An expertly crafted science education curriculum developed by an educator for educators.
A handbook taking a lightly scientific approach to observing nature geared toward inquisitive junior scientists from Salmanowitz.
Part of the Little Monsters Universe (a science homeschool curriculum developed by the author, who’s a science teacher), this handbook is a compilation of activity pages and lesson prompts for a general nature education. The book is divided into four parts: nature journaling fundamentals, field sketching, recording scientific information, and a final section called “Putting It All Together.” Part 1 is all introductory activities that are built around using the five senses to learn about the nature in one’s immediate area. Part 2 gives easy-to-read instructions and specifically mentions that when recording nature pictorially, the goal is not to exactly replicate what’s in front of the sketcher. The rest of the journal focuses on recording quality scientific information, and STEM topics are also covered, including how to measure, count, and estimate, as well as other documentation skills. These topics are expertly reinforced by helpful weather charts to fill out before each activity, helping to normalize longitudinal data gathering. The last part encourages the young scientist to connect everything they’ve recorded and reflect on all of their work, likening the end result to a storybook about the natural world. Salmanowitz includes thoughtful reflection questions rooted in social-emotional learning such as describing how the young scientist feels when observing nature itself or their own scientific illustrations. Included also are clear, concise lessons to give kids: for example, explaining how important drawing to scale is, as well as the importance of spatial awareness, depth, and value. Other well-conceived activities include bark and leaf rubbings, guided writing prompts, and even a lichen hunt. At the end of the handbook is the Green Promise Pledge for Nature, which gives a list of tips to empower the reader to live more sustainably.
An expertly crafted science education curriculum developed by an educator for educators.Pub Date: March 20, 2025
ISBN: 9798302410283
Page Count: 140
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A book about engineering notable mostly for its illustrations of diverse characters. (Board book. 1-3)
Babies and engineers have more in common than you think.
In this book, Alexander highlights the unlikely similarities between babies and engineers. Like engineers, babies ask questions, enjoy building, and learn from their mistakes. Black’s bold, colorful illustrations feature diverse babies and both male- and female-presenting adult characters with a variety of skin tones and hair colors, effectively demonstrating that engineers can be any race or either gender. (Nonbinary models are a little harder to see.) The story ends with a reassurance to the babies in the book that “We believe in you!” presumably implying that any child can be an engineer. The end pages include facts about different kinds of engineers and the basic process used by all engineers in their work. Although the book opens with a rhythmic rhyming couplet, the remaining text lacks the same structure and pattern, making it less entertaining to read. Furthermore, while some of the comparisons between babies and engineers are both clever and apt, others—such as the idea that babies know where to look for answers—are flimsier. The book ends with a text-heavy spread of facts about engineering that, bereft of illustrations, may not hold children’s attention as well as the previous pages. Despite these flaws, on its best pages, the book is visually stimulating, witty, and thoughtful.
A book about engineering notable mostly for its illustrations of diverse characters. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-31223-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
Erupt into applause for this picture book of the first magma-tude.
A deceptively simple, visually appealing, comprehensive explanation of volcanoes.
Gibbons packs an impressive number of facts into this browsable nonfiction picture book. The text begins with the awe of a volcanic eruption: “The ground begins to rumble…ash, hot lava and rock, and gases shoot up into the air.” Diagrams of the Earth’s structural layers—inner and outer core, mantle, and crust—undergird a discussion about why volcanoes occur. Simple maps of the Earth’s seven major tectonic plates show where volcanoes are likeliest to develop. Other spreads with bright, clearly labeled illustrations cover intriguing subtopics: four types of volcanoes and how they erupt; underwater volcanoes; well-known volcanoes and historic volcanic eruptions around the world; how to be safe in the vicinity of a volcano; and the work of scientists studying volcanoes and helping to predict eruptions. A page of eight facts about volcanoes wraps things up. The straightforward, concise prose will be easy for young readers to follow. As always, Gibbons manages to present a great deal of information in a compact form.
Erupt into applause for this picture book of the first magma-tude. (Nonfiction picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4569-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
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