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.

How To Plant a Forest

The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest 

by Lynn Street; illus. by Anne Hunter 

48 pages; ages 4-8

‎Peachtree/Margaret Quinlin Books, 2025

theme: ecology, autumn, birds

How does the mighty oak create more oak trees? By making acorns.

But here’s the thing about acorns: they are heavy! (I know this because I’ve had a few fall on my head.) They are too heavy to blow on the breeze, so they plunk right down to the ground. Right under the tree. Here’s another thing about acorns: they need sun and water and room to grow. And how can they get that if they’re laying on the ground in the shade with all the other acorns? Well, if they’re from the white oaks next to my house they get picked up and moved by squirrels and birds, carried away, and buried in the ground. 

And sometimes those acorns get forgotten and they sprout into tiny oak seedlings (I know this because I’ve had more than a few grow in my vegetable patch!). 

In luscious, lyrical language, author Lynn Street pulls readers into the acorn-caching behavior of blue jays who hide their treasure – like pirates! “With their beaks, the jays tap, tap, tap the acorns into soft ground…” she writes. The jays have to move fast, because there’s competition. Squirrels, turkeys, mice, chipmunks, deer … they are gathering up acorns too.

What I like about this book: I mentioned the language. Here’s what I mean: “Back and forth— flashes of sapphire in the sun— blue white, blue white.” Even without an illustration you can picture this blue jay flapping across the sky. I like that Lynn takes us through an entire year: winter when jays dig up the acorns to eat, spring when they feed their nestlings bugs (because acorns are too big for babies…),  and fall, when the young jays join the “blue crew” and help their parents collect acorns for the winter. I like the back matter, too! More information about oak trees and jays, and how human interaction has changed the nature of oak forests. There’s also a great list of books for further reading and some websites to visit.

Lynn’s inspiration for this book came from a photo of a blue jay carrying an acorn. In addition to researching books and articles about blue jays and oaks, she spent lots of time watching jays. So I had to ask her A Couple Questions:

Me: What cool insights have you gained from the jays visiting your backyard? (ours are raucous thieves!)

Lynn: I watched blue jays in my backyard as they interacted with a pin oak just over the fence. From a second story window, I was able to see into the oak’s canopy as jays pried acorns from the tree. Over several fall seasons, I spotted more and more of this acorn gathering in real time.

I noticed, too, where the peanuts from my bird feeder were being hidden. One jay buried a peanut under leaf litter. Another time I spotted a jay leaving a peanut in the rain gutter of my neighbor’s house. I also watched a blue jay pull an acorn out from between flagstones on my patio.

Me: Jays are related to crows, and crows are pretty smart birds. How do jays exhibit their corvid intelligence?

Lynn: Blue jays are part of the corvid family, which includes crows, magpies, nutcrackers, and ravens. Blue jays are very intelligent. They have an amazing spatial memory, which helps them locate thousands of buried acorns. The blue jay that dug up an acorn from my patio knew exactly where it was hidden. It landed, plucked it out, and was flying again a few seconds later. 

Blue jays are also great mimics. Their calls can sound like a hawk, or a squeaky gate. The hawk call may alert other jays to predators nearby or trick other birds into thinking a hawk is present. I hear the hawk call often, and the jays always fool me. I look outside when I hear it, but each time it’s a blue jay perching in a nearby tree. Only one time was it a hawk circling high above my street.

In captivity—but not in the wild—blue jays have been observed using tools to rake food into their cages.

The black markings on their faces and throats (called a bridle or necklace) vary and may help the jays to tell each other apart. Do you think you can tell the blue jays at your feeder apart?
 

Beyond the Books:

Watch some blue jays this fall.  Draw a picture of what your jays look like – and make sure to note the markings on their faces and throats.

This one comes from Lynn: Watch your jay’s behavior. Is the bird eating? Is it hiding food or plucking an already buried acorn out of the ground? Blue jays move quickly, so pay close attention!

Do you have oak trees in your neighborhood? If so, get to know them. Draw a map of where the oak trees are growing. 

In the spring, look for oak sprouts. You might find one in your yard or neighbor’s garden. If it’s “in the way” ask if you can dig it up. Then put it in a pot and watch it grow,

Lynn is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website, lynnstreetbooks.com 

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.

Finding our "Best Buds"

I’ve been spending a lot of time in my garden this summer, and I’ve come to realize that, for me, many of the plants (and insects) in my garden have become … friends. Best Buds, even. So I’m delighted to share this book with you today. It’s not my ordinary STEM book offering, though there are plenty of stems in it. 

