Great books for Ocean-Dreaming

Since all the water around my house is frozen, I’m dreaming about oceans. Fortunately I found a couple of books in my basket that will feed my fantasy.

Theme for today: water, oceans, ocean animals

This Is a Sea Cow 
by Cassandra Federman
32 pages; ages 5-7
Albert Whitman & Company, 2019

This is a Sea Cow. “Hello! I prefer Manatee, please.”

Written in the style of a school report, this book attempts to lay out the facts about sea cows manatees. But the subject of the report Is. Not. Pleased. with the report, and refutes what she perceives as unflattering comments. For example, the kid writes that sea cows eat grass like cows do. “I’m not a lawnmower,” Manatee retorts, clarifying that she dines on seagrass.

What I like about this book: I love the sassy manatee who makes sure she corrects the record with respect to how cool manatees really are.

I like the facts that are thrown in, comparing manatees to sharks, and I like that the text is written in pencil-like font on wide-ruled paper. Illustrations are crayoned in. AND – there is Back Matter! Three pages of manatee facts including how you can adopt a manatee. I love that the story begins – and ends – on the endpapers.

Hey, Water! 
by Antoinette Portis
48 pages; ages 4-8
Neal Porter Books, 2019

Hey, water! I know you! You’re all around.

From faucet to sprinkler, rain to snow, a girl named Zoe explores water. Water can be a lake or steam, dew on a leaf or tears. And it’s all around us. Illustrations are done with brush and sumi ink, and then digitally colored.

What I like about this book: The text is simple and supported with the wonderfully textured illustrations. And there’s Back Matter! On one page, Portis shows the forms water takes: solid, liquid, and gas. On another, she provides an easy-to-follow map of the water cycle. There’s a section about things we can do to conserve water, and resources to explore.

And one more, for the littles to dive into:

National Geographic Kids Little Kids First Board Book Ocean
26 pages; ages 4 - up
Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (October 29, 2019)

Just a fun little book, filled with verbs for tots to learn: race, play, swirl, twist, and more. The last spread provides a “can you find?” challenge.

Beyond the Books:

You can learn more about manatees here, and find webcams to watch your favorite manatees here.

Become a Water Saver. Check out this list of things you can do, and choose one to do this week.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publisher.

Water is Water

Water is Water
by Miranda Paul; illus by Jason Chin
40 pages; ages 6-10
Roaring Brook Press, 2015

theme: nature, water cycle, friendship 

Drip.
    Sip.
Pour me a cup.
Water
   is
     water unless...
it heats up.

There are many books about the water cycle - but I don't remember reading one nearly as fun, nor as lyrical, as this one. Author Miranda Paul takes us on a poetic journey from raindrops to clouds, from snow to swamp.

What I like LOVE about this book: The language. It's spot on. So is the science. I love how we start with one state of matter - rain - and, with a page turn - it changes into vapor. Later it becomes solid (snow, ice). Paul plays with the water cycle: we see the rain, the clouds, the fog, the snow. But we also see steam rising from mugs of hot cocoa, snowball fights, apple cider. These are also part of the water cycle.

I always hope for back matter, and Paul does not disappoint. She highlights states of matter, concepts of evaporation and condensation, and then points out that we are mostly water. There's a list of further reading and a short bibliography for curious naturalists.

Beyond the book: water, water everywhere.

Water mapping: where is the water around you? Is it falling out of the sky? Low clouds? Puddling in the driveway? Gurgling along in creeks and streams? Rushing over rocks and into rivers? Make a list of all the water you can find as you walk through your neighborhood or a park.

Where does water go? When it rains, the water rushing down my road collects in a small stream that feeds into a creek that joins the Susquehanna River that empties into the Chesapeake Bay that opens into the Atlantic Ocean. Where does your water go? Get a map. Ask someone from the local water conservation district.

Who uses the water? Plants and animals depend on our streams and pools. Some, like frogs and dragonflies, lay their eggs in pools and their young grow up in the water. How do animals and people depend on water where you live?

