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Ecology for Beginners

Aug30
Ecology for Beginners

Ecology for Beginners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ecology for Beginners

Andy Prentice

Lan Cook

Anton Hallman

Usborne, 2023

128pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781474998475

“Ecology is the study of how animals, plants and other living things interact with their environment and with each other”.

In its typical, direct reader-friendly language, this is the definition of a word that is bandied around a lot these days, along with “environment” and “eco-systems” and other scientific terms connected to the protection and preservation of our planet and its species in this new book from Usborne.   

Described as “the perfect answer to the question “What is Ecology, and why should I care?”, young readers can explore the basics of Ecology by following a wide variety of real-world examples about how living things cope in all sorts of environments which is essential if they are to understand the current concerns about climate change and the responsibilities they are being asked to shoulder.  Not only do they learn how ecosystems work and their interdependence, but also what happens when the systems are damaged or destroyed, even how and if they can be protected or even repaired. Importantly. they learn that there are still many issues that ecologists are trying to find answers to, and while there are loud voices calling for action, the best course of action might not yet be known.  

Its graphic-heavy, byte-sized text format, it is ideal for the curious mind that wants to delve into this topic, and for those who want to explore further there are the usual Quicklinks  which offer all sorts of practical suggestions for students to explore their own world in greater depth such as building a bee hotel or making a quadrat to record wildlife in their backyard.

Count the Stars

Aug29
Count the Stars

Count the Stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Count the Stars

Raewyn Caisley

Gabriel Evans

Walker Books, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781760653552

Everywhere in her everyday world, Maddie finds mathematics.  Whether it’s seeing the parallel lines of sunshine pouring through her bedroom blinds in to morning, counting daisy petals in the garden, or finding the patterns in the pathway, she adores maths.  But among her friends, it would seem she was alone – when her friends came to play they found fascination in other things like decorating the cupcakes rather than measuring and making them.  Her preoccupation impinges on her relationships with her classmates, making her feel out of kilter with them, as though she were some kind of weird and she doesn’t even notice that there might be others with a similar fascination, until…

This is an absolutely intriguing story with lots of layers that will resonate with so many readers, not just discovering the ubiquity of maths in our lives, and maybe building a maths trail around the school. While the author has chosen to make maths the focus of Maddie’s passion, there are bigger issues that can be explored through the story such as celebrating a love of learning; making and maintaining friendships; finding and following your passion and owning it or, conversely, feeling separated from our friends because they don’t love something as we do; even exploring whether friends can like and do different things and still be friends.

Having gone from someone who saved the Year 6 final excursion by being the only person to get 100% in the end-of-year maths exam, to be completely bewildered by the complexities of algebra and trigonometry at high school and getting a bare minimum pass in the School Certificate exam, to becoming a maths consultant and writing a number of teacher resource books on integrating it across the curriculum, I can relate very closely to Maddie as she finds the maths in everything fascinating and understands why it is referred to as the “Queen of Sciences”.  So while I could write a book or several (actually have) about how the maths in this story could be the springboard to the year’s curriculum, starting with the endpapers, it also opens the opportunity for readers to share their passions and what is involved in achieving their big dreams.  And that could lead to investigating how their heroes achieved their dreams, or building Genius Hour into the timetable, or…

But for all the Maddies who love maths, perhaps they could ponder this… if Maddie can figure out a way to count the daisy petals in the garden, how could she count the stars?  

 

Nature’s Song

Aug22
Nature's Song

Nature’s Song

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nature’s Song

Robert Vescio

Nicky Johnston

New Frontier, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781922326782

It’s tough being inside when Outside is peeking through the window and beckoning you to follow.  But it’s even tougher if you’re confined to bed because you have a broken leg.  And so the little girl resists the temptation to escape and keeps her brother company instead. Until the day the plaster finally comes off and she is able to be there herself to watch the morning rise, serenade the sun and  rediscover the wonders of Outside has been keeping.  Now, how can she bring this inside so her brother can share it too?