Best Buds 

by Becky Scharnhorst; illus. by Jiarui Jiang 

40 pages; ages 4-8

‎Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2025

theme: friendship, plants, moving

On his first day in a new town, Spencer made a friend. It was easy!

Spencer and his mom are moving into a new house, and Mom is worried about making friends. But Spencer has NO trouble finding friends. He met Fred on the first day, just sitting outside in a box under a tree, and Vera was found next to a fire hydrant.

Spencer cares for his plant friends. He takes them to the playground and to reading circle so they can hear the stories. Everywhere he goes, people ask “wouldn’t you like a real friend?” as if plants couldn’t be friends. Some days Spencer would load up his wagon with a few friends and go to the park. That’s where he meets Daisy, whose friend is much smaller and has no leaves at all!

What I like about this book: I like how Spencer appreciates each plant’s personality: They could be “late bloomers” or shy, or even a bit wild, but it didn’t matter because he loved them anyway. As he comes to accept the differences of his plant friends, readers will accept that friendship doesn’t depend on what you look like. It’s more about accepting people – or plants – as they are.

I also love the illustrations. The detail of each plant, and the diversity pictured is just plain fun – from the front endpapers to the last – and every page in between. 

Beyond the Books:

Do you have any plant friends (trees are included)? Draw a picture of your favorite and if they don’t have a name, give them one!

If you were a plant, what kind would you be? Would you be tall? Spiky? Flowery? Would you have long, thin leaves or leaflets that are bunchy? Draw your plant portrait!

Get to know the plants growing in your neighborhood on a first-name basis! Are there tiny flowers in the grass? Are there bold, yellow dandelions growing between cracks in the sidewalk? Are there trees you’d like to get to know better? Draw a map of where your plant friends live.

Hop over to the GROG and find out more about author Becky Scharnhorst in this lovely interview with former librarian and author, Kathy Halsey.

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. A huge thank you to author Becky Scharnhorst for a review copy.

Pollinators are Very Buzzy!

 

The Buzz on Wild Bees: The Little-Known Pollinators that Keep Our Planet Humming 

by Kira Vermond; illust. by June Steube

40 pages; ages 7-10

‎ Owlkids, 2025  

Do you know what bees look like? It’s OK if you don’t. There are more than 20,000 different species of bees on our planet, and most people can only identify a honeybee. This book introduces different kinds of wild bees: leafcutters, oil-collecting bees, cellophane bees, sweat bees and vulture bees and even bees that scrape the fuzz off plants and rolls it up like fluffy wool. It also shows the sorts of places wild bees live, and discusses why they’re so important to the other plants and animals in the environment (including humans).

But … wild bees are in danger and need our help. So this book shares a bunch of ways we can help them thrive, from planting native flowers to ditching pesticides. 

Pollinator Week Activity: Create a wild patch for wild bees! Get permission to let part of your yard go wild and weedy for a month (or the summer!). All you need to do is make sure no one mows that patch. Document the flowers and wild bees that you see in your wild flower patch. Ways to document: draw, paint, photograph, write notes about, write haiku or poetry.  

Welcome to Pollinator Week!

I’m celebrating pollinators all week with books and activities. Pollinators come in all shapes and sizes, from teensy bees to big flappy bats. One thing a lot of them have in common is wings, so I’m starting the week off with…

Wonder Wings: Guess Who’s Flying 

by Rebecca E. Hirsch; illus. by Sally Soweol Han 

40 pages; ages 4-8

‎Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2025   

Wings can soar and wings can skim…

Rhyming clues ask readers to guess whose wings these are. For example: wings that buzz and pollinate – and fly back to a hollow tree. Or what about wings that make a thrumming sound, that beat so fast all you can see is a blur? What about colorful wings that drift and float? Or wings that swoop through twilight sky?

Pollinator Week Activity: Make some wearable wings using recycled cardboard and markers, colored paper, and yarn or twine to attach them to your back. This video from the Smithsonian shows one way you can do it.

We All Share the Air

 

The Air We Share: A Pollution Problem and Finding Ways to Fix It (Books for a Better Earth) 

by Dee Romito; illus. by Mariona Cabassa 

40 pages; ages 6-9

‎Holiday House, 2025

theme: air, pollution, environment

What goes up here, ends up there. It’s all connected, in the air we share.

