Non-fiction Picture Book Wednesday - Bird Talk

Author/Illustrator: Lita Judge
Publisher: Flash Point/Macmillan (March 13, 2012)
Source: Personal Copy
Read Aloud: Grades 1st to 4th
Independent Reading: Grades 2nd to 5th
Nonfiction * Communication * Birds

Description from GoodReads:
A gorgeously illustrated tribute to birds of all kinds and the fantastic, funny, fascinating things that they do.

Birds have lots of ways of communicating: They sing and talk, dance and drum, cuddle and fight. But what does all of the bird talk mean?
Filled with gorgeous illustrations, this fascinating picture book takes a look at the secret life of birds in a child-friendly format that is sure to appeal to readers of all ages - whether they're die-hard bird-watchers or just curious about the creatures in their own backyards.

My thoughts on this book:
Since I have been keeping an eye out for nonfiction picture books, I have been looking for this book for several months.  I was so excited when it finally showed up in my local bookstore this past week.  From the title and the cover, I was curious to discover what the book would entail.  Would it be funny? Easy to read? Dry and boring? I am happy to report that the illustrations are gorgeous watercolors.  You must check out the link below where Lita Judge has posted examples of the pages.
  

This is one of my favorites in the book (apologies for the bad photography).  Don't you just love that illustration of the Blue Bird hanging upside down and showing off? 

The pairing of various colored birds on a page or the featuring of one bird on a stark white background catches the eye and draws the reader in.  Isn't this picture of a Palm Cockatoo gorgeous? 

As for the text, I enjoyed how Judge set up each section before going into further explanation.  The book looks at various forms of communication that birds use.  For example, "Parents and chicks learn the sound of each others voices." is then followed by several examples of how this occurs with various birds.  

What I also enjoyed about Bird Talk is that it didn't fall into the heavily technical end of nonfiction.  It reads well, provides just the right amount of information about bird communication to help younger readers develop a basic understanding which will hopefully propel them into further reading on the topic.  I liked the pages at the end where the list of birds is provided.  However, I would have loved to see a suggestion for further reading for children included at the end.  

Judge's Bird Talk would make a beautiful addition to a school's or classroom's library.  Look for this book at your local school or public library, or consider purchasing it at your local independent bookstore.

Click here to read a blog post where Lita Judge discusses Bird Talk.  Check out the examples of the artwork, click here. 

For more information about Lita Judge: website | blog | YouTube | twitter  

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction picture book reviews below: 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - One Night in the Everglades

Author: Laurel Larsen, PH.D.
Illustrator: Joyce Mihran Turley
Publisher:  Taylor Trade Publishing (May 16, 2012)
Source: Copy for Review
Read Aloud: 3rd to 5th
Independent Reading: 4th & 5th
Nonfiction *Environmental Science * Nature

Description from GoodReads:
Follow two scientists as they spend a night in the Everglades collecting water samples, photographing wildlife, and sloshing through marshes in an attempt to understand this mysterious ecosystem. Part of a long-term effort to return the Everglades to a natural state after a century of development, the scientists try to figure out what the river of grass was like prior to human settlement. Along the way, they deal with razor-sharp sawgrass and alligators and turtles and are even surprised by the sudden presence of what is known in the Everglades as a frog gigger one who hunts and collects frogs for food Published in cooperation with the Long Term Ecological Research Network, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.

My thoughts on this book:
One Night in the Everglades is a story about two scientists - one being the author - who spend the night conducting research and experiments in the Florida Everglades.  It is evident that Larsen cares deeply about the Everglades.  It is also evident from her writing that she is quite knowledgeable about this topic.  

The book is written almost as two books in one.  One part is a story of the two scientists, their work along with the history of the Everglades.  The second part consists of key vocabulary accompanied by definitions and also interesting facts.  I would almost recommend reading this book at least twice.  The first read could be the story about the scientists followed by a reading of all of the definitions and scientific facts.  

Turley's paintings accompany each page of text and could certainly be considered an important part of visual literacy and a story element of its own within this book.  Children could spend time just flipping through the illustrations for a third or fourth read through.  

Though this is a picture book, the text and amount of technical information included in the book really makes this a book for older children.  I sometimes wonder if books like this shouldn't be formatted differently.  I could see even Middle School students benefiting from the information but not willing to pick it up because it was a "picture book" (or teachers not encouraging it for older children because it is a picture book).

Look for One Night in the Everglades in your local library or consider purchasing it for your school library.  
  

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction picture book reviews below:

Nonfiction Picture Book Releases - August 2012

The Nonfiction Detectives and I are hosting a Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge.  My goal has been to kick off the month with the new nonfiction picture book release titles.  Here are the August titles that I have found so far, but I know there are more.  Please share with me titles that you have found.

August 7, 2012

Lives of the Athletes: Thrills, Spills (and What Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull; Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt

Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone

August 29, 2012

A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts; Illustrated by Sylvia Long

August 30, 2012

Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt's Treasured Books by Susan L. Roth; Illustrated by Karen Leggett Abouraya

The links for the above books will take you directly to the IndieBound.org book page for purchasing information, unless otherwise noted.  Please note, I do not make anything off these links or profit in anyway from posting the links.   I know that I am still searching for August releases and will likely do an update in September. If you know of a book that should be included in this list, please include the title and author in the comments section and I will update the list. 

