The Curious Garden ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

A garden that is curious?

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

The Curious Garden
By Peter Brown
(Little, Brown and Company; 2009)

The Curious Garden is a picture book that was inspired by the Manhattan Highline Railway.

I've read articles about the Highline that tell how the lonely stretch of railway has been transformed into beautiful public gardens. But this is the first picture book I've found on the topic.

The Curious Garden tells the tale of Liam, a young boy who explores the empty spaces to find railways breaking down and nature taking over. Liam decides to help. Together, Liam and the garden grow and explore the empty spaces.

"The garden was especially curious about old, forgotten things."

I love that sentence. The garden is not just a thing in this book, but one of the main characters!

The Curious Garden (doesn't the title take on a new personna after you've read the above sentence?) will delight explorers and nature lovers.

KID KANDY:

Nature Walk

I walk almost every day through my neighborhood. When I walk tomorrow, I am going to look for places that nature is acting curious and spreading in unexpected places.

How about you?

Ask a parent or sibling to walk with you.

Look for:

- weeds growing in sidewalk cracks
- flowers springing up in odd spots
- old rusted things covered in grasses or vines
- moss creeping along damp, shady areas
- nature that is being mysterious and curious as it expands to new areas

What did you see?

Woodpecker Wham! ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Nonfiction picture book that delights and informs!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Woodpecker Wham!
By April Pulley Sayre
Illustrated by Steve Jenkins
(Henry Holt and Company, 2015)

Woodpecker Wham! is a delightful book told in rhyme. Readers will enjoy wonderful, bright illustrations about the life cycle and habits of woodpeckers that fill the pages of this picture book. Text written with descriptive words and words of sounds made by woodpeckers imparts information in a simple and clean way.

I loved reading the end notes that gave interesting facts and explanations about woodpecker habits. Why do woodpeckers 'ant'? Where do woodpeckers nest? How do they secure their homes? Fascinating.

Learning about birds? Woodpecker Wham! is the perfect book to read with children.

KID KANDY:

Bird Hunt

1. Look at the illustrations of Woodpecker Wham! Remember the colors, shapes, and habits so you can use them to help you locate woodpeckers.

2. Find a pair of binoculars and put on sturdy shoes.

3. Ask a parent or older sibling to go with you.

4. Walk around your yard, neighborhood, or in a wooded area and scout for woodpeckers. You may need to listen for their calls or 'pecking,' check tree trunks for nesting cavities, or watch for their particular flight patterns. Once you see them, you will figure out how to easily spot them in the future.

5. Take photos with your mind! When you get home, check out the book again and see if you saw one of the featured woodpeckers. Or look in a bird identification book to find the bird you saw.

6. Draw a picture of the bird you saw and where you spotted it. If you didn't find any, don't give up. Draw a picture of the birds you want to find.

7. Keep looking.

Birds are amazing! I can always tell when woodpeckers (we have flickers in our neighborhood) are racing around. Both woodpeckers and jays are loud! 

Happy bird hunting.

Water Is Water ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Water Is Water

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Water Is Water, A Book About the Water Cycle
By Miranda Paul
Illustrations by Jason Chin
(Roaring Book Press, 2015)

Water Is Water, A Book About the Water Cycle, is a beautifully illustrated picture book featuring poetic text that invites readers to live the life of water.

I discovered this book during March Madness for picture books, ReFoReMo (Read For Research Month) and fell in love. Water is the main topic, but the storyline is about children playing throughout the seasons in the different forms water takes.

Fog, rain, snow, hail, water, steam, clouds, puddles, ice. Don't fear, this book does not read as educational but is engaging and full of rich language. Fun water facts and more about water features at the end of the book add drops of trivia about water for interested readers.

Water Is Water is the perfect book for easy reading and fun learning at home or in a classroom.

KID KANDY:

Take a Bath

Really. Take a bubble bath. Play for a bit with plastic scoops, cups, and funnels.

~ Observe the water. How does it move? What does it smell like? How does it feel? Taste a little bit from the faucet.

~ Look for different forms of water. Do you have drips falling from your hair (like rain), fog on your mirrors (steam), and puddles on the floor? You probably won't find ice or snow, but that's ok.

