On Duck Pond by Jane Yolen Blog Tour Day #4!

Welcome to Day #4 of the On Duck Pond Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of On Duck Pond by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Bob Marstall (4/11/17), blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Jane and Bob, plus 10 chances to win a set of On Bird Hill and On Duck Pond !

Favorite Childhood Picture Book and Writing Music by Jane Yolen

It was World War 2 and  my mother, baby brother and I were living in Virginia with mommy's parents because my father was off in Europe as a war correspondent. At that time, my favorite book was The Story of Ferdinand, about a Spanish bull who refused to fight. I took it out of the library every week for months. Easy to see why it was a favorite! I am very musical--used to sing with a guitar player at college parties, and small clubs. But I never listen to music while I am writing because I need to hear the music of the words in my head, not be driven by the music on a player. Though I have many friends--good writers--who write with music, it is forbidden in my writing room. When NOT writing, I listen to classical, folk, folk rock, and jazz.

*****

Stop by Mundie Kids tomorrow for Day #5 of the tour!

Blog Tour Schedule:

April 10th – Word Spelunking April 11th – Mrs. Mommy BookNerd April 12th – Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust April 13th – Late Bloomer's Book Blog April 14th – Mundie Kids April 17th – Life Naturally April 18th – Chat with Vera April 19th – The Kids Did It April 20th –  Books My Kids Read April 21st – Marianna Frances

Buy: Cornell Lab Publishing

From award-winning and NY Times bestselling children’s author of more than 350 books, Jane Yolen, and award-winning illustrator, Bob Marstall, On Duck Pond is the first sequel to the acclaimed On Bird Hill, which launched the children’s picture book series written for the esteemed Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the world authority on birds. 

In On Bird Hill, Yolen and Marstall took readers on a surreal journey with a boy and his dog, as they stopped, looked, and noticed things along their path—ultimately discovering the miracle of the birth of a baby bird. On Duck Pond continues the journey of the boy and dog story, this time in a new place—a serene pond, filled with birds, frogs, turtles and other creatures going about their quiet business. Their intrusion stirs the pond into a cacophony of activity, reaching climactic chaos, before slowly settling back to it’s quiet equilibrium. 

This beautiful and enchanting sequel is sure to delight On Bird Hill fans and millions of readers and fans of Jane’s popular classics.

About the Author: Jane Yolen has authored more than 350 books, including the Caldecott-winning Owl Moon, which every budding young ornithologist owns, You Nest Here With Me, which is a popular new favorite, and the New York Times bestselling series How Do Dinosaurs. Jane Yolen’s books have been translated into over 20 languages and are popular around the world. Janes husband, David Stemple, was both a well known bird recordist and a professor of computer science and he taught the entire family how to identify birds. Many of Jane’s books are about wildlife subjects, especially the winged kind. Jane lives in Hatfield, MA. Visit her online at janeyolen.com.

About the Illustrator: Bob Marstall is the illustrator of nine nonfiction children’s books, including the The Lady and the Spider, which sold over a quarter-of-a-million copies and was a Reading Rainbow selection. Bob has also been honored with an ALA Notable; an IRA Teachers’ Choice; a Smithsonian Magazine Notable Book for Children; and three John Burroughs selections.

In addition, two of Bob’s books are included in the New York Times Parent’s Guide’s “1001 Best Books of the Twentieth Century.” Bob Lives in Easthamton, MA. Visit him online at http://marstallstudio.com/.

About the Cornell Lab: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a world leader in the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds. Our hallmarks are scientific excellence and technological innovation to advance the understanding of nature and to engage people of all ages in learning about birds and protecting the planet. birds.cornell.edu

GIVEAWAY

• One (1) winner will receive a set of both On Bird Hill and On Duck Pond -- a great Earth Day gift!
• US only
• Enter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Animal Planet Animal Atlas

Animal Planet Animal Atlas 

Published by Animal Planet

May 2016

Nonfiction-Reference Book

96 pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Animal Planet's definitive atlas of animal life takes readers on a continent-by-continent and habitat-by-habitat passport to adventure!

What is a habitat? How is the North Pole's animal life different from the South Pole's? How and why do animals adapt to their environment? Is a food web different from a food chain? Animal Planet Animal Atlas answers all of these questions and many more. Through detailed maps, fun infographics, simple charts, and Find It! Fact boxes readers can track their favorite animals across the globe, learning about how animal habitats are affected by climate, food and water availability, migration, and human environmental impact.

