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.

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.

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.

Two Dinosaur Books

When I was a kid, one of my favorite books was my dad’s college geology text. I loved the drawings of dinosaur fossils and the renderings of how scientists (back in the last century) thought they might look. And now look – today I have two new(ish) books about dinosaurs and the scientists who study them.

theme: Dinosaurs, nature, fossils

Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery

Jane Kurtz, illus. by Giselle Potter

48 pages; ages 4-8

Beach Lane Books, 2026 

Mary Morland was born in a time of ribbons and lace, when small girls were seen as dainty, delicate decorations to make a room pretty.

But she was not one for sitting in a parlor – not when the whole wide world was waiting outside. She spent her days looking closely at plants and rocks … and drawing her observations in a journal. She collected fossils and shells, sent specimens and letters to Georges Cuvier (a famous French scientist). She drew pictures of bones from a Megalosaurus – the first dinosaur to have a name. Did she stop studying and drawing once she got married and had kids? No, she did not.

What I like about this book: I love that Jane Kurtz brings another woman of early dinosaur discoveries to the page. Mary Morland was a contemporary of Mary Anning, and yet few people have heard her name. Not surprising; in the 1800’s, women didn’t get credit for their discoveries. I like the emphasis on how Mary observed the plants and animals she saw, and how she drew her observations in her journal. And I like the back matter that tells more about Mary, and provides resources for curious young dinosaur hunters.

Dinosaur Secrets Revealed! How High-Tech Tools Spark Discoveries (Sandra Markle's Science Discoveries) 

by Sandra Markle 

48 pages; ages 9-12

‎Millbrook Press, 2025 

Are you ready to discover dinosaur secrets? If so, Sandra Markle invites you to dive in and follow the discoveries she reveals. Because, as she notes, new technology and high-tech tools not only allow scientists to study ancient bones in a new way, but allows scientist to ask new questions. Like…

How powerful was T. Rex’s bite? Load sensors, like those found in bathroom scales, combined with digital models and computer animation were put to use to solve the problem. Seven chapters address seven questions and introduce the technology used by modern paleontologists and their engineering partners. People are still digging bones out of rock millions of years old, but the technology to evaluate the bones continues to evolve! Back matter includes more dino information and resources for kids who want to dive deeper.

Beyond the Books:

Does your state have an official State Dinosaur? What about a State Fossil? Find out and create a stamp celebrating your state dino or fossil. My state has a fossil (yay!) but not a dino – and I want to know why not!

Draw what you see: an interesting leaf, a snail, a rock or a shell… something you can observe close up. You’ll need a sketch pad or some plain paper, and a good pencil. Colored pencils or crayons are great for adding colorful details.

Learn more about women paleontologists (scientists who study fossils) at this Museum of the Earth page.

Create your own dinosaur name  - and then make a picture of you as a dinosaur. Here’s a dino-name cheat sheet from PBS. 

Thanks for dropping by today. 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.

What Animals Leave Behind...

Scat, poop, dung … whatever you call it, tells a story: about the animal, about its environment, and possibly about the future. These three books look at the things wild animals leave behind, each in its own way. Their themes: animals, poop, nutrient cycle, observation

Scat: The Incredible Science of Wildlife Poop (Books for a Better Earth) 

by Anita Sanchez 

96 pages; ages 8-12

‎Holiday House, 2025

Poop, writes Anita Sanchez, is full of surprises. “It can be food. It can be shelter. It can be life…” Poop carries seeds, helps fertilize soil and oceans, and even carries messages to friends and family. Eight chapters discuss what poop is, how it connects the lives of plants and animals, the kinds of information scientists can gather from studying scat, and why some animals eat their own. 

There are a whole bunch of things I love about this book. First is the sly humor Anita injects into the topic. Take section headings for example: “Thinking like an avocado” or “Does a Bear poop in the forest?” Inquiring minds want to know! There are some truly great photos of animals taking dumps in the wild. For folks who want more, there are sidebars, titled “Scat Science” that dive into such topics as why wildlife poop doesn’t smell bad, dino doo, and moths that look like bird droppings. What’s really fun is the Field Guide to Scat at the end of the book, with photos of droppings from insects, birds, and mammals.

Ready, Steady, Sloth! 

by Justin Anderson; illustrated by Manu Montoya 

32 pages; ages 5-8

‎Candlewick, 2025

High up in the forest canopy, hidden among the leaves, there is a sloth. 

