A Shoe for an Elephant

The Elephant's New Shoe 
by Laurel Neme; illus. by Ariel Landy 
40 pages; ages 4-6
Orchard Books (Scholastic), 2020   

theme: animal rescue, elephants, engineering

Animal rescuer Nick Marx peered at the injured elephant. 

It was a young male, orphaned and in bad shape. A wire snare had cut off his foot, which meant he couldn’t keep up with the herd. So Nick did the reasonable thing: he camped by the elephant, fed him bananas, and gained his trust. Then he moved him to a rescue center.

Nick introduced the young male, called Chhouk, to another elephant. But when she wandered, Chhouk couldn’t keep pace. Could the rescuers make a foot for Chhouk? 

What I like about this book: I like the way medics work on the problem of building a huge shoe that can take hundreds of pounds. I like how Laurel shows that nothing is easy; it took a few tires to eventually create a prosthetic foot that allowed the young elephant freedom of movement. There is great back matter, with photos and more information about elephants. And Nick, the wildlife rescuer, introduces the book noting that elephants “may look a little different, but they are people, too!”

Beyond the Books:

Chhouk and Nick Marx, courtesy of Wildlife Alliance.

Chhouk is an Asian elephant, an endangered species. You can find out more about them here.

Watch a video about Chhouk and his prosthetic foot here. And check out the posts about Chhouk at the Wildlife Alliance page here.

Chhouk isn’t the only animal to receive a prosthetic. Birds, cats, dogs, horses – many animals are helped by prosthetic limbs or beak extensions, or even a pair of wheels. Find out more here.

Laurel Neme 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.

ICK! a delightfully disgusting book

ICK! Delightfully Disgusting Animal Dinners, Dwellings, and Defenses 
by Melissa Stewart
112 pages; ages 8 - 12
National Geographic Children's Books, 2020 (releases June 23)

Some of the coolest things in science are also gross – so leave it to Melissa Stewart to dig deeper until she has enough to write a totally disgusting book about things slimy, smelly, and altogether ICKY! Things like animals that eat poop, squirt blood from their eyes, fling their feces – or weaponize their farts.

But, she warns, “don’t be too quick to say ick!” There’s a good reason that baby pandas eat their mom’s poop … or that cockroaches eat the fingernail clippings left on the bathroom floor. As for building a home, animals use the resources at hand. For white-nest swiftlets, that means layering thread upon thread of sticky saliva against a cave wall until a nest is formed. If that sounds yucky, you’ll want to skip the section about the bone-eating snot flower worm. And yes, that is really its name.

And you know how toads eat flies? Turns out there are flies that eat toads. Alive. Pretty disgusting, right?

Like many of Stewart’s books, this one began years ago. While on safari in Kenya and Tanzania she watched a mother black-backed jackal vomit up partially digested food in order to feed her pups. The following day she learned that some antelopes regurgitate and re-chewe their food as many as four times to extract every possible nutrient from the plants they eat. So of course, she began jotting a list of animals that vomit their dinners … and kept adding to it until she had enough examples to make a book.

I caught up with Melissa by email to ask her One Question:

Archimedes: As gross as this book is, are there any tidbits you left out that were just too ... disgusting?

Melissa: Every disgusting detail I could possibly unearth ended up in the book, but there were places where I had to tone down my language a bit. My awesome editors, Shelby Lees, encouraged me to go all out in the rough draft. Then, during revisions, she let me know when I needed to rein it in.

Right at the end of the process, Shelby and I were surprised by a mandate from someone higher up. We had to limit the number of times we used the word "fart."

We didn't have to eliminate it completely (Thank goodness!), but we did have to use it very sparingly. This was especially tricky for the spread about the western hooknose snake, which makes a farting sound to defend itself. If you read the text, you can see all the creative synonyms we came up with. It actually turned into a fun challenge.

Field trip time: keep your eyes open for disgusting and gross things in nature. Maybe you'll see a mama bird clean out the nest (that is disgusting!) or watch a wasp sting a caterpillar and then roll it into a gooey ball to carry home for hungry larvae. Even if you are limited to your back yard or balcony, there are plenty of revolting, unappetizing, nasty, odious, and yucky things happening all around you - all you have to do is pay attention.

