Go Fly a Kite - or something...

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

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

180 pages; ages 8+

Greystone Kids, 2026 (will be released May 19)

Put down the phone.

Turn off the screens.

Let’s go outside and play!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two by Blue Dot Kids

 Every now and then I run across a couple of books that incorporate STEM elements in an imaginative way. Today I’m sharing two new picture books recently released by Blue Dot Kids Press.

theme: nature, imagination, global connection

Moon Sailors

by Naomi Woodward; illus by Rachel Gregg 

32 pages; ages 3-6

Bed sheets billow in solar winds, as we cast our boat adrift…

As a fan of “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” I was captivated by the idea of “moon sailors in search of treasure…” In this imaginary journey, two children – and their cat – sail off to follow the trails of celestial snails, wake up cockles and crabs, and meet a curious cephalopod. 

What I like about this book: This is a perfect lullaby read-aloud, with a gentle, put-you-to-sleep rhythm. There are wonderful words tucked in: iridescent, tentacles… Presented as an ocean-meets-the-moon adventure, the creatures of sand and sea are anything but imaginary. If you have an opportunity to explore a sea shore or a tide pool, you may meet many of these creatures.

Together, Right Now

by Olga Fadeeva

40 pages; ages 3-7

Right now, you are reading this book. Right now, someone is eating breakfast. Right now, someone is falling asleep.

As you go about your day, doing the things you do, animals and people around the world are doing the things they do. But where they are it might be night, where you have day. They might be planting gardens while you shovel snow. 

What I like about this book: The language is lovely and invites readers to look closely at the place where they live – and then look more broadly at how others are living, from deserts to islands. I like the global connection: eight billion people and millions of species of plants and animals are all breathing and living together on this unique planet. And I like the diversity of color and texture in the artwork.

Beyond the Books:

Listen to the poem “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” and let your imagination sail with them on their journey. Draw a picture of what you might see on a journey in the night sky.

Visit an aquarium or tide pool to see some of the creatures that the moon sailors might have seen. If you can’t get to a tide pool or aquarium, you can learn about tide pool creatures at Crystal Cove State Park, California, or go on a longer (25 minute) video tour with a marine biologist.

What is it like where you live right now? Is it daytime? Night time? Summer? Winter? And what do you see when you look out a window? 

Find where you are on a globe. Now find a spot on the other side of the Earth – and look for the nearest landmass. Find out who and what lives there. If you were there right now, would it be daytime or night? Warm or cold? What would you see?

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

From Soup to ... Tortillas!

 Theme: food, traditions, family

Everyone has Day-after-Thanksgiving traditions. In my family it is making soup and putting turkey meat into freezer containers to use in chili and burrito mixes later. So… I thought today would be the perfect day to share two books about Food and Traditions. Let’s start with soup, because some of us already have the turkey carcass in the pot simmering away!

Soup's On Around the World (Taste the World) 

by Denyse Waissbluth; illus by Chelsea O'Byrne 

40 pages; ages 4-8

‎Greystone Kids, 2025

Soup’s on. A tasty treat. Fill your bowl. Time to eat!

Page by page, readers travel around the world sipping soups from different regions and cultures. Hot soup from Thailand, cold soup from Spain. Soup as orange as pumpkin or as red as beets. Sweet soup, bitter soup, soup made from clams – and chicken soup to cure whatever ails you.

What I like about this book: Rhyming language introduces the different soups, but not by name. On one page we’re invited to bring veggies ~ it’s for minestrone, a thick vegetable soup that has no rules! Just toss in any vegetables you have, along with some pasta. (It sounds a lot like my “refrigerator” soup). There are other soups that are cooked in a large communal pot – enough for all! Back matter includes a bit of soupy history and the favorite recipes of the author and illustrator. Yum!

Some of our turkey meat goes into the soup, but some is frozen to make meals later. My favorite is black bean & turkey burritos. But before we can roll up the burritos, we need to make tortillas. Maybe this next book will help?

Tia Sofia and the Giant Tortilla (Mi Hermosa Familia/My Beautiful Family) 

by Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz; illus by Carlos Vélez Aguilera 

32 pages; ages 3-7

‎Gibbs Smith, 2025

My name is Luna, and I want to tell you about my Tia Sofia and the giant tortilla.

Tia Sofia is an artist with a wild streak. She also wants some help rolling out the tortilla dough, so Luna and her little brother, Sol, roll out the masa to some music. It’s messy, and bits of dough and flour end up in the oddest places. But it’s Tia Sofia who gets carried away and rolls out a tortilla SO big it could be used as a superhero’s cape!

