Because of an Acorn

Because of an Acorn
by Lola Schaefer and Adam Schaefer; illus. by Frann Preston-Gannon
36 pages; ages 3-6
Chronicle Books, 2016

I love the simplicity of this book:
Because of an acorn, a tree.
Because of a tree, a bird.

I love the ecological layers in this book: food, shelter, seed, transport. Everything - everything - is connected.

I love the illustrations. Simple, soft, just enough detail. And cumulative. Plus there are some interesting die-cuts where the shape created the image on one page, but the coloring is from something different on the next.

See what I mean? Seedling and grass roots and soil particles... how cool is that!

I love the back matter. That's where you can learn more about the white oak tree - a "foundation species", and what an ecosystem is, and what role saplings play in the food chain. That's where you get the nitty-gritty details about forest inhabitants and why we need forests.

And that's where you'll find four things you can do to help forests.

By this time in November, most of our acorns are gone - eaten by turkeys or buried by squirrels. But I know that I'll find tiny oak sprouts in the spring... in my gardens and in the middle of the yard. And there's always plenty of acorn caps to use for art projects.

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy provided by publisher.

Wild Outdoor Wednesday

Look for large things in nature. Record their colors and shapes and sizes.

Remember to take your sketchbook or journal with unlined pages, something to draw and write with, and something to add color ~ watercolors, colored pencils, crayons, or markers.

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.