My Thoughts

This book is big and beautiful! Information about hundreds of animals is presented in this oversized volume. Organized by continent sections and sub categorized into biomes within the continent, it helps young readers see where animals live on the planet and within what kind of habitat. Biome maps of the continent at the beginning of each section help readers to see that a single continent can have many biomes. 

Image of pages 24-25 copyright National geographic 2016

Many reference books are not easily accessible to younger children. With larger print, simplistic fonts and big, colorful pictures, this is an atlas that young readers will love. There are many different text features used such as maps, a table of contents, a glossary and an index. Information is presented in colored text boxes with just a few sentences about each animal. Cute little cartoon animals also pop up here and there with talk bubbles containing extra information. 

I am excited to share Animal Planet's Animal Atlas with my students. I would recommend it for grades 2-5. 

See what others have to say about this book:

Reader Kidz

Unleashing Readers

Pipsie Nature Detective: The Lunchnapper by Rick DeDonato

Pipsie Nature Detective: The Lunchnapper 
by Rick DeDonato
Illustrated by Tracy Bishop
Published April, 2016
by Two Lions
Review copy provided by Blueslip Media


Goodreads Summary

Pipsie and her turtle friend, Alfred, are on the best school tripever—a nature scavenger hunt! The team who finds “Seven Wonders of Nature” first wins. But that isn’t all Pipsie and Alfred have to find. Someone has stolen their PB&Js!

The search is on for the lunch that left, and soon Pipsie and Alfred are following animal tracks and discovering deer, birds, and even some beavers. Can Pipsie make this mystery historyand finish the scavenger hunt? And hopefully before lunchtime, because Alfred is one hungry turtle!

My Thoughts

I read the first Pipsie book last April and was thrilled to be asked to read the second. Pipsie is a smart, resourceful nature detective who works to solve mysteries, with her sidekick turtle Alfred, while gently teaching the reader about nature. In this book Pipsie and Alfred use deer and beaver tracks, and their nature knowledge to solve the mystery of who has pilfered their lunch. Young readers will be happy to tag along as they also try to figure out who took the lunch. I hope there are many more Pipsie books to come. 

The illustrations are very sweet and the animals are adorable! Each page has colorful illustrations. Illustrator Tracy Bishop uses different perspectives and shapes to add variety and interest to her illustrations. 

Kids will be begging to have their own nature scavenger hunt after reading Pipsie, Nature Detective: The Lunchnapper! I would recommend it for ages 3-7! 

Rick DeDonato started writing and drawing storybooks for his two kids, Alexis and Matt, when they were little. They’re grown now, but Rick is still creating stories. He is the author of Pipsie, Nature Detective: The Disappearing Caterpillar, illustrated by Tracy Bishop. When he’s not dreaming up new adventures for Pipsie, he’s an award-winning creative director in advertising. Born in New Jersey, he now lives in Wilmington, Delaware, with Nancy McAleer; their two dogs, Tugger and Nacho; and their turtle, Alfred E. Turtle.

Tracy Bishop won an art contest in kindergarten, and she’s been creating art ever since. A graduate of San Jose State University, she is also the illustrator of Not the Quitting Kind by Sarra J. Roth and Pipsie, Nature Detective: The Disappearing Caterpillar by Rick DeDonato. She lives in San Jose, California, where she is inspired on a daily basis by her son, husband, and a hairy dog named Harry.

Visit other stops on the blog tour!

Mon, Apr 11	Geo Librarian
Tues, Apr 12	The Children's Book Review
Wed, Apr 13	Kid Lit Frenzy
Thurs, Apr 14	Sincerely Stacie
Fri, Apr 15	Where Imagination Grows
Mon, Apr 18	A Rup Life
Tues, Apr 19	Inspired by Savannah
Wed, Apr 20	Picture Book Palooza
Thurs, Apr 21	The Late Bloomer's Book Blog
Fri, Apr 22	Mile High Books

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday-A Place for Frogs by Melissa Stewart

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

 

A Place For Frogs 

by Melissa Stewart

Illustrated by Higgins Bond

Expected release April1, 2016 

Peachtree Publishers

Nonfiction Picture Book

32 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Melissa Stewart and Higgins Bond team up once again, as they did in A Place for Butterflies and A Place for Birds,  to bring readers a book that will make them think about the impact humans have on animals and the environment and what we can do to change things.

Melissa Stewart is a master at writing nonfiction for children. 

