See Your World Anew

 Last week I shared The Nature of Play, a handbook for exploring the world around us in all seasons. This week I want to dive a bit deeper into the theme of exploring nature. 

Stickler Loves the World (A Stickler Story)

by Lane Smith 

40 pages; ages 4-8

Random House Studio, 2023

theme: mindfulness, wonder, appreciation

Many strange creatures lived in the part of the forest where shadow met tree. 

But the strangest of all was Stickler.

Stickler loves sticks more than anything in the world. Except maybe fluffy clouds, buzzy bees, and prickly plants! Our world, says Stickler, has some pretty weird stuff – this coming from a character with eight – or six, or five – eyes that never seem to stay in the same place.

“Oh, to see it all anew. Wouldn’t that be amazing?” Stickler muses. When an alien shows up, Stickler has that very opportunity. The two set out to see the world, Stickler narrating all the wonders as they walk. Puffballs (dandelion seed heads), rocks, the wind…  the changing colors of the sunset.

What I like  LOVE about this book: As Stickler “shows” things to the space alien, readers can see things Stickler either misses or simply ignores. That space helmet? Not a helmet at all. When Stickler alludes to all the wonders we pass by every day “without even noticing,” we can see the creature in the woods. 

I love the language. The wind is like a whisper. Maple samaras whirl, twirl, spin as they fall. I especially love it when Stickler discovers who is really under that space helmet, and how they have both had their eyes “opened” that day. I love the art!

Beyond the Books:

Share the world outside your house with someone who can’t see it. Maybe blindfold a friend and describe what you see, smell, feel. Or call a cousin and tell them about the nature right outside your door.

Paint or draw a picture of the nature growing around you. How does creating art influence the way you see your world?

Collect some bits of nature that are on the ground – acorns, fallen leaves, sticks, stones – and pay attention to how they feel, their colors, whether they have a smell.

Describe the wind, how the sunshine feels, what the earth smells like before (or after) rain. 

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. I borrowed this book from my local library, Candor Free Library.

Explore Outdoors ~ Logan Hill Nature Preserve

 

 

 

This past Sunday, Mothers Day, was perfect weather for a walk. So we headed to the Logan Hill Nature Preserve, a Finger Lakes Land Trust preserve located in Candor, NY.

 

 

 

 

The preserve is a mix of field and woods, with vernal pools and a pond. It's perfect habitat for bobolinks and woodcocks. On Sunday we heard  a medley of birdsong: hermit thrush, robins, sparrows of all kinds. We also heard the low humming of bumble bees and carpenter bees checking out the flowers.

 

Speaking of flowers...

 

 

 The overwhelming color this time of year was green ~ with highlights of muddy brown.

 

 Fortunately, there were stones across the muddy spots. Even they were part of the natural wonder! Who can resist stopping to look at fossilized brachiopods in the path? 

 

 

Go Fly a Kite - or something...

The Nature of Play: A Handbook of Nature-Based Activities for all Seasons

by Delfina Aguilar & Clare Aitken; illus. by Sabrina Arnault 

180 pages; ages 8+

Greystone Kids, 2026 (will be released May 19)

Put down the phone.

Turn off the screens.

Let’s go outside and play!

I grew up when phones were attached to walls and we spent most of our free time playing. We made up games in the back yard, chalked squares on the sidewalk for a game of hopscotch, and stitched up doll clothes from fabric scraps. Play allowed us to observe our world, contemplate nature, and experiment. It provided a place for our imaginations to run wild – and for us to become pirates, knights, or dragons!

The current move to reduce screen time opens opportunities for rediscovering the fun and wonder of play. And this book provides a source of ideas for things to explore, from star watching to making seed bombs. 

I like how it begins with a list of things to collect, and a list of things to know. For example, if you want to sleep outside but don’t want to get wet, a rope, a tarp, and a bit of knot knowledge can go a long way. Or if you want to draw some of the flowers or birds you find, knowing some basic shapes helps.

For each season, there are suggested things to do, things to eat, and things to observe. Activities include getting to know a tree, sending secret messages, building a kite, and making a camera. There are suggestions for books to read, tips on leaf identification, and games to play with friends.

If The Nature of Play had book buddies, they would be The Observologist and Be a Nature Explorer!