Mama sloth doesn’t move much, but today she needs to go down the tree for a special mission. And she’s taking her baby with her. Down, down, down they go. Oh dear… mama sloth is going so slowly you’re going to wonder whether she’ll make it. This journey is important because sloth has to “go” and the only place she can do that is down on the ground.

What I like about this book: Layered text allows younger readers (or read-alouds) to focus on the story of mama and baby sloth’s adventure down the tree, while introducing some of the other forest creatures – including jaguar! Will he find them? Smaller text provides sloth facts (did you know sloths can’t fart?) and back matter introduces all five three-fingered sloth species and the two two-fingered sloths.

For another book on the topic, check out Kyle Goes Alone 

The Secret of Poo Mountain: Book 4 (Whose Poo Is This?) 

by Song-eui Park; illus. by Duck-Young Kim 

88 pages; ages 7-11

‎Lerner/ Graphic Universe   ‎ March 3, 2026

There are as many ways to write about poo as there are kinds. This book is fourth in an educational comic series that takes readers on a journey to learn about the ecology of animals and the sorts of information that can be derived from the study of poo. Previous books have taken Dr. Egg’s team to the desert and on a boat. In this book, they climb a steep mountain. The three Korean scientists who make up the team learn such things as what an animal eats and where it lives by studying the scat left behind.

What I like about this book: Like other books in the series, this one is structured like a scavenger hunt, with each chapter revealing a new clue. That mystery, and the graphic format help make it appealing to readers who might not want to spend time with a field guide.

Beyond the Books: 

Check out this video, Whose Scat is That? Created by the folks at the Saint Louis Zoo.

Write a list of as many words you can think of (or find) that refer to “poo.”  Don’t forget about dinosaurs…

Create your own story or comic about animals doing something in the wild: making breakfast, going to sleep, combing their fur...

You can find an online “field guide to scat” here. Remember: if you head out on a scat-hunt, look but don’t touch!

https://a-z-animals.com/articles/a-field-guide-to-identifying-wild-animal-scat-in-north-america/

Today we’re sharing Ready, Steady, Sloth! with Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. 

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be sharing Scat over at at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, a hangout for MG book bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. 

This week’s review copies were provided by the publishers.

A Rainforest Expedition!

 

3 Weeks in the Rainforest: A Rapid Inventory in the Amazon 

by Jennifer Swanson 

80 pages; ages 8-12

‎Charlesbridge, 2025

Imagine a place where you’re surrounded by trees that soar to the sky, writes Jennifer Swanson. A place where large, glossy leaves block sunlight, and heavy, damp air is filled with the aroma of flowers. Where the chatter of monkeys and toucans drifts down from the canopy.

That place exists – it is the rainforest of the Andes-Amazon, home to an incredible diversity of plants and animals. In this book, Jen takes us on a three week field expedition into the rainforest, with a “rapid inventory” team of scientists from the Field Museum of Chicago. Together, with their partners from the Andes-Amazon region, they survey the wildlife and learn as much as they can about the people who live there. The goal: to develop a plan that will protect the rainforest and the inhabitants.

Individual chapters take readers into the field with the fish team, the bird watchers, plant collectors, or the night crew surveying snakes and frogs. Put on your boots and make sure your headlamp has fresh batteries because you’re not returning to camp until you’ve counted and recorded everything that slithers, hops, flies, or crawls.  Meanwhile, other teams are tracking elusive mammals and talking with the locals about how they use and care for the land.

What I like about this book: It feels like an adventure. We travel to the first camp by canoe, and set up tents. Each team gets a chapter that takes readers deep into the field with the scientists. Sidebars add details – sometimes about science technology. Did you know that there’s a fish DNA database called the Fish-Barcode of Life? Another explains why birds don’t like to fly when it’s raining. And the photos! Did I mention them? They are gorgeous! I have to admit that I am smitten by the sweet face of the Southern tamandua. 

photo from the Smithsonian

Turns out, it's an arboreal anteater!

The last two chapters focus on the human connection and making a plan for the future. There’s a brief report – 790 species of plants and 706 species of vertebrates, included some species that may be new to science – and what happens next. You can find out more about this expedition at their website: https://www.rapidinventories.fieldmuseum.org/ri-30

In her author’s note, Jen says that she was inspired by an exhibit at Chicago’s Field Museum seven years ago. I wanted to know more!

