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.

Finding the Meaning of "Frogness"

 

Frogness 

by Sarah Nelson; illus. by Eugenie Fernandes 

32 pages; ages 3-7

‎Owlkids, 2021   

theme: frogs, nature, imagination

Just before dusk, rain clouds bloom way out over the sea. We wait.

Sammy and Chocolate (a puppy) are waiting for the frogs to sing. They hike way out to the marsh because This is the night they will Catch A Frog! They hear them everywhere – but there are no frogs in the reeds and no frogs under a log.

What I like about this book: I love – really love – the page that has the frog songs spelled out in huge letters (while the kid and dog fall asleep). Because I also know how hard it is to find singing frogs near a pond, in the weeds, and along a creekbank. It takes two to triangulate, and even then you might never see those sneaky, noisy frogs. The illustrations are marvelous, and the idea of “frogness” just pulls me in. 

And there is … Back Matter! About frogs – how many, what their calls sound like, and how they sing, croak, rattle, peep, trill, trummm, and chuckle. Cool facts, too. Did you know that a species can have a slightly different call depending on where they live? Frogs have accents!

Beyond the Books:

Get to know your frog calls! Listen to the frogs in and around your neighborhood - they don't all live in ponds. Here are some recordings of frogs and toads that live in Indiana - but some may live in your area, too. 

Discover a Fun Frog Fact. Author Sarah Nelson has a whole list of fun frog facts, and lots of "frogness" over at her website.

Play leap frog - or, better yet, create your own frog game. It can be a card game or a board game - or an action game. One idea: cut some lily pads out of green paper and tape them onto the floor. Then hop from one lily pad to the next. Have fun making your own frogness!

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday once they resume. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Habitat books are Popping Up

theme: nature, animals

Two recent books use pop-ups to invite young children into their habitats. They are written by Libby Walden and illustrated by Clover Robin, with paper engineering credits to Martin Tyler. Originally published in England, Kane Miller released them in US this past spring (2019).

Across the Savannah

In the early morning haze
The noble lion loves to laze.

Pop-up pages introduce readers to six different savannah animals: lion, giraffe, hippo, meerkat, and elephant.

On the Mountain

In the whispering mountain breeze
Two wolf cubs run between the trees.

In this book each pop-up page introduces the reader to an animal you might find when hiking on a mountain: wolf, trout, bighorn sheep, black bear, and bald eagle.

What I like about these books: Simple, rhyming text describes where each animal lives – beneath the rippling surface of a mountain lake, a muddy watering hole, in deep burrows, or on a jagged rocky slope.

Sidebars contain fun facts and additional information about each animal and the habitat. And the pop-ups provide an abundance of details that will have kids searching for more.

Beyond the Books:
Try your hand at making a pop-up book about animals in your back yard. Here's a video to get you started.

Today we're joining other book bloggers over at STEM Friday, where you can discover other cool STEM books.
Review copies provided by the publisher.

Ocean books for Early Readers

I love the National Geographic Kids books for early readers. Here are three recent books that focus on the ocean, tide pools, and coral reefs.

In the Ocean (Readers)
by Jennifer Szymanski
48 pages; ages 2-5

This book is a level 1 co-reader, meaning that it's a book for a shared reading experience between a kid just learning to read and a parent or older reader. It is divided into four chapters of 6 to 10 pages: Water in the ocean; Ocean homes; Animals in the ocean; and People and the ocean.

Each spread introduces a single idea, such as what oceans are, how waves move, or what coral is.

 The left side presents text for the older reader. Text on the right side (I Read) is in larger font. Some words are bolded - words about the ocean, places, action words. After each chapter is a section called "Your Turn" - a matching game or other activity for kids to do to further explore the ocean.

Tide Pools (Readers)
by Laura Marsh
32 pages; ages 4-6

This is a book for kids who are beginning to read on their own. It opens with a color-coded table of contents. Topics are presented in yellow and orange sections, while green indicates an activity. Throughout the pages you'll find text boxes with seashell icons. Labeled "Tide Pool Talk", these highlight new words which are also featured in the photo-glossary on the last page. The Q & A boxes are fishy jokes, and others provide labels and information about the photos. It's a fun way for beginning readers to learn that information comes from text AND captions, labels, and sidebars. I love the "cool facts" about tide pool critters.

Explore My World: Coral Reefs
by Jill Esbaum
32 pages; ages 3-7

Though not a "reader", this is a perfect book to read with emerging readers. Simple text introduces each topic, in text large enough for a young kid to trace with their finger. Text is focused without being too sophisticated, and circular text "boxes" provide helpful pronunciation and intriguing facts.