Here’s what we had in our “nature play” cupboard:

• magnifying glass or hand lens
• compass
• old prescription bottles for collecting samples 
• heavy cardboard and rubber bands for making a flower  press
• notebooks and sketch books
• pencils, crayons, markers
• chalk and sidewalk chalk
• paints and brushes
• scissors, tape, glue
• a box of shells and rocks
• a tin of beads and feathers
• ribbons, string, yarn
• fabric scraps
• needles and thread
• interesting papers, old cards, pictures from magazines
• and a couple bins to store all these in!

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~early spring

 

 This year spring seems to be slow in coming. Sure, we've had rain and the occasional sunny day. But it's been such a cold winter, and the last couple weeks have felt cold and gray.

 

Still, there's a bit of seasonal change happening in the garden. The spear-like leaves of the garlics have been up for a couple weeks, as have the irises. Pear and plum blossoms have added sprinkles of color to the landscape, and some kinds of maples have already let their samaras fall to the earth.

 

The first flowers blooming in  my garden - and in my lawn - are violets and dandelions. I love the contrast of purple with cheery yellow.

 

I'm not the only one - plenty of tiny bees were out in the dandelions!

 

What colors do you see blooming around your neighborhood this week?
 

 

STEM in Graphic Novels

Picture books depend on the combination of text and illustration to tell the story. You know what else does that? Graphic novels. Today I’m exploring two recently published books that combine science and art.

theme: STEM, comics, art

Fiddlehead Forest (Little Habitats, 2) 

by Jana Curll 

92 pages ; ages 6-9

Greystone Kids, 2026

When a tree falls in the forest…

does anyone hear it? The answer depends on your definition of “anyone” – but in this case, the answer is definitively YES. Fern and friends not only hear their tree fall, but they are determined to help raise it back to its previous – and grand – height. Even if it takes (checks calendar) a few years. After trying a few things, Millipede, Moth, Slug, Lichen, Mushroom, and Fern decide on their plan of action: hang out with tree and do nothing. Well, nothing except what they normally do every day.

What I like about this book: I love that the story begins the minute you open the cover. That’s where we meet the characters, when Fern does a roll call to make sure his best buddies are safe after the storm. 

I like the puns that run throughout the book, from the table of contents (chapter four: Aiming for slug-cess) to mushrooms im-spore-tant information. Each chapter focuses on how one of the characters helps tree to find their new growth as a nurse log. Detailed sidebars in each chapter clarify the science that’s going on – often beneath the surface and out of sight. For example: mushroom’s underground mycelium network and slug’s recycling superpowers. 

Fiddlehead Forest is book two in a series that began with Barnacle Bay. That book opens with Crab, who is SO tired of every day being the same old thing. On his way out, he runs into Larva, who is floating in on the tide. Crab, who really does have a kind heart, agrees to show Larva around the neighborhood, and introduce him to the other residents: kelp, oysters, mussels and clams… the writing is just as playful (and pun-full) as Fiddlehead Forest.

We Are Dwarf Sperm Whales!: A Graphic Guide to Cetaceans 

by Anne Lambelet 

80 pages; ages 7-11

Graphic Universe/Lerner, 2026

It’s the first day of school for Kogi, but he’s not headed for the school of fish. Kogi is a sperm whale, in the class of Cetaceans which aren’t fish at all! They don’t have scales, and they don’t lay eggs. But whales can grow to enormous lengths. Except dwarf sperm whales. And whales sing long songs heard for miles beneath the ocean. Except for dwarf sperm whales. And some whales can swim as fast as 20 miles per hour! Except for …

yeah, you guessed it, dwarf sperm whales. Is there anything that Kogi can possibly be good at? 

What I like about this book: I love that Kogi eventually learns what his dwarf sperm whale superpowers are, because I was starting to worry about the little guy. Well, OK, not so little (average length is 9 feet). The pages are filled with cetacean info, and there’s a Very Helpful Glossary at the back of the book.

Some observations about STEM graphic novels and graphic nonfiction:

The books I’m sharing today are fiction because they have characters, and because in the real world fiddlehead ferns don’t talk (neither do dwarf sperm whales). But there are nonfiction graphic books – and here’s the thing: in our library they are cataloged JNF as though they are all graphic novels. So next time you’re looking for an informational book about science or history, or perhaps about a person or a place, remember that  nonfiction options exist on the graphic novel shelves.

Why give your kid a graphic novel?