Beautifully written, and softly and sensitively illustrated this is a story about discovering the wonders of our own natural environment without having to seek “artificial” entertainment.  As the little girl and her dog frolic in the freedom of being outdoors again, and discover the extraordinary in the ordinary as Mother Nature goes about her daily business of making the world wonderful, young readers can be encouraged to not only look for all the details portrayed in the pictures and discover things often overlooked or taken for granted,  but to also look at their own Outside and use their senses and imagination to see what magic is waiting for them.  Perhaps, they too, can find a way to bring it Inside.  

And maybe, as they lie in bed on the edge of dreams and reflect on the day, they might ask themselves, “Did I find wonder in the world, today?” “Did I listen to Nature’s song? What tune was she playing?”   For even on cold, misty mountain mornings as we have today, there is always a song being sung. You just have to listen.

 

Do Penguins’ Feet Freeze?

Aug8
Do Penguins' Feet Freeze?

Do Penguins’ Feet Freeze?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do Penguins’ Feet Freeze?

The Natural History Museum

CSIRO Publishing, 2023

96pp., pbk., RRP $A27.99

9781486317820

 

Remember this scene from the wonderful movie, Happy Feet? The story of a little penguin named Mumble who has a terrible singing voice but has an astute talent for tap dancing? Well, you have to wonder whether he danced for the love of movement or just to keep his feet warm on the icy landscape of Antarctica.

The answer can be found in this new release from CSIRO Publishing in which heaps of the sorts of questions about Mother Nature that kids like to ask are answered in their language with straightforward explanations and stunning photographs.  Questions like

  • Why do rabbits eat their own poo?
  • How do polar bears stay warm?
  • Can dolphins talk to each other?
  • Why does rain smell?
  • How clever is an octopus?
  • Which animal has spines in its throat?
  • Why do goats scream and faint?
  • Will an asteroid hit Earth?
  • Why are flamingos pink?
  • Do birds sneeze?
  • Why do honeybees dance?

Later this month, there will be news clips and so forth about the blue moon on August 31, and given the rarity of these there will be questions. But imagine if our students could tell their families before the newsreader does,  just by reading p65 in this book.  Similarly, if they want to know how petrichor  – that delightful, dusky smell of rain first hitting dry ground – is created, then the answer is on p 42.

These sorts of Q&A books have always been enormously popular with young readers keen to explore the world beyond their backyard, particularly with the focus on the environment these days,   and with modern presentations which include detailed photographs, they are again reaching a peak in popularity.  This one is no exception.  There wasn’t a page that didn’t teach me something, and while that’s not hard, young readers will delight in ramping up the dinner table conversation as they share their new-found knowledge.  Why rabbits eat their own poo might not be the best topic, but imagine being able to explain Mumbles’ dancing before a family movie night. And then perhaps posing their own question and researching their answers to create a whole new book for the library collection. 

Entertaining, educational and engaging – what more could you want?

Meet Mim

Aug5
Meet Mim

Meet Mim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Mim

Sandra Severgnini

EK Books, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781922539557

Where the cool river meets the warm ocean and the roots of the mangroves provide sanctuary for all sorts of creatures on the sandy seabeds of the Indo-Pacific region, lives Thaumoctopus mimicus. But what is this creature? Is it a brown=spotted flatfish? A spiked lionfish? A banded sea snake?  Perhaps it is a hermit crab, maybe a jellyfish or even a sea anemone. A seahorse? A feather star? A seashell or stingray… No? Wait, perhaps it is all of these things…

In this intriguing book young readers are introduced to a fascinating creature that can change colour, shape and skin texture at will mimicking those around it to deter predators.  For Mim, is, in fact an octopus!!  Discovered in 1998 off the coast of Sulawesi in Indonesia but also found around the Great Barrier Reef, this master of disguise is the first of the genus to be observed impersonating other creatures and is the first known species to take on the characteristics of multiple species.