Melissa is a member of #STEAMTeam2020. You can find out more about her at her website, and make sure to drop by her blog, Celebrate Science, where she talks about writing, nonfiction, and science (of course). Review copy provided by the publisher.

Hugh knows what to do....

Erosion: How Hugh Bennett Saved America's Soil and Ended the Dust Bowl 
by Darcy Pattison; illus. by Peter Willis
34 pages; ages 6 - 12
Mims House, June 2020

"Earth is a rock with a thin covering of soil. Once, people thought that the soil, or dirt, would be there forever," writes Darcy Pattison.

But in the 1930s, dust storms threatened to destroy America’s farms. The wind whipped soil away from fields, carrying it in thick, dark clouds from farmland into cities – even Washington DC. But Hugh Bennett knew how to save cropland, and he began teaching farmers about contour plowing and other soil conservation techniques.

What I like about this book: I like the fun internal rhyme of “Hugh knew what to do.” And the fight to pass a law creating the Soil Conservation Service. Too often we forget that soil is alive, and an integral part of our food production. Darcy includes back matter, too, with a story about the power of a water drip.

I emailed Darcy last week and she had time to answer One Question

Archimedes: Is there a take-away from Bennett's work that we can apply to current agricultural or environmental problems?

Darcy: Bennett was a man who deeply understood the earth, soil, agriculture, water and how everything is interconnected. Our situation today would be familiar to him. For example, across the globe, we have a major shift of water resulting in shortages and droughts in some areas, mixed with larger storms and floods in other areas. We need balance, and that only comes from looking at our environment globally as Bennett did. We need to listen to the scientists, who like Bennett, know what to do. We need to let them take action.

Bennett also knew how to step into a disaster and bring back balance, starting small. His team set up small projects, and within a couple years, they brought back farmlands from disaster. When I look at our mounting problems, he gives me hope. Hope that even small efforts matter, and hope that balance can be restored.

Darcy is a member of #STEAMTeam2020. You can find out more about her and the books she writes at her website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Borrowing ideas from Nature

Engineers get some fantastic ideas from nature. So today I’m sharing two books about engineering and biomimicry.

Beastly Bionics: Rad Robots, Brilliant Biomimicry, and Incredible Inventions Inspired by Nature
by Jennifer Swanson
96 pages; ages 7 - 10
National Geographic Children's Books, 2020 (releases June 23)

Bionics is engineering that is inspired by biology and nature. Sometimes engineers copy designs from nature, such as how gecko toes stick to walls or how bees fly. Using their understanding of structure and function of living things to engineer new things is the heart of biomimetics.

Author Jennifer Swanson fills her book with biomimicking inventions. For each, she shows the animal that inspired the invention, the challenge engineers were trying to overcome, how they created the technology, and cool stuff they added that were not present in the original animal. Bionic inventions have been designed to aid in search and rescue, doing such jobs as finding people trapped in the rubble after an earthquake or other disaster. Body armor and helmet designs protect people working in dangerous condition, and solar scales, LED lighting, and other inventions help people live better lives. Some eco-engineers look to nature for ideas in architecture, such as designing heat-and cool-efficient buildings based on termite dwellings.

Every now and then, Swanson highlights a creature, showing how engineers have incorporated their adaptations into human technology. From bee robots to sharkskin-inspired swimsuits to “geckogripper” adhesive for use in space, this is one amazing book about engineering, technology, and nature.

I especially like how Swanson ends, focusing on “bionics in your backyard.” Ideas are all around us, she says. “All you have to do is think, imagine, and engineer it!”

Last week I sent my internet bees to ask Jennifer One Question:

Archimedes: Do you have a favorite bionic invention?

Jennifer: There are so many. But one of the coolest inventions in this book is the Fascinating Frog Skin. Think of the poison dart frog: it keeps its poison on a second skin, under the first one. The poison is only released when the frog feels threatened. Now think of de-icing an airplane. What if an airplane had a double skin like the poison dart frog? It could release chemicals from the second skin through the first one to de-ice the plane... while it is IN the air! How cool is that? It's like making the airplane (sort of) come alive. I love this idea!