~ Hang your towel after you dry off. How does it feel? Come back the next day. How does it feel now? Where did the water go?

~ List the different forms of water you see around your house.

Water is pretty amazing, isn't it?

What is your favorite form of water? Why?
I'd love to hear your answers.

Every Day Birds ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Beautiful, nonfiction book about birds we see each day.

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Every Day Birds
By Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Cut Paper Illustrations by Dylan Metrano
(Orchard Books, 2016)

Birds you see each day are the stars of this book, Every Day Birds.

Simple text, colorful fonts, beautiful cut paper illustrations, and one characteristic or behavior of each featured bird make this book a keeper. Twenty common North American birds are pictured in Every Day Birds. A picture identification and additional information section is included at the end of the book.

Young readers and budding bird lovers will treasure reading Every Day Birds. Reading will be followed up by time outdoors searching for the birds who live among the book pages.

Check out this brand new book. Every Day Birds.

KID KANDY:

Bird Watching

Materials: Every Day Birds, binoculars, hat

1. Read and study the birds found in Every Day Birds.

2. Put on your hat and head outside to look for birds.

3. Use the binoculars to see details of different birds without having to get too close.

4. Compare the birds you found to the ones in the book. How many did you find? Which was your favorite?

5. Some bird enthusiasts keep a lifetime list of the birds they see. You could make your own list by using a notebook for a bird journal. Draw or list the birds you observe.

Are you having fun yet? I'd love to hear which birds you saw on your bird hunt.

Tweet, tweet!

The Promise ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

The Promise by Nicola Davies

The Promise
By Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Laura Carlin
(Candlewick Press, 2013)

A young girl lived in a dead city. Gray, lifeless, hard, concrete, no plants. To survive, she had to steal. Her heart was as hard as the city.

But one night, the girl tried to steal a nice, fat bag from a woman who walked all alone down the street. The woman resisted long enough to make the girl "promise" to plant all of them.

All of them turned out to be not food and money as she had supposed, but an entire forest in a bag!

The girl kept her promise and wandered the city, planting acorns as she went. Slowly, as the trees sprouted and grew, the city was transformed. So was the girl.

The Promise is a story about hope. It is also about the healing properties of nature on green-less areas. Readers will be encouraged to enjoy the green in their lives and seek to add more where there is none.

KID KANDY:
Plant a Seed

Materials: seeds, trowel or spade, water

1. There are so many seeds. You could choose any type you want to plant. Just consider if you want plants that grow quickly (flowers, vegetables, grasses) or those that take years to mature (trees, bushes).

2. Find the perfect location. Dig a little hole and add seeds (or seed). Cover with soil and water.

3. Watch and wait.

While you are waiting, ask an adult to help you check the the Arbor Day Foundation (Arbor Day Foundation). This group loves to plant trees and educate families about the importance of trees. I am a member and each year when I pay my dues, I can ask for baby trees. Right now I have several that are ready to be planted in the ground. Yay!

The Gardener ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

The Gardener
By Sarah Stewart
Pictures by David Small
(Farrar-Straus-Giroux, 1997)

Lydia Grace Finch had to go and live with her uncle in the city when times were rough and her parents were out of work. She lived during the Depression times. She traveled to help at her uncle's bakery, but she didn't go alone.

Lydia Grace Finch carried along a great variety of seeds. She loved planting and gardening with her grandmother. She planned to carry on her gardening tasks in the city.

Lydia did plant seeds, bulbs, and plants. Pretty soon, people were not calling her Lydia Grace (like her grandmother). They called her The Gardener.

The Gardener is a lovely book told completely through letters. The illustrations perfectly fill in the gaps and tell the story along with the words. I loved this book!

KID KANDY:

Plant Seeds

Be like Lydia Grace Finch and beautify the area around your house, yard, or apartment.

1. Buy or ask for some seeds and potting soil. You can grow flowers or vegetables or anything else that comes from seeds. I love growing kale, radishes, and green beans. They are yummy.

2. Fill containers with soil and plant seeds. Or find some dirt and plant seeds. Make sure to keep them damp while they are getting ready to sprout.

