Explore Outdoors ~ Wallflowers

I'm always amazed at how persistent plants can be. They'll find a foothold just about anywhere! I once found a sunflower sprouting in the nook of a tree branch...

 

 

Where's the most unusual place you're found flowers growing in your neighborhood?
 

An Underwater Fieldtrip to Seagrass Meadows

 

Meadows of the Sea: The Wonders of Seagrass 
by Michelle Schaub; illus. by Khoa Le 
40 pages; ages 5-8
Sleeping Bear Press, 2026

themes: ocean, animals, ecology
 

Where ocean meets shore, 

beneath the waves, 

vast grasses sway.

If you’re heading to the ocean this summer, you might want to know more about the mysterious wonders of seagrass. They form underwater pastures filled with leaves that twist and curl, billow and bend. Although they’re called “seagrasses” they aren’t really grasses. “They’re underwater flowering plants that evolved from land plants about 100 million years ago,” writes Michelle Shaub. She takes us on an underwater field trip to look in the nooks and crannies of the seagrass meadows, pointing out the fish, turtles, and other marine creatures that live there. 

 

What I like about this book: I love the lyrical language that gently draws you into the underwater environment. I also like that Michelle shows how seagrass meadows are integral to the health of the planet. The plants sequester carbon, produce oxygen, and act as filters to help clean the water. As tough as they are, withstanding wind and waves, the seagrasses suffer from increasingly frequent marine heatwaves and chemical pollution. Fortunately, we can all be seagrass heroes, and Michelle ends with a list of things kids (and adults) can do to help keep the seagrass meadows strong. Back matter includes a closer look at the marine life that call seagrass meadows home, and a glossary. And did I mention that I love the artwork? Illustrator Khoa Le fills the pages with colors of the sea, and the rhythm of the plants swaying in the tide. Her art is informed by her personal observation of sea meadows during free-dives.

Beyond the Books:

Get to know a few kinds of seagrass from the Florida Museum. Draw your favorite one.

If you are at the shore, put on some snorkeling goggles or wade into the water and look down at a patch of seagrass. If you stay still, you might be surprised at what you see. The best places to search are shallow, sheltered places like bays and estuaries, where the sunlight reaches all the way to the sandy bottom. Look for dark green patches of plants.

Check out Michelle’s activity guide for a Seagrass matching game, writing a poem, and how to be a Seagrass Hero (and more!) at her website, www.michelleschaub.com/meadows. Click on the “download here” button.

Michelle is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her books at her website www.michelleschaub.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM books at www.steamteambooks.com

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.

Explore Outdoors ~ hairy leaves!

 

My garden is full of wild flowers this spring: dandelions, violets, deadnettle, speedwell, and these rosettes of fuzzy leaves that will grow into mullein plants as tall as me.

The fuzz on the leaves is soft, like velvet.  Some folks describe it as feeling like wool, but it's so soft...

The hairs help the plant conserve water by blocking the sun's rays and keeping wind off the leaf surface.

This is what they look like close up:

I wondered what other plants might have hairy leaves. 

Dandelions? Nope.

Violet? No hair there.

No for clover and speedwell as well. But the deadnettle leaves looked a bit silvery.

So I took a close look at their leaves... why yes, those are hairs. But whereas the mullein hairs stick out at wild angles, the deadnettle hairs look neatly combed.

Take a close look at leaves this week. 

See any hairs?

Two Fun Books to Tuck in a Tote

A couple of books came out last month and I think they’re perfect for spring.

Odd Bugs: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Insects 

by Laura Gehl; illus. by Gareth Lucas 

22 pages; ages 2-4

Abrams Appleseed, 2026   

A few years ago I chatted with Laura Gehl about her book Odd Beasts. This one is the third in her series of “nature’s oddballs” and it’s about my favorite critters: bugs!

Odd Bugs presents eight insects, each with a particular adaptation. Among them is a moth with painted wings, and a caterpillar that stings. There are ants that weave with silken strands and a butterfly whose wings look like panes of glass. And then there’s the robber fly – a true thief. Even their babies steal from other insects!