Conserving water. During the hottest days of summer, it might not rain for a month. So we try to not waste our water. When it does rain, we collect water in buckets, to pour on the plants in our garden. After washing dishes, we use the rinse water to clean the kitchen floor. What sort of things can you do to conserve water? 

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. We're also joining PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Advanced review copy from the publisher.

Two Titles for the Rainy Season

Some days it rains, some days it snows... but we're definitely headed towards the rainy season here in the northeast. So I figure we need a couple of books to get us on our way.

theme: weather, clouds, nature 

Clouds: a compare & contrast book
by Katharine Hall
32 pages; ages 4-8
Arbordale, 2015


opening:  "Some clouds are big and fluffy; others are thin and wispy."

This book is filled with photos of clouds - perfect for browsing, and comparing different kinds of clouds. The language is simple enough that young readers can peruse it themselves. At the back are two hands-on experiments about precipitation, a cloud-matching game, and a handy guide to predicting the weather from the clouds.

Pitter and Patter
by Martha Sullivan; illus. by Cathy Morrison
32 pages; ages 4-10
Dawn publications, 2015

opening: "Pitter and Patter dropped from a cool, gray cloud one day."

Pitter lands on an oak leaf, drips into the stream below, and is on a water cycle adventure that carries him through a valley, wetland, and finally into the ocean. Along the way he meets fox and deer, dragonfly and trout. Patter lands in a meadow and percolates into the soil. His journey is different from Pitters, but eventually they both meet when they are evaporated back into the sky. There's plenty of back matter explaining states of matter, water cycle, and water sheds, plus hands-on activities.

What I like about these books: they're a fun way to introduce a complex topic ~ the water cycle. I always love books with back matter, especially when it includes hands-on activities with easy-to-get materials, which both books do.

Beyond the book activities: there are tons of things to do besides pulling on your boots and splashing through puddles.

Cloud Watching ~ Take a camera outside and look for different kinds of clouds. Sometimes we'll have nice, fluffy clouds in the morning, and then some that look like fish scales in the afternoon. Try to get photos of different kinds of clouds so you can make a "cloud finder" chart - or draw pictures of different kinds of clouds. Have a cloud-watching contest to see who finds the most humorous or weirdest shape in the clouds.

Play a game of Drip, Drip Drop ~ Exactly like duck, duck, goose, but with drips and drops.

What floats in a puddle? After a rainstorm, gather things from nature - stones, pine cones, twigs, etc - and guess which ones will float in a puddle. Then test them out.

Cloud Painting - with a "bath poof" or a loofah.

How big is a Raindrop? Collect raindrops and measure them ~ directions here.

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. We're also joining PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copies from the publishers.

Water Can Be...

Water Can Be...
by Laura Purdie Salas; illus. by Violeta Dabija
32 pages; ages 5-8
Millbrook Press, 2014

This is a book you can fall in love with just by the cover. Really- who can resist frogs lazing about on lily pads?

Though Water Can Be starts out with spring, it's a perfect read-aloud for a rainy fall day. Because, halfway through - after all the cool things that water can be in spring and summer, we get to this:

Water is water-
it's fog, frost, and sea.
When autumn comes chasing,
water can be a... 
                      cloud fluffer
                      fire snuffer.....

From waterways for salmon migration to snowflakes for winter decoration, Salas explores different ways water can be - and different states: liquid and solid (at least in colder weather)

At the back she includes notes that explain a bit more about the things water can be, as well as a glossary and some suggested reading for curious kids who want to know more.


In my garden water can be: a magnifying lens (drop of water hanging from a leaf-tip); bee drinking fountain (water collecting in depressions), mushroom sprouters, soil soakers, seed-feeders.

What can water be in your neighborhood?  Drop by STEM Friday to see what other science books and resources bloggers are sharing. Review copy provided by publisher.