3. Continue to water and watch the seeds sprout and grow.

Now we can call you The Gardener!


P.S. What did you plant? Did the seeds grow? I would love to hear about your gardening adventures!

You Nest Here With Me ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

You Nest Here With Me
By Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
(Boyds Mills Press, 2015)

You Nest Here With Me is the perfect picture book for a bedtime story that allows readers to learn about birds and their nests.

I love this book! The illustrations are adorable. The story is told in peaceful rhyme and shares details about common birds.

You Nest Here With Me is a lullaby and a gentle learning tale.

KID KANDY:

Make a Reading Nest

Materials: pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, books

1. Curl the blankets into a nest shape.

2. Add pillows and stuffed animals to make the nest soft and cozy.

3. Curl up in the nest and read books.


When I was little, I loved building a nest of toys and books all around me as I played. How about you? Where do you like to read books?

Good-night, little bird.

Sunflower House ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Sunflower House
By Eve Bunting
Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt
(Voyager Books, 1996)

I have been reading tons of picture books lately. At least my back considers the weight of them to be tons as I haul them back and forth to the library.

Sunflower House is a colorful story about a child who plants a sunflower house with his parents. I suppose that is where the name for the book comes from, right?

Father and child first removed grass to make a large circle, leaving the middle of the circle grassy. Seeds were then planted in the soil and the waiting began.

Once the sunflowers began to grow tall, the child invited friends to play in the sunflower house. Eventually, the sunflowers grew so large and wide that the parents no longer fit inside and the flower house became a kids-only place to enjoy nature.

I love the idea of creating a fun space for children by planting sunflowers. I am considering it for this summer...if I can find a place that my husband won't mind too much if the grass is removed and seeds upon seeds will eventually fall and resprout next spring!

KID KANDY:

Plant a Sunflower House

Materials: sunflower seeds, large area to plant, yard tools

1. Read Sunflower House. Once you see the pictures you will know how to plant one.

2. Choose a sunny location for your sunflower house. They love the sun. Remove grass to form a ring of dirt around a circle of grass. Make your ring at least 4 feet in diameter. Sunflowers get HUGE!

3. Plant seeds in the dirt. Water them and wait.

4. Once the seeds have sprouted, watch them grow. You can pull weeds but only after you make sure you are not pulling up sunflowers.

5. After the sunflowers are as tall as you, the house is ready for play. Of course, it will keep growing, especially if you have planted JUMBO sunflowers.

6. What to do inside a sunflower house?

- rest on your back and look at the sky
- watch birds that flock to eat the seeds
- listen to the bees buzzing as they pollinate the flowers
- have a picnic in the sunflower house
- invite friends over to play
- campout overnight in the sunflower house
- look for insects that live in and around the flowers
- draw your sunflowers or the sunflower house
- use a magnifying glass to look really close at the plants and animals
- take photos of your house

Isn't that a fun project? What will you grow next summer?

Thanks for reading!

The Curious Nature Guide, Explore the Natural Wonders All Around You

The Curious Nature Guide, Explore the Natural Wonders All Around You
Written and illustrated by Clare Walker Leslie
(Storey Publishing, 2015)

I first noticed the cover of this book while on vacation with some girlfriends in Coupeville, Washington. Hidden amidst a crowded display of books, toys, and souvenirs, the cover popped out and caught my attention. I wanted that book. But I resisted.

Fast forward to post-Christmas gift card shopping. As I perused my local Indie bookstore, Inklings, guess which book again popped out and grabbed my attention? Yes. The same book. And it was on a display of favs and book suggestions by staff.

I did not resist.

The Curious Nature Guide is a beautifully illustrated guide book written for children, teens, families, and others who love exploring the outdoors. I fell in love with this colorful edition.

I enjoyed this book so much, I used it as a reward. At the end of the day I would carefully read each page and inhale every photo, drawing, and illustration. Reading this book was almost as good as being outside.

While vocabulary will be difficult for young readers, they will love hearing it read aloud. The Curious Nature Guide contains nature information, suggestions of things to look for and do, maps, charts, plant labels, and more.