Me: When did you know you had to write a book about the Inventory Project?

Jen: I spent about an hour or more walking through the rest of the very informative and descriptive exhibit – and during that entire time I just kept thinking, why haven't I heard about this? This needs to be a book for kids! Then I was hit by an overwhelming feeling of excitement, I knew then that I wanted to be the one to tell this story. Less than a week later, I reached out to Dr. Corine Vriesendorp, the head of the Rapid Inventory Project at the time, to request a meeting. 

A few months later, I went back to the museum and met with four of the scientists for interviews and also the PR person to ask if they would support me writing this book. Thankfully, the PR team was very excited about the book.

Jennifer Swanson is an award-winning author of over 50 nonfiction books for children, and founding member of STEAMTeamBooks. You can find out more about her at her website, jenniferswansonbooks.com 

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.

Your Body’s Goops, Juices, and Hormones

The Gland Factory: A Tour of Your Body’s Goops, Juices, and Hormones 

by Rachel Poliquin; illus. by Clayton Hanmer 

80 pages; ages 8012

‎Greystone Kids, 2025

Another fun book about the human body by the same team who gave us The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers a couple years ago. I love the table of contents: a map of the Gland Factory so we know where to begin our tour. First stop: the mouth machine. You may want to put on a poncho and a hardhat, because things can get messy on the factory floor. The Mouth Machine has teeth that can crush you dead, and saliva glands that could drown you in spit. 

Make sure you hold on tight as we climb the ladder up to … the nostrils and inner nose. Hmmm, looks like the floor supervisor is doing a safety inspection of the nasal glands…

 After a quick stop at the eyes we get to Main Control in the hypothalamus. No gloop here! This is a messenger gland, a control station that sends and receives a continuous stream of chemicals from endocrine glands. Together they coordinate the body’s vital systems: circulation, digestion, sleep, metabolism, temperature control, and more. These important messages are sent through the bloodstream, similar to rolled up notes stuffed in a bottle and sealed and tossed into a stream. Unlike notes in a bottle, the messages are read and responded to. 

Upon receiving a message, the worker in charge runs it through the hormone decoder machine and then releases the appropriate response hormone from the hormone storehouse. At least that’s how it works in the gland factory. In real life it’s all about body chemistry and receptor cells that ensure the correct hormone message connects with the correct body part.

The tour exits through the waxy ear holes, but before you go, please fill out a visitor survey. (And leave your hardhat and protective gear.) Back matter includes a glossary, suggestions for further reading, and an index.

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.

A Last Hurrah for Bugs

Summer is definitely over, but fortunately* there’s still plenty of bugs all around us. Here are three books for bug-watchers who don't mind pulling on a sweatshirt. 

*my point of view. I realize other folks may have different feelings….

Themes: insects, evolution, nature

Bugs: A Skittery, Jittery History 

by Miriam Forster; illus. by Gordy Wright 

80 pages; ages 6-9+

‎Harry N. Abrams, 2024

“Bugs are everywhere,” writes Miriam Forster, noting they live in Antarctica, on the desert sands of the Sahara, and in the highest mountains on Earth. And they’ve been here forever – or at least for the past 520 million years or so. This oversize, beautifully illustrated book begins with an introduction to what makes a “bug” and a review of the classification system scientists use. Two-page sections show the evolutionary history and biology of arthropods, from trilobites to termites. 

What I like about this book: At the top of the first page of every section there’s a geologic timeline that runs from Cambrian to Quaternary. An icon of the bug sits above the appropriate period, with a note below about when it first showed up in the fossil record. There’s a “Did You Know” fact, a Toolbox, and a sidebar. The Toolbox is where you’ll find out more about how bugs breathe, segmentation, eyes, legs and other body parts, and behavioral adaptations. Sidebars focus on cool things such as modern-day relatives of the prehistoric critters, biomimicry, and how to distinguish a millipede from a centipede.

Back matter – yes, even with all that info there IS back matter – includes how to make a bug-catching kit, how to handle insects, and how to help bugs. The only thing that might make this book even better would be a table of contents. 

Bella Loves Bugs: A Fact-filled Nature Adventure Bursting with Bugs! (Nature Heroes, 2) 

by Jess French; illus. by Duncan Beedie 

48 pages; ages 4-7

Happy Yak/ Quarto, 2022

Hello, I’m Bella. I love bugs. When I grow up, I want to be an entomologist – that’s someone who studies insects.

