Run, Sea Turtle, Run

Run, Sea Turtle, Run: A Hatchling's Journey
by Stephen R. Swinburne
32 pages; ages 4 - 9
Millbrook Press, 2020

theme: animals, nature, growing up

Can you hear me? Scritch, scratch.

Told from a sea turtle’s point of view, we see the turtle hatch. We follow her while she and her siblings dig through the sand. And we watch her scoot, scurry, and dash to the ocean. Someday, that sea turtle will return – to lay eggs of her own.

What I like about this book: I love the language and all those verbs: climb, crawl, scoot, dash … fly! Yes, sea turtles fly – at least that’s what it looks like underwater.

I love the photos. They take you so close to sea turtle hatchlings that you can see individual grains of sand clinging to their shells and faces. And those faces – so cute!

And – there is Back Matter! Author Steve Swinburne includes additional information about the sea turtle’s life cycle and six ways you can help sea turtles. There are also book- and website- suggestions for curious young naturalists.

This is Steve’s third book about sea turtles, so I had to ask him One Question:

Archimedes: Why did you decide to write this book in first person, from the turtle’s point of view?

Steve: I guess I just can’t get enough of these amazing critters. I was inspired by Guillaume Feuillet’s up-close and personal photographs of leatherback hatchlings breaking free of the nest and dashing to the sea. He was in the right place at the right time. As you know, most hatchlings get down to the sea under the cover of darkness because there are fewer predators. How fortunate he was able to take these photographs in such beautiful light.

As the bulk of the images are very tight shots of the hatchlings, the text felt like it had to be in first person. I wanted the hatchling making the journey to tell the story, to tell their story. By choosing first person POV, I think the reader comes along on the hatchling’s journey. I rely on active verbs to show the journey: “I scoot and scurry” “I smell the salty breeze” “I wriggle into the sea”

I also wanted this to be a great read-aloud. I can almost imagine a teacher reading the book to a class of 1st graders. I’m hoping the text and photographs hooks them right into the story, the beginning, middle and end.

Beyond the Books:

Learn more about Leatherback sea turtles here.

Steve doesn’t just write books about turtles, he sings about them. Check out this tune over at You Tube.

Write a story, draw a picture, or make up a song about a wild animal you care about.

Steve is a member of #STEAMTeam2020. You can find out more about him at his website.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ What's left of the flowers?

Once the blooms have faded, petals dried and fallen, we forget about the flowers. As fall turned to winter, I watched birds land on the bare monarda and other flower heads. With a pick and a peck, they snagged a seed and flew off.

Later, the empty heads filled with snow. As sun warmed and melted the snow, the flowerheads trapped droplets, which froze overnight. Suddenly all the flowers were decked out in winter hats...

What's left of the flowers where you live?

This year I'm encouraging everyone to spend 1,000 hours outdoors. So on Wednesday I'll be posting ideas for nature breaks, field trips, and outdoor play. The goal: to have fun!

Teachers and homeschoolers who want to use nature breaks as field trips can grab a sketchbook or journal, something to draw and write with, and some watercolors, colored pencils, crayons, or markers. Think cross-curricular: art, language, science, math, engineering, movement, exercise! And come back Friday for some STEM book-talk.

Wood, Wire, Wings!

Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane 
by Kirsten W. Larson; illus, by Tracy Subisak
48 pages; ages 7 - 10
Calkins Creek, 2020

theme: flight, invention, women in science

To Emma Lilian Todd, problems were like gusts of wind: they set her mind soaring.

Lilian grew up in a family of innovators, during the golden age of invention. While Grandpa worked on a carriage wheel, Lilian created her own things: a weather vane from a broken toy. She took things apart and put them back together – and sometimes they never worked quite right afterwards…

But invention wasn’t for women. So Lilian took a job at the U.S. Patent Office, typing up other people’s inventions. Fascinated by plans for flying machines, she built models and tested them. The designs weren’t very practical. So Lilian decided to build her own airplane.

What I like about this book: I like that Kirsten shows the journey from idea to success is not a straight line. When Lilian tests her first designs – they crash. Failure! But Lilian persisted. She knew she was on to something. I like how Kirsten includes the practical side of invention: Lilian needs space and money to construct a plane. Finally she gets it built, fires up the engine and … goes nowhere. Failure! But now Lilian knows what went wrong. All she needs is a better engine – one she’ll have to wait for a year to get.

I like the back matter: an author’s note about inventions and more about Lilian Todd, a timeline of flying machines, historic photos, and sources for readers who want to deep dive into more history about planes.

One Question for Kirsten:

Archimedes: What inspired you to write this story?

