Round

Round
by Joyce Sidman; illus. by Taeeun Yoo
32 pages; ages 4-7
HMH books for young readers, 2017

themes: nature, shapes

I love round things. 
I like to feel their smoothness. 
My hands want to reach around their curves.

Through the pages of this book a young girl explores things that are round in nature: seeds, eggs, berries... Round things spread. Round things roll.

What I like about this book: The diversity of round things! And the encouragement to look closer at the world around us. Also the reminder that some things that are round now were once jagged (like hills), and that some round things are ephemeral. And that some round things aren't round all the time.

There is also Back Matter! You know how I like books with Back Matter! Why are so many things in nature round? Joyce Sidman gives a few reasons including: round shapes distribute weight, round helps spread seeds or spores, and round things roll - which helps with distribution.

Beyond the book:

Make a list of all the Round things you can think of. They don't have to be found in nature.

Hunt for Round Things in nature. Now is a perfect time to find walnuts, hickory nuts, mustard seeds and other round things. Remember to check out the night sky for round things, too.

Do small Round Things roll the same speed as large round things? One way to test would be to roll them down a slope. Do they go as far? Push (or kick) them on a flat surface to get them started rolling.

How can you measure round-ness? Figure out a way to do it, then measure different things.

If you are watching the moon, how long does it take to get round? Draw a picture of it every night.

Today we're joining the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. We're also joining others over at 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 from the publisher.