NO. It is not overwhelmingly encyclopedic.

The Curious Nature Guide is a nature journal filled with inspiration of both the exploring type and the creative sort. I want to go out and investigate the outdoors AND sit down with my art supplies and recreate what I find AND grab the camera to capture my nature.

Two thumbs up for The Curious Nature Guide, Explore the Nature Wonders All Around You.

Happy exploring!

Thanks for reading this blog. I'd love to hear what nature exploring you like to do.

Flowers Are Calling ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Flowers Are Calling
By Rita Gray
Pictures by Kenard Pak
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015)

Oh, dear. It is only February, but already I am dreaming of flowers!

Maybe that is because I have seen promising buds and the tips of daffodil shoots. Or maybe I feel hopeful about spring because the sun has been shining and the snow melting.

Either way, flowers are calling!

Flowers Are Calling is a beautifully illustrated picture book about flowers and the ones who are called by their color, fragrance, and shape.

Bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and other sorts of interesting pollinators are lured to flowers for food but end up helping out flowers by spreading pollen.

Parts of this book are set to rhyme. I did find this hard to get in rhythm with, but the information and enchanting pictures kept me reading. What I loved in Flowers Are Calling was learning about the specific animals that were drawn to specific flowers. I also enjoyed learning the names and types of flowers. This wonderful book even features flowers that bloom at night! I am always in bed when it's dark outside and live in the north, so I do not get to see those pretty blossoms.

Reading about flowers in February makes perfect sense. We are ready for spring and the flowers that pop up from the ground. Plus flowers feature prominently for a special holiday that happens each February 14.

KID KANDY:

Late Winter Flower Hunt

It may be too early where I live to see much (though I have already spied pink buds), but regardless of where you live, there should be signs of approaching spring.

~ Take a walk outside and use your super sharp eyes to find signs of spring:

flower buds on bushes, grass that is beginning to get green, skinny stalks of daffodil stems peeking from the soil, crocus sprouts (maybe even flowers), moss, weeds (of course they will be growing) . . .

What did you find? I'd love to hear about spring where you live.

Remember the locations of signs of spring. Go back in a week and see what has changed.

Welcome spring!

The Bear in the Book ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

The Bear in the Book
By Kate Banks
Illustrated by Georg Hallensleben
(Frances Foster Books, 2012)

Who doesn't love books about bears?

The Bear in the Book is a story of a boy, a book, and bedtime. Oh, and of course a big black bear features prominently in this tale of a mother convincing her child to go to sleep.

As the mother reads about the bear in the book, the little boy learns all about winter and hibernating bears and seasons. Winter turns to spring and the bear awakes, ready to cross the pages of the book to get into sunshine.

But the boy has fallen asleep.

Young readers will love the muted illustrations (though brightly colored), the snoozing bear, and all that goes on outside the den while the bear sleeps away the winter.

KID KANDY:

Make a Den

Bears spend winter hibernating in caves or dens. Make your own den.

Use a sheet or blanket (or several). Spread it over a table and let it hang over the edges. Or you can push furniture together to make the walls and use the sheet over the top. Clothespins will help hold the edges down.

Turn yourself into a bear. Creep around on your hands and knees. Pretend to eat lots of nuts and berries and fish to get fat for the winter (bears don't eat all winter long!). Fat enough? Now it's time to hibernate.

Crawl into your den. Make a cozy nest with pillows and blankets. Scooch around until you are comfy.

Shhh. Good-night, little bear. Good-night.

I Love Dogs! ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

I Love Dogs!
By Sue Stainton
Illustrated by Bob Staake
(Katherine Tegen Books, HarperCollins Publishers; 2014)

There is so much to see in this delightful picture book! Packs of dogs doing doggie things and tons of great words to build language fill the pages of I Love Dogs! Occasionally repetitive, just a little bit rhyming, and bright and colorful, this book caught my eye and led me to pull if from the shelf for a quick read.

If you are a teacher, this book will resonate with students. If you are a parent, with or without a dog at home, your child will love finding out about the things dogs do. If you are a kid, then you definitely want to search for your favorite dog. If you are a dog, well, then you will just have to bark and slobber and get ideas of things you want to do.

