Nonfiction Monday: Poetrees

Poetrees

Written and illustrated by Douglas Florian
Ages 4-8, 48 pages
Simon and Schuster/Beach Lane Books, 2010

Reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer

Bio by Laura Crawford

Book Source: We would like to thank the Orland Park Public Library for providing a copy of this book for review.

The word-play master and pun crafter is back with a tree-mendous new poetry collection that will leave yew begging for more. Embedded in each witty poem are fascinating nature facts that will pique the interest of any curious reader. What’s so interesting about the baobab tree? Florian calls it a "Jug tree. / Hug tree. / Upside / Down tree…" The Japanese cedar? It’s "…ex-seed-ingly old / ex-seed-ingly tall. /And all from a seed so / ex-seed-ingly small." The paper birch? "…Smooth white birch bark / Grows where it’s cold. /Paper birrrrrrrrrrch: / A sight to behold." And the sequoia? It’s "gargantuan," the world’s tallest tree. The lighthearted verse also cleverly cautions one should "…never destroy a Giant sequoia."
In a rather unconventional format, the book opens vertically, like a lid, allowing tree-tall poems and artwork to extend full length down double page spreads. Florian, who is both poet and illustrator, uses a variety of mediums—oil pastels, gauche, water color, colored pencil, rubber stamps, and collage rendered on brown paper bags—to enhance texture, depth perception, and whimsy. Additional facts about trees and related topics (seeds, roots, leaves, and bark) are included in the two-page "Glossatree." Pun-ny and edu-sational, young readers will be rooting for yew to "Read it again, please!"

Douglas Florian is the author and illustrator of more than 30 books for children. As a child, his teachers often said he was a good student, but he did not follow the rules. As a poet, he demonstrates the same behavior! He believes there are no rules when writing; he frequently uses incorrect grammar and spelling on purpose and likes to make up words for his poems. When working on a book, he usually writes on one day, and paints on another. He lives in New York City with his wife and five children.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Check It Out blog.

Nonfiction Monday: Oil Spill

Oil Spill!

By Melvin Berger

Illustrated by Paul Mirocha
32 pages, Ages 5-10
HarperCollins Publishers, 1994

Reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer

Bio by Laura Crawford

Book Source: We would like to thank the Orland Park Public Library for providing a copy of this book for review.

In 1989, the Exxon Valdez, a huge oil tanker, slammed into an underwater reef. Eleven million gallons of oil, (enough to fill 1,000 big swimming pools) gushed out of its smashed tanks polluting 1,250 miles of Alaska’s coastal waters. The oil coated the feathers of marine birds. It poisoned fish, otters, seals and whales. As a result, millions of birds, fish, and other kinds of marine life died. This oil spill was the worst in our country’s history. Sadly, it was not the last. Did you know that an oil spill occurs somewhere in the world almost every day of the year?
How do oil spills happen? How do they affect ocean plants and marine life? How can oil spills be prevented? Berger answers these questions in clear, simple language. Watercolor and colored pencil illustrations portray beautiful marine life, clean up crews hard at work, diagrams of the equipment used to clean up oil spills, and a map. The final pages of the book list ways oil spills can be prevented in the future. It also encourages young readers to take action by using less electricity and gasoline at home, and by writing letters to the U.S. Senate pleading for stricter oil transportation laws. Part of the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science series, Oil Spill is appropriate for classroom use when studying marine life, animal habitats, conservation, and pollution. Why not read it to your student or child in recognition of the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, 2010? This oldie-but- goodie is a great fit!

Melvin Berger is a multi-talented and busy individual! In addition to writing almost 200 books for children, he is also a professional viola player. He used writing and music to escape the pressures that the Great Depression created for his immigrant family. In fact, his first book was titled Science and Music. His more recent books range from insects and zoo animals to sports medicine and diseases. He and his wife Gilda currently live and frequently write together in their East Hampton, New York home.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Wrapped in Foil blog. This is the third in our series of posts celebrating Earth Day. Be sure to check out our other reviews in this series:

Into the Deep: The Life of Naturalist and Explorer William Beebe

Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow: A Compost Story

Nonfiction Monday: Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow

Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow: A Compost Story
Written by Linda Glaser
Ages 9-12, 32 Pages
Millbrook Press, 2010
Reviewed by Kimberly M. Hutmacher

Book Source: We would like to thank Millbrook Press for providing a copy of this book for review.