Back matter includes a menu (What's for Dinner?) and a celebration of the diversity of corals. There's also a world map showing where coral reefs are found, and a hide-and-seek game.

Learn more about ocean life!

Check out the National Geographic Kids Ocean Portal. There you can dive into the deep, learn more about underwater animals, play ocean-themed games, and watch videos.Or head out to explore Tide Pools with biology students at the College of Idaho.

Today we're joining other book bloggers over at STEM Friday, where you can discover other cool STEM books. Review copies provided by the publisher.

STEM Books for the Beach

theme: beaches, animals, STEM

On Gull Beach (On Bird Hill and Beyond series)

by Jane Yolen; illustrated by Bob Marstall

36 pages; ages 4 - 10

Cornell Lab Publishing Group, 2018

As I was walking on Gull Beach,

I saw a starfish within reach

While visiting a beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a boy finds a starfish. But before he can pick it up a gull snatches the sea star and flies away. The boy gives chase… will he be able to rescue the sea star before it becomes gull lunch?

What I like about this book: Gulls toss the sea star from bill to bill to bill, leading the boy on a merry chase across the dunes. Along the way, illustrator Bob Marstall makes sure readers see the shells, dune grass, crabs, and other shore birds that the boy misses – because he is so focused on his rescue quest. I also like that the boy doesn’t want to keep the starfish, and shows respect for the life on the beach.

And there is back matter, which I always like! For curious naturalists, Jane Yolen provides information on gulls, sanderlings, and more shore birds. She also clarifies the use of “starfish” and “sea star” and introduces a cast of crabs as well as the horseshoe crab (which is not a crab). Best of all, there’s a list of ways you can help make our beaches a better place for people and wildlife.

How to Code a Sandcastle (a Girls Who Code book)

by Josh Funk; illustrated by Sara Palacios

44 pages; ages 4-8

Viking, 2018

It is the last day of summer vacation. Which means today is my very last chance to build a sandcastle!

Pearl has been trying to build a sandcastle all summer long, but things keep happening to them. Today, though, she’s got the perfect plan and the perfect building partner – her trusty, rust-proof robot buddy, Pascal. All she has to do is tell Pascal what to do, and how to do it.

What I like about this book: I like the fun way Josh Funk introduces coding. When Pearl tells Pascal to build a sandcastle, he doesn’t know what to do. Pearl realizes she needs to give her robot more specific instructions, so she figures out the steps needed for castle construction and, through trial and error, creates the code that tells Pascal what to do. Then, because she is tired of repeating the same instructions, she figures out how to create a loop of code so Pascal will continue doing the same thing over and over and over again.

I like the personality illustrator Sara Palacios imbues in Pascal. It? He? is delightful! And I love the clever way Josh codes “the end” and his dedication. This book will make you want to get a bucket and plastic scoop and head to the beach to code your very own sandcastle.

Beyond the Books:

Look for gulls. We think of them as living along the coast, but you can find gulls around lakes, ponds, even farmers’ fields. Cornell Lab or Ornithology lists 15 on their All About Birds site (hit “see more birds” to see them all. Check out this video of Laughing Gulls at the beach. And learn about more shorebirds here.

Learn more about ocean habitats. The National Park Service page allows you to explore many types of ocean habitat.

Visit the GROG Blog for an interview with JoshFunk about coding and castles.

Write your own instruction for building a sandcastle. Then go build it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re building your castle in a sandbox or at the beach, just have some fun. No sand? Then code a castle for natural construction materials in your habitat: stones, hay, pinecones, twigs….

Today we're joining the STEM Friday roundup - and we're also joining others over at Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copy from publisher.

Flying Deep with Michelle Cusolito

Flying Deep
by Michelle Cusolito; illustrated by Nicole Wong
 32 pages; ages 5-9
Charlesbridge, 2018

theme: oceans, exploration, nature

Imagine you're the pilot of Alvin, a deep-sea submersible barely big enough for three.

This book takes you on an adventure down, down, down to investigate a site where underwater volcanoes erupted. Two miles below the surface of the ocean, scientist are studying the living things taking hold near the hydrothermal vents. Getting there is a bit tricky, because you could get trapped in nets - and you only have three days of air - and who would come and rescue you?