The air around us may look invisible, but it’s a mixture of gases and tiny particles. What sort of particles? Think about the things that go up into the air: smoke from wildfires, exhaust from cars and buses, volcanic ash, dust, and even pollen and fragrances from flowers and trees. In the pages of this book, Dee Romito talks about sources of air pollution and what people – and governments – have been, and are doing about them. The book ends with a list of things you can do to keep the air clean, and a reminder that “…everything is connected, and we all share the same air.”

What I like about this book: I like that there are examples of different things that can impact our air quality, from man-made smog to volcanic eruptions. And that Dee highlights how solutions were implemented: tree-planting to combat erosion and the dust storms, a clean air act to control vehicle emissions. I also like how she showed that air carries other, invisible things: sounds and smells and sometimes seeds. Back matter includes an author’s note, glossary, short bibliography, and index.

Beyond the Books:

Build a Pollution Catcher to find out what’s in the air you breathe. Smear a thin coat of petroleum jelly on a paper plate and attach it to a wall or fence using paper clips. Particles carried in the air will get trapped and you can see them the next day. Here’s a short video showing how.

Learn more about what causes air pollution from the NASA Climate Kids page.

https://climatekids.nasa.gov/air-pollution/

What’s your Air Quality? You can check it out at AirNow – and they also have a wildfire smoke tracker. A couple weeks ago some US cities were getting warnings about poor air quality due to particulates from the wildfires in Canada.

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

Tiny Birds, Long Flight

 

Tiny Tern Takes Flight 

by Donna B. McKinney; illus by Fiona Osbaldstone 

40 pages; ages 4-6

‎Science, Naturally!, 2024 

theme: birds, migration, nonfiction

Arctic terns live in shivering cold lands near the North Pole.

They may be tiny, but they are mighty birds who dive into icy water for food, and scoop out nests on the rocky tundra. They may be small, but they are fierce protectors of their nests and hatchlings. They may look puny, but when summer light fades and seasons change, they take off on the longest migration journey of any bird – flying all the way from the Arctic to the Antarctic. A wonderful story about an ordinary tern making an extraordinary flight.

What I like about this book: Sure, this book is filled with facts, but the language is so lyrical you don’t even notice. As seasons change, “sunlight creeps toward darkness as the Earth turns on its axis…” Air currents carry the terns “higher, further, southward.” Back matter shows details of the tern and their feathers, tells more about migration, and describes how they live in the Arctic and Antarctic. And there's the alliterative title, too!

Beyond the Books:

Arctic terns are migrating, and right now are close to the midpoint in their migration from the Antarctic to the Arctic. You can look at their migration map, and find out more about these tiny terns at All About Birds.

Join a scientific expedition to monitor arctic tern migration via this video

For deeper study of arctic terns, check out this hands-on unit from author and teacher, Jessica Fries Gaither

Fly like a tern. In the book, the terns rise and glide on air currents. They twirl and soar. Can you move like a tern?

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

Illustrated by Kate Cosgrove...

I’ve been wanting to review these two books for a while ... so I put them on my desk right next to my keyboard so I wouldn't miss them (unless I piled other stuff on top, which I did...). Anyway, there they are, and I'm looking at them thinking, hmmm... they feel like they belong together in a review. Sure, trees and flowers are both plants. But there’s something else nibbling on my attention. Something about how the illustrations feel free and flowing. And I realize: Kate Cosgrove illustrated both of them! I hadn’t noticed it before because - let’s be honest - when we talk about books we usually talk about who wrote them. 

Themes: flowers, trees, art

Just Flowers 

by Erin Dealey; illus by Kate Cosgrove 

40 pages; ages 5-8

Sleeping Bear Press, 2024

There’s something to be said about a book featuring flowers that opens with a cold and snowy day. “One blustery brr day, in a dreary, dull town, a new neighbor moved in.” Izzy watches the new neighbor stomping about in his yard, grumbling, “where are the roses?”

She sees what he doesn’t – small white flowers called snowdrops. “Galanthus,” Izzy tells him. “Gesundheit,” he replies. Spread by spread Izzy discovers wonderful flowers in her neighbor’s yard: tulips, buttercups, impatiens, delphinium. But all he wants is roses.