Kirsten: One of my StoryStorm ideas was “Rosie the Riveter.” I went through my story ideas in early 2014, and checked out a slew of books on the topic, including Rosie Revere, Engineer, by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts. The name of Lilian Todd and a note that she was the first female airplane designer appeared in one of David’s illustrations. Though I’d lived and worked around airplanes my whole life, I’d never heard of Lilian. Neither had my husband, who’s a test pilot and aviation history buff. I knew Lilian’s story was one I needed to tell.

Thank you, Kirsten. Kirsten is a member of #STEAMTeam2020 - find out more about her at her website.

Beyond the Books:

Read about Lilian and four other women who helped push the aviation industry forward

Check out some photos of Lilian’s airplane here.

Download an educators guide from Kirsten Larson's website.

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday in a couple weeks -  once the Valentine story contest ends. PPBF is a gathering of bloggers who share their reviews of picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Cold Reflections

Does cold water reflect images more sharply than warm water? I've been wondering about this lately, as I observe the reflections in the river that runs through town. Though, at this spot the water isn't "running" anywhere - it's slowed to stillness by a small dam. Still, I wonder what will happen as winter turns to spring. I plan to return every couple weeks to snap photos of reflections and... reflect on the changing season.

This year I'm encouraging everyone to spend 1,000 hours outdoors. So on Wednesday I'll be posting ideas for nature breaks, field trips, and outdoor play. The goal: to have fun!

Teachers and homeschoolers who want to use nature breaks as field trips can grab a sketchbook or journal, something to draw and write with, and some watercolors, colored pencils, crayons, or markers. Think cross-curricular: art, language, science, math, engineering, movement, exercise! And come back Friday for some STEM book-talk.

Books Can Help Us Think Like a Scientist!

Today I’m sharing picture books that feature scientists – and want-to-be scientists.
Theme: biography, STEM, inspiration 

Dream Big, Little Scientists: A Bedtime Book
by Michelle Schaub; illus. by Alice Potter
32 pages; ages 3-7
Charlesbridge, 2020 (releases Feb. 18 

Dream BIG, little scientists, and close your sleepy eyes…
This is the perfect bedtime story to read your STEM-enthused youngster. Each spread illustrates a young scientist getting ready for sleep. Posters on their walls, quilts, and books on their shelves highlight their passion for a particular field, from astronomy to geology to chemistry.

What I like about this book: I love the calming rhymes that incorporate principles from the different disciplines. For example, one room has posters of Donna Strickland and Stephen Hawking, books about Newton and flight and gravity, and paper airplanes scattered on the floor. The text is perfect: As motion slows and quiet grows, objects come to rest.

I also love the ending – which I am not going to spoil for you – and the back matter that encourages kids to Think Like a Scientist! That’s where readers can learn more about the different fields introduced in the book. (review copy provided by Blue Slip Media)


Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet
by Elizabeth Rusch; illus. by Teresa Martinez
40 pages; ages 6-9
Charlesbridge, 2019

 Mario Molina was born in Mexico City on March 19, 1943. By the time he was six, the world was awash in amazing new products made from amazing new chemicals.

When he turned eight, his parents gave him a microscope. Mario put a drop of water – and then some dirty, smelly water – under his microscope lens. He looked at salt crystals, food, even toothpaste. When Mario wanted to turn a bathroom into a chemistry lab, his parents encouraged him – even buying chemicals he couldn’t find in children’s chemistry sets.

As Mario studied chemistry, he wondered about the safety of new chemicals. Soon, he was studying chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), chemicals used as a propellant in spray cans and used in refrigerators. They stuck around in the atmosphere and broke up the ozone molecules. Mario had to warn people, and quickly, before the hole in the ozone got too large to fix.

What I like about this book: Scientist-becomes-hero! A great story – but wait! What happens when people don’t want to believe what you have discovered? That, too, is part of this story. What I really like: that leaders from around the world listened and took action. It gives you hope that maybe, just maybe, we can come together again to solve global environmental problems.

I like that back matter includes a comparison between the Ozone hole and global warming. There’s a list of books you can read. And there is a short list of things you can do right now to reduce your contributions to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. (review copy provided by publisher)


Buzzing with Questions: the inquisitive mind of Charles Henry Turner
by  Janice N. Harrington; illus by Theodore Taylor III
48 pages; ages 7-10
Calkins Creek, 2019

As a passionate insect-watcher, I am happy to see a picture book about Charles Turner. He loved to study plants and animals, and bugged his parents with unending questions. When a teacher urged him to go find out the answers, Charles did. At a time when most colleges didn’t accept black students, Charles Turner went to college.