Spend a day with Bella and her spider side-kick, and get to know the insects that live in her neighborhood. You’ll probably find many of them around your own yard! She finds ants, bees, and butterflies. She hops with crickets and checks the beetles in her tumble trap. At the end of the day she sets up a sheet and a light for an evening of moth-watching.

What I like about this book: I like how illustrator, Duncan Beedie incorporates graphic novel-type panels and speech bubbles. I like the sidebar pages that highlight such things as aquatic insects, metamorphosis, and twelve sparkly beetles. And I like the back matter that shows kids how they can be a nature hero for bugs.

One Day a Mayfly 

by Shirley Marr; illus by Michael Speechley

40 pages; ages 4-8

Candlewick, 2025

One bright morning, Mayfly emerges. 

Nobody notices except a little girl. And the frog who warns the mayfly that the world out there will eat her up. "Not that it matters. You'll only live for one day, anyway." But one day can be an astonishing amount of time for a tiny insect. Mayfly takes flight and leads readers - and the girl - on a tour around the park.

What I like about this book: What an imaginative way to introduce a short-lived creature! Mayflies are in the insect order, Ephemeroptera, as the adults live only a day or so. [The juveniles (larvae) are aquatic and, depending on species, may live up to a year before emerging as adults.] 

I like that there's a lot of "one day" word play in the illustrations: Day in Units; Day out Apartments, Daydream travel agency... I like that Mayfly could go on unknown adventures, but discovers that there are so many surprises nearby. I love that Mayfly wears a party hat but has no mouth. And I love that the adventures of Mayfly and the girl come back full circle to where they started, connecting with family - old and newly acquired.

One thing that is interesting about this book is that you have to turn it to read it. Like a calendar. Indeed, both front and back end pages are calendars that add context to the story. While a fun way to present a story, I found it awkward to flip pages up instead of right to left. At the end of the book, I found myself wanting to know more about mayflies: why didn't the mayfly have a mouth? Why do they live only one day? Do they really hatch in May?

Beyond the Books:

Go on a bug hike. Look for bugs that are on the ground, in a pond, on a tree, on flowers, or flying through the air. Set a timer. How many bugs do you see in five minutes?

Draw pictures of bugs you see outside your house, or that you saw on your bug walk. Or visit an insect house at a zoo or museum and draw your favorite bugs that you see there.

Be a bug! Even if for only a day! Make yourself a pair of antennae. You’ll need: a paper bag, pipe cleaners, tape, scissors. Here’s how. Mine are straight because I was being a fly that day – and also, I had to substitute a couple straws instead of pipe cleaners. I also made designs on my headband. Be creative! Extra points if you can make yourself a pair of wings!

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. And 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 of  One Day a Mayfly from publisher. Other books  from the library.

A bowl full of jellies

 

Jellyfish Scientist: Maude Delap and Her Mesmerizing Medusas 

by Michelle Cusolito; illus. by Ellen Rooney

32 pages; ages 7-10

Charlesbridge, 2025 

theme: biography, nonfiction, jellyfish  

Welcome to the craggy coast of Ireland. The lady rowing her currach into the surf is Maude Delap. She’s a scientist collecting specimens.

And with that introduction, we’re headed out to sea with Maude to collect compass jellyfish. Why? Because no one has ever watched a jellyfish go through a complete lifecycle. So Maude intends to raise one in captivity. Sounds easy: fill a tank with sea water and watch. But the water has to be freshened frequently, and then there’s the issue of feeding the jellies – what do they even eat?

What I like about this book: So much! Starting with the end pages, which show the life cycle of a jellyfish. Then there's the title with marvelous alliteration: mesmerizing medusas. I like the journal headings, like on the first page where it says June 21, 1899 ~ Day 1. And the almost-last page where it says July 8, 1900 ~ Day 383. I love the language of the jellyfish observations: Pump, sway. Pump, sway. I admire Maude’s determination and dedication. And there is back matter! Author Michelle Cusolito includes additional information about jellyfish and Maude Delap, plus an author’s note about how she came to write this book. Illustrator, Ellen Rooney pens her own notes about the research she did to inform her artwork – including a trip to the New England Aquarium in Boston so she could watch (and sketch) jellyfish swimming. 

I had so much fun reading about the jellies that I just had to ask Michelle one question.

Me: How did you come to land on the journal style for your book?