What I like love about this book: The adventure of a day in Alvin! The story begins with launch, and divers checking that the submersible is dive-worthy. Then the pilot and scientists go down, down, down. I love the cool creatures that scientists discover in the deep, deep sea! There are ghost crabs, six-foot tall tube worms, and dinner plate-sized clams. I love the language Michelle Cusolito uses to describe fish - an elusive eelpout - and the technology - they toggle the slurp gun into position. Slurp Gun! How can you not love science when you've got a slurp gun? Another thing I love: that illustrations include women as scientists inside Alvin and on the research vessel, reflecting the reality of the Woods Hole crews.

And of course, the back matter - and there is plenty for everyone. Michelle writes about underwater food webs at hydrothermal vents. Too deep for sunlight and photosynthesis, the creatures of the deep depend on bacteria and microbes to convert chemicals vented from inside the earth into food. Those microorganisms are in turn eaten by bigger animals. She also writes about her sources: Don Collasius, a former Alvin pilot, and Bruce Strickrott, a current Alvin pilot. Illustrator Nicole Wong writes about her research to get the illustrations correct - from the technology to how it moves underwater. There are Alvin Facts, a glossary, and a guide to the organisms Alvin scientists have found, along with sources for further exploration.

A conversation with Michelle

Michelle Cusolito met Alvin pilot Don Collasius when she was teaching fourth grade. When he explained how microorganisms around hydrovents converted chemicals to food (chemosynthesis) she was hooked. Then while doing PiBoIdMo in 2014, she jotted down "Alvin". A couple months later she'd typed up a draft that was, she says, riddled with mistakes.

Now it was time to tackle the research. Michelle checked out kid's books to read, visited websites for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and NOAA, and interviewed Don. As he talked about piloting Alvin, Michelle paid attention to sensory details. "For example, Don couldn't stand up inside because the space was so tiny." She also paid attention to details about safety protocols and how the submersible was prepared for underwater trips.

Then Michelle went to visit Woods Hole. "They have a science center with a portion of one of the old Alvin dashboards," she said. "And models of tube worms and clams." She read interviews with pilots, met Bruce Strickrott, a current pilot, and even got to go inside Alvin when it returned home for maintenance. "Bruce turned things on, like oxygen, so I could hear the noises that the pilot and scientists would hear. And he showed me how the joysticks controlled Alvin's collecting arm."

After revisions, she verified things with Bruce, such as the language that pilots and divers use during launch. Michelle encourages nonfiction writers to talk to experts. "Most of the time they want to talk to you," she said. "They are passionate about their work. As for Bruce, he also wanted to make sure that both the text and illustrations are accurate." Experts are especially helpful when writing about a complex topic for children.

I usually don't review books prior to their launch date, but Michelle has a special give-away opportunity for people who pre-order a copy of Flying Deep through her local bookstore, Eight Cousins. They will randomly select 5 pre-order customers to receive a crushed Styrofoam cup that went to the seafloor on Alvin. You can find out more about how pressures at the deep crush cups, and more about Michelle at her website. 

Beyond the Book

Go on a video voyage with Alvin. Click here for a video by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Learn more at this page.

Check out pompeii worms in this video.

Explore hydrothermal vents near the Galapagos Island in this video.

Design an underwater vehicle for exploring. What would you include? Baskets for gathering samples? Long arms that you could control with a joystick?  

Today we're joining the STEM Friday roundup - and we're also joining others over at Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copy from publisher.

Life on Surtsey

Last week I shared a book about a long, deep hole in the ground - the Grand Canyon - featuring ancient rocks from millions of years ago. Geology, though, isn't just about old rocks.

This week's book features younger stone, rock, and land forms: an island born on November 14, 1963 from the eruption of a volcano. In the ocean. Off the coast of Iceland. 

Life on Surtsey, Iceland's Upstart Island
(Scientists in the Field)
by Loree Griffin Burns
80 pages; ages 10-16
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017

 "For the people who live in Iceland and the kids who grow up here, ice and fire just aren't that unusual," writes Loree Burns. But for everyone else around the world, this was big news. A new island! Scientists were eager to explore it - as soon as it cooled off enough to step foot on.

In this book,  Burns invites us on an adventure of exploration to the shores of an island now just over 50 years old. We meet some of the scientists who have been studying Surtsey since before she was a teenager. Erling Olafsson is one of those scientists who has been keeping an eye on the island's development since the summer of 1970. That was when he joined a small crew to study plants and other life on the island. They found insects, seagulls, plants...things that flew or floated to Surtsey's shores and made a life for themselves.

Through the pages, we join the 2015 expedition and watch scientists at work in the field. They set pitfall traps for insects, and sweep the grasses for flying bugs. Since the island was born, gulls have changed the soil, making it more suitable for plants. Seeds and insects have hitched rides to the island, and life has taken hold. The work is methodical, and it pays off: they find new species of insects!

