A Warm Winter Tail

Pearson, Carrie.
A Warm Winter Tail.
August 2012.
Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Winter is in full force here in Upstate NY... although we're about to experience our January thaw!  With the exception of having to wash the dogs feet after every outing due to the mud, I'm really looking forward to this thaw... It's been just a tad too cold for my liking, despite trying to enjoy and make the most of it.  I'd take a day in the 70's right about now!  However, that's not quite on the horizon anytime soon, so I opted to break out some winter-themed books to share... just to make sure everyone's enjoying Old Man Winter!

In this creative story, Carrie Pearson shares with readers the different ways in which animals (and humans) survive throughout the cold winter months.  Through the use of a text bubble, baby animals inquire about how humans keep warm during the winter.  The mother animal responds by the use of "no" and then sharing the ways in which that specific animal keeps warm throughout the winter.  While the inquiry is ultimately about how humans keep warm during the winter months, readers will learn so much more delve into this creatively written story!

I actually plan to use this story in my Head Start/UPK classroom this week, in place of a different story I had originally planned to use... I think the kids will really understand the book and take away a lot of knowledge!

Sylvan Dell has also put out a corresponding Teaching Activity Guide packet that can be downloaded for free here.  This is a great resource for teachers who wish to use the book in the classroom, as it provides cross-curricular activities to really tie the book into a wide range of subject areas!

Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sylvan Dell Publishing?!?!?!




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If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Exploring Fall with Children's Books

Explore fall with Cloverleaf Books new series, Fall's Here!

Rustad, Martha E.H.
Animals in Fall: Preparing for Winter.
September 2011.
Millbrook Press (a division of Lerner Publishing).
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Children are simply introduced to the ways in which animals prepare for winter in this book - migrating, hibernating and changing for their winter needs. The book is very basic and to the point, allowing the youngest of children to keep focused and understand the changes that animals go through in preparation of the winter months. Definitely a hit for exploring the fall season or to introduce the concept of "Animal in Winter" as a thematic unit!

Learning Activity:

• The last few pages of the book contain a glossary, other books on the topic, websites to explore and an activity that allows children to "experience" how a gray whale's blubber works.
  

Rustad, Martha E.H.
Fall Apples: Crisp and Juicy.
September 2011.
Millbrook Press (a division of Lerner Publishing).
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Introducing children to the process of growing apples, this book is slightly more complex than Animals in Fall: Preparing for Winter and will likely be more harder to use with younger children. However, I would imagine that some parts of the story could be modified for use with the younger ones as well! The process shared will likely catch the attention of many children, as many have probably had some kind of experience with apple picking and likely enjoy apple cider. The book is definitely a good one to use as part of a thematic unit on the fall season!

Learning Activity:

• The last few pages of the book contain a glossary, other books on the topic, websites to explore and a recipe that involves children in making "Upside-Down, Inside-Out Apple Crisp."

There are 4 other books in the series, also by Martha E.H. Rustad, that I am excited to check out at some point!

• Fall Harvests: Bringing in Food
• Fall Weather: Cooler Temperatures
• Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy
• Fall Pumpkins: Orange and Plump
  

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If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Curious George: A Winter's Nap

Encourage learning about hibernation with the help of Curious George!

Rey, H.A.
Curious George: A Winter's Nap.
August 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When Curious George and his friend Bill go fishing and fail to catch any fish because it is too cold, Bill offers George a lesson about hibernation, to teach him how some animals deal with the harsh coldness of winter. George returns home to learn more about hibernation before giving it a go himself. Unfortunately, George doesn't succeed quite as well off as hibernating animals, and instead, with the help of the man with the yellow hat, learns to make the most of winter!

This is an absolutely wonderful book to introduce children to the topic of hibernation. It gives the basic information, without going into too much detail - something that's very important for children who are just being introduced to a new concept! Included with the book are two activities that go along with the topic of hibernation.

Learning/Reading Activity:

• As suggested in the book, with your child(ren) make a teddy bear cave and put your stuffed bears to sleep (hibernation) for the winter. A material list and complete directions for building the cave are included!
• Complete the "Big Snooze" activity, also included at the back of the book. The activity asks children to guess which animals from the list hibernate during the winter. Build upon this guessing activity by helping your child(ren) to research and determine which of these actually do hibernate for the winter!
• You can also check out my other post related to the topic of hibernation: Jim Arnosky's Birthday

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Little Red Bat

Little Red Bat allows readers to explore the various ways in which animals prepare themselves for seasonal changes as Little Red Bat interacts with other animals from her ecosystem.

Gerber, Carole.
Little Red Bat.
February 2010.
Sylvan Dell Publishers.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Will I stay? Or will I go? That is the question that Little Red Bat repeatedly asks herself throughout the story, as she explores her habitat and observes how other animals in the ecosystem are preparing for the seasonal change ahead!

Little Red Bat, the main character of the story must decide whether "to stay" or "to go" during the long months of winter. Readers will quickly discover that red bats are among one species that can opt either to hibernate during the winter months or migrate south to warmer temperatures for survival. As Little Red Bat struggles to decide which option is best for her, she meets up with other animals from the forest ecosystem and learns about their plans for winter month, allowing children to explore all aspects of what animals do during the winter months! This book would make for the perfect addition to a thematic unit on "Animals in Winter," as it takes a significantly different approach to teaching children about this topic!

Learning/Reading Activities:

• Sylvan Dell has put out a resource packet to go along with the book. Creative Minds can be downloaded/viewed here.
• They have also put out a 70 page packet of teaching activities to use in collaboration with the book. That packet can be downloaded here. My personal favorite activity can be found on page 13 - the sequence sentence strips!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!