* A brilliant title for the kidlit audience, but I have to admit that I was intrigued, too! Readers learn the scientific term for eating poop: coprophagy, and how to correctly pronounce it. At the same time, they learn that the subject is really not a joke: some animals need to eat poop to survive. … Continue reading Poop for Breakfast – Perfect Picture Book Friday
My son went to an elementary school where they enjoyed a week of "farm" school camping, or outdoor education, every year. Each week featured hiking, sitting outside, and taking a close look (using other senses, too) at nature. As part of the program, kids wrote poems about what they observed through their senses, how it … Continue reading Animals in Surprising Shades – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Who knew that zombie worms, aka bone-eating snot flower worms, could lead to something gloriously beautiful? Melissa Stewart was doing research for her book called Ick! Delightfully, Disgusting Animal Dinners, Dwellings, and Defenses, when she came upon these critters. And the rest, as they say, turned into another book. Let's take a moment to admire … Continue reading Whale Fall – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Here's a book that many may have missed, because it was published right before the crazy days of 2020. And if you missed it, you've missed a heart-filled, award-winning story about a baby gorilla and her mother who doesn't know how to be a mother. It would make a terrific read aloud for early elementary … Continue reading Growing Up Gorilla – Perfect Picture and Chapter Book
As the threat of climate change becomes more and more scary, it's necessary to focus on the helpers, those who are doing their part to help the planet recover from human mistakes. One such mistake was the damming of the Elwha River on the Olympic Penisula in the Pacific Northwest. Mountain Snow melts. Plip...plop...plip. The … Continue reading A River’s Gifts – Perfect Picture Book Friday
For the longest time, I've been in love with Nancy Vo's fictional stories, my two favorites being The Ranger and The Outlaw, the first two in the Crow trilogy. The third is slated for publication in 2024. I had planned on waiting until July to feature this nonfiction book, but I love it so much, … Continue reading Boobies – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Perfect for those little scientists, or for kids who love nature and its amazing idiosyncrasies. Actually, most kids and adults love this kind of info. Text ©Jennifer Ward. Illustration ©Alexander Vidal The story is told in rhyming couplets that provide information about each symbiotic relationship, with an additional layer of text that provides more details … Continue reading Just You and Me – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Want to know more about the tiny (microscopic) critters in our world, the ones we swim with in the ocean or the ones hanging out on our skin, in our homes, and elsewhere? All without having to use a microscope—at least for the moment. After reading this book, I think some kids will be adding … Continue reading Unseen Worlds – Perfect Picture Book Friday
After reading this title, the first thing I though of was Wallace Stevens' poem, 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. But blackbirds do not disappear in that poem. Here, the flies....meet their demise. One by one. And not just a single kind of fly. The reader watches 13 different kinds of flies—become someone else's … Continue reading 13 Ways to Eat a Fly – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Love in the Wild is a colorful celebration of love in the animal kingdom, a perfect board book to read to a child snuggled on your lap. Katy Tanis's gently rhyming text takes the reader through a variety of animal scenarios found in real life, including holding paws, nuzzling necks, hitching rides, playing peek-a-boo, and … Continue reading Love in the Wild – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Jilanne Hoffmann 