Nonfiction 10 for 10 2017: Dive Down Deep

Posted on February 9, 2017 by carriegelson

This year for nonfiction 10 for 10, I invite you to dive into the ocean and explore the wonders of ocean life and ocean exploration.

Thank you to Cathy Mere from Reflect and Refine, Mandy Robek of Enjoy and Embrace Learning and Julie Balen of Write at the Edge for hosting this meme. Click here to read all of the top ten lists shared.

This is my fifth year participating in this meme.

In the first year of #nf10for10 I shared favourite nonfiction titles – many that I have used with my class over the last few years in a variety of ways.

In the second year, I chose to focus on nonfiction picture book biographies that feature inspiring women.

In my third year, I shared nonfiction titles that allow us to think about something from a completely new or different perspective.

Last year I featured titles that allowed readers to travel the world.

Dive Down Deep! Head into the water!

Down Down Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the sea by Steve Jenkins

How can we not be intrigued at the idea that we may only have encountered half of the large animals living in the sea?

Coral Reefs by Jason Chin

In this title, being lost in a book means getting lost in a completely different world – in this case the magical world of coral reefs.

Some amazing creatures:

Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands by Katherine Roy

A mixture of gorgeously painted illustrations, detailed relevant diagrams and the story of how the great whites hunt in the Farallon Islands so successfully. This book illustrates how sharks are perfectly adept hunters, at the top of the food chain.

Giant Squid written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Eric Rohmann

Such a book. I love the images, the rhythm of the text and the mystery of the still not known that is conveyed.

The Blue Whale by Jenni Desmond

An incredible read aloud for children who love to be amazed by nature. I loved the illustration of the blue whale’s mouth with 50 people standing in its lower jaw!

Trapped! A Whale’s Rescue written by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Wendell Minor

A beautiful, lyrical story with stunning paintings by Wendell Minor. Follow this real life rescue of a humpback whale.

See What a Seal Can Do written by Chris Butterworth and illustrated by Kate Nelms

The reader is invited into the world of seals. Learn all about gray seals – how they move, how they hunt and how their body is perfectly suited to their ocean home.

Celebrating the study of the ocean and ocean life:

Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark by Heather Lang and illustrated by Jodi Solano

“Sharks are magnificent and misunderstood!” This was Clark’s message to the world. Sharks need our respect and our protection.

Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor written by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Raúl Colón

I love when nonfiction is the perfect blend of incredible story and breathtaking pictures – increases the wonder factor exponentially!

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A Nivola

The depiction of Earle’s curious childhood in the water, descriptions of moments in her life that truly shaped and changed her, beautiful and enticing illustrations and this very important message: “You can’t care if you don’t know.”

What are your favourite books about the ocean?

Swoon Worthy Nonfiction Picture Books

Posted on July 23, 2014 by carriegelson

I am a huge fan of nonfiction picture books in our Elementary classrooms. They are the jumping off point into deep, deep learning. But it is not just the learning that infuses these pages, it is also the beauty of the images that helps lure readers in.

Reasons for nonfiction read alouds? There are many: opportunity for rich discussion, shared learning experiences, new information conveyed, etc. But there is also the visual treat that so many titles provide. The inspiration to wonder, to marvel and to be in awe of our world.

For some students, just the lure of new knowledge is the gateway to reading fantastic nonfiction titles, others need a little nudge. Something beautiful . . .

I have a few students who resist picking up nonfiction titles without some persuasion. I try to entice them with the amazing facts that they might learn. Thinking of a few students in particular, I realize I have been approaching it all wrong. With these children, I should be starting with the images and let them work their magic. Many of our visual learners begin with the illustrations. They become lost in the pictures and then begin reading to answer the questions that start to form.

Do I have enough nonfiction picture books in my collection (or on my wish lists) for these readers?

I started a list. And then I thought I should share . . . .

Each of these titles has made me stop and stare. Here are 25 of the most gorgeous nonfiction titles out there – absolutely swoon worthy, in my opinion 🙂

Learn more about the Natural World:

An Egg is Quiet written by Dianna Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long

Over and Under the Snow written by the Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. (Note: This title is actually fiction but offