On Duck Pond

by Jane Yolen; illustrated by Bob Marstall
32 pages; ages 3-5; Cornell Lab Publishing Group, 2017

themes: nature, environment, observation

As I walked by the old Duck Pond,
Its stillness as the morning dawned
Was shattered by a raucous call:
A quack of ducks both large and small.

What starts as a quiet morning walk is disrupted by whistles, chitters, and chatters of ducks. Incoming! Trout and turtles scatter. Frogs leap from their lily pads. Herons fly away.

Written in lyric couplets (and the occasional triplet), Jane Yolen describes a single moment in the natural world. The text is grounded in careful observation as she describes the diversity of animals that live in and around the pond. You can almost hear them plop into the water. You can almost smell the wetness.

Bob Marstall's pastel-flavored illustrations show so much duck diversity. Look closely- there are seven different kinds. He also includes details of other wildlife: a red-winged blackbird perched on a limb, a raccoon.... kids will have fun finding the not-ducks on each page.

What I like love about this book: aside from the lyrical language and awesome art? I like the back matter: notes about ducks and birds and exploring ponds. There are photos and additional information about the birds and animals so kids can learn to identify common species in their area. Also the challenge to look more closely to find all seven different duck species.

Beyond the book:

Visit a pond or wetland. Sit quietly and observe the birds and animals that share that habitat. Listen to their songs. Take along a sketchbook and some colored pencils and collect the colors of the animals you see.

How many kinds of ducks are there? Check out this page from Cornell Lab of Ornithology - if you click on the ducks it will take you to a page in their online guide where you can also listen to their calls. (click on "see more birds" and more ducks will show up!)

Play around with this duck puzzle.

Sing a duck song or two. Here's one with actions: All the Little Ducks go Upside Down

Today is 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.We're also joining the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy provided by publisher.

** Spring Break** Archimedes Notebook is taking a Spring Break for a couple weeks. Be back in May.

Wednesday Explorers Club ~ spring flowers

gaywings

Early spring is the perfect time to watch the season grow, from bud to bloom. So this week grab a hand-lens or magnifying glass to take a closer look at some buds and "fantastic" flowers growing around you. Some of the things to look at:

• If you're looking at buds, do they grow by themselves or in groups?
• Are the flower buds smooth? hairy? covered with scales?
• On your plants and trees which comes first: flowers or leaves?
• How many petals are in your flower?
• Can you see the parts where pollen is?
• Are there any insects visiting the flowers? 

Remember to draw sketches and jot down notes, including the date and weather.

Fantastic Flowers

by Susan Stockdale
32 pages; ages 2-6;   Peachtree Publishers, 2017

theme: nature, imagination, nonfiction

Flowers in shapes that surprise and delight. 
Upside-down pants,
   a parrot in flight.
 
If you follow this blog long enough you know that I have a soft spot in my heart for bugs of all types. Jumping spiders, bumble bees, fast-running beetles, striders skating across a pond. So when I saw the cover of Susan Stockdale's newest book with laughing bumble bee orchids on the cover, I knew I Just Had To Review It! 

Then I opened the covers to find spider flowers on the end-papers!

Fantastic Flowers is a rhythmic, rhyming romp through the flower garden. The cool thing is, these flowers look like something else: ballerinas, monkeys, spoons - and, of course, bugs. The illustrations - vibrant, bold, acrylic paintings - are botanically accurate with a touch of whimsy. Susan told me that she had them checked and double-checked with her botanical experts.

What I like love about this book: The words. The art. The vibrant imagination that explodes off the page. The curiosity. And, of course, the back matter: photos and notes about the actual flowers that inspired this wonderfully fun book.

Beyond the book:

Go hunting for unusual flowers. If there are greenhouses nearby, see if they have any orchids growing. Or look through books of flowers. You can find lots of photos of unusual flowers online. What do you think they look like? Lips? Dancers? Give them names that describe them.

Draw or paint some fantastic flowers of your own. Use photos of real flowers to inspire you. Paint flowers on large pieces of paper or cut-open paper bags. Paint flowers on small scraps of paper or the backs of envelopes. Brighten up your world with fantastic flowers of your own.

Plant some flowers - in a garden or in a container. Draw pictures of your flowers as they grow. Measure how tall they are with a ruler and keep track of their height each day. Make sure they get plenty of sun.

Check out my interview with Susan about how she paints flowers - over at the Grog Blog. And hop over to her website to see more of her art.

Today is 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.We're also joining the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy provided by publisher.

Wednesday Explorers Club ~ flowers

It's spring ~ a perfect time to check out the flowers in your neighborhood. Here in upstate NY the first things to bloom are dandelions, coltsfoot, and flowers on the trees. Go out for a walk with your camera or sketchbook and capture the colors and shapes of spring flowers around your home. And then check back in on Friday for a review of a fun new book, Fantastic Flowers.