This must be the year for bio-engineering because this month another book was released.

Nature Did It First: Engineering Through Biomimicry
by Karen Ansberry; illus. by Jennifer DiRubbio
32 pages; ages 5-11
Dawn Publications, 2020

Have you ever walked your dog through a weedy field and, when you got back home, found burrs stuck on socks, in fur, and in your hair? The tiny hooks on those burrs inspired an engineer to invent Velcro. Using rhyme, author Karen Ansberry introduces the nature behind technology. From burrs to bats, geckos to pill bugs, she shows how seven plants and animals inspired fasteners and adhesives, canes, blades, robots and more. Back matter includes a biomimicry challenge.

Jennifer is a member of #STEAMTeam2020 and also the creator of the STEM Tuesday blog. You can find out more about her at her 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.

Be a Friend to Ocean!

Summer is on its way. It just seems to be taking a … summer vacation? … before it gets here. In the meantime, while we wait for beaches to open, we can visit the ocean through the magic of books. So today’s theme is: Ocean, ecology, animals

Ocean! Waves for All 
by Stacy McAnulty; illus. by David Litchfield
40 pages; ages 4 - 8
Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2020

Dude, I am OCEAN. You know me by many names: Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Indian, Southern….

But if you look at a globe you realize that salty water flows across the planet as one huge OCEAN. The cool thing about Ocean is that they have no flag, no nationality. Those waves you see from the shore – they are waves for all.

What I like about this book: I love the fun and sassy way author Stacy McAnulty presents some basic ocean facts. Though, the dude does get a bit braggy at times… mentioning their records (home to Earth’s biggest animal). And I love the way Stacy shows Ocean’s “deep, layered soul” by introducing the different zones of the ocean’s water.

And yes! There is back matter that includes fun ocean facts, suggestions on how to be a friend to Ocean, a cool new word: thalassophile, and an interview with OCEAN,

Stacy graciously answered One Question by email earlier this week:

Archimedes: Since you include a fun Q&A with Ocean at the back of the book, I'd like to pose one of those questions to you: Would you rather swim with a whale or a shark?

Stacy: A whale, for sure! And a narwhal if I had a choice.

Extreme Ocean: Amazing Animals, High-Tech Gear, Record-Breaking Depths, and More 
by Sylvia Earle and Glen Phalen
112 pages; ages 8 - 12
National Geographic Children's Books, 2020

 National Geographic Explorer Sylvia Earle takes readers on an adventure from the vibrant ocean shallows to the deep, dark mysteries of the seafloor. She introduces us to unusual creatures and their habitats, tosses in some hands-on experiments, and offers advice on what we can to do save an ocean in trouble.

What I like about this book: I like how each spread focuses on a specific aspect of the chapter’s topic. In the first chapter, where we learn about oceans, one spread asks “What good is the ocean?” The chapter about life in the ocean includes features on coral reefs, whales, seaweeds, even sharks. Activities include modeling ocean waves, designing a fish, engineering a submersible, and more. And I love the list of 10 things we can all do to save our oceans. Plus there are even more resources at the back!

Beyond the Books:

Are you a thalassophile? If so, list the traits that make you one. If not – hey! have you even looked up the definition yet? I mean, how can you not be?

Go on a field trip into the ocean. If you aren't able to go to an ocean or an aquarium, you can explore the ocean with this virtual field trip.

No matter where you live, you can do something to be a friend to Ocean. It might be reducing the amount of plastic you use, or cleaning up a beach. Make a list of 3-5 things you can do to keep Ocean healthy. Here’s a list of ideas if you need some brainstorming help.

Stacy 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. ARCs and review copies provided by the publishers.

You're Invited to a Moth Ball!

You're Invited to a Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration 
by Loree Burns; illus by Ellen Harasimowicz
40 pages; ages 5 - 8
Charlesbridge, 2020

theme: insects, STEAM, summer

You don’t know what a moth ball is? Please come anyway! You can learn as we go.

A moth ball, it turns out, isn’t a dance with tuxedos and long gowns. It’s a night-time party that celebrates moths! And this newest book by Loree Burns shows how you can get involved. You don’t need much: a light source, some moth food, and about a ton of curiosity. Ellen Harasimowicz provides wonderful photos of kids searching for moths and a moth-collecting station.