Photo credit: Alison Noyce

Michelle: This book went through many iterations with varied approaches. Landing on the voice and structure took a long time. From April of 2020 until February of 2021, there were no headings like you see in the final book. Then, in February of 2021, I started trying out headings to help emphasize the passage of time. My initial headings were JUNE, THE NEXT DAY, SIX DAYS LATER, NINE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER, etc. They weren’t quite working, but I didn’t have a solution yet.

And then there was a large gap until I was able to get back to the manuscript. I got the news that I’d be going to sea with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I had to prepare for two weeks of quarantine (in April of 2021—still during Covid) followed by our time on the ship, so all of my attention turned to prepping for the voyage and researching for the book I would write for middle schoolers about the expedition. I was gone for five and a half weeks. When I returned, I needed to actually write that book, so Maude still had to wait.  I didn’t return to Maude’s story until 11 months later, in January of 2022. By then, I had submitted the manuscript for A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Twenty-Four Days of Science at Sea to my editor, so I had time to spend with Maude.

I added the journal style headings on March 4, 2022. I don't recall the exact moment when I thought to add them, but I'm certain my work on A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone impacted my thinking. That book documents our time at sea and uses the same kind of headings. I’m sure that made the idea click for me.

Here’s something that might be helpful to other writers: Some of my headings in that March 4, 2022 version looked like this:  April 3-4, 1900 (Day XX). I didn’t want to derail my revision process by stopping to calculate the days, so I simply put XX to remind myself to do it later. I use this strategy often when I don’t have an exact number or fact I need, but I don’t want to stop to research or calculate. I know that uses a different part of my brain and getting back to the creative writing brain takes too long.

Thank you, Michelle, for sharing that bit of wisdom for us! Michelle is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website,  www.michellecusolito.com You’ll find reviews of her other books right here on the blog – just put her name into the search bar on the right.

Beyond the Books:

Find some jellyfish to watch. Ideally, you could watch some at an aquarium, but if you can’t travel to one, check out these videos at National Geographic and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Illustrator Ellen Rooney says that sketching is a great way to study nature. “Once you draw something, you understand it in a new way…” whether it’s a jellyfish at an aquarium or a bird outside your window. So grab some paper and pencils and do some sketching. 

Make some jellyfish crafts – you’ll find plenty of ideas here, including how to create a jellyfish costume!

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. 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.

Never too late for Ocean Science

If you missed your ocean-side vacation this summer, don’t despair. Today I’m sharing books and activities that will provide a perfect beach week feel! If you want to hear the gentle sound of waves on a beach while you read this post, click here.

Theme: oceans, animals, ecology

The Ocean Blue and You 

by Suzanne Slade; illus. by Stephanie Fizer Coleman 

32 pages; ages 5-8

Sleeping Bear Press, 2024    

Drip, drop raindrops plop. You’re cozy and snug inside Mama’s warm hug.

Sitting beneath an umbrella on a sandy shore, you listen to ocean waves swish and swoosh. And while you sleep, the creatures of the ocean are busy beneath the waves. Hungry sharks, elusive eels, stealthy stingrays go about their lives.

What I like about this book: The language is gentle and lyrical – so lyrical that it lulls you into exploring the underwater world before you realize that SCIENCE is happening! Readers visit deep waters, colorful coral reefs, and tidepools, meeting the plants and animals that live there. Tuck this book into your beach tote next time you go to the shore. And until then, why not think of it as a bath time read? Toss in a few plastic sea creatures, turn up the ocean sounds and take an indoor beach day. Oh, and I almost forgot: there is Back Matter! One last spread devoted to why exploring the ocean is so important.

Super Ocean Weekend: The Ultimate Underwater Adventure 

Written & illustrated by Gaëlle Alméras; translated by David Warriner

172 pages; ages 7-12

Greystone Kids, 2024    

This is the second book in the Science Adventure Club series, nonfiction books presented in “graphic novel” style. Friends, Castor and Squeak (a beaver and a rat) are camping on an island with Orni (platypus) and her cousin Echid (echidna). Fortunately, there’s a character introduction opposite the title page – and a table of contents so readers have a “map” of where they’re headed on this adventure.