What I like love about this book: I love the collection of flower names in the book: dahlias, asters, cup and saucer vine. I love that sometimes Izzy provides the genus name for the flowers. And I love how “just flowers” make the people around Izzy bloom. The last spread highlights all the flowers and plants in the book, with common and scientific names. It’ll make you want to head outside and identify plants you find in your neighborhood.

And, of course, there's the art!

A Tree Is a Community (Books for a Better Earth) 

by David L. Harrison; illustrated by Kate Cosgrove 

40 pages; ages 4-8

Holiday House, 2024

From bugs to birds and beyond, the short free-verse poems on each page in this book celebrate the animals that make up the community in and on the hackberry tree in author, David Harrison’s back yard. But first, we need a spring rain to moisten the soil and give the trees roots a good drink!

In spring,

the rain 

ROARS!

GUSHES!

POURS 

Down through that 

rich, 

dark 

soil.

What I like love about this book: You mean besides the ants and bees and moths and beetles? I love the vibrant verbs. Bugs crawl and climb and scurry. Birds flip and flap, fly and tote. This is a great book to find action words. At the same time, we see the diversity of wildlife using the tree as a home, and watch the passing of the seasons. And if that’s not enough, there’s some extra stuff on the back end pages: David’s note about why trees are important, a list of books for further reading, and an index to the tree dwellers – possums, page 23.

Beyond the Books:

Make some flowers to pop in a recycled bottle or can – or maybe some flower-stamp cards for your friends. All you need is some corks, acrylic paint, cardstock (or index cards) – and buttons and green pipecleaners for the flowers. Here’s how.

What sort of communities do your local trees support? Choose one or two to follow over the spring, summer, and fall. Who uses your tree over the seasons? How does your tree change from spring to fall? Choose a way to share your observations with your friends – maybe you want to paint pictures, like Kate Cosgrove, or write poems, like David Harrison. Or maybe photography is more your thing, or pressing leaves. 

Kate Cosgrove talks about her illustration process for her very first picture book, And The Bullfrogs Sing, by David Harrison (Holiday House, 2019) and her art for A Tree Is a Community on Kathy Temean’s blog here and here. And you can watch an interview with her local TV station here.

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday once they’re finished with the Valentiny story contest. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Happy Fourth of July

 Since tomorrow is the Fourth of July, I'll be taking a brief break. See you back here next week!

Meanwhile, check out some hands-on ways to celebrate the holiday at this post from two years ago.

By Michele Mazzola – Wikimedia [CC BY 3.0] 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71302982

Explore Outdoors ~ Pollinator Scavenger Hunt

 

It's Pollinator Week so of course we're going to head out to look for some pollinators! How many of these can you find? Have Fun!

• a bumble bee
• a beetle on a flower
• a shiny green bee
• a fly that looks like a bee or wasp
• a hummingbird
• a moth that looks like a hummingbird
• an ant on a flower
• a bee with pollen on its body or face
• a fuzzy fly that looks like a bumble bee
• a wasp on a flower
• a butterfly on a flower
• a fuzzy beetle that looks like a bumble bee
  

A Little Night Science

 One day I was walking through town and I noticed a small owl napping in the crook of a branch. The tiny screech owl blended in with the tree and, had I not been looking for leaves and flowers, I probably wouldn't have seen them. I have a fondness for owls, and leave my windows open at night so I can hear their hoots and whooos. So I knew right off I just had to read this book!

Night Owl Night

By Susan Edwards Richmond; illus. by Maribel Lechuga

32 pages; ages 4-8

Charlesbridge, 2023

theme: owls, migration, scientists

In October, Mama becomes a night owl.

Not an owl with wings and huge eyes … but a person who works during the dark hours of night. That’s because Sova’s mom is a scientist who studies owls and other birds, and she needs to be out in the field when the owls are active. Sova wants to be a night owl, too. She draws owls, carries around a stuffed owl, and even creates an owl costume. Not yet, Mama tells her. Scientists must wait. Finally, Sova is old enough to join Mama in her owl research. Together they put on headlamps and walk out to the woods where (eventually) they  capture, measure, and release a saw-whet owl.

What I like about this book: I like the repetition of “scientists must wait” – whether it is for the right time, or for the owls to show up. I love Sova’s enthusiasm for owls, and her creative ways to remind Mama that she wants to be a night owl, too. I can totally see the costume she creates inspiring kids to make their own wings and bird mask. I especially like how the field science is represented: the careful measuring and weighing and banding of the owl – and the gentle release into the night. And of course, there is back matter for curious young night owls-in-training: a page about common northern forest owls, an explanation about how banding is used by scientists, and resources for learning more.