What I like about this book: Using fun and playful language, each spread presents a single bug. Read aloud, page by page, it’s a single poem about the insects. My favorite part is at the end where Laura points out that we don’t have six legs or antennae or wings or any of the buggy attributes they do. So … who’s the real weirdo? What’s more, this board book has Back Matter! Two spreads present additional information and photos of each insect featured. Laura will be one of the guests at the Annual Arthropod Roundtable over at the GROG on Earth Day, April 22nd.  (Review copy from the author)

What's the oddest bug you've ever seen? 

A spiky caterpillar? 

A moth the size of  a hummingbird? 

This summer, draw pictures of the truly odd bugs you find around your neighborhood.

Big Brain Puzzles: Plant Pandemonium! 

created by Camille Pichon 

10 pages; ages 6 and up

Twirl, 2026

Flowers, butterflies, earthworms … all in puzzles that mix things up. Spin the dials on a lily pad, pull butterfly tabs, slide worm parts through the soil to match the challenges. Five puzzles times nine different ways to play makes a total of 45 different challenges – adding up to complete pandemonium! Great for logic and problem-solving. (Review copy from Blue Slip Media)

Have fun!

Explore Outdoors ~ More Galls!

 Last week I was hiking in Wasatch Hollow, a small nature preserve tucked behind a neighborhood in Salt Lake City. It felt like spring was nudging winter out, and we listened to the sparrows and a cooper's hawk. I'd noticed some interesting galls on the oak twigs and at the tips of the rose bushes. These are, as I understand it, galls caused by wasps. 

 

 

 

This one is called a mossy rose gall - and it does sort of look like moss growing at the end, doesn't it?

 

Now, before flower and leaf buds burst open, is the perfect time to see galls on bushes and trees. 

 

Can you find any galls in your neighborhood?

 

Explore Outdoors ~ Forsythia Galls

 Winter is a great time to take a closer look at shrubs and trees. You might find interesting fungi or lichens or... 

... knobby galls on your forsythia twigs. What makes these galls form? It's a mystery, says Amanda Bratcher at North Carolina State University. As cool-looking as they are, they harm the health of the forsythia. So I'll be pruning those twigs shortly!  

What interesting things do you find when you look closely at the twigs and stems of trees and bushes in your neighborhood?

Explore Outdoors ~ Squirrel Snacks

 

I've read that rosehips make great winter snacks for rabbits and squirrels. Bears, too, though I don't expect we'll see any down at the County Courthouse gardens!

Rosehips are full of vitamin C, and they may be a great source of food when other stuff is scarce. But getting to them ... that's a prickly proposition.

If there are any rosehips in your neighborhood, do you ever see squirrels or birds eating them?

Exploring the Earth and Beyond

I have SO many books to share that I need to start talking about more than one at a time!

themes: nonfiction, scientists, ecology

Rock Star: How Ursula Marvin Mapped Moon Rocks and Meteorites 

by Sandra Neil Wallace; illus. by Nancy Carpenter 

48 pages; ages 5-9

‎Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books. 2025

Ursula grew up in a small Vermont village with big mountains to explore. They wrapped around her house like a crescent moon.

During the winter, Ursula loved skiing by moonlight. In the summer, she helped collect potato beetles with her father, the state’s entomologist. But Ursula wanted to be an explorer, not a scientist. Until… she looked at a rock under a microscope.

Despite being discouraged by professors, Ursula went on to study geology. She got so good at recognizing minerals, that she became one of the first geologists to study the rocks the Apollo astronauts brought back from the moon. She studied bits of meteorites, too – an interest that led her to Antarctica.

What I like about this book: It’s a polar adventure and a story of discovery of a bit of the moon that landed on earth. Lots of kids dream of being an explorer – so reading about a real expedition to Antarctica to look for meteorites might be the perfect story. Back matter includes more about Ursula, facts about Antarctica, and a timeline of Ursula’s life and discoveries. I especially like that the author, Sandra, talks about the research she did to bring this story to the page.