• Graphic books help readers develop visual literacy. That’s the ability to understand and interpret nonverbal imagery – a skill that’s becoming increasingly vital in our information age.
• Graphic books help make complex ideas easier to understand with addition of visual elements and dialog.
• Also, illustrations add context clues that aid comprehension, so a graphic book can be more approachable than traditional texts for people with diverse learning styles.
• Graphic nonfiction is a fun – and fast – way to explore a new topic.

Beyond the Books:

Do you have a favorite animal or plant? Or maybe a rock or mushroom? Draw them as a character.

Create a comic strip where your character introduces us to where they live.

Make some silly puns about plants or animals that live in your yard or neighborhood. For example, there’s a couple ferns living in my garden. They’re close fronds with the poppies.

Turn your pun into a comic!

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website.  On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Explore Outdoors ~ another day, another salt marsh...

 A couple weeks ago we walked along the trail of a salt marsh at Caddy Memorial Park in Quincy, MA. It sits where Blacks Creek empties into Quincy Bay (part of the larger Massachusetts Bay).

Join us for a nature walk...

The salt marsh is flooded each day by salt water. Not only do the plants have to be adapted to that, but they need to be sturdy enough to endure the push and pull of the tides. Salt-resistant marsh grasses (Spartina) grow here and, in the fall, were cut and dried by colonists, and used for bedding and fodder for their horses and cattle.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the salt marsh is edged with oak, cedar, elm, sumac, and pitch pine trees. We saw many red-winged blackbirds and bluejays, an osprey nest, and a horseshoe crab. Apparently the crabs use salt marshes for spawning and will show up even in daylight.

Turn off the Night Lights!

Who Hid the Stars? How Light Pollution Changes Our World  

by Danio Miserocchi & Maciej Michno; illus. by Valentina Gottardi, and translated by Sylvia Notini 

44 pages; ages 8-14

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2026

Back in mid-March, in the middle of the night, we’d stopped to fill up our tank and get some snacks for the drive home. The gas station was brightly lit, at the edge of a small city where lights were few and far between. And there, atop the roof, was a lone robin singing his heart out. Didn’t he know it was time to sleep?

Apparently not. Artificial light does more than illuminate our world. For the plants and animals living in and around our cities, these night lights create problems. Constant light changes behavior as well as their chances to reproduce.

In this well-documented book, the authors examine how light pollution affects birds and bats, reptiles and insects, and even trees and flowers. City birds stay awake longer, sometimes searching for food all night – not healthy for either the birds or the bugs they’re noshing on. Unfortunately, those lights that allow the birds more foraging time can confuse migratory species that depend on the dark skies to navigate.

Night lights confuse nocturnal insects. Those moths you see fluttering around streetlights aren’t flapping round and round because they like the light. They’ve lost their bearings and can’t figure out where they want to go. Bad news for the moths, but not for the bats who’ve discovered the all-night streetlight buffet.

As fireflies, who depend on reading the flashes of bioluminescent light to guide them to potential mates – artificial lights make it nearly impossible to see them, unless they’re lucky enough to have found a dark corner of a park.

But there’s hope – and this is what I like about this book: there are Things We Can Do to minimize light pollution. Some state and national parks have established themselves as Dark Sky Parks. When you visit, you have to turn off your cell phones and put red cellophane over your flashlight to preserve the nocturnal habitat. Some cities are replacing old streetlights with newer ones that shield light from above, focusing it downward. Many places encourage residents and businesses to turn off lights during peak migration. As for us – if we all turned off even just one light or two at night, it would make a difference.

Back matter includes ideas for bringing back the stars (dark skies) and resources. 

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Explore Outdoors ~ flower watching

 Spring comes in its own time, sometimes in a flurry of flowering and sometimes a slow opening of a bud. While visiting Boston, I walked around the neighborhood every day just to watch this magnolia wake up from winter. 

This Earth Day, what's blooming in your neighborhood?

April 1

April 6

April 11

April 14

 

PB & Jellyfish?

The Secrets of the Jellies: Amazing Jellyfish and Their Surprising Talents   

by Karen Jameson; illus by Marie Hermansson

40 pages; ages 5-8

Chronicle Books, 2026

themes: ocean animals, animal adaptations, STEM

Jellies pulse, jellies ride, gracing waters as they glide

Using poetic lines, Karen Jameson takes readers on a field trip to a jellyfish aquarium. On each spread, she focuses on a single aspect of jellyfish-iness. For example, they have no bones! They come in a variety of shapes and colors and sizes. And even though they can feel, they have no brain. Gorgeous illustrations will draw you right into the book, and you’ll wonder how you can spend time with these intriguing animals.