Dog lovers of all ages will want to read I Love Dogs!.

Warning: You will probably want to go out and adopt-a-dog after reading this book.

KID KANDY:

Make a Play Dough Dog

1. Dig out the play dough. It's always fun to make sculptures of animals. (A sculpture is like a statue.)

2. Start with the body. Make a ball. You may have to knead the dough to get is warmed up. Roll the ball on the table to stretch it out to the body shape you want.

3. Make 4 smaller balls. Roll them gently to stretch them into the legs you want. It's better to make thick legs to hold up the body. Skinny legs will squish. Carefully set the body on the legs and kind of rub the edges together to make them stick.

4. Roll another ball between your fingers to shape the head. Use a pencil tip to poke eyes and nostrils and draw mouth lines. Attach to the top of the body and rub the connecting edges.

5. Roll 2 tiny balls and flattern them to make ears. Stick them on the head.

6. What kind of tail do you want? Make it with play dough and place it opposite the head.

7. Use a pencil tip to carefully draw lines to make the dog look like it's covered with fur.

How did you do? Now you get to name your dog and make it some food to eat!

Ruff, ruff!

Winter Is Coming ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Winter Is Coming
By Tony Johnston
Illustrated by Jim LaMarche
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014)

Winter Is Coming is a beautiful book that chronicles the changing of the season from fall to winter.

A young girl quietly and carefully perches on a platform in a tree and takes note of the many wild animals that pass beneath her. She sketches pictures of them and thinks about how they prepare for winter. Patiently, she learns from the animals - lessons of nature. Throughout October and November, she watches the changes taking place around her. And then winter comes.

The captivating illustrations and engaging text inspire, amaze, and teach much about the natural world. Readers both young and old will love to read and reread Winter Is Coming.

KID KANDY:

Observe Fall Changing to Winter

1. Go out for a walk (take a friend or parent or older sibling). You might want to do this walk the same day each week all through October and November, and maybe even into December.

2. Notice what is happening in nature. What are the animals doing? (Check the air and ground.) What about the plants? Look at the colors, textures, and changes that are taking place.

3. If you like to draw, take along a sketchbook and a few pencils. Or remember what you see and draw when you get home. Put the date on the page so you can tell how things change over time.

4. Repeat your walk several times all the way through the fall months. You will have to be quiet and patient and observant - like a scientist!

5. Each time you go, look at the same things, but also try and find new plants and animals to notice.

Isn't watching fall change to winter amazing? Seasons are a wonderful gift for us to enjoy.

The Secret Life of Squirrels ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

The Secret Life of Squirrels
By Nancy Rose
(Megan Tingley Books, Little, Brown and Company; 2014)

This book is so cute! Mr. Peanuts, a real live squirrel, is photographed as he goes about his miniaturized life - complete with household settings and bric a brac.

Nancy Rose is a photograph who lives in Canada. Her photos of wild squirrels taken in her backyard have captured the imagination of followers worldwide. You can check out her work at secretlifeofsquirrels.com

Readers will laugh and enjoy reading The Secret Life of Squirrels.

Mr. Peanuts and his bed

KID KANDY:

Make a Miniature Scene

After reading The Secret Life of Squirrels, make your own miniature scene!

~ Gather craft supplies and 'stuff.'

~ Cut, arrange, glue, staple, tape - anything you need to make pieces stay put.

~ Decorate a small venue, perhaps a cheese plate or a shoebox or stump table top.

~ Add dolls or figures for the ones who live in the scene you have created.

~ OR, you can be like Ms. Rose and wait for the squirrels to visit. Read the tips for taking photos of wildlife at the end of The Secret Life of Squirrels.

This is a miniature scene I created on a cheese board. It has a glass cover to keep off dust and my wild kitties.

Leaf Man ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

 

 

Leaf Man

by Lois Ehlert

(Harcourt, Inc., 2005)

 

Can you see the leaf man?

 

Despite my difficulty in taking photos of library books with plastic covers, I can see him clearly. Leaf Man spreads across the book cover, composed of leaves, nuts, and seed pods. He is quite handsome for being made of things that have fallen off of trees.