What I like about this book: It’s about bugs! I love the title page, designed as an invitation with an RSVP at the bottom. I love the playful approach: we’re going to have a ball! And I like the back matter where you can find out more about moths, how to set up your very own moth ball, and a recipe for moth bait. Loree includes an author’s note about raising moth eggs, and Ellen shares some notes about photographing moths.

Loree graciously answered One Question by email earlier this week:

Archimedes: Of all the moths you've met during your evening "Moth Balls", do you have any favorites? And what is it about them that you find so fascinating?

Loree: It's truly hard to pick a favorite moth, partly because there are so many fascinating and unexpected species and partly because I've only seen a tiny subset of the ones I know are out there. I am sure I'll have a different answer to this question at the end of the summer moth-watching season.

rosy maple moth ~ cute, fuzzy guy!

That said, I have a special affection for the rosy maple moth. It's the moth that first surprised me, because I stumbled on one during the day (it was resting on a daisy stem, and I happened to be in the garden cutting daisies) and because it is gorgeous. I've heard people call them cotton candy moths, and I think it's an appropriate moniker for a creature so yellow and pink! The other appealing characteristic of the rosy maple moth is that they're super common. Now that I routinely have lights on in my yard at night, I see them all the time. So it's a moth beginners can expect to see, too.

Beyond the Books:

Check out the differences between moths and butterflies at this page hosted by the Australian Museum.

Young moth-watchers can collect important data to help scientists understand more about moths. Here’s one study done by Grant, and here’s how you can get involved as a citizen scientist during National Moth Week.

Go mothing! Here’s tips to get you started from Science Friday.

Loree 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.

Play Like an Animal!

Play Like an Animal!: Why Critters Splash, Race, Twirl, and Chase 
by Maria Gianferrari; illus. by Mia Powell
32 pages; ages 5 - 9
Millbrook Press, 2020

theme: animal behavior, play

Dash! Hide! Splash! Ride! 

Do you like to play? Animals do, too. When animals play, they might be practicing how to hunt, how to fight, or how to escape from predators. Or – they might just be having fun. From mud-splashing peccaries to a wolf pup tug-of-war, Marie Gianferrari shows thirteen different animals at play.

What I like love about this book: I love the VERBS! These animals plonk, chase, slide and glide. They dunk and punch, bound and wrestle. So much action happens on these pages that you just want to get up and move!

And I love the Back Matter! This is where we learn whether animals play by the rules and why play is so important to animals – and humans. And there are plenty of fun facts about each of the animals featured in the book.

I caught up with Maria by email to ask her One Question ~

Archimedes: Do you think it's important for grown-ups to play?

Maria: I don't play enough, but I'm about to start another jigsaw puzzle. They're so meditative! And play is the perfect stress reliever, so my motto is #playeveryday, for both kids and adults. I hope that staying at home is leading to playing at home!

Beyond the Books:

Find out more about the games animals play. You can read an article here, and watch some wolf pups playing here.

Modify your favorite games to play indoors. We played sock-hockey in the kitchen, using rolled newspapers as hockey sticks. How about balloon volleyball? Tape mazes? Duck-duck-goose or hide-and-seek? Here are some ideas for active indoor play – and here’s more.

Make up some active games to play when you are stuck inside your house for a month. And share your list with your friends.

Write a list of VERBS that describe the ways you play. Do you squirm? Chase? Tumble? Race?

Maria 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.

Get Ready for Nesting Time!

Spring is on its way, and that means songbirds will be winging their way back to their favorite nest-building sites. To celebrate that, I'm sharing Randi's newly-hatched book:

The Nest That Wren Built  
by Randi Sonenshine; illus. by Anne Hunter
32 pages; ages 4 - 8
Candlewick, 2020

theme: birds, animal families, homes

These are the twigs, dried in the sun, that Papa collected one by one to cradle the nest that Wren built.

Page-by-page, verse-by-verse we watch Wren and her mate make their nest from things found in the forest. Twigs, moss, feathers, thread – all used to make the nest. And then… there are eggs and, soon, a family safely together in the homey nest.

