Top Ten Tuesday – Inter-Connectedness of Trees and Forests.

I am obsessed with nonfiction read alouds and how they help build knowledge, vocabulary and thinking in your class! So this week, my top ten books are all about trees – their beauty, their strength, their importance, and their interconnectedness of nature – and how we need to work together to protect them. These books are filled with interesting facts but also invite readers to look and think about trees in new ways. Lots of learning, discussing, and thinking will emerge from these book gems! 

Here are my top 10 books about trees!

The Magic and Mystery of Trees – Jen Green

A mesmerizing, fact-filled book about trees, complete with stunning illustrations. A perfect read aloud that will lead to so many questions and discussions about trees. Includes engaging activities including how to plant a tree. Did I mention that the illustrations were amazing????

Sometimes I Feel Like an Oak – Danielle Daniel 

This is the latest companion book to the successful series by Indigenous author Danielle Daniel which includes Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox and Sometimes I Feel Like a River. In it, readers explore the nature and beauty of twelve different trees through twelve lyrical poems and journeys readers through the seasons, from early spring to deep winter. Gorgeous illustrations! NOTE: This book will be released on April 2nd. 

Redwoods – Jason Chin

Jason Chin is one of my favorite author/illustrators. In this book, an ordinary train ride becomes and extraordinary trip to the great ancient forests. It’s such a phenomenal picture-book that is a perfect blend of factual narrative and fantasy adventure. Your students will LOVE this book and learn a lot about ancient redwoods along the way. 

Be Thankful for Trees: A tribute to the many & surprising ways trees relate to our lives  – Harriet Ziefert

Written in lyrical rhyming couplets, this book is a tribute to the many ways trees relate to our lives, from the furniture we sit or sleep on to the musical instruments we play, to the books we read and more. Also touches on environmenatl dangers of fires, floods and deforestation on trees and ends with encouraging readers to help to protect the environment. A great read for primary students.

Stand Like a Cedar – Nicola I. Campbell

When you go for a walk in nature, who do you see? What do you hear?  A simple, yet powerful story depicting many indigenous traditions and celebrates gratitude for the land, plants, and living creatures that sustain life. Written in English but with key Salish words included. I love that the back of the book includes a translation guide with tips on how to pronounce the words.

Tree Math: See, Think and Wonder – Deanna Pecaski Mclennan

In this book, readers explore the math that exists in tree exploration using the ‘see, think, and wonder’ thinking routine. Colourful photos and accessible text invite readers to explore the fun and excitement of tree math! An effective resource to inspire math talks in your classroom or before heading outside to play and explore the living things around your school. 

The Glorious Forest That Fire Built – Ginny Neil

After the fire and evacutation so many of us experienced this past summer, this book could not have come at a better time. It is an EXCELLENT resource that gently teaches about the cycle of life that occurs after the devastation of a forest fire. The lyrical text and lovely read-aloud lines works so well with the beautiful images of animals and plants rebounding. Highly recommend this book! 

Tall, Tall Tree: A Nature Book for Kids About Forest Habitats – A Rhyming Counting Book – Anthony D. Fredericks

This beautiful counting book, wrtten in rhyme, is a perfect choice for younger readers. On the first page, a northern spotted owl welcomes everyone and invites readers into the magical world of the tall, tall Redwood tree. Readers discover how useful the Redwood tree is to all creatures and the author does a great job of raising awareness of protecting our forests. GORGEOUS illustrations!

Little Tree and the Wood Wide Web – Hannah Abbo

This book uses a sweet, fictionalized tale of a little fir tree sapling to introduce young readers to the concept of the Wood Wide Web, a way that trees can communicate and help one another through their root systems. Such an interesting way to explore all the activity that is occurring under our feet, and a beautiful way to teach young children to appreciate nature.

Listen to the Language of the Trees: A story of how forests communicate underground – Tera Kelley

Another fascinating picture book that explores the underground communication system between trees called the “Mycorrhizal networks”. The book is written in an accessible say way and helps young readers see that the natural world depends on staying connected and helping others—just like us! Interesting back notes helped build my background knowledge!