Charles asked BIG questions about small creatures: how does an ant find its way home? Could a cockroach learn to solve a maze? Can bees use color cues to find sweet rewards? He never tired of asking questions and sharing what he learned with his students. Back matter includes a timeline and resources for curious readers. (review ARC provided by publisher)

Beyond the Books:

Check out the biographies of the scientists whose posters are tacked to the walls of the kids in Dream Big... here at Michelle Schaub's website.

Learn more about Charles Turner here

Learn more about chemist Mario Molina here.

Think Like a Scientist – tips from a fun video.


We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday in a couple weeks -  once the Valentine story contest ends. PPBF is a gathering of bloggers who share their reviews of picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website.

Explore Outdoors ~ Snowflake Size

Last week we had a bunch of snow fall from the sky. At first, the flakes were large and fluffy. They looked like downy feathers about as long as my index finger. In the space of a half hour they were replaced by smaller flakes. Over that time, the temperature had fallen from near 30 degrees F to about 24 degrees.

If you get snow during these last few weeks of winter, pay attention to the flakes. What do they look like? How big are they? Do they float or are they intent on reaching the ground? And how do they change over the course of a storm?

This year I'm encouraging everyone to spend 1,000 hours outdoors. So on Wednesday I'll be posting ideas for nature breaks, field trips, and outdoor play. The goal: to have fun!

Teachers and homeschoolers who want to use nature breaks as field trips can grab a sketchbook or journal, something to draw and write with, and some watercolors, colored pencils, crayons, or markers. Think cross-curricular: art, language, science, math, engineering, movement, exercise! And come back Friday for some STEM book-talk.

Seeking Signs of Spring

On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring 
by Buffy Silverman
32 pages; ages 4-9
Millbrook Press, 2020

themes: changing seasons, spring, nonfiction, STEAM

On a drip-droppy, slip-sloppy, snow-melting day…

Opening this book is like stepping into a seasonal change. It begins with ice-encased twigs and salamanders on snow and ends with muddy splatters and buds growing.

What I like about this book: The language! It’s lyrical and fun to read. Lots of verbs: icicles drip; chickadees sip. I like the photos – they take us winter-bound readers out of our dreary gray day and into the woods where leaves and twigs cover the ground and snow only exists in patches. Where the sky is blue and grass is green beneath the melting snow. You can almost smell the mud!

And there is Back Matter! I am a big fan of back matter. Here, in the last pages, you can read more about the animals mentioned, the physical aspects of snow, mist, drifts, lake thaw… and where the snow goes when it melts. There is a brief glossary and some great titles for kids who want to find more fun books about spring emerging.

One Question for Buffy:

Archimedes: What inspired you to write about emerging spring? 

Buffy: The idea for Snow-Melting Day began as a response to a StoryStorm post in January, 2018 by Heidi Stemple. Heidi encouraged writers to pay attention to what is around them. It must have been a warm winter day for Michigan, because I wrote this sentence in my notebook:
It was a drip droppy
                slip sloppy
                snow melting day

And then I jotted down a few images: Mist rises in the air, boots sink in the slush, puddles grow on the lake, followed by some questions to myself: Is there a story here? Or just a poem? followed by more notes: dog wet from snout to tail (it really must have been a slushy day!) and writing on the snow (dog/deer tracks) turn to slippery sloppery.

Beyond the Books:

Pay attention to how the season is changing around you. Maybe you notice that there are more birds at the feeder, or different birds. Maybe the sky looks different than it did last month. What do you notice?

Take photos over the next six weeks and make a scrapbook showing how spring emerges where you live.

Make a map showing where snow melts first in your neighborhood, and where the first buds show.

Become a citizen scientist. Join Project Budburst to help scientists document when flowers bloom.

Buffy is a member of #STEAMTeam2020. You can find out more about her at her website.
Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Bark

At this time of the year, most of the trees have shed their leaves. Except for evergreens that are covered in needles, and the papery beech leaves clinging to twigs. So if you want to know about the trees you see, you need to learn about their bark:

• is it smooth?
• is it patchy?
• is it lined vertically?
• is it scaly?

Check out field guides to find out who's who in their bark. Here's one from UNH.

This year I'm encouraging everyone to spend 1,000 hours outdoors. So on Wednesday I'll be posting ideas for nature breaks, field trips, and outdoor play. The goal: to have fun!

Teachers and homeschoolers who want to use nature breaks as field trips can grab a sketchbook or journal, something to draw and write with, and some watercolors, colored pencils, crayons, or markers. Think cross-curricular: art, language, science, math, engineering, movement, exercise! And come back Friday for some STEM book-talk.