The Big Empty: A Sagebrush Survival Story 

by Kirbi Fagan 

32 pages; ages 5-10

‎Millbrook Press, 2025

People passing by call this land the big empty. But I call it home. 

In spare and poetic text, accompanied by lush paintings, Kirbi Fagan reveals the secrets of the shrubby desert.

What I like about this book: I grew up in the land of sagebrush and never thought about the desert from the sagebrush’s point of view. But that’s exactly what this book does. Back matter explains more about the sagebrush (there’s more than one kind!) and highlights a handful of animals inhabiting the western shrublands. This book might make you want to pack a tent and a few gallons of water and head out to sleep with the sage. Where, if you are lucky, you may see meteorites streak across the sky at night.

Beyond the Books:

Meet two scientists who work with moon rocks at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcvqhhCYzAo

Explore like a scientist. If you like rocks, use a magnifying lens to look closely at a rock in your environment. If you like plants, take a close look at a shrub or (if you’re lucky and have one) sagebrush. Draw pictures of what you see and make a list of words that describe what you’re looking at..

Tell a story about a place from the point of view of something found in that environment: a rock or mountain, a plant or animal… or even something falling from the sky and landing there.

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 and Blue Slip media (Rock Star)

Explore Outdoors ~ after rain

 I walk in all kinds of weather, but taking pictures in the rain is tough. So I like to wait until the rain stops, and then capture those elusive raindrops. These photos were taken last month in Boston. 

Go on a Raindrop Walk in your neighborhood!

 

Bam! Ka-boom! Bu-u-urp! The Carbon Cycle

 

From BAM! to BURP!: A Carbon Atom's Never-Ending Journey Through Space and Time and YOU 

by Melissa Stewart; illus. by Marta Alvarez Miguens 

40 pages; ages 5-8

‎Charlesbridge, 2025

themes: atoms, carbon cycle, science

You’ve probably heard of atoms. They’re the tiny particles that make up almost everything we know in the Universe (including you).

Here’s the thing about atoms: they never disappear. They just keep moving from one thing to another, from one creature to another … from leaves to dinosaurs to fish to … us!

Melissa Stewart takes readers on a journey through the carbon cycle, beginning with a big crash (that’s the BAM of the title) – when a small rocky planet crashed into Earth. Bits of that planet melted, and the atoms (including carbon) rearranged into new molecules – like carbon dioxide spewed out of the cone of a volcano during eruption. In her book, Melissa shows that molecule eventually getting sucked up by a leaf. Once the carbon dioxide is broken down, that carbon atom is used to make glucose – hooray for photosynthesis! And carbon is happy – whoops! I spoke too soon because a long-necked dinosaur just came by and ate that leaf!

What I like about this book: I like how Melissa makes the journey of a carbon atom seem like such an adventure. And how she asks readers to think about where a carbon atom they exhale or burp might go next. I like the “Wonder Wall” she has at the end of the book – a wall full of post it notes with questions (and, thankfully, answers). Additional back matter explains more about the carbon cycle, fossil fuels, and climate change.

After reading this book, I had One Question for Melissa:

Me: In your author note you mention that a kid's question inspired you to trace the path of a carbon atom from us all the way back to dinosaurs and beyond. And this isn't the only time a kid's question has inspired a book (I think aardvark started that way?) - can you talk about the value of listening to the questions kids ask and how they've inspired your own curiosity?

Melissa: I like your question a lot! Yes, my book Can an Aardvark Bark? was inspired by a question from my nephew, Colin. Key aspects of Thank You, Moon and Summertime Sleepers also trace back to experiences with my niece, Caroline, and my nephew, Emile, respectively. Since children are my audience, I always pay close attention to their opinions and ideas. What excites them? What makes them curious? What leaves a lasting impression? I want to understand how they see the world and their place in it, so that my books will truly resonate with them.