Using a guessing game technique that is so much more engaging than a fact sheet, accompanied by detailed illustrations, this is a book that will captivate young readers who are interested in the miracles of Mother Nature, particularly how creatures protect themselves through camouflage.  The double-page spread that compares Mim to those she imitates is fascinating and the STEM activities of the teachers’ notes offer lots of suggestions that will encourage further exploration, including investigating the differences between “disguise” and “mimicry”. They also offer some suggestions for how we, as humans, can develop mindfulness strategies by mimicking Mim but perhaps older students could explore the concept of human disguise – who are we and what are we doing when we choose to use make up, follow a fashion trend, adopt a hairstyle and so forth. Why do we try to “disguise” ourselves and are our strategies successful?  

This is another of the new breed of non fiction that demands to be in the collection so that our students have access to all sorts of stuff that goes beyond the curriculum and into the worlds of wonder and curiosity to spark the imagination and investigation.  Seriously, who among us knew of this little creature let alone well enough to introduce it to our students?  

One Day By the Numbers

Aug2
One Day By the Numbers

One Day By the Numbers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Day By the Numbers

Steve Jenkins

Clarion, 2022

40pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

 9780358470113

What happens around in the world in twenty-four hours? This is another  amazing book of infographics from author-illustrator Steve Jenkins as he shares lots of amazing facts and  figures, summarised in pictures, charts and graphs in this new book perfect for curious kids.

Some of you may have seen the photos I shared of an intrigued young friend who started reading at 3.30pm and was still going at 7.30pm when I gave him 100 Things to Know About the Unknown recently, and this is definitely another one that will keep him entranced, as it will all our other young readers who have a penchant for non fiction and being enticed down rabbit holes as they strive to find out more about what has captured them.

The perfect evidence for why we need a vibrant non fiction collection.

The perfect evidence for why we need a vibrant non fiction collection.

In this latest addition to the By the Numbers series, readers can explore what happens around the world with humans, animals, and even microorganisms in just twenty-four hours. From how much humans eat and how far migrating animals travel in day to how often lightning strikes. readers travel beyond the clock and into what twenty-four hours looks like on a massive scale. As Europe’s wildfires make headline news, we can learn that not only are these fires growing more frequent and more intense, but the equivalent of 125 000 soccer fields is burned by them every day!! And, at the other end of the scale, 16 000 Olympic swimming pools could be filled by the ice melting from glaciers and the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets every day.  

As well as being a model for the presentation of information that students could emulate, this is such an intriguing series it will keep the Xanders of this world engaged for hours, providing even more evidence of the importance of having a vibrant, current and promoted non fiction print collection.  Who knows what might catch their eye and capture their curiosity?

Lifesize Deadly Animals

Jun28
Lifesize Deadly Animals

Lifesize Deadly Animals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lifesize Deadly Animals

Sophy Henn

Red Shed, 2023

32pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9780008534301

Imagine opening a picture book and being confronted with the talons of a bird, talons that are bigger than your own hand! And then discovering that they belong to a real bird, the harpy eagle! 

In this new book in this series which, this time, compares some of world’s smallest and largest deadly animals , young readers are invited to think about how they compare with these amazing creatures. And as well as discovering that many of the deadliest creatures are not necessarily the largest – the most successful predator is actually the common dragonfly – they also discover that just because something may not be deadly to humans, nevertheless it deserves its place in the book because of its impact on its own environment.

Every second double-page spread features a lifesize portion of a creature including caimans, snakes and lions, and the following spread explains why it is deadly and so effective within its own habitat.  So while the Bengal slow loris releases a deadly, flesh-rotting venom to kill, it only uses it on its own kind.  

Unlike Lifesize Baby Animals , which lent itself to children comparing their own size to that of the featured creatures, this one takes the reader into a different sort of investigation as they consider food chains and how species satisfy their basic need to eat.  Sometimes the biggest or scariest are not always the ones to fear the most.

