Science

Ribbit by Jorey Hurley

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Published by Simon and Schuster

Summary:  The life cycle of a frog is described through illustrations and one word of text per page.  It begins with “Wait”, as two frogs swim near a mass of eggs, and ends with “Ribbit”, as one of the hatchlings, now an adult, finds a mate. In between, the eggs hatch, a tadpole transforms into a frog, and that frog catches an insect and hibernates in the mud.  An author’s note gives more information about frogs and their life cycles.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  Young children will love the bright, clean illustrations depicting the frog and its environment around a pond.  The single words convey a lot of information.

Cons:  A list of books and/or websites about frogs would have been a nice addition.

Grand Canyon by Jason Chin

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  A man and his daughter take a backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon, learning about the geological history as they go.  Starting at the bottom, they study the rocks and fossils of each layer traveling upward to discover what Earth was like in the past.  The girl imagines herself in different eras, with illustrations showing what the canyon looked like in those times.  Small cutouts in some pages give preview peeks as to what’s ahead on the next page.  Borders of many of the main illustrations show the flora and fauna that live at the different levels within the canyon.  The final two pages of the main text open up into an amazing four-page spread of the “the grandest canyon on Earth.”  Back matter includes quite a bit more information on the Grand Canyon, as well as a long list of sources and some books for further reading.  56 pages; grades 2-7.

Pros:  Jason Chin produces another natural history masterpiece, with illustrations so lifelike they almost look like photographs.  The pages are packed with information, both in the text and the pictures and diagrams.  Readers will want to be on the next flight out to Arizona to experience the Grand Canyon for themselves.

Cons:  While extremely informative, the text isn’t always quite as engaging as the illustrations.

Hatching Chicks in Room 6 by Caroline Arnold

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Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  Mrs. Best raises chickens in her backyard, and she brings in some eggs for her kindergarten class to observe.  The class keeps the eggs in two incubators and counts down the 21 days it will take for them to hatch.  They–and the reader–learn about chickens and what is going on inside the egg.  Excitement grows as day 21 arrives, and cracks start appearing in the shells.  Pretty soon, there are 14 baby chicks in the incubators.  From there they move into a brood box, then an outdoor pen, and finally, when they are a month old, back to Mrs. Best’s house to join the rest of her chickens.  Includes questions and answers, a glossary, and books and websites with additional information.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This is a must-have for any classroom that embarks on an egg-hatching project.  Even if you’re not that ambitious, it is an engaging introduction to the life cycle of the chicken, with plenty of great photos of Mrs. Best, her class, and the eggs and chicks at various stages.

Cons:  The list of books at the end doesn’t include the awesome A Chicken Followed Me Home by Robin Page (2015).

 

The Secret Project by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Jeanette Winter

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Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  A peaceful boys’ school in the New Mexican desert is suddenly ordered closed by the U.S. government.  Scientists arrive from all over the country to work on a top-secret project known simply as “The Gadget”.  Other workers don’t know what the scientists are working on, and the outside world has no idea their project even exists.  The scientists work long at hard, trying to figure out how to split atoms from uranium and plutonium.  At last, The Gadget is ready.  It’s placed on a stand in the middle of the desert, then the scientists drive far away.  The countdown begins…10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.  A huge fireball erupts, turning into a gigantic orange mushroom cloud .  The text ends with  two blank black pages.  Includes an author’s note giving more history of the Manhattan Project, and a list for further reading.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Mother-son team Jeanette and Jonah Winter have created a remarkable book, giving a brief history of the Manhattan Project in a way that is accessible for elementary school kids.  The illustrations convey the air of secrecy about the project, showing the scientists as black shadows throughout the story.  

Cons:  All the scientists portrayed are men. In reality, quite a few women scientists and mathematicians worked on the Manhattan Project.

Whose Poop Is That? By Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Kelsey Oseid

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Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  Which animal’s poop can be a foot high?  Whose has splinters in it?  Is that bundle of fur and bones a poop?  A question is posed on one page, with a picture of the waste material in question, then the answer is given next, showing the animal who produced it.  Seven animals are profiled, including the extinct ground sloth, which introduces the concept of fossilized poop.  Two pages at the end give additional facts about poops and the animals who make them.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  After kids pick themselves up off the floor after splitting their sides over the fact that the word “poop” is in the title of this book, they will actually find out how waste can be used to learn something about animals.  The question-and-answer format makes this a good interactive read-aloud.

Cons:  My Google images search for “Whose poop is that?” had some interesting results.