What I like love about this book: The text is rhythmic, patterned on “The House that Jack Built” and fun to read. It’s clear that author, Randi Sonenshine has closely studied what goes into a wren nest, and reveals each treasure in such a delightful way.  Anne Hunter’s ink-and-colored pencil illustrations bring softness and warmth to each page.

And there is Back Matter! Wren facts for curious readers and a brief glossary that clarifies words used in the text – perfect for kids who want to know the difference between a hatchling, a nestling, and a fledgling.

Does Randi love wrens? I caught up with her the other week to ask her that Exact Question!

Randi: As you can probably guess, I love birds! They are such fascinating, entertaining creatures. I love photographing them, listening to them, and watching all their avian drama unfold at my feeder and in my yard. I hate to say I have favorites, but, alas, I do! Carolina wrens have captured my heart. They are tiny, but sassy, smart, and steady; they are always nearby. Even if I don't see them, I hear them... singing, scolding, and sometimes warning each other.

One spring, a pair of them built a nest inside a bike helmet in my garage. Later that season, they built one inside a cloth grocery bag on a shelf in the garage. This astounded me. Later, when I looked at the abandoned nests, I was intrigued and impressed by the ingenious design and the assortment of nesting materials they used, so I started to research (a little obsessively, actually!). I discovered the most amazing details in my research, particularly the scientific facts and theories regarding their choice of nesting materials. I knew this had to be a subject of a picture book, but I wasn't sure how to frame it. Then one morning I woke up with the title in my head, and that was it!

Beyond the Books:

Get to know the wrens who live in your neighborhood. What they lack in size and flashiness, they make up for with their big personalities. Check out this article by Audubon, and this page from Cornell.

Listen for wren calls. Here’s a house wren, and here’s a Carolina wren.

If you were a bird, what kind of nest would you build? Collect some materials and build a nest.

Want to help nesting birds? Here’s how.

Randi Sonenshine 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.

Numbers in Motion

Numbers In Motion: Sophie Kowalevski, Queen of Mathematics 
 by Laurie Wallmark; illus. by Yevgenia Nayberg
32 pages; ages 8-12
Creston Books, 2020

themes: biography, math, women in history

Sophie carefully pulled the string, and the top spun across her desk.

But Sophie’s not a kid playing with the top. She is a mathematics professor and she is trying to describe the tops rotation in an equation. It’s a difficult problem, and many others have tried – and failed. But Sophie won’t give up. If she succeeds, “her math might help scientists calculate the path of planets,” writes author Laurie Wallmark.

What I like about this book: The minute you open the cover, you know you’re in “mathland” – the end page (also serving as title page) is graph paper. I like that Laurie introduces me to a woman in math who is not well-known. And she doesn’t make light of the challenges Sophie faced, wanting to attend college at a time when women were not allowed in the lecture rooms. And I like the message of hope this book gives to girls interested in numbers.

Laurie ends with an author’s note about Sophie, and more about her math (partial differential equations). There’s also a cool bit about the many spellings of Sophie’s name due to transliterating names from the Cryllic alphabet to Roman alphabet.

This is Laurie's fourth book about a Woman in STEM, so I had to ask her One Question ~

Archimedes:  How did you come to choose Sophie as a subject for a book?

Laurie: I've loved math ever since I was a kid, so I wanted to write about someone who was known for her mathematical discoveries, not just computer scientists who were also mathematicians. I had never heard of Sophie before, but I came across her when researching possible subjects. I chose her for two reasons: First, her work on the rotation of solid bodies--like planets, footballs, and tops--was something kids could relate to. Second, the problem she solved was called a mathematical mermaid, and I thought kids would find that fun.

Beyond the Books:

Learn more about Sophie Kowalevski here.

Make your own spinners! Try turning an old CD and a marker into a simple spinner - here's how.
Or construct a top using Lego pieces. For a real challenge, fold a spinning top out of a piece of origami paper. Here’s a video showing how.

Laurie Wallmark 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.

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.

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.

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.

Amazing Amphibians!