What I like about this book: Luna and Sol have great imaginations and come up with at least half-a-dozen uses for a giant tortilla. This will certainly inspire kids to think about what they might do with a giant tortilla. Or a giant cookie, biscuit, or pancake – depending on what they might make in their home. I also like how Spanish words are integrated into the story. Back matter includes a seek-and-find challenge and a recipe for Tia Sofia’s flour tortillas.

Beyond the Books:

Make your own turkey soup, starting with the left-over turkey. First thing we do is take the meat off the bones and pop the carcass in a big pot – along with onion, celery, carrots, and herbs – to simmer for 3 or 4 hours. Meanwhile, we sort the meat into some for sandwiches, some for chili and burritos, and some for the soup. Homemade turkey soup recipe here.

Make your own tortilla (giant or regular size). Here’s a recipe that’s easy to follow. They use it to make a nut butter and jelly sandwich – or maybe a quesadilla (grilled cheese).

Everyone has a favorite kind of soup. Ask your family and friends (or classmates) what kind of soup they like the best. Then make a chart showing how many people like each kind of soup. My favorite: bean soup with ham or kielbasa in it.

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

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.

The Stories This Rock Could Tell

 

Every rock has a story.

For this rock, it could be the story about how it used to be a chunk of shiny fool’s gold until it got covered by the gravel from Lake Bonneville. That gravel was heavy, and compressed the rock into a matrix of limestone. Over time, limonite replaced the beautiful pyrite crystals, turning them brown. Eventually the water receded, leaving the rock high and dry, allowing opportunity for wind and rain to erode the limestone.

Or it could be the story about one city car, two cowboys, three girls and their parents, and four stuck tires. A story that begins with dad packing the car for a grand adventure and mom packing sandwiches and kids arguing about who gets to sit where. A story that wonders why a car that had no business being there, found itself stuck in a creek bed that, in drier weather, passed for a road. And honest-to-god cowboys with strong quarter horses and thick ropes who rescued said vehicle and then offered the girls a ride to the quarry because they were heading that way anyway to check on the herd.

It could be a story of who, what, when, where, how, and why. For example: why would someone carry that rock across the entire country, twice, when there are other, smoother, prettier rocks to tuck into a pocket? Or a story that has no grounding in our shared reality.

On the other hand, it could be a story about a rock that remembers those cowboys, and the lake, and the time it was new and shiny and had great expectations for the future.

Next time you find a rock, sit down with it and ask its story. You'd be surprised how much a rock has to say.

Inspiring Readers to Save the Planet ~ by Christy Mihaly

Happy Earth Week! The first Earth Day in 1970 focused on air and water pollution. Back then, factories spewed so much oil into water that rivers caught fire. Air pollution gave people cancer. But folks generally assumed this was the price of "progress." 

Christy appreciates water!

Rachel Carson's 1962 book, Silent Spring, helped wake Americans up, and Earth Day inspired broad action. I celebrated the first Earth Day with the Girl Scouts, collecting trash at a creek. But in 1970, we didn't appreciate the full extent of the manmade crises facing Earth. 

Today, I worry kids may see climate change as too big to solve, too daunting to fight. But then I watch young people, teens and younger, raising their voices, demanding action, inventing solutions. There's hope. 

That's why I write what I write. I want to give kids information and incentive to save the planet. Books have the power to do that.

I recently wrote a picture book about water. Why water? It's an ordinary, everyday substance—and central to life. I lived a couple decades in California, where water is often scarce. I worked with diverse stakeholders to negotiate a fair division of the waters of the Sacramento River system (leaving enough for the fish), because users held legal "rights" to an amount of water that exceeded the actual flow. Moving to Vermont in the 2000s, I was struck by the moist greenness and the ubiquity of streams and ponds. But I saw that even where water is so plentiful, we must steward it. 

In Barefoot Books WATER: A Deep Dive of Discovery, I wanted to share my deep appreciation of the science and the wonder of water. Working with the talented Barefoot Books team, we developed an engaging, interactive book.

We created a "water droplet" (fictional cartoon character) to offer funny comments and fun facts. We incorporated experiments, activities, and calls to action for that hands-on element, adding flaps and gatefolds too. And while we confirmed that all infographics and illustrations were scientifically accurate, we left room for the amazing illustrator, Mariona Cabassa, to explore the world of water with colorful, imaginative scenes. 

I used playful language, noting, for example, that water is a "shape-shifter," and wrote poetic passages as well. Together I hope that all these aspects of the books help WATER to capture kids' interest and passion and inspire them to be water stewards.

Thank you for joining us today, Christy.  I chatted with Christy about her book, WATER  back in October over at the GROG Blog. And she shares some hands-on water exploration activities on Patricia Newman's Lit Links blog here. You can visit Christy's website here.