One of my enduring memories of my 50+ years of teaching in both classroom and library,  is seeing groups of young boys, often not the best readers, poring over books like these excitedly discussing their discoveries, trying to outdo each other in the WOW stakes, and I am convinced that the provision of books like this contributes much more to their learning (and reading development) than the content presented within.  For that alone, this is a series worth having and sharing (although I am glad that Lifesize Creepy Crawlies is only available as an ebook!)

The Bird Book

Jun19
The Bird Book

The Bird Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bird Book

Steve Jenkins

Robin Page

Clarion Books, 2023

48pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780358325697

From the time a small feathered animal launched itself into the air 150 million years ago, the planet’s skies have been populated with birds and now  more than 10 000 species have evolved from that first archaeopteryx, being the only creatures of the dinosaur era to survive the impact of the asteroid that hit the earth 66 million years ago.

Using minimum text and many many illustrations of examples, the reader is taken on an exploration of the species that explains what a bird is, how the species evolved, and the features that have made them so successful including the power of flight, their senses, their adaptations to  their habitats, migration and all the other facets of life that one would expect to discover. The only drawback that it may have for the younger reader is the small, hand0writing like font that may prove tricky for them to read without help. Overall, though, this is an intriguing and informative book that really provides an ‘all-you-need-to-know’ introduction to a creature that varies from the bee hummingbird that weighs less than a ping pong ball tp the wandering albatross with its wingspan of over three metres to the ostrich which is the largest living bird on the planet these days, outstripped by the extinct giant moa, endemic to New Zealand.

Steve Jenkins has given young readers some fascinating insights into the animal world such as The Animal Toolkit and Animal Facts by the Numbers, and this is just as fascinating.

The Busy Garden

Jun17
The Busy Garden

The Busy Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Busy Garden

Mary Luciano

Nandina Vines

Little Steps, 2023

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781922678553

Early morning, and all the critters in the garden are awake and going about their usual regular routines.  Beatrice the bee, Lenny the lizard, Sienna the spider – they each have their daily chores that keep them busy. But then the children arrive to play and like most kids, they don’t even see all the little inhabitants in their homes and at their work, let alone the destruction they cause as they play…

With vivid illustrations that take the reader to eye level in the garden in a way they seldom get to see in reality, this is a story-in-rhyme that not only raises awareness of the diversity and busy-ness of the garden’s inhabitants but also teaches them that is the work of these creatures that make it as stunning as it is so it is a pleasant place to play.  

One to encourage young readers to be more aware of their surroundings and their impact on it, as well as leaving them in awe and wonder of all that goes on when they aren’t there.  

 

Ruby’s Rescue

Jun14
Ruby's Rescue

Ruby’s Rescue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruby’s Rescue

Elizabeth Mary Cummings

Cheryl Hughes

Big Sky, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781922896292

Ruby is really keen to help the animals that have been injured in a recent bushfire, but is finding it tricky because she is confined to a wheelchair because she broke her leg when her horse threw her when it was spooked by the smoke. Pushing a wheelchair over rough ground is hard work and so she has to be satisfied with helping her mother rake leaves so that the house is more fireproof before the next fire season.  She is even more determined when she finds a possum with burned paws, and that night she gets inspiration from an unusual source…

This is a timely release as we are urged by state bushfire authorities to prepare our homes during these cooler months in preparation for the summer fire season, and in fact, it contains a checklist from the NSW Rural Fire Service to encourage families to take action.  But it also a story that demonstrates to young readers that they are not powerless and that there are things they can do to help not only in preparing their home but in caring for the wildlife that will be inevitably impacted and injured as well. 

While stories like this and The Fire Wombat bring the heart-breaking impact of fire to our attention, others like Alight: A Story of Fire and  Nature  show that it is an integral part of the life cycle of the bush and thus, even our young readers, need to be aware and ready.