you'll have to read the book to find out what is so funny) finds himself at home in the sea.

This book introduces a variety of turtles and their habitats. The refrain is lovely, and the illustrator, Laurie Allen Klein, does a great job portraying Turtle’s growing frustration and eventual delight in finally finding his true home. The For Creative Minds section in the back introduces fun turtle facts and includes a few matching activities.

I definitely recommend that children take this journey with Turtle.

This book was reviewed by Kim Hutmacher.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up posted at Mommy's Favorite Children's Books.

Guest Blogger, Paula Morrow, Reviews: What Kinds of Seeds Are These?

What Kinds of Seeds Are These?

by Heidi Bee Roemer, illustrated by Olena Kassian

NorthWord, 2006. Ages 4-8.

Now is the season to throw off winter coats and run outside, enjoying the warm sunshine, fresh air, and green sprouts that greet the spring. And where do those green sprouts come from? A lot of them grow from seeds that traveled to their new homes in intriguing ways.

The ingenious picture book What Kinds of Seeds Are These? explores nine different methods of seed dispersal. In each case, a clever four-line verse describes one way seeds travel, then the reader is asked to name the seed.

Some of the seeds are familiar. Seeds squirrels busily bury in autumn and sometimes forget? Yes, acorns. Seeds children love to blow from their white-headed puffballs? Dandelions, of course.

Others are more surprising. Coconuts fall into the ocean and float to faraway shores, where they sprout new palm trees. Who knew that a tumbleweed scatters seeds of Russian thistle? Even seeds from animal droppings are acknowledged:

Birds, bats, and mice often gobble fruit up—but
fruit seeds may cruise through a critter's small gut.

The descriptions are not only interesting science but also charming poetry, viewing nature with fresh eyes. Whirly maple seeds are described as "angel-winged." Violet seeds grow in pods, like peas.

When the skin gets too tight, little seeds get a squeeze—
they pop from their pod like a miniature sneeze!

Rich full-page, full-color paintings show each plant, leaf, seed, and animal in loving detail. High quality printing and paper stock complete the classy package. What Kinds of Seeds Are These? is a fine book to give as a gift or treasure in a personal library.

This review was first published in the Bureau County (IL) Republican and is also posted at paulamorrow.com. Paula has been a children's literature specialist for more than a quarter century, first as a children's librarian, then as a longtime editor at Cricket Magazine Group and Cricket Books, and now as an independent editor, author, writing instructor, and sometimes publisher.

This post is part of The Carnival of Education posted at Joann Jacob's blog.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up posted at Abby (the) Librarian.

Book Review and Interview: Bees, Snails and Peacock Tails: Patterns and Shapes...Naturally

Bees, Snails, & Peacock Tails: Patterns & Shapes… Naturally
Written by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Ages 4-8, 40 pages
Margaret K. McElderry, 2008

Nature is full of wonders… including shapes! In an ingenious collaboration of science and geometry, Franco’s poems offer delightful observations of hidden shapes and unexpected patterns found everywhere in nature. Readers may already know that some snakes shed their skins, but have they ever noticed the diamond and triangle shapes on the copperhead snake’s back? Yes, bees produce honey—but that’s not all. These "mathematical geniuses" work together and construct hundreds of hexagon-shaped cubbies. With simple rhymes and rich metaphors, Franco invites readers to appreciate the spiral shape gracing the snail’s shell, the "V" shaped wedge formed by migrating birds, the artful web designs spun by spiders, and the delicate footprint patterns in the snow created by a mouse.

Jenkins, a Caldecott Honor medalist, used cut-paper collages to create a three dimensional illusion for each spread. Arresting color combinations add further pizzazz and eye-appeal. This gem of a book is both an audible and visual treat; it will very likely motivate junior scientists to look at nature with a more observant eye and search for hidden shapes in the world around them.

This review was written by 'wild' writer Heidi Bee Roemer.

'Wild" writer Laura Crawford was also able to interview author, Betsy Franco.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.

I have written over 80 books, non-fiction, poetry, picture books, and young adult novels, and I anthologize teenage writing. I have three creative sons who inspire me (two actor-writers and a sculptor-illustrator) and a very supportive husband. I walk to an elementary school every morning to observe, and I frequently visit the local high school. My cats, Frida and Jada, are my muses. See www.betsyfranco.com for more information.

WHERE DO YOUR IDEAS FOR NONFICTION COME FROM?

I get a lot of ideas from observation. I just collect snippets of ideas, write them down, and put them into folders. After a while, I have enough to make a book. Then I start writing the poems.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE HARDEST PART ABOUT WRITING?

I love to write so it doesn't seem hard to me. Letting go of a story when it's ready to go to the editor is a little tough.

WHAT IS THE STRANGEST FACT YOU HAVE LEARNED?

I've learned a lot of strange facts. I guess I didn't know that the bullfrogs ate the red-legged frogs that were immortalized in Mark Twain's story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. They ate so many, the red-legged frog is now threatened.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST WORK.

Pond Circle which comes out in June 2009 is about the food chain at a pond. It took me about 10 years to find the format that would make the food chain seem beautiful.

Thank you for your time, Betsy. We look forward to reading Pond Circle later this year!

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday round-up posted at The Reading Tub.