 

Leaf Man is one of my favorite fall books by Lois Ehlert. With all of his vibrant colors, where does he go when the fall winds blow?

 

Leaf Man transforms into many other nature creations, compliments of the wind, colorful creative artwork by Ehlert, and cleverly cut and shaped pages.

 

Young children will be so entranced by Leaf Man, they will want to go directly and build their own leaf creation. Isn't that what we want? Readers engaged in reading books AND exploring nature is the perfect combination.

 

KID KANDY:

 

Leaf Creations

 

1. Head outside and find piles of nature things - leaves, pods, cones, sticks, rocks... Nature walks through parks and forests are perfect collecting spots.

 

2. Spread out your gatherings of nature items. What do you see? Who do you see?

 

3. Arrange your nature items into a creation.

 

Did you make a person? A dog? A cat? A tree? A house?

 

You can make anything!

 

P.S. I would love to see a picture of what you created!

My Autumn Book ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

My Autumn Book
By Wong Herbert Yee
(Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt and Company; 2015)

My Autumn Book simply and beautifully encapsulates the essence of fall, my absolute favorite season.

A young girl joins the joy as nature races towards winter. Is it really fall?

In gentle verse, the story of fall as seen through the eyes of a child is shown through her exploration and enchantment with the natural world.

My Autumn Book is a great book to read together with young children.

KID KANDY:

Make a Fall Picture Book

Just like the girl in the story, you can make your own fall picture journal.

1. Ask an adult to help you use a camera.

2. Go on a fall nature walk. Take pictures of the signs of fall you see.

3. Print the photos.

4. Tape or use a glue stick to attach fall photos to cardstock or construction paper.

5. Label your photos - spider, leaf, rain, tree, and so on. Decorate the pages around the photos.

6. Staple pages together on one side to make a book.

Now you can read your own fall book!

What is your favorite fall book? I'd love to hear.

Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie
By Jill Esbaum
(Scholastic, Inc., 2009; National Geographic Kids)

Pumpkins are one of my favorite signs of fall. I adore pumpkins and cannot wait for the season of my dreams to roll around and please me with the smells, sights, and sounds of leaves, pumpkins, and cooler temps.

Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie is a beautifully photographed nonfiction picture book about the pumpkin life cycle. The pumpkin life stages are shown through photos. Examples of ways we use pumpkins (carving, eating, baking, floating, etc.) are shown in full color. There is such a wide variety of seasonal sights featured in this book, I love reading it just for ideas that get me in the mood for pumpkin hunting.

Young readers will be inspired to hit the pumpkin patch and choose a favorite pumpkin - be it orange, yellow, green, white, smooth, lumpy, tiny, or enormous.

KID KANDY:

Grow Pumpkin Vocabulary

1. Visit a pumpkin patch or even just the grocery store fall display.

2. Check out the pumpkins and squash. There are so many wonderful and varied types of both.

3. Touch, smell, and compare the pumpkins.

4. Use all the words you can think of to describe the pumpkins - smooth, lined, warty, bumpy, striped, fat, flat, huge, petite, and so on. Make a long list.

5. Let your child choose a favorite pumpkin to take home.

6. Describe the pumpkin using vocabulary words. Make it exciting!

7. Happy pumpkin day!

I can't wait to go visit a pumpkin patch and find pumpkins to use for decorations.

A Tree for All Seasons ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

A Tree for All Seasons
By Robin Bernard
(National Geographic Society, Scholastic Inc., 1999)

Some books you just keep. Forever. Because they are beautiful.

A Tree for All Seasons is one of those keeper books. That front yard on the cover is what I want my front yard to look like. The trees, the picket fence, the falling leaves, the children playing . . .

A Tree for All Seasons contains fabulous photos of nature in the fall. Winter, spring, and summer are also included in this book - all the seasons of a tree.

This nonfiction picture book will excite young readers to go outside and enjoy nature, no matter what the season.

KID KANDY:

Tree Journal

This is so much fun. I used to do this with my preschoolers. There was a huge, giant, enormous tree right next to our classroom. I marched them all out and took photos of each during the three seasons of school. We were not there during the summer, so I couldn't feature that season. But the other three seasons became nature books about our tree.