How Poems Grow and (even) take flight

 April is National Poetry Month, so I’m sharing two books that are filled with the movement and flow of poetry. They also highlight nature, sometimes the flowers and insects right outside your door.

theme: poetry, nature

Moving Words About a Flower 

by K. C. Hayes; illus by Barbara Chotiner 

40 pages; ages 3-7

‎Charlesbridge, 2022   

One summer day rain clouds rolled high above a gray city sidewalk.

From rainstorm to dandelion sprouting in a sidewalk crack, to a seed traveling and sprouting somewhere else, this book is all about how a flower grows and moves. Even more fun: it’s written as one long concrete (shape) poem. Words shape the stem, leaves, flower of the dandelion. Words shape the parachute seeds and, when the seeds sprout, the roots reaching into the soil.

Illustration copyright © 2022 by Barbara Chotiner

What I like love about this book: I love the idea of presenting the life story of a plant in poetry – and using the words to create the shapes is such a creative way to do it. For example: yellow lettering provides stripes of poetry on the abdomen of a bee! And I really did like the words forming roots… the shape poems will have kids taking second, third, and fourth looks at each spread.

And there is back matter (which you know I love)! That’s where kids can learn more about the life if a dandelion – including the very important fact that what looks like a flowerhead is really a cluster of many small flowers called florets. There’s info on how dandelions fly, when they bloom, and how tasty they are. 

If This Bird Had Pockets: A Poem in Your Pocket Day Celebration 

by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater; illus. by Emma J. Virján 

32 pages; ages 4-8

‎Wordsong, 2022  

If animals could write poems, what would they write about? What are their concerns, and observations about the world and their daily lives? 

There are no “first lines” to share, as such, but Amy Ludwig Vanderwater shares the first poem in this delightful video.

What I like about this book: I love the idea of animals writing their very own poems, from caribou sharing their thoughts on antlers to horseshoe crabs telling an ancient story. I especially like the monarch butterfly’s letter to a milkweed and “We Farm Fungus” by leafcutter ants. Each poem shares a secret about the animal, something we may not have known or thought about before. Just plain fun, mixed well with science.

Beyond the Books:

Count the dandelions growing in your yard or nearby. Notice the stage of their life: young plant, blooming, producing seeds. For those in flower, what insects are visiting them? You might find bees, beetles, butterflies, and more. You can find a downloadable activity packet at Charlesbridge.

Taste a dandelion – but make sure it hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals. Wash off the flower and taste a yellow floret. Sweet, right? You can sprinkle dandelion florets on top of a salad, or mix them in when you make tortillas, or sprinkle them on top of soup. Very young leaves are great in quiche – or, if you want to go crustless – a frittata. Even the seeds are edible, but take the fluffy parachute off first! And some people roast the roots and grind them up to brew like coffee. If you want a dandelion quiche recipe, check out Diet For a Changing Climate by Chris Mihaly and me.

Write a poem from the point of view of a bird, insect, or other animal that lives in your neighborhood. Then carry your poem in your pocket and go outside and read it to them. 

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Just Like Rube Goldberg

Just Like Rube Goldberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Behind the Machines 
by Sarah Aronson; illus. by Robert Neubecker
48 pages; ages 3 - 8
Beach Lane Books, 2019

themes: invention, imagination, biography

Question: How do you become a successful, award-winning artist and famous inventor without ever inventing anything at all?

If your name is Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg, you do it in very circuitous manner. First, you get a degree in engineering and work for a city department of water and sewers. Then you quit and get a job cleaning the newspaper office. And in your free time you draw until the editor finally gives you a job. Then an earthquake crumbles the city around you, so you move across the country and do it again. And somewhere along the way you start inventing “screwball contraptions” – complex machines that use chain reactions to perform a simple task.

What I like love about this book: I have heard about Rube Goldberg my entire life, but it wasn’t until I read this book that I learned he was the son of Jewish immigrants. And his father didn’t want him to go into art. I knew Rube had designed all manner of silly machines that could do everything from exterminating a mosquito to hailing a street car. But I hadn’t put his cartooning into context: he began inventing his cartoon contraptions during the age of invention.

I like Robert Neubecker’s art. This spread in particular – a maze of pipes through which the text of the story runs. And I love that the end pages contain drawings of Rube Goldberg’s machines. I also like the back matter – more information about Rube and a short list of selected sources.

Beyond the book:

You can learn more about Rube Goldberg here

You may have seen a Rube Goldberg machine featured in a TV ad, like this one.

Try your hand at designing and building your own Rube Goldberg machine. Here are some ideas to get started:

• A contraption that helps you get across water.
• A way to do one of those pesky household chores.
• Invent a way to get up or get down.
• A squirrel-proof bird feeder.

You can find some helpful hints on making Rube Goldberg machines here.

Next Wednesday author Sarah Aronson will be chatting with me over at the GROG Blog. Come on over and join us!

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website . Review copy provided by the author.