What Do You See When You Look at a Tree? – Emma Carlisle

I LOVE this book – filled with all the book joy things I like best – poetry, questions, and deep thinking! This thoughtful book invites children to think about the trees all around them in a different way. Written in the form of a poem as a series of questions, readers are invited to, instead of just thinking about trees as branches and leaves, to consider the ways in which they are unique, living beings. LOVE this one! 

The Busy Tree – Jennifer Ward

“I’m a tree, a busy tree…come and see.” If all you see when you look at a tree is leaves, branches, and bark, look again. This beautifully illustrated book shows readers how many of earth’s creatures actually benefit from trees – how tree’s roots nourish acorns and those acorns nourish chimunks. We see how ants, spiders, birds, squirrels and people benefit from the tree’s bark, branches and leaves. Such a good introduction to interconnectedness!

Thanks for stopping by!

I hope you found a new title or two that caught your eye!

Happy reading,everyone!

Top 10 Tuesday – Great Books about Habitats, Biomes, and Ecosystems

Top Ten Tuesday this week features some engaging nonfiction picture books about different biomes and ecosystems and the wild life who live within them. These make great read-alouds to link to your science lessons and for knowledge building in your class! Fascinating books filled with wonderful facts and amazing visuals – even if you are not studying the subject in science – they make great interactive, content-rich read-alouds! 

Many Biomes, One Earth – Sneed B. Collard III

Readers travel around the world and discover twelve terrestrial biomes of North and South America. From icy tundra, through grassland, deserts and tropical rainforest, we learn about all the natural homes animals live in. Fascinating, detailed illustrations in this one. I appreciate the author explaining clearly the differences between a biome and a habitat and the impact that humans have had on earth’s biomes. 

What If There Were No Lemmings: A Book About the Tundra Ecosystem – Suzanna Slade

This is one book in a wonderful series that looks at the impact of a single species on the ecosystem they live in. What difference could the loss of one animal species make? This book follows the chain reaction, and helps readers discover how important lemmings are. Simple text and great illusrations make this a perfect read-aloud! Other books in this series – What if There Were no Wolves, What if There Were No Bees, What if There Were no Wolves What if There Were no Sea Otters.

The Boreal Forest: A Year in the World’s Largest Land Biome – L.E. Carmichael

Interesting and informative book about the forests that grow close to the Arctic, “like a scarf around the world”. This book looks at this vast forest through all four seasons. There’s a really lovely feel to it as the reader is introduced to all different animals, fish, insects and more through the seasons. It also talks about the water cycle, the carbon cycle, and climate change. It’s packed with scientific facts, but not overwhelming. A good read for slightly older readers. 

At the Poles – David Elliot

This beautiful, accessible poetry picture book is filled with odes to different animals found in the two polar regions. Could work as a read aloud or for a poetry unit. The illustrations are really lovely and the book follows David Elliots other poetry books – On the Farm, In the Wild, and In the Sea.

The Tide Pool Waits – Candace Fleming

As someone who spent hours exploring tide pools on west coast beaches, I was immediately drawn to this book. A great picture book to introduce young readers to tide pools and some of the life that lives in the intertidal zone where the land meets the see. Simple, beautiful illustrations. 

Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored an Ecosystem – Jude Isabella

A book for slightly older readers, takes an in-depth look at how the disappearance of gray wolves from Yellowstone National Park was devastating to the ecosystem and how, decades later, the reintroduction of the wolves helped to restore it. The story offers excellent lessons about essential interconnectedness of the natural world, and the importance of human stewardship on the environment.

Who’s Hiding in the Woods? – Katherine McEwen

A charming board book that is a wonderful, engaging way to introduce the ecosystem and animals to JK and SK students. Adorable illustrations and includes multiple lift-the-flaps on each page. This is one of a series that includes: Who’s Hiding on the River? Who’s Hiding in the Snow? Who’s Hiding At the Beach? and Who’s Hiding on the Desert?

Nature’s Patchwork Quilt: Understanding Habitats – Mary Miche

A beautiful book comparing the habitats of the world to a patchwork quilt. Simple explanations of nature’s interdependence and real patchwork patterns are used in the illustrations. The simple text could easily be used with your primary class.