1. This project will take a year to complete, but it is so cool to look back and see the changes! It is worth the long wait.

2. Take a photo every season with your chosen tree (your yard, at school, at a park, or in a forest - just make sure to use the same tree each time).

3. I loved having the children sit in a wagon - one at a time - and smiling for the camera. The wagon also became a great carrier of leaves, seed pods, and pumpkins.

4. Print out each photo for the seasons. Display on the refrigerator or bulletin board. Add every new season. When you get photos from all 4 seasons, tape them to cardstock and make a book with them. Now you can check out the seasons and your tree all the time!

5. Compare that tree. What changes do you see between seasons? How did you change over one year? Which is your favorite season? Why?

Isn't nature grand? I'm so glad that God created such a wonderful world for us to enjoy.

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Fresh Fall Leaves ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Fresh Fall Leaves
By Betsy Franco
Illustrated by Shari Halpern
(Scholastic Inc., 1994)

Fresh fall leaves are some of my favorite signs of the season. The crunch, the smell, and the dancing are magical as leaves drift away from trees and carpet our ground.

Fresh Fall Leaves, the book, is a simple story about kids enjoying leaves in the autumn. Paper cut and paint illustrations lend themselves very well to this picture book and offer glimpses of fall beauty.

Readers will get great ideas of fun things to do while reading Fresh Fall Leaves. I can't wait to see my own leaves fall!

KID KANDY:

Make Syrup Leaves

This is one of my favorite leaf making activities! It's messy and sticky but so much fun.

Materials: cardstock, scissors, marker, food coloring, light corn syrup, wet wash cloths, wax paper

1. Draw big leaf shapes on cardstock. Cut them out.

2. Pour little puddles of corn syrup on a leaf. Help your littles squeeze a few drops of red, yellow, and blue food coloring on top of the corn syrup.

3. Use fingers to smear, mix, and spread the sticky paint all over the leaf. Repeat with other leaves, using wash cloths to wipe some of the sticky away.

4. Put leaves on wax paper to dry. This may take several days if the weather is damp.

5. Look at your beautiful, shiny, colorful fall leaves!

Wasn't that fun? If you enjoyed that book and activity, you can sign up to receive future blog posts in your email inbox. Thanks!

Summer Birds, The Butterflies of Maria Merian ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Summer Birds, The Butterflies of Maria Merian
By Margarita Engle
Illustrations by Julie Paschkis
(Henry Holt & Company, 2010)

Summer Birds, The Butterflies of Maria Merian is a fascinating, historical picture book.

Maria Merian lived in the Middle Ages. Born in 1647 in Germany, she was enthralled by nature. Being observant, she studied and noticed that insects were not evil as was commonly believed. Maria learned that they did not spring up unaided from mud puddles, but they actually grew from eggs and transformed into adult insects.

Summer birds was the name used for butterflies and moths that sprang up in warm weather.

This beautiful picture book will engage readers of all ages. I was very interested to learn about old beliefs and superstitions as well as a young girl who worked hard to dispel and change the incorrect assumptions of those around her. In a time where witchcraft was prevalent, Maria had to study in secret during her younger years. Maria later went on to become an artist, scientist, and explorer.

Summer Birds, The Butterflies of Maria Merian is a great book to read. Extra information about Maria's life is given on a page at the end of the story. Nature lovers will enjoy this book and want to learn more about Maria and the nature she studied.

KID KANDY:

Observe a Summer Bird

Materials: magnifying glass, butterfly net, sketch pad and pencils

~ Go out on a sunny day and look for butterflies. Observe them as they flutter their way through flowers and gardens.

~ Gently capture a butterfly. Use the magnifying glass to look very closely at the summer bird you have captured.

~ Quickly sketch the butterfly. Release the butterfly and watch it go off in search of more flowers.

In the spring, it is fun to purchase butterfly eggs and watch them develop and transform into adult butterflies. Ask your parents to help you order a set. I like to use www.insectlore.com. They sell all kinds of insects that you can watch grow up.

Being a scientist like Maria is fun, isn't it?