Amazing Amphibians: 30 Activities and Observations for Exploring Frogs, Toads, Salamanders, and More (Young Naturalists series)
By Lisa J. Amstutz
128 pages; ages 7 and up
Chicago Review Press, 2020

One summer my kids and I decided that we would learn how to “speak frog”. With a pond next door and a creek out back, we were surrounded by frog songs and calls all night long. To this day I can speak conversational peeper and toad, and a few “glunks” of green frog – but not enough to ask personal questions such as “how are the tadpoles?” and “where will you be staying this winter?”

So I was excited to see that Lisa Amstutz had a new book coming out this month on Amazing Amphibians. She packs a lot into ten chapters, starting with what amphibians are. Here’s a quick checklist:

• is it cold-blooded?
• does it have slimy skin?
• does it undergo metamorphosis?

If you checked off all 3, you’ve got an amphibian.

What I like about this book:
Lisa takes readers on a field trip to ponds and fields in search of amphibians of all types. And there are a great many; more than 8,000 different kinds, and way too many for one book. So she introduces us to the major frog families, newts, and caecilians. Those last – they are the long, legless amphibians that look like giant earthworms.

I like that she shows amphibian anatomy, shares their housing and meal plans, and lets us in on their secrets of defense. What I really like, though: the hands-on activities. You can make an underwater pond viewer, mix up some frog slime, and craft an origami frog. Lisa also includes information on the problems frogs face, and how kids can help, from building a toad abode to making the yard amphibian-friendly.

One Question for Lisa

Archimedes: If you were an amphibian, what do you think you'd be?

Lisa: Wow, that's a question I've never pondered before. If I had a choice, I'd probably be a poison dart frog because they're beautiful and no one messes with them!

Lisa is a member of #STEAMTeam2020. You can find out more about her at her website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

The Mess That We Made

The Mess That We Made 
by Michelle Lord; illus. by Julia Blattman
32 pages; ages 5-7
Flashlight Press, 2020

theme: environment, ocean, pollution

THIS is the mess that we made.

The book opens with an illustration of kids in a  boat, surrounded by a spiral of plastic debris and sea life. Then, page by page, introduces the sea animals affected by the mess of plastic floating in the ocean: the fish, seals, turtles.

This is the seal
that eats the fish
that swim in the mess we made.

From the ocean to the landfill that spills plastic into the water, we see tons of plastic: bottles, fishing nets, plastic bags that trap the sea life … a very big mess.

What I like about this book: That Michelle gives us hope. Because “we are the ones who can save the day…” she writes. We can reduce the plastic we use, recycle it, and clean up the beaches and bays. I like the cumulative “House that Jack Built” structure – it’s perfect for a book where the mess grows and grows. Plus there’s Back Matter – and you know how much I love books with back matter! Three pages at the end of the book highlight the problems of plastic in the oceans and landfills, and also provide specific actions readers can take to reduce the amount of plastic trash they produce.

One Question for Michelle

Archimedes: Have you managed to eliminate plastic from your life?

Michelle: Not yet, but I am cutting down. I’ve switched to bar soap instead of body wash in single-use packaging, and  no plastic grocery bags for me. Unfortunately, when dining out I sometimes forget to tell the waitstaff that I don’t want a straw before one automatically shows up in my drink. Maybe I should tie a string around my finger. I wish restaurants only provided straws upon request.

Last year my husband and I bought several pieces of new furniture. The amount of foam in the packaging disappointed me. I am fortunate that my town offers plastic foam recycling for drop-off. Scientists estimate that it takes from several years to one million years for plastic foam to break down! My goal for this year is to shop local and secondhand for the things I need.

My daughter went vegan several years ago and shops at thrift stores and farmer’s markets, and  my husband is a recycler extraordinaire. If we all make an effort, together we can make positive changes to our environment!

Beyond the Books:

You can learn more about the plastic problem in our ocean here. If we continue to use – and throw away – plastic at the rate we currently do, the plastic in the ocean will At current rates plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish by 2050. Absurd, right?

Reduce the amount of plastic you use. I gave up using plastic straws and single-use water bottles last year. I also carry reusable shopping bags when I go to the grocery store. You’ll find more ideas here.

Michelle is a member of #STEAMTeam2020. 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.