Over and Under the Pond – Kate Messner

I LOVE this series by Kate Messner that take readers on an exciting exploration of variety of different ecosystems. In each book, the illustrations are presented as a “split screen”, allowing us to learn about plant and animal life both above and below the ground. Gorgeous illustations by Christopher Silas Neal. The series include Over and Under the Garden, Canyon, Rainforest, Waves, and Snow.

Welcome to the Neighborhood – Shawn Sheehy

This wonderful little scientific pop-up book introduces readers to seven woodland animals, their havitats, their extraordinary building skills, and how they work together as neighbours. Every animal introduced in this book is connected to each other within an ecosystem. Love this one! 

Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story – Jody Jensen Shaffer

A simple, repetative, rhyming text of how the food chain works–and how sometimes the smaller or more vulnerable creature escapes to live another day! While not specifically connected to specific ecosystems, it’s a great choice to help early readers learn how animals interact with each other. 

A Strange Place to Call Home: The World’s Most Dangerous Habitats & the Animals That Call them Home – Marilyn Singer

This picture book tells readers about 14 incredible animals and the dangerous places they call home through informative poems. Singer writes a different poem for each animal and habitat and each page is accompanied by cut paper illustrations by the amazing Ed Young. More information about each animal included at the back of the book. A wonderful book to link to a unit on extreme environments.

Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem – Melissa Stewart

Melissa Stewart is one of my all-time favorite nonfiction authors for kids. I learn something new every time I read one of her books – and this one is no exception. This fascinating nonfiction book, filled with stunning illustrations, details the end of life for a whale, also known as a whale fall, when its body sinks to the ocean floor and becomes an energy-rich food source for organisms living in the deep sea. This one will have the eyes wide in amazement at what a whale provides to the ecosystem of the ocean floor after its death. Ah-MAXING! (that’s “amazing” x 10 – and yes, I made it up!)

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have found one or two new books you can add to your content-rich picture book collection! Happy Reading, everyone!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Favorite Nonfiction Picture Books of 2018

It’s Monday and I’m happy to be participating in a weekly event with a community of bloggers who post reviews of books that they have read the previous week. Check out more IMWAYR posts here: Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers

Nonfiction picture books are invaluable read-aloud experiences and provide so many opportunities to link to content learning and inspire deep questions and rich discussions with your students! With 2018 coming to a close, I thought I would highlight my favorite Nonfiction picture books of the past year.  From animals, to insects, health, mapping, land and water, seasonal changes, ecosystems and biographies, there is sure to be a book on this list you can share with your students next term!

Who Eats Orange? – Dianne White

Lots to love about this colorful, interactive concept book that introduces young children (Pre K- K) to different colors, animals and foods.  Engaging read-aloud filled with guessing-game pattern and rhyming text that students will enjoy, not to mention the stunning illustrations.  Lots of extra information at the back about what exactly the different animals eat and the biome they live in.

What Do They Do With All That Poo? – Jane Kurtz

You can’t really go wrong with a book about poop in a primary class.  This one is perfect for reading aloud and practicing “The Knew-New” connection activity.  (“I knew this, but this is new to me”) Great information in this book (I learned a lot) and I like the question-answer format:  Why is hyena’s poop white? Do lions hide their poo like domestic cats? What animal has square poo? And of course, what do zoo’s do with all that poo? Sure to be a hit in your classroom!

Lovely Beasts: The Surprising Truth – Kate Gardner

This beautiful book which breaks down myths of “scary beasts” with gentle tenderness.  Gorgeous illustrations include subtle shift from black and white depictions of our negative first impressions to full color when we learn the importance about each animal.  Just enough facts for younger students and I love the use of the “one word” activity in this book!

Terrific Tongues! – Maria Gianferari

Who knew that world of animal tongues was so  full of fascinating facts?   Tongues can be like a sword, like a straw, like a mop, and more. The story is carried by a cute monkey who investigates the mechanics of his animal friends’ tongues.  The guessing game format makes this a great read aloud and hard to resist a book that encourages kids to  stick out their tongues in a positive way?!  Love!

Beavers: The Superpower Field Guide  – Rachel Poliquin

An engaging, entertaining graphic novel nonfiction book for middle grade students.  Love this unique format packed with amazing information as well as great illustrations and text features.  Hilarious and fast paced and I love the “guide book” size.  I look forward to more Superpower Field Guides!  (“Moles” is being released in June!)