Beyond the Books:

Make a list of things you find in your house and around your yard that have carbon in them. (hint: living things have carbon, some rocks have carbon)

Experiment with Fizzy Drink science! You need some fizzy drinks (diet cola works) and some mints (mentos work) and a place where it’s okay for messy science to happen. Here’s a video about carbonation science.

Got rocks? Some rocks, like limestone, have carbon atoms in their make-up. You can test whether rocks have carbon in them by dropping some hydrochloric acid – or even strong vinegar – on them. If they have carbon, they will fizz or foam. Those hard water deposits on your tea kettle are probably calcium carbonate. Go ahead – toss vinegar on them to test. Another good source to test for carbon: baking soda!

Melissa is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her at her website melissa-stewart.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM at www.steamteambooks.com

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.

Going nuts for books about acorns and their trees

Themes: trees, growth, nature … and, of course, acorns!

Back in 2020, author Barbara Ciletti and illustrator Cathy Morrison teamed up on The Tiny Giant, a story about how tiny acorns grow into mighty oaks. Now they’ve got a board book coming out in a couple weeks – with text beautifully revised to perfectly suit this new format. 

The Tiniest Giant (board book)

by Barbara Ciletti; illus. by Cathy Morrison 

20 pages; ages baby-3 years

‎Schiffer Kids, 2025 

Greatness begins in the tiniest places.

It always amazes me that seeds contain within them entire plants. I mean … pumpkins! And trees! This summer I watched acorns form on the oak shading our driveway and they start of so small – just a bunch of buttons hanging onto a twig. And I ask the same thing Barbara does in her book, “Is there a tree inside?”

What I like about this book: I like how the simple, yet not simplistic, text works with the illustrations to show the seasons of an oak tree’s life. The acorns ripen, and then “Seeds drop.” Simple language, right? But using the word “seed” for acorn helps build the expectation of future growth. Illustrations show the acorn sinking beneath the snow and, in the spring, germinating into a sturdy seedling. 

Oh, and do you notice anything about this first spread? If you said "book turn," you're right. You have to turn the book so you get this nice verticality of the tall, tall oak tree. Review copy provided by the publisher.

 

Mighty: The Story of an Oak Tree Ecosystem 

by Henry Cole 

48 pages; ages 4-8

‎Peachtree, 2025 

Sometimes things happen by chance. A blue jay drops an acorn, and a tree’s life begins.

With luck, and enough sunlight and rain, that acorn germinates and grows into a seedling. A year later it has become a sapling. Over the years, the tree grows taller and provides nesting spots for birds. The leaves provide food for caterpillars which, in turn, provide food for songbirds. When they die and fall to earth, the leaves provide food for worms and other decomposers. Over time, people move into the area and what was once a forest becomes a town. Still the oak thrives.

What I like about this book: It seems such a simple thing, an acorn growing into an oak. But as the tree grows and ages, Henry Cole’s detailed black-and-white illustrations show the important role it plays in the ecological community around it. I like that Cole provides information visually, for those who want to look more carefully at details. At the back, he shows how to build an ecosystem in four easy steps. Cole writes and draws with the authority of someone who has studied trees and forests. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Looking for some fun fall read-alouds? Here are a couple more acorn-related stories that I found at my library:  

Acorn Was a Little Wild 

by Jen Arena; illustrated by Jessica Gibson 

‎Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022

Imagine an acorn – the first of his generation – leaping from the tree and heading off for a wild adventure. There are ferocious animals! Raging streams! Dark places…. but eventually, like every wild child, acorn puts down roots.

The Nut That Fell from the Tree 

by Sangeeta Bhadra; illustrated by France Cormier 

Kids Can Press, 2020

You can tell from the title that this is a cumulative tale infused with the rhythm and rhyme of the House that Jack Built. It begins with a treehouse where Jill plays … a tiny house tucked into the branches of an oak, from which an acorn drops and – I’m going to let you imagine the possibilities, but seriously, check it out and read it because it’s plain fun.

Beyond the Books:

Make some handprint acorns. Even one-year-olds will get into painting their hands and making a print! Here's how. 