What I like about this book: It’s fun, engaging, and all science. Plus, there’s extensive back matter. A section on Jellyfish facts expands on the information presented on each spread. Another section gives insight into jelly research and their role in ocean ecosystems. The last four pages are a “Meet the Jellies” extravaganza! Sort of like a condensed field guide to cool jellyfish you might meet at an aquarium. 

This is such a fun book to read, that I had to ask Karen a couple of questions:

Me: How did you come to this structure for your book? 

Karen: Here’s the short and sweet answer. As with all my nonfiction books, there was a lot of thought and consideration given as to which key information belonged in the main text. Above all, I wanted readers to “travel" through these pages to an aquarium and experience the awe of an immersive jellyfish exhibit. Readers would wander from room to room (or tank to tank) in a way that felt organic. I also wanted it to be an engaging read-aloud. After composing the stanzas, I simply put them on post-it notes and shifted them around like puzzle pieces to see which order felt right.  Of course, I also ran it past my trusty critique group!

Me: I love the back matter. Can you talk about your research?

Karen: Yes, it is a lot of back matter! It was initially more compact, but grew after we decided to move the side bars to the back and add a “Meet the Jellies” section. I’d been lucky enough to visit the aquarium on multiple occasions (it’s about a 5 hour drive from my home).  However, since I began researching this during the pandemic when Monterey Bay Aquarium was closed, that wasn’t an option. But, I was able to enjoy their incredible online Jelly Cam footage and explore their website for further information.  I then expanded to additional online sources  -  other prominent aquariums, ocean and science sites. Though libraries were closed, I was able to order nonfiction jellyfish books (both adult and kid lit titles) from various sites for secure pick up. More online research of scholarly journals and the like rounded it up.

Though the book was inspired by Monterey Bay Aquarium, the aquarium itself does NOT have all those specific jellyfish, just some. Early on I made the decision to focus on true jellies around the world, of which there are 200+ known varieties. You can visit other cool kinds of jellyfish, such as comb jellies, at Monterrey and other aquariums.

Beyond the Books:

Watch jellyfish with live jellyfish cams! These nettle jellies are at the Aquarium of the Pacific, and these moon jellies are at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Create a jellyfish dance. Stretch and squeeze to move like a jellyfish. If you really want to play the part, create a jellyfish costume using an old umbrella or wide-brimmed hat and strips of cloth or scarves. 

Make a jellyfish out of your handprint, a paper plate, or even coffee filters. Please skip the glitter – it’s not healthy for ocean animals.

Karen is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her at her website at https://karenljameson.com/. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM at https://www.steamteambooks.com/

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by Blue Slip Media.

Explore Outdoors ~ a tree museum

 Last week a friend invited us to stroll through the Arnold Arboretum. It's Harvard University's "tree museum" and botanical research facility, and filled with birds and blooms that change with the season. In early April, our friend warned, we shouldn't expect to see a lot of flowers. Because it's still cold (indeed, it snowed for a few minutes that morning) and spring was still trying to wake up! But here, enough talk - come with us for a short walk...

Many of the trees in bloom were from China, Japan, South Korea - places where flowers are adapted to chilly spring weather. But, as we discovered, there's more to trees than their blossoms... 

Bark has wonderful texture, as do the sweetgum seedpods and the mosses and lichens growing on tree limbs.

Even so, the maples and magnolias were blooming (though the magnolias looked the worse for wear!)

And then, of course I just couldn't resist this splash of yellow!

This week, notice the trees where you walk.

WANTED: Trees - Dead or Alive!

Look at this - two books about trees, both published by Millbrook Press this month. One about a living tree, one about a dead tree, but with one thing in common: each supports a diverse community of living things.  

themes: trees, ecology, habitat

Whose Tree Is This? Poems About the Mighty Oak and Its Companions 

by Marilyn Singer; illus. by Julian Plum 

32 pages; ages 5-9

Millbrook Press, 2026

Whose tree is this? Reaching high, spreading wide…

It is an oak tree, gracious and spacious with acorns for eating, nooks for nests, and room for guests. Each spread introduces an animal, from insect to bird to bear to people that depends on the tree in some way. For some it is food, for others it is shelter, and for others it is both.

