Friday, April 25, 2014

Wild about Bears

Wild About Bears
by Jeannie Brett
32 pages; ages 6-9
Charlesbridge, 2014

themes: animals, nonfiction

There are bears around my town - North American Black Bears which can be any color from black to brown to cinnamon. They hibernate in the hills, emerging in early spring to scoop sunflower seeds from bird feeders and feast on unguarded suet left hanging for the woodpeckers.

In her book, Jeannie Brett introduces readers to the eight species of bear that populate our planet: the Polar bear, Brown bear, Spectacled bear, Asiatic black bear, Sloth bear, Sun bear, Panda, and the Black bears living in them thar hills. Each spread provides the scientific name, a list of common names, the size, and interesting facts about the bear's life. Sun bears, for example, spend their days sunbathing high amongst the tree branches, and dine on honey and snails and lizards.

Brett discusses the physical traits of bears and their behavior. At the back there's a map showing where bears live, a "habitat glossary", and a list of resources for curious naturalists who want to learn more.

Beyond the book:
Go on a Bear Hunt (but don't be afraid)...

Make a Bean Bag bear. All you need is a sock and some rice (or dried beans) and a few other things you can find around the house. Then decorate it with the features of one of the bears found in the book.


 Drop by STEM Friday to see what other science books and resources bloggers are sharing. Today's review is part of 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 copy provided by publisher.

1 comment:

  1. Love the cover of this book!

    I always enjoy reading your seasonal activity suggestions, although we can't do many of them here. I do miss the pussywillows and the spring peepers.

    ReplyDelete