Feel free to link your nonfiction picture book reviews to the Mr. Linky below.  

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Timeless Thomas

Author/Illustrator: Gene Barretta
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (July 17, 2012)
Audience: Grades 2nd to 5th
Source: Personal Copy
Nonfiction * Biographical * Inventors

Description from GoodReads:
What do record players, batteries, and movie cameras have in common?
All these devices were created by the man known as The Wizard of Menlo Park: Thomas Edison.

Edison is most famous for inventing the incandescent lightbulb, but at his landmark laboratories in Menlo Park & West Orange, New Jersey, he also developed many other staples of modern technology.  Despite many failures, Edison persevered. And good for that, because it would be very difficult to go through a day without using one of his life-changing inventions. In this enlightening book, Gene Barretta enters the laboratories of one of America’s most important inventors.

My thoughts on this book:
I discovered Gene Barretta's books (Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin; Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci) a few months ago.  I loved his way of making information about famous inventors/thinkers very accessible and fun for young readers.  When I went in search of more information about Gene Barretta and his books, I discovered that a new book would be out soon.  I have been eagerly anticipating Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives and it didn't disappoint.

Barretta's latest book focuses on the life and inventions of Thomas Edison.  After a short introduction to Edison, Barretta begins by comparing "Present Day" activities such as recording sound or the photocopier and compares them to "Edison's Lab" and how some of Edison's inventions or ideas were forerunners to what we often take for granted.  There are over 15 examples of how Edison's inventions were instrumental in the development of the many common day items that are essential to us today.  Each of these items are presented in very readable text accompanied by bright, cartoon-like illustrations that add to the enjoyment of the story.

At the end of the book, Barretta provides the reader with short bios for 20 of Edison's Employees.  Additionally, there are some trivia facts and a bibliography that will hopefully encourage readers to learn more about Thomas Edison. Overall, this is an enjoyable look at Thomas Edison that will hopefully inspire children to not only try to succeed with taking risks but also model Edison's philosophy that failure is just as important to learning as getting it right.

I would encourage teachers and librarians to make a set of Barretta's books available in the classroom or school library.  I have a feeling that a lot of children will enjoy checking them out.  Look for Timeless Thomas at your local school or public library, and when purchasing books, consider supporting your local independent bookstore.

For more information on Gene Barretta: website | blog | facebook | twitter

  Don't forget to link up your nonfiction picture book reviews here:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - July 18, 2012

As part of the Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge 2012 (Twitter: #nfpb2012), my goal is to read and review as many of the new non-fiction picture books that are released this year.  Wednesdays will be my primary day to post the reviews.

Here is a review of an upcoming release:

The Boston Tea Party
Author: Russell Freedman
Illustrator: Peter Malone
Publisher: Holiday House (August 1, 2012)
Audience: Grades 2nd to 5th
Source: Personal Copy
NonFiction * American History * Picture Book


Description from Publisher's Page:
More than any other event the Boston Tea Party of 1773 has come to stand for the determination of American colonists to control their own destinies. From the arrival of the ships full of controversial taxed tea in Boston Harbor through the explosive protest meetings at the Old South Church to the defiant act of dumping 226 chests of fine tea into the harbor on December 16, Freedman captures this exciting story in vivid prose. In lush, intricately detailed watercolor paintings, Peter Malone artfully depicts the colonial era and the charged atmosphere of Boston during these pivotal developments that ushered in the Revolutionary War. Source notes, a bibliography, a time line, an afterward, a note about tea, a historical map, and an index are included in this opulently designed volume.

My thoughts on the book:
Most of us that live in the United States, and especially those growing up in New England, grow up with some knowledge of the Boston Tea Party.   However, I realized just how little I recalled about this event in history as I read through Freedman's picture book The Boston Tea Party. 

Freedman begins with a two page introduction that provides the reader with the basic information needed to understand what will unfold on the following pages.

Freedman's text is straight-forward.  Though you know you are reading a picture book and a story, there is still a strong sense that you are reading history.  As I read through the book, I never felt that Freedman had moved into a fictionalized account of this important event.  Instead, I sensed he was working to provide young readers with the same quality of historical information, as an author might for an adult audience.

Peter Malone's paintings provide a visual story for readers and allows them a sense of what Boston would have looked like during that period of history. 

At the end, Freedman includes some author's notes, a bibliography, and a timeline which are helpful resources for students looking for additional information or for a teacher interested in sharing more facts with his or his students. 

Freedman's The Boston Tea Party would be a solid resource in a classroom or school library.  Look for this book at your local indie bookstore or school and/or public library.  Though the book is slated to be released on August 1, 2012, it is available through some booksellers at this point. 
 

I encourage those of you who have been participating in the NonFiction Picture Book Challenge to add a link to your recent reviews. Thanks for participating.