What I like about this book: it's a marvelous adventure! The photos are gorgeous. In addition to plants, insects, and bird life, Loree introduces us to Icelandic culture, and the alphabet. The back matter is a rich resource, and she includes a section about other recently formed volcanic islands.

Learn more about Iceland here.

Check out this cool video of Surtsey.

Today we're joining the STEM Friday roundup - Review copy from the publisher.

The Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon
by Jason Chin
56 pages; ages 7-12
Roaring Brook Press, 2017

themes: nonfiction, geology, habitats

Grand Canyon is one of the largest canyons in the world. It is 277 miles long, as much as 18 miles wide, and more than a mile deep, but it's much more than just a big hole in the ground.

When I was a kid I walked down into the Grand Canyon. It was winter at the top, snowy and cold. By the time we reached the bottom we'd hiked through nearly 2 billion years (of rock layers) and it was practically summer.

So I like that Jason Chin begins this book with a family camping at the bottom of the canyon. We follow them up, up, up to the top - and along the way we're introduced to plants and animals living at the different zones. And of course, there are the rocks. Layers and layers of sediment of all different colors.

What I like love about this book: Each page is like a field trip. Margin artwork highlights geology notes, or plants and animals found in the canyon. There are spreads that take us back millions of years to when the area was beneath the sea. Condors sail by; red dust coats our hiking shoes.

I love the pages that open out to reveal a panoramic view of the Grand Canyon. And back matter (of course)! There are back notes about early humans in the canyon, as well as notes about the ecological communities (from river level to 8,200+ feet), and lots of notes about geology, fossils, and how canyons are carved. Want to know more? Then check out the books, websites, and other stuff for further exploration.

Beyond the Book:
Check out the Grand Canyon website. You can go on a virtual archeology tour or watch some videos of night sky or other cool canyon stuff.

Enjoy some armchair tourism by viewing these photos from the National Park Service collection.

Go on a (video) river rafting trip.

Today we're joining the STEM Friday roundup - and we're also joining others over at Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review ARC from the publisher.

On Duck Pond

by Jane Yolen; illustrated by Bob Marstall
32 pages; ages 3-5; Cornell Lab Publishing Group, 2017

themes: nature, environment, observation

As I walked by the old Duck Pond,
Its stillness as the morning dawned
Was shattered by a raucous call:
A quack of ducks both large and small.

What starts as a quiet morning walk is disrupted by whistles, chitters, and chatters of ducks. Incoming! Trout and turtles scatter. Frogs leap from their lily pads. Herons fly away.

Written in lyric couplets (and the occasional triplet), Jane Yolen describes a single moment in the natural world. The text is grounded in careful observation as she describes the diversity of animals that live in and around the pond. You can almost hear them plop into the water. You can almost smell the wetness.

Bob Marstall's pastel-flavored illustrations show so much duck diversity. Look closely- there are seven different kinds. He also includes details of other wildlife: a red-winged blackbird perched on a limb, a raccoon.... kids will have fun finding the not-ducks on each page.

What I like love about this book: aside from the lyrical language and awesome art? I like the back matter: notes about ducks and birds and exploring ponds. There are photos and additional information about the birds and animals so kids can learn to identify common species in their area. Also the challenge to look more closely to find all seven different duck species.

Beyond the book:

Visit a pond or wetland. Sit quietly and observe the birds and animals that share that habitat. Listen to their songs. Take along a sketchbook and some colored pencils and collect the colors of the animals you see.

How many kinds of ducks are there? Check out this page from Cornell Lab of Ornithology - if you click on the ducks it will take you to a page in their online guide where you can also listen to their calls. (click on "see more birds" and more ducks will show up!)

Play around with this duck puzzle.

Sing a duck song or two. Here's one with actions: All the Little Ducks go Upside Down

Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.We're also joining the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy provided by publisher.

** Spring Break** Archimedes Notebook is taking a Spring Break for a couple weeks. Be back in May.

Faraway Fox

Faraway Fox
by Jolene Thompson; illus. by Justin K. Thompson
32 pages; ages 4-7
HMH, 2016

themes: nature, animal stories, nonfiction

This was the forest where I lived with my family. We used to race through the undergrowth and rest under the great shade trees after playing all day.

Faraway from his family, Fox wanders the same forest he grew up in. He remembers beautiful trees and streams. But the landscape he travels through is unfamiliar, filled with cars and houses, and paved over.

What I like about this book is that is shows wildlife in an urban landscape. It also highlights the challenges a fox - or any other wild animal - faces when trying to return to their familiar habitat. This fox is lucky, because he won't have to dodge cars while crossing a busy highway. Instead, people have engineered a better solution to help him get home.

