Nonfiction Monday: Plant Secrets

Plant Secrets

Written by Emily Goodman Illustrated by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes

32 page picture book Ages 4-8

Charlesbridge, 2009

Horticulturist, Emily Goodman, introduces young readers to the hidden secrets of plant life. Seeds have a secret. Hidden inside each one is a tiny new plant. Plants have a secret. Plants can grow flowers. Flowers have a secret. Inside each flower are parts that can make a fruit. And can you guess the secret hidden inside the fruit? That's right- a SEED! Goodman also explains how we know certain plant life best at specific stages. For instance, we know peas best in their seed stage. We know oak trees best in their plant stage. We recognize roses in their flower stage, and we recognize tomoatoes in their fruit stage. Goodman's descriptions paint wonderful pictures in our imaginations. She describes flowers as looking like little suns, balls of fuzz, bells, bowls or feathers. Her words are paired perfectly with Limbacher Tildes' illustrations.

Click here for a guide on how to plant your very own Secret Garden.

Plant Secrets is Emily Goodman’s first children’s book. She’s a trained horticulturist and has written many fiction and nonfiction articles for both children and adults. Her hobbies include studying plants and their connection to animals, gardening and fantasy. She’s a freelance writer currently living in Brooklyn. Illustrator Phyllis Limbacher Tildes’ interest in art began at the age two and a half when she drew a butterfly for her mother. As a child, she was soon writing poems and stories for friends and family. She spent hours sitting in the chestnut tree outside the public library reading books and studying the illustrations of Beatrix Potter. She currently lives in Savannah, Georgia, and enjoys bird watching, gardening, writing, and working on her art.

This book review was written by Kim Hutmacher. The bio was written by Laura Crawford.

This book is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up posted at Wrapped in Foil.

Nonfiction Monday: Why Are Animals Blue?

Why Are Animals Blue? by Melissa Stewart
Ages 4-8, 32 pages
Enslow Publishers, 2009

Animals come in just about every color of the rainbow. But why? Why Are Animals Blue? explains that some creatures rely on the color of their skin, fur, feathers, or other body parts to help ensure their survival. Stunning photos paired with simple text explain how the Blue Shark’s color helps it blend in as it glides through the ocean. Often its prey doesn’t see the shark sneaking up on them until it’s too late. The Blue Poison Dart Frog doesn’t blend into its habitat of green leaves at all. Instead, the frog’s vivid color warns hungry predators to stay away. Blue-Footed Boobies have yet a different strategy. Male boobies boogie on their bright blue webbed feet to attract a mate.
Rainbow of Animals is spectacular new six-book science series that explains why animals are red, orange, yellow, green, purple, and blue. Each easy-to-read science book features eye-catching photos of same-colored animals and offers intriguing facts about how color is used as camouflage, to attract a mate, to repel a predator, and even to help control body temperature. Included are world maps showing where each animal lives, a glossary, and bibliography of related books and websites. Stewart’s other titles in this series, Why Are Animals Red… Purple, Green, Orange, and Yellow, are equally as mesmerizing and informative.

Melissa Stewart is an award-winning author of over 100 books for children. She believes that firsthand research is critical, and has visited the tropical forests of Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands and East Africa. Utilizing her degrees in biology and science journalism, she was a children’s science editor for nine years. As a child, Melissa loved science, and her curiosity was sparked as she walked through the forests near her home with her father. Some of her unique subjects include grubs, maggots, fossilized feces, and dinosaur urine. Melissa is an active member of SCBWI, and resides in Massachusetts.

This book review was written by Heidi Bee Roemer. The bio was written by Laura Crawford.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up posted at Write About Now.

Nonfiction Monday: Guess What is Growing Inside This Egg

Guess What is Growing Inside This Egg

Written and Illustrated by Mia Posada

Millbrook Press, 2007 Ages 4-8

Mia Posada presents a series of clues to help readers figure out what's inside six different eggs. I appreciate the fact that the clues given are simple enough for most early elementary age students to figure out. I've shared other riddle books with children, only to have them get frustrated by never knowing any of the answers.

However, children will learn something new about each animal featured. After giving the clue and answer, Posada shares a few interesting facts about each hatchling. For instance, readers will learn that ducklings know how to swim from the moment they are born. No swim lessons required! And did you know that octupus eggs are transparent? If you can get beyond the mama octupus' eight protective arms, you can actually watch her babies develop inside their eggs.

This book also features illustrations depicting the actual size of each egg along with a view inside a duckling egg on the 4th, 10th, 14th and 26th day of development. Posada's watercolor collage illustrations are exquisite.

Extend the book with some of these most eggcellent activities!

Mia Posada is the award winning author and illustrator of Guess What is Growing Inside This Egg by Millbrook Press. Posada’s other books include Ladybugs; Red, Fiery and Bright: Robins, Songbirds of Spring and Dandelions; Stars in the Grass. Her rhyming text and inviting pictures are often used in classrooms to teach units on nature and animals. Mia Posada studied art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This review was written by Kim Hutmacher. The bio was written by Laura Crawford.

This book is part of the Nonfiction Round-Up posted at In Need of Chocolate.

Nonfiction Monday: Redwoods by Jason Chin

Redwoods, written and illustrated by Jason Chin
Ages 4 to 8; 40 pages. Roaring Brook, 2009

While waiting in a New York subway, an Asian-American boy spies a book titled Redwoods on the seat beside him. Curious, he picks it up, boards the train, and reads about these majestic giants. Thus begins an adventure of fantasy, time travel, and nonfiction.

Dinosaurs appear in the train window as the unsuspecting boy reads that the redwood’s early ancestors lived in prehistoric times. Next he learns that the first trees sprouted during the Roman Empire. So engrossed is the boy, he doesn’t notice that he is flanked by two citizens from that era. Exiting the underground train (illustrations show tree roots dangling from the subway ceiling), he steps into a lush forest of gigantean trees—and suddenly the awestruck child realizes he is in a different time and a place far from his familiar urban surroundings.

As Chin’s impressive watercolor illustrations reveal the boy’s experiences in the rainforest—escaping a blazing forest fire, scaling a redwood more than 300 feet high, and exploring the redwood’s canopy—the nonfiction text focuses solely on "tree facts." Fact: A redwood tree trunk is so huge that "a tunnel can be cut in it, big enough for a car to drive through." Fact: Not only does the wood contain tannin, a chemical that protects the trees from infection, but the thick bark’s high heat tolerance shields the redwood from fire. Fact: In addition to moss, fungi, bushes and even other trees, the redwood’s dense canopy is also home to spiders, salamanders, red tree voles, and other inhabits.

Comparing the redwood’s dizzying height to the Statue of Liberty, the boy eventually returns to his neighborhood where concrete and steel replace trees and vegetation. He leaves the magical book behind on a park bench and a curious girl picks it up and begins to read... So begins her adventure to the redwood forest. Vivid, imaginative and informative, Redwood concludes with a message about today’s environmental challenges, scale size graphics, and a passionate note from the author.
To learn more about Jason Chin, redwood facts, and related links, click here.
http://redwoodsthebook.com/facts.php

Redwoods is Jason’s Chin’s first book as both author and illustrator. In a recent interview, he discussed his inspiration: "I was on the subway reading a magazine article about scientists studying the redwood canopy. I got lost imagining these guys swinging from the treetops like Spiderman.” Jason enjoys visiting with children of all ages. He shows them his illustration process and shares information on redwood trees. He often includes a drawing exercise as part of his presentation. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

This book was reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer. The bio was written by Laura Crawford.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up at Scrub-A-Dub-Tub- A Reading Tub blog.