There’s a lot of ocean science mixed throughout the adventures – and misadventures of island camping. Here are just a few of the things I like about this book: the plankton party; the tidepool discoveries; an entire chapter devoted to buoyancy; introductions to jellyfish, whales, and other creatures; and an adventure to the bottom of the ocean printed on dark pages and requiring the reader to turn the book for a long, vertical page for the deep, deep dive to the bottom of the sea! Back matter includes a quick guide to ocean creatures and shows four ways kids can be an ocean superhero.

Beyond the Books:

Grab a beach towel and lay it down in a sunny spot on the floor. Listen to ocean waves (here's another recording) while you try some ocean-inspired yoga poses. Be a whale! Or a jellyfish... you can find some poses on this page.

Draw a picture of your favorite ocean animal or plant. Yes, seaweed counts.

Try one of the ocean activities presented here.

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.

Look Up - Stars Are Falling!

 The annual Orionids meteor shower has been happening this week, and is predicted to peak this weekend. Just how many meteors are we talking about? According to the Washington Post, meteorologists are expecting about 23 meteors to shoot across the sky every hour. I can't think of a better time to check out this book!

The Meteor Shower: Kaleidoscope Club  

by Marie Mazas; illus by Joëlle Passeron 

128 pages; ages 7-10

‎Blue Dot Kids Press, 2024

This is book two in this fun, STEAM adventure series and Nour and August, best friends and tree-house engineers, are at it again. This time they are drawing up plans to build something cool for watching the meteor shower. But first, they need to convince the Mayor to turn off the lights so they can have a dark-sky night. There’s already a law on the books that requires public lighting – street lights, public buildings, monuments – to be off between 1 and 7 am in an effort to reduce energy consumption. But nobody is enforcing the law, and the Mayor isn’t interested in pushing the issue.

So Nour and August engage in a flyer campaign: Keep the Stars Bright! Turn off Your Lights! This is a bold initiative for August, who is afraid of the dark. 

Just as the community seems to rally around the Dark Night idea, a fair moves into town. People have been waiting for the carnival rides and the games for a whole year – but the carnival lights threaten Nour and August’s efforts for stargazing. And an unlikely friendship threatens the Kaleidoscope Club.

What I like about the book is that it focuses on problem-solving and includes lots of STEM stuff: 

• designing and building a model space capsule using recycled materials (engineering, art);
• migration and light pollution (biology, conservation science);
• meteors and constellations (astronomy); and
• kitchen chemistry

I also like the back matter, which discusses in more depth how light pollution disrupts animal ecosystems, wastes energy, and even affects human health. And there’s a list of “what you can do” about it.

Thanks for dropping by today – and remember to watch for the meteor shower this weekend!. 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.

Very Bouncy Science - and History

 

Bounce! A Scientific History of Rubber 

by Sarah Albee; illus. by Eileen Ryan Ewen 

48 pages; ages 6-9

‎Charlesbridge, 2024

themes: rubber, science, invention

 It can bounce, bounce, bounce!

Rubber has been around for thousands of years, and chances are that you’ve got some in your dresser drawer or maybe even your pocket. Where that rubber came from, what makes it so stretchy, and how it’s been used throughout history is the meat of this book.

What I like about this book: Sarah begins with how Indigenous people living near rainforests in Mexico and Central America created and used rubber. 

She explains how European explorers took rubber back with them – along with the gold and riches they stole – and how rubber became part of our lives. Sprinkled throughout are spreads labeled “The Science” where she explains bounce, polymer chains, and why pure rubber fails in heat and cold.

I also like the illustrations – they add a touch of fun to this bouncy history. And there is Back Matter! Sarah discusses names of the Indigenous people, and shares some of the troubling details about the sometimes violent history of the rubber industry and some of the environmental issues. She also includes a timeline of the last 3,500 years of rubber history.

Bouncy Science Beyond the Books: 

Compare bounciness of a variety of balls. You’ll need a hard surface for your bounce test and a way to measure height - you can tape a couple yard-sticks or tape measure against a fence, wall, or tree. Drop each kind of ball from as high as you can reach and write down how high it bounces.

Measure stretchiness of a rubber band. First, measure the width (how “fat” the rubber band is) and the loop-length (how long it is before you stretch it). Now hook one end of the rubber band over the end of a ruler and gently stretch the rubber band. How far can you go? If you’re outside, you can let go and see how far your rubber band flies. Try different rubber bands – and remember to pick them up when you’re finished.