In an author's note, Jolene Thompson discusses human encroachment into wild animal habitats, and some of the things people are doing to minimize the impacts. Wildlife crossings have been built under highways and over highways to ensure that animals aren't cut off from the resources they need. She provides resources for people who want to learn more.

Beyond the book:

Go on a wildlife hike. What wild animals live near you? We have foxes, deer, coyotes, and lots of squirrels. There are even coyotes and deer in New York City (though you have to be out at dusk or in the evening to see them).

Design a critter crossing for crabs. Or turtles. Or deer. Then check out these examples of animal road crossings from around the world.

Get involved in Citizen Science, doing a salamander crossing. Information here. If you don't live near salamanders, ask your local fish and wildlife officers what sort of critter crossings they are working on.

If you're looking for humorous animal stories, check out Sally's Bookshelf. Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.We're also joining the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy provided by publisher.

Octopus Escapes Again!

Octopus Escapes Again!
by Laurie Ellen Angus
32 pages, ages 4-10
Dawn Publications, 2016

theme: animals, nonfiction

Octopus is very hungry. She peeks to the right. Peeks to the left. And dashes from her den into the deep, dark sea.
Will she eat today?
Or be eaten?

When a turtle spies Octopus, Octopus squeezes into a shell. Threatened by an eel, Octopus releases her "secret weapon" - a cloud of dark ink.

What I like about this book: It's a fun look at a predator on the hunt, but one who must also escape predation. Laurie Angus shows us many ways Octopus escapes.

I like the layered text: large text tells the story of Octopus's journey. Smaller, italicized text goes into detail about the particular adaptation Octopus uses, from ink to jet propulsion to camouflage.

I LOVE the back matter. There is a section called "Explore More for Kids", with more info about the Octopus, and tasty tidbits about her prey  - and predators. Plus a warning to never wrestle with an Octopus. There's even more stuff for teachers and parents: a story about Laurie's first encounter with an octopus and some activities.

Beyond the book:

Visit an octopus. If you live near an aquarium that has an octopus, go visit it. Take your sketchbook and colored pencils and draw the octopus. Observe how it moves and whether it changes color.

An Engineering Challenge (from the back of the book): choose one of the octopus's abilities and create and invention that will help solve a human problem.

Where's the Octopus? Check out this video from Science Friday.

Here are a couple of videos about octopuses escaping. This one shows how even a huge octopus can squeeze through very small spaces. This one shows an octopus escaping from a jar.

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. We're also joining PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copy from publisher.

Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep

Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep
by April Pulley Sayre; illus. by Steve Jenkins
40 pages; ages 4-8
Henry Holt and Co, 2016

themes: animals, nonfiction

Squirrels wrestle.
Squirrels leap.
Squirrels climb.
Squirrels sleep.

Active, rhyming text takes readers through a day in the life of a squirrel - from climbing branches to storing seeds ... to flying. We meet four kinds of squirrels native to North America who demonstrate the things squirrels do. For example, squirrels use their tails as an umbrella and to help for balance.

What I like LOVE about this book: Sayre's spare text leaves plenty of room for Jenkins's wonderfully detailed cut-paper collages. The illustrations will have kids pausing before page-turns just do they can take a closer look at a squirrel running up a tree with a mouth full of leaves.  What are those leaves for? There are buried acorns that germinate into oak seedlings, and a groundhog - what's he doing in the picture?

There's back matter! Four pages of luscious extra details about the squirrel species, what they eat, the kinds of nests they make, and how they (unintentionally) help plant trees. Pulley includes scads of resources and some notes for kids who want to dig deeper into squirrel science and environmental issues.

Beyond the book: What kinds of squirrels live near you?
Go on a squirrel hike. Take some photos or jot down notes of the kinds of squirrels you see: their color, what their ears look like, their tail, whether they have stripes.

Squirrel-watching. Once you find squirrels (for instance, raiding your bird feeder every afternoon) - watch what they do. How do they run? How do they climb trees? How do they go down trees? Do they jump from one tree to another - and if so, how far?

Learn to speak squirrel. They make all kinds of wonderful sounds from alarm calls (kuk-kuk-kuk) to gentle murmels that mean "feed me". If you need help, try this video.  

If you have a bird feeder then you know that squirrels will overcome just about any obstacle to get food. Here's one video of a squirrel overcoming obstacles to reach food. And here's a video of a squirrel stealing candy bars from a vending machine!

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. We're also joining PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copy from publisher.