Use mini-cookies and chocolate kisses to make edible acorns (this recipe uses peanut butter cookies – but for those of us with allergies we can find non-peanut alternatives!)

For older people: make a whistle using an acorn cap. I have yet to master this! Here's how.

Plant an acorn (or two or three) in a pot and leave it outside or on an unheated porch all winter. You might get a baby oak sprouting in the spring!

Get to know an oak tree. Collect some leaves and make some leaf prints. Do bark rubbing. Lay down underneath it and look up – what do you notice?

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. Picture books from my local library.

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.

Explore Outdoors ~ WELCOME BACK!

 Welcome back from summer vacay! Just in time to meet a teensy flower that I look for outside my kitchen door every summer. It's so tiny it often goes unnoticed - but not this year.

 

Meet the Blue-eyed Grass! 

 

 

I've got a few of these tiny (less than 1" across) flowers that pop up near my house when there's enough rain. They don't always look like flowers - in fact, their flat stems and blade-like leaves give them a bunchy "grass-like" appearance. Which is probably how they got their name, "blue-eyed grass" - though to tell the truth, I think they have more of a yellow eye.

 

These flowers aren't grass at all, but are related to irises. And when you see the seed pod it makes sense, as they look a bit like rounded iris pods. Blue-eyed grass is a native plant, and can grow as tall as 18 inches - though mine rarely grow taller than half-a-foot.

 

This week, keep your eyes peeled for tiny blue flowers and tiny seed pods. If you can, collect some seeds and try to grow them to plant at the edge of your yard or garden.

 

What color of eyes does the grass in your yard have? 

 

The Big, the Bad, and the Ugly

Fantastic Flora: The World’s Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants

by Ann McCallum Staats; illus. by Zoë Ingram 

144 pages; ages 8-12

‎ MIT Kids Press, 2025  

When plants face a problem, they can’t get up and move. Rooted to the ground, they have to find nutrition, fend off predators, and survive whatever conditions the environment throws at them. They thrive, writes Ann McCallum Staats, by “using brilliant – and bizarre – adaptations.” Some have thorns, others entice insects through the use of chemical signals.

With that in mind, Ann divides her book into four sections, focusing on The Big, The Bad, The Smelly, and The Exceptionally Strange. You probably know at least one really big plant: the giant sequoia. And you may have seen photos of cars driving through one, or many people holding hands to circle a tree. You may have even heard of the biggest of them all, General Sherman which stretches 275 feet into the sky. But did you know that a sequoia’s roots can stretch more than 150 feet from the base? 

Trees aren’t the only huge plants. There’s a water lily whose leaf is so big that you could use it for a raft!

What makes a plant “bad?” How about those that kill off animals nibbling their berries, roots, and leaves? Or those that, by simply touching their sap, could blind you. Certainly there are plenty more bad actors, and I’m sure we can each think of our “most despicable plant” (my vote goes to cholla cactus).

Then there are the smelly ones… the ginkgo which looks lovely but stinks up a storm! And skunk cabbage, one of the earliest plants to emerge in our snow-covered northeast, but carries a certain perfume. Of all the stinkers, the corpse plant whose name may be the most honest. It really does smell like a rotting carcass, and all for the sake of attracting flies to carry its pollen to another flower.

The plant kingdom is so diverse that you’re bound to find a few oddballs, and Ann shares three. One is a plant that’s turned the tables in a bug-bite-leaf world and dines on insects. Another disguises itself as a stone, and a third is a dainty orchid with flowers that look like flying ducks. Orchids are notorious tricksters, and have co-evolved some intricate partnerships with pollinators.

This is a fun book to read, and I wanted to know more. Ann graciously answered a couple of questions.

Me: How did you come across this idea for presenting a book about plants: the biggest, baddest, smelliest? 