Each page is set up with simpler text at the top of each page, many of them following a similar pattern, "When people ......., frogs can live and grow." This will help young readers make the connection of what we humans can do, rather than just sharing the factors that are endangering frogs. 

Within the illustrations below the text, there is an enlarged illustration and a text box giving more detailed information about the text above.  

Higgins Bond's illustration are incredibly detailed and realistic and work with the text perfectly to convey this important message.

At the end of the book there is a section listing ways children (and adults) can protect and help frogs such as leaving the frogs alone in their environment and not purchasing frogs from pet stores. 

The end papers include maps of the US and the shaded regions of different frog species. 

A Place for Frogs should have a place in every K-5 classroom and library.   

Possible Companion Texts

  

Read what others have to say about A Place for Frogs

There's A Book

Chris Bookarama

Jenn's Bookshelves

National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry

National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry: Mare than 200 Poems with Photographs that Float, ZOOM and Bloom!
Edited by J. Patrick Lewis
Published Oct. 2015
National Geographic Children's Books
192 Pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Former Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis has assembled an incredible compilation of poetry in this breathtaking book. Using a combination of classical poetry from poets such as Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost and William Butler Yeats as well as contemporary poets such as Nikki Grimes, Laura Purdie Salas and Jack Prelutsky exposes young readers to a wide variety of poetic styles. 
Of course, National Geographic is known for its gorgeous nature photographs and they are absolutely beautiful! Each poem is printed right on the photograph as though it belongs there. 

This large volume is organized with sections titled:
~The Wonders of Nature
~In the Sky
~In the Sea
~On the Move
~Across the Land
~In Shade
~In Distress
~In Season
~In Splendor
~Last Thoughts

In the classroom, I can imagine using this book in many ways:

~Integrate poems into life science units

~Compare and contrast poems about the same topic

~Compare and contrast different poems by the same author

~Write poems after looking at nature photography

This book is a must-have for any classroom's library. 

See What Others Have to say About This Book

Publishers Weekly

Savvy Verse and Wit

School Library Journal

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday-A Review of The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist

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

The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist
by Margarita Engle
Illustrated by Aliona Bereghici
Published April 28, 2015
Two Lions Publishing
Picture Book Biography
Poetry
Review copy provided by Blue Slip Media



Goodreads Summary

Louis loves to watch birds. He takes care of injured birds and studies how they look and how they move. His father wants him to become an engineer, but Louis dreams of being a bird artist. To achieve this dream, he must practice, practice, practice. He learns from the art of John James Audubon. But as Louis grows up, he begins to draw and paint living, flying birds in their natural habitats.

Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874–1927) is now known as the father of modern bird art. He traveled with many scientific expeditions all over the world. His best-known works—paintings for habitat exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History in New York—are still beloved by visitors today. His art helped to encourage wildlife conservation, inspiring people to celebrate and protect the world of wings.

Poems by Newbery Honor–winning author Margarita Engle and illustrations by Aliona Bereghici capture the life of Louis Fuertes and the deep sense of wonder that he felt when he painted the sky.

My Thoughts

This book is simply gorgeous! Aliona Bereghici's water color and ink illustrations accompany Margarita Engle's poetic verse in the most beautiful way. Told in first person point of view, the verses chronicle Louis Fuertes' life as a bird-lover and artist. As a small boy he took care of animals in a makeshift "hospital" under the porch. He traveled the world studying and painting until he became one of the most important nature artists of our time. Each verse has its own feeling and voice. My favorites are the descriptive verses about the places he visited as an artist, Alaska, the Caribbean, and South America, depicting gorgeous native birds, scenery. 

I love how this book shows Fuertes' passion and dedication even as a young child. He practices and practices his drawing and painting to develop his craft. This is a valuable lesson for children who, often think that important and influential people are simply born that way. 

Children will love The Sky Painter for its illustrations, its poetry and for Fuertes' story. I would highly recommend it for grades 1-5. 

View the book trailer

See what others have to say about The Sky Painter by following the blog tour. 

Mon, Apr 20     Library Fanatic

Tues, Apr 21     Kid Lit Frenzy

Wed, Apr 22    Unleashing Readers

Thurs, Apr 23   5 Minutes for Books

Fri, Apr 24     Teach Mentor Texts

Sat, Apr 25     Booking Mama

Mon, Apr 27    Sharpread

Tues, Apr 28   The Children's Book Review

Wed, Apr 29   Cracking the Cover

Thurs, Apr 30   A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust

Fri, May 1     Archimedes Notebook