I wanted to know more about Susan Richmond and her writing process so I asked her a Couple Questions:

Me: This is your third picture book I’ve reviewed – and I want to know: when do you know you have a book idea? 

Susan: First, thank you so much for reviewing my previous books, Sue!  I really appreciate it.  

I know I’ve got a book idea - maybe partly at least - when I can’t get it out of my head! Though it often takes a while, sometimes years, before an idea finds its proper form.  For example, Bird Count I originally envisioned as a simple, seek-and-find counting book in verse! Many iterations later, with feedback from both my critique group and my editor at Peachtree, it became a community science adventure packed with birdwatching tips.  Night Owl Night, however, came to me with its complete story arc soon after my own saw-whet owl banding experience.  I had learned and felt so much in a single evening that I believed I could use a similar setting to have my audience do the same. Because I wanted the book to invite inquiry about other species of owls as well, and to teach more about the significance of banding in bird conservation, those refinements came later through additional research.  

Me:  Do you use a dummy and/or storyboard in your writing process? 

Susan: This may sound strange, but my dummy/storyboards are really in my head.  My artistic skills are very untrained, so I rarely try to sketch my ideas on paper.  Then, when I think the book is approaching a satisfying draft, I paginate the manuscript.  I’ve heard that some editors/agents don’t like to receive paginated manuscripts from authors who aren’t illustrators, but for me it’s a necessary step.  It allows me to “see” spreads and page turns, including potential “cliff hangers,” to be sure the story has  enough visual and plot interest.  Paginating also helps me with pacing and ensuring the book will “work” within a picture book format. 

Beyond the Books:

You can watch trailer for Night Owl Night, and download activity kit (a fun migration maze included!) at Susan's website.

Make an owl puppet out of a paper bag – and tell your own owl stories. Here's how.

Learn to talk like an owl. Here are some great resources from Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and the American Bird Conservancy.

Bake an Owl pizza (no owls will be harmed in this activity!). You’ll need to make a pizza crust and have pepperoni and olives on hand for toppings. Here’s directions

Susan Edwards Richmond is a member of #STEAMTeam2023. You can find out more about her at her website.  Here’s where you can find my reviews of her other books, Bird Count and Bioblitz!: Counting Critters

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.

Info-Graph Your Thanksgiving Meal!

If you want to keep track of how the seasons change, your favorite lunches, or keep track of all the food you eat at Thanksgiving (and even the time it takes to make it), all you need is a pencil and a scrap of paper. 

But if you want to impress your neighbor with the numbers, you might need a bit more – a way to share your information so people can understand it in a glance. And that way is through infographics ~ a combination of math, art, and communication. To explain your Thanksgiving meal you might want to use a time line to show how long it took to prepare the food. And you’ll definitely need a pie graph to compare the kinds of pies you ate!

Here are two books that show and tell how to make infographics. They might even inspire kids to keep track of the interesting (and even mundane) things in their lives.

Life Log: Track Your Life with Infographic Activities Diary 

by Lea Redmond; illus. by Andrea Tsurumi

96 pages; ages 8-12

Chronicle Books, 2022 

Life Log is a guided workbook for infographic exploration. It opens with an introduction to the basics: what infographics is, how a key works, and the lowdown on facts and data. There are pie charts, rainbow charts, timelines, and lots of great questions. All the book asks is for curious kids to bring a bunch of colored pencils and a willingness to visualize information in a new way. 

My favorites: tracking a tree, how long a pencil lasts, and a month of insect encounters. This book is a great way to jump into creating graphs and charts.

Or you could keep track of how regularly you "ate the rainbow" of vegetables and fruits suggested in daily servings.

Show and Tell! Great Graphs and Smart Charts: An Introduction to Infographics 

by Stuart J. Murphy; illus. by Teresa Bellón    

48 pages; ages 7-10

‎Charlesbridge, 2022  

Bar graphs, line graphs, pictographs, and pie charts can show a lot of information in a single glance. But which do you use, and when? Let’s say you want to find out more about lunchroom food. If you want to know what meals kids like the most, you could conduct a survey and display the results in a bar graph. If you wanted to compare the number of entrees served during a lunch period, you might draw a pie graph. (yes, you can create pie alamode graphs if you really want to) This book serves well as an introduction to charts and graphs, and ends with a list of things kids can use infographic techniques to explore.

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.