What I like about this book: Each poem is written from the perspective of the animal on the tree, accompanied by additional text that explains more about that animal. It’s fun to think about an oak from the point of view of a caterpillar munching its leaves! 

Detailed illustrations entice kids (and adults) to spend time studying the diversity of life on the tree, and the added information will encourage curious kids to go outside and see what they can find on and around a tree. I like that at the end, the tree notes that “we flourish when we form a community, when we live in unity together.” Back matter includes information om the oak tree life cycle, how to recognize an oak, and why we need them

What Good Is a Dead Tree: A Science Mystery 

words and photos by Doug Wechsler 

40 pages; ages 9-14

Millbrook Press, 2026

A mighty oak has fallen in the forest. But fifty years later, the only evidence that it was there is a dark mark on the forest floor. 

Your challenge, as a scientist, is to discover what happened to the tree and where it went. Author and photographer, Doug Wechsler provides lots of clues through photos of an oak undergoing decomposition decade by decade. The book begins with ... butt rot!

Chapter by chapter, year by year, readers discover what happens to the fallen oak. There are springtails and beetles, jellydiscs and fairy cups, carpenter ants and farting termites… all contributing to the eventual disappearance of the tree. Sidebars provide details about insects, bacteria, and slime molds. Photos show the culprits – er, decomposers in action. And back matter offers two hands-on investigations as well as links to videos. Doug Wechsler is an amazing naturalist, and reading this book is the next best thing to going on a walk in the woods with him. I know because I’ve had the pleasure of going on a nature walk with him.

Beyond the Books:

Get to know an oak tree. Spend some time watching it over the summer, and even through the fall and winter. What insects, birds, and other animals do you notice in your tree? If you need help identifying an oak tree, use a tree guide or check out this quick guide from wikihow.

If you are lucky enough to have a fallen tree nearby, take a good look at it. What do you see? Draw pictures of interesting fungi, plants, insects and other animals using the log. Sometimes, fungi will fruit when you least expect it. I found the coolest fungi on my dead tree during a warm break one January!

Check out the leaf litter beneath your oak tree. What do you find living there? Depending on the season, you might find springtails, beetle larvae, sleeping caterpillars, butterfly pupae, and maybe some cool fungi. Draw pictures of what you discover.

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. 

On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copies provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ April Showers

 It's been a rainy spring here in the northeast - and some mornings are still on the cold side. (Snow, anyone?) But spring flowers are shaking off the raindrops and holding their faces to the sun.

 

What spring flowers are blooming in your neighborhood? 

 

Two Fun Books to Tuck in a Tote

A couple of books came out last month and I think they’re perfect for spring.

Odd Bugs: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Insects 

by Laura Gehl; illus. by Gareth Lucas 

22 pages; ages 2-4

Abrams Appleseed, 2026   

A few years ago I chatted with Laura Gehl about her book Odd Beasts. This one is the third in her series of “nature’s oddballs” and it’s about my favorite critters: bugs!

Odd Bugs presents eight insects, each with a particular adaptation. Among them is a moth with painted wings, and a caterpillar that stings. There are ants that weave with silken strands and a butterfly whose wings look like panes of glass. And then there’s the robber fly – a true thief. Even their babies steal from other insects!

What I like about this book: Using fun and playful language, each spread presents a single bug. Read aloud, page by page, it’s a single poem about the insects. My favorite part is at the end where Laura points out that we don’t have six legs or antennae or wings or any of the buggy attributes they do. So … who’s the real weirdo? What’s more, this board book has Back Matter! Two spreads present additional information and photos of each insect featured. Laura will be one of the guests at the Annual Arthropod Roundtable over at the GROG on Earth Day, April 22nd.  (Review copy from the author)

What's the oddest bug you've ever seen? 

A spiky caterpillar? 

A moth the size of  a hummingbird? 

This summer, draw pictures of the truly odd bugs you find around your neighborhood.

Big Brain Puzzles: Plant Pandemonium! 

created by Camille Pichon 

10 pages; ages 6 and up

Twirl, 2026

Flowers, butterflies, earthworms … all in puzzles that mix things up. Spin the dials on a lily pad, pull butterfly tabs, slide worm parts through the soil to match the challenges. Five puzzles times nine different ways to play makes a total of 45 different challenges – adding up to complete pandemonium! Great for logic and problem-solving. (Review copy from Blue Slip Media)

Have fun!