The Search for Olinguito: Discovering a New Species by Sandra Markle

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Published by Millbrook Press

Summary:  On August 15, 2013, Kristofer Helgen from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History announced the discovery of a new mammal called the olinguito.  How was this little animal, a relative of the raccoon and the kinkajou, discovered?  Sandra Markle takes the reader through the preceding decade, during which time Helgen studied pelts and skeletons of an animal called the olingo at museums around the world.  He noticed that some of them were quite different, enough to possibly be a different animal from the olingo.  Eventually, his research led him to the cloud forests of Ecuador and Colombia, where he was able to study the new animal in its habitat, learning enough about it to publish a paper and make his announcement about the new species from the Smithsonian. Includes, glossary, index, and resources to learn more. 40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  An accessible look at science at work, generously illustrated with photographs and maps.  Young scientists will be inspired by the final question: what else is out there?

Cons:  If I discovered a new species based on my knowledge of the olingo, I would come up with a much more original name than olinguito.

Science Comics: Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers by MK Reed, illustrated by Joe Flood

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by First Second 

Summary:  Focusing mostly on humans’  gradual discoveries of the history of dinosaurs, this graphic science book covers paleontology from the Industrial Revolution to the present.  In 1800, the reader learns, it was believed that the Earth was 6,000 years old, that dinosaurs had vanished a few thousand years before in Noah’s flood, and that there were no examples of dinosaurs left.  The author updates these beliefs as she moves through history until 2000 when scientists believe the earth is 4.5 billion years old, dinosaurs lived over 65 million years ago, and descendants of dinosaurs are living today.  It’s a fascinating journey, with heroes and villains making discoveries, disputing the claims of their peers, and inching their way toward a better understanding of Earth’s history.  Back matter includes a glossary, a timeline of geologic eras, and a short list of further reading.  Part of a new “Science Comics” series that includes (or will soon include) books on coral reefs, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and the solar system.  128 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A fascinating history of paleontology with some really spectacular graphics that do a great job of visually depicting concepts like dinosaur sizes and family trees.

Cons:  The list of books for further reading was pretty short, and the titles were several years old.

Wonderful Winter: All Kinds of Winter Facts and Fun by Bruce Goldstone

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Published by Henry Holt 

Summary:  All kinds of facts about winter are presented, illustrated with large, colorful illustrations.  There’s scientific information about the solstice, snow, animal adaptation, cold, and the simple machines that are used to shovel snow.  The sounds, sports, tastes, holidays, and feelings of winter are all highlighted with their own two-page spreads.  The final four pages include photos and instructions for six winter activities.  This is a follow-up to Bruce Goldstone’s book Awesome Autumn, and from the looks of things at the end of this book, I would say Spectacular Spring cannot be far behind.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A very thorough introduction to winter for the primary grades.  Easy-to-understand science information is interspersed with quick takes on some of the words used to describe winter.  Young readers will enjoy the large, clear photos of familiar winter objects.

Cons:  The “fake snow” activity that involves shredding a disposable diaper sounds a bit messy.

Storyworlds: Nature by Thomas Hegbrook

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Published by 360 Degrees 

Summary:  “Every picture tells a story.  What do you think that story is?”  These words on the title page invite the reader to study the 100 wordless pictures that follow and think about what the story is.  On the verso of the title page (I hope I’m using that word right…the page to the left of the title page) are the words Observe, Inspire, and Wonder, with a sentence about each. The final pages show smaller versions of each of the preceding page, with an animal fact about each one.  The final sentence reads, “What do you think that story is?”  64 pages; ages K-5.

Pros:  A unique book that invites creativity, wonder, and a closer observation of the natural world.  The pictures are beautiful, and I could see certain kids spending literally hours studying them all and making up stories about what is happening in each.

Cons:  The size and $25.00 price may make this a less-than-ideal choice for libraries.

Giant Squid by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann

~ Janet Dawson ~ 5 Comments

Published by Roaring Brook Press 

Summary:  Millions of them may live in the oceans, growing to a length of 40 feet or more, yet very little is known of the giant squid.  Scientists first saw a living one in 2006.  Much of what is known about these creatures comes from studying their remains inside sperm whales, whose stomachs can contain thousands of the indigestible squid beaks.  The poetic text of this book tells what little is known of the giants, illustrated with dark undersea paintings that show glimpses of different parts of them.  The final two-page spread is a labeled drawing of the squid’s body.  After that, an author’s note, “The Mysterious Giant Squid” gives more scientific information, and there’s a substantial list of print and online resources.  40 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  One of my favorite parts of this “job” is learning about topics like the giant squid.  It is amazing that so many of these giant creatures have remained elusive for so long.  The pictures really capture the feel of their deep undersea home, and the author’s note is fascinating.

Cons:  Using the last eight pages to illustrate how the squid’s ink helps protect it (including a few mostly black pages) seemed like a little too much.