When most of us think of coffee grounds, cantaloupe rinds and peanut shells, we probably think of discarded garbage. With engaging text and photographs, this book educates readers about how this seemingly useless garbage, actually helps our gardens to grow.
Step by step, Glaser explains the process of composting, from layering garbage with leaves and grass clippings to spraying to keep the pile moist to turning the pile with a shovel. We learn that this process is repeated until one day, what was once table scraps, has turned into nutrient rich soil that helps our garden grow.
The back matter of this book is full of commonly asked questions and answers about composting. Readers are left with a good basic knowledge of the composting process and the inspiration to start a composting bin of their very own.
I was impressed to learn that this book was made with 30 percent recycled post-consumer waste fibers. Also, the mills that manufactured the paper, purchased certified renewable energy, such as solar or wind energy, to cover its production.

To learn more about author, Linda Glaser and her books, click here.

This book is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Shelf-Employed blog.

This post is the second post in our series celebrating Earth Day. To read the first post, a review of Into the Deep: The Life of Naturalist and Explorer William Beebe, click here.

Email Poetry Course

I am once again offering my email poetry course, Beyond Jack and Jill: A Study in Children's Poetry. This four-week class covers rhyme, meter, and scansion. Students will read a variety of poetry and gain a good understanding of poetry forms and the tools poets use in creating their works. Students are asked to read at least 2 children’s poetry collections per week. Students will be asked to submit 2 of their own poems for critique each week. I will also share children's poetry market information with students. This class is designed to be completed in four weeks, but if something comes up and you need extra time to complete assignments, I'm flexible. The cost of the class is $100.
For those of you who do not know me, I’m the author of nine books, eight of which are for children. I'm the former poetry editor for Wee Ones Magazine. I've written two poetry ebooks for A to Z Kid's Stuff. I've had over 60 pieces of fiction, nonfiction and poetry accepted for publication in magazines.
If you are interested in registering and/or if you have any questions, please email me at kiddos@warpnet.net.

Kim Hutmacher

Nonfiction Monday: Into the Deep

Into the Deep: The Life of Naturalist and Explorer William Beebe

Written and Illustrated by David Sheldon
Ages 9-7, 48 pages
Charlesbridge, 2009

Reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer

Bio by Laura Crawford

Book Source: We would like to thank the Midlothian Public Library for providing a copy of this book for review.

William Beebe’s passion for nature was evident early on. As a child, he roamed the New Jersey hillsides studying animals. He and his mother participated in the Audubon Society’s annual bird migration count. By age twelve he was an expert animal tracker. He mounted insects and collected plants and rocks. A young self-taught taxidermist, his bedroom was filled with stuffed birds, aquariums and terrariums. He was only eighteen when he began writing nature articles for magazines and newspapers. And before graduating from college, Beebe became the assistant curator of birds for the New York Zoological Park (The Bronx Zoo). His early years foreshadowed what was to come.
This large-size picture book chronicles the life of a remarkable American naturalist ecologist, conservationist and deep-sea explorer, William Beebe. Sheldon’s colorful, action-packed double page spreads in India ink and acrylics show Beebe riding a burro in South America, scaling a tree in Amazon jungle, and diving into the ocean off the Galapagos Islands. Most famous for his record-breaking deep-sea dive, readers will be intrigued to learn that Beebe helped design the Bathysphere, and in 1934, descended into the unexplored depths of the ocean to view fascinating, eerie underwater creatures that no man had ever seen before!
Readers curious to learn more about Beebe’s groundbreaking research and scientific discoveries will find a more detailed summary at the end of the book, as well as quotes from Beebe’s journals, a glossary and bibliography. Children who enjoy wildlife television programs such as "Wild Kingdom" and Steve Irwin’s "Crocodile Hunter," will find Into the Deep irresistible. A National Science Teachers Association Recommends, this book is a fascinating study of how one man’s passion help shape our views of ecology.

David Sheldon has been illustrating since first grade when he was the hit of the class because he could draw scary monsters. As an adult, he says "I try to go 'all out' with colors and details to really give the young reader an 'amazing journey'"'. When he was young he loved to look at the photos in science books, but the books had too many words for him to read. His goal is to make inviting picture books that children can read and examine independently. He began as an illustrator, but also likes to write his own stories, sometimes using his middle name and pseudonym, Quentin. Check out his online portfolio at http://www.davidquentinsheldon.com/.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Lerner Books blog.