Bugs Don’t Hug: Six-Legged Parents and Their Kids – Heather L. Montgomery

How do insect mama’s and papa’s take care of their babies?  Believe it or not, they have more in common to us than you would ever expect!  Such a fun read filled with so many amazing  and surprising insect facts.  Large format and humorous scenes will make this a very popular read-aloud!

Water Land:  Land and Water Forms Around the World – Christy Hale

Creative, clever cut-outs help readers learn about different land and water formations.  Simple, spare text even younger readers will understand.  This would be an excellent anchor book for introducing geographical terms and includes information at the back.  An excellent concept book!  LOVE this one!

The Squirrel’s Busy Year: A First Science Storybook – Martin Jenkins

Readers follow two squirrels as they travel through the changes of the seasons.  This is a simple concept book and would be a good one for teaching changing weather, plants, and animal patterns. There are teaching tips in the front and back of the story and a small index.

Stretch to the Sun: From a Tiny Sprout to the Tallest Tree on Earth – Carrie A. Pearson

There is much to love about this picture book which introduces readers to a a 600 year old Redwood – the tallest known tree on earth.  Through stunning, detailed illustrations and beautifully written sparse text (lots of triple scoop words!) this book takes us on a journey through an old growth forest ecosystem and all inter-conectedness of nature.

See How We Move – Scot Ritchie

I am a fan of Scot Ritchie books so was excited to see his new book about health and well-being.  (His other books on Community Building,  Mapping Skills, and Buildings and Structures are well worth having in your library!)  Set within a story of five young multicultural friends who are competing together at a local swim meet, this book introduces young readers to a wealth of healthy habits:  importance of safety equipment (goggles, bike helmets), importance of exercise for your body, warming up before exercising, teamwork, practicing skills, enjoying the exercise, handwashing to stop spread of germs, proper nutrition, interaction of the brain and the body, and visualization.  Several games that kids can play to keep moving are included at the back.  Another MUST HAVE for your classroom or school library!

Mapping Sam – Joyce Hesselberth

Excellent blend of fiction and nonfiction in this one.  Readers follow an adventurous cat named Sam as he journeys and maps his way through the neighbourhood at night.   This would be a great way to introduce different types of maps to young students.  More details about each type of map can be found in the back of the book.

House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery – Liz Rosenberg

“Anne with an E” is one of my favorite characters from my childhood!   I so enjoyed reading and learning about the fascinating life of the author and creator of the beloved Ann of Green Gables books in this very readable biography.  I learned so much about Maud’s fascinating life, her relationships, her mental illness and her battle to overcome it.  Recommended for older students and I recommend teachers pre-read it for appropriateness if planning to read it out loud.

Spring After Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement – Stephanie Roth Sisson

For those who may not have read Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring (first published in 1962), it was the groundbreaking book which introduced and exposed the impact of pesticides and herbicides on the life cycles of plants and animals. This picture book biography tells the true story of this inspirational environmentalist, leader, activist, scientist, and author Rachel Carson, highlighting and recounting her incredible accomplishments and contributions to science that changed the way the world thinks about our environment.  Timely and a great anchor to any unit on the environment.  Pay close attention to the amazingly detailed illustrations in this one!

The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan – Anna Renaud

This is a fascinating picture book about one of the “exhibits of curiosities” of P.T. Barnum.  Anna Swan was born in the 1800s in Nova Scotia, and grew up to be extraordinarily tall.  As people whispered and pointed at her, she decided to make the most of her situation.   Well written, simple language, told from the point of view of Anna.  The author does an excellent job of comparing her size to plants and animals.  There are additional facts and real photographs at the back.  I plan to add this title to my “Reading and Thinking Across Canada” unit.

Shaking Things Up – 14 Young Women Who Changed The World – Susan Hood

Amazing collection of tributes to 14 extraordinary rebel girls and women who changed the world.  Written in verse, each poem is paired up with an amazing illustrator.  Uplifting, powerful and inspirational and would certainly lead to further reading.  Reading one per day to a middle grade class would stimulate great discussions, questions, connections and inferences!   (in other words…. a little Reading Power!)

Thanks for stopping by and hope you found a title or two that caught your eye!