Make your own rubber from plants in your yard. Caution: don’t do this if you are allergic to latex! Break open the stem of a milkweed or dandelion and collect the latex in a spoon. Cover the end of your finger with the sap, all the way to the first knuckle-bend and let the sap dry. After 10 to 15 minutes, roll the dried sap off your finger. It will make a slightly stretchy band. To make a “rubber” ball, put a half a teaspoon of sap into 1/4 cup of water and stir with a straw. Slowly add a little bit of vinegar. The acid in the vinegar will make the latex stick to the straw. Gather the latex into a ball, squeeze out the water, and give it a bounce.  

 

Sarah Albee is a member of #STEAMTeam2024. You can find out more about her at her website.

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 copy provided by the publisher.

Books to Celebrate Dinosaur Month

 October is National Dinosaur Month and I’ve got three great books that are perfect for young paleontologists!

Themes: dinosaurs, nonfiction, biography

Dinosaurs Can Be Small 

by Darrin Lunde; illus. by Ariel Landy 

32 pages; ages 3-7

Charlesbridge, 2024

 A Brontosaurus raises its head above a ginkgo tree. It is a long-necked dinosaur. But not all long-necked dinosaurs are big.

Many dinosaurs, it turns out, were small. Some as tall as you, others no taller than a Barbie doll. And that’s okay, because sometimes smaller is better. Smaller dinos needed less food to fill their bellies. They could survive eating insects. They could climb trees. And when the large dinosaurs were wiped out by a giant meteor, it was the small dinos that survive.

What I like about this book: I like the compare and contrast structure. On one spread Darrin Lunde introduces a large dinosaur – Tyrannosaurus, Tricerotops, Pterodactyl (not really a dinosaur but a close relative). The next spread highlights a tiny dino-relative. Back matter shows each dino with an explanation about their name.

She Sells Seashells: Mary Anning, an Unlikely Paleontologist 

by Heidi E. Y. Stemple; illus. by Emily Paik 

40 pages; ages 5-9

Charlesbridge, 2024

Mary Anning was an unlikely paleontologist. Especially unlikely for England in the early 1800s.

Because she wasn’t really a paleontologist at all. She was just a girl who collected fossilized seashells to sell in her family’s seaside shop. Back then, girls could collect things – they just couldn’t study them. Girls didn’t go to school, and they certainly didn’t become scientists. But Mary did.

What I like about this book: I like how Heidi Stemple shows the patience and persistence of Mary Anning as she chipped and dug fossils and bones from cliffs and stones. I like the use of repetition of some phrases such as, “Chip! Scrape! Chip!” I particularly like how she portrays Mary: unconcerned about those “rich boys” and “educated men” because she had fossils to find, and was too busy educating herself. Back matter dives a bit deeper into Mary’s life and the fossils she discovered. Plus, we learn about another Mary who lived just 150 miles away who was also digging up fossils! (And who, like Mary Anning, never got the credit for her discoveries.)

Mary Anning and Paleontology for Kids: Her Life and Discoveries, with 21 Activities 

by Stephanie Bearce 

134 pages; ages 8-12

‎Chicago Review Press, 2024

It is only fitting that Stephanie Bearce, a fossil-collecting, award-winning author, write about a girl who loved fossils. She begins with Mary Anning’s early life, fossil-hunting with her father, to Mary’s discovery of her first skeleton. Stephanie shows hoe Mary painstakingly removed the fossilized bones from the shale and how those bones, bought by a wealthy man, wound up in a museum. Mary did more than dig up bones, though. She cleaned them, figured out how to put them together in a complete skeleton, and creates detailed scientific illustrations about her finds. 

What I like about this book: Scattered throughout the book are sidebars that dive into details about aspects of life in the 1800s as well as the hands-on activities. Young readers can try their hand at making a fossil imprint, creating their own scientific illustration, and doing their own fossil extraction. I especially like that there’s an entire chapter devoted to female fossil finders and one on modern paleontology. 

Beyond the Books:

Make some dinosaur footprint cookies. You’ll need a plastic dinosaur or two… here’s the recipe.

Make a paper bag dinosaur puppet. All you need is a paper lunch bag, some construction paper, scissors, glue, and imagination. But here’s how one person made their puppets.

What kind of dinosaur are you? Gentle giant or fierce meat-eater? Here’s a quiz from the London Museum of Natural History that will reveal your true dino-heart.

Check out TrowelBlazers, a site that highlights the contributions of women in the ‘digging’ sciences: archaeology, geology, and palaeontology. 

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.