 

Ann: I was staring out my office window one day and noticing the pattern of browns and golds (it was winter so no leaves). I decided to write about plants as a kind of challenge to myself. As a former teacher, I was often given a curriculum that could be boring--it was my job to make it engaging for kids and I enjoyed that task. I had low expectations for plants, but once I started a little research, I was astonished by some of the incredible adaptations plants use to survive. Seriously, some of the plants I showcase have seeds that explode, anti-fish armor, and berries so toxic that eating just a few is fatal. I was hooked. As for the structure of the book--the big, the bad, the smelly, and the exceptionally strange, that took some thought. I knew that the organization scheme was key. It couldn't be chronological or based on who, what, where. When I was brainstorming and finding fun facts, it came to me that this structure would work well for the topic. I wanted to highlight how amazing plants really are, once you ‘dig’ in.

Me: I love the "Be-Leaf it or not" features. How did those develop? Because I notice there are plenty of longer sidebars.

Ann: These recurring features focus on some cool fact that I wanted to include but that didn’t quite fit into the text of the chapter. I guess I'd call them breakout boxes. They provide an extension of the chapter and fun additional factoids. They are a little different from the sidebars which are more scientific in nature or offer a more in-depth explanation of something. The “Be-LEAF it or Not” pullouts ask a question and then share a little, fun tidbit that goes beyond the chapter. I really like the way they designed the book with these breakout boxes highlighted. 

Ann is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website, annmccallumbooks.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 publishers.

Explore Outdoors ~ Spring Comes In

 Spring officially started last week, but depending on where you live, signs of spring may have been sprouting up since February. Maybe it's the sound of running water (the creek at the bottom of the road is burbling along - noisy compared to a couple weeks ago!) or the abundance of bird calls. Maybe bits of green are poking up through the snow...

This week look for signs of spring!

Explore Outdoors ~ 5-minute field trip

 A few years ago lightning hit an oak tree behind my garden. Neighbors helped fell the tree and cut up most of it for firewood... but there remained a trunk too thick for any of our chainsaws. So we left it for part of my outdoor curiosity lab. Last month I wandered over to see what was going on. Turns out a lot is happening. Fungi, moss, and lichens have made their appearance over the years, and now small tree seedlings are gaining a foothold. Insects galore hang out on, in, and under the log. Here are a few photos from my Five Minute Field Trip.

 

Take a 5-Minute Field Trip in your neighborhood~

what do you discover?

More books for Nature Exploration

Last week I featured a couple books for curious young naturalists. This week I've got two more.

theme: plants, animals, observation

Nature Spy Guide 

Words & photos by Shelley Rotner 

32 pages; ages 4-8

 Millbrook Press, 2024

Anyone can be a nature SPY. Here’s how. First you have to GO OUTSIDE.

Because, being a nature spy means you’ve got to see, smell, touch, and hear things close-up and in-person. In this book, Shelley Rotner asks readers to look up, look down, look all around. To breathe in the air and smell the flowers. Look closer, she says. Use your ears.

What I like about this book: Shelley uses simple text and photos of kids in nature to introduce basic observation skills. She reminds nature spies to use all their senses, to observe things both near and far, and most of all, to not give up – because some animals like to hide. I like the back matter, too. She includes a simple plant and animal identification list for things most kids in North America might see. And – even more important for parents looking for ways to incorporate nature spying into daily life – she provides a dozen activities. My fave is “deer ears” with cloud-watching coming in a fast second.

Backyard Bugs (Shine-A-Light) 

by Carron Brown; illustrated by Wesley Robins 

36 pages; ages 4-8

Kane/Miller Book Publishers, 2023    

Did you know you can find amazing animals close to home? Just step outside…

Yay! another book that invites children to head outdoors to discover nature around them. In this case, bugs. From lady bugs to painted ladies, dragonflies to fireflies, this book celebrates arthropods – and a couple of their non-arthropod neighbors.

Beyond the Books: Go outside this week and be a Nature SPY! 

• Look. Listen. Touch. Smell. 
• Draw pictures of what you see. 
• Write notes in your Official Nature Spy Notebook. (If you don’t have an ONSN, they you can make one by folding paper and stapling or sewing it into a notebook.)
• Watch clouds. 
• Watch squirrel antics. 
• Follow ant and snail trails. 
• Smell the roses. 
• Feel the shade on your face. 
• Listen to what the birds and bugs are saying. 
• Use your imagination. 
• And have fun spying on the critters living around you.

