Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday-Tree of Wonder by Kate Messner



My Friend Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts weekly link up to share Nonfiction Picture Books. Please visit her amazing website.

by Kate Messner
Illustrated by Simona Mulazanni
Published August 2015
Chronicle Books
36 Pages

This is one nonfiction book with so many possibilities. First, it teaches about how important one tree is to the many lives that depend on it for survival. The animals that depend on the tree are not ordinary animals that most children have probably heard of before. They will learn about howler monkeys, dart frog and rusty wandering spiders just to name a few. This book could be a mentor text for many science lessons including how animals and plants depend on one another. Along with the simple text on each page, there is a more in-depth description of the animals in the bottom corner. 
Then there is the mathematical aspect of the book. It starts off with 2 green macaws that live in the tree, rest in its branches and eat its fruit. Then, each time a new animal is discussed, the number doubles. It ends with 1,024 leaf cutter ants. Each number is displayed with small black pictures of the animal in an array. 
The pictures are amazingly done! Kids will enjoy examining them closely to look at the animals. 
I would recommend Tree of Wonder for ages 6-12. 

Possible Pairings
  

See what others have to say about Tree of Wonder.

5 comments:

  1. I love books that show the interconnectedness of math and the natural world - math is all around us, all the time! I shared a similar book this week that celebrates math and nature, so we're on the same wavelength. :)

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  2. A favorite! Imaginative layouts and interesting content. Win, win!

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  3. I'll definitely look for this, Gigi. I've been in several rain forests & the trees there are absolutely amazing. Thank you!

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  4. I really enjoyed reading this book - I like finding books that still fit the need of elementary readers. Sometimes the content goes too far over what I am looking for.

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  5. I love when teachers make pairing suggestions so helpful when I share the links with teachers. Thank you.

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