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 copies provided by the publishers.

Explore Outdoors ~ Fall in the Garden

 The cool thing about gardens is that they have different personalities throughout the seasons. Purples and pinks predominate in spring, yellows in the summer, joined by purples in August, and by late fall it's mostly faded petals, silky white milkweed parachutes, and ... brilliant red blueberry leaves!

 Notice the colors - and textures - in gardens around you this week.

Winter is Coming...

On a Flake-Flying Day: Watching Winter's Wonders
by Buffy Silverman
32 pages; ages 4-9
Millbrook Press, 2023

theme: winter, nature, animals

On a feather-fluffing, seed-stuffing, cloud-puffing day…

… leaves rustle and frost glistens. Winter is coming and the animals and plants are getting ready for it. Some change color, some snuggle together, and some take loooong naps.

What I like about this book: The language is spare and lyrical, sometimes rhyming and always evocative of the season. If the words aren’t enough to get you up off the couch and into your jacket and boots (don’t forget a hat!) then the photos will! They are so bold and enticing. And there is back matter with more information about each plant and animal featured in the pages. There’s a few books suggested for further reading, and a glossary so folks reading the book aloud can answer such questions as, “what does molt mean?”

I love Buffy’s books about seasons SO much that I just had to ask her One Question

Me: What do you like best about winter?

Buffy:  My favorite experience in winter is waking up to fresh snow and trekking down to our lake. On a cold, cold morning, the snow squeaks beneath my boots and the air tingles in my nose. At first glance, the snow is an unbroken blanket of white. But soon I start to notice tracks--the heart-shaped hoof prints of a deer, the tail-dragging trail of a deer mouse, a straight line of fox prints across the snow-covered ice, and occasionally the bounding track of a weasel. Although I love the winter stillness, I'm excited to see that some wildlife is out and about. And that's the connection to ON A FLAKE-FLYING DAY--winter is a great time to explore and see what's happening in the natural world!

Beyond the Books:

Before winter comes, what do you notice about the natural world right now? Go outside with a notebook and write down things you notice about trees and plants and birds and animals.

The first day of winter in the northern hemisphere is usually December 21st, though the wintry season often starts long before that. How will you know when winter gets to you?

Be a Winter Explorer. Go outside and give yourself time to notice what you see, hear, smell, feel. Does winter have a taste? 

Check out Buffy's other seasonal books here (fall) and here (spring)

Buffy is a member of #STEAMTeam2023. 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. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Waiting for Pie

Way back in May I transplanted my pumpkin seedlings. In the intervening weeks, those tiny seedlings have been growing. 

I keep looking for pumpkins, but it takes an entire summer to grow a pie! Here’s where they are right now. Most of the yellow flowers are male flowers – they are the ones that produce pollen. But there are a few female flowers here and there. 

As the pumpkins grow, so do the leaves – shading them from the sun. New England Pie pumpkins take about 100 days to grow from a seed. That’s more than three months, so with luck I might see ripe pumpkins about the time The Pie that Molly Grew hits bookstore shelves. 

Here's the cool thing about pumpkins: you can eat the entire plant. Yep, those  shoots, tendrils, leaves, flowers – even immature fruits – are edible. And tasty, too. Last summer I learned that young leaves and shoots can be stir-fried. Just remember to peel the outer prickly skin off first. And some folks use leaves to make soup. I’ve had squash-blossom fritters before, but you can also toss the flowers into salads or quesadillas (remove the stamen and any sepals or stem).

The Pie that Molly Grew releases August 15th with a blog tour! So you may find me chatting with other bloggers about pumpkins, gardening, pollinators … and pie. You can pre-order autographed copies from Riverow Bookstore, located in historic downtown Owego, NY.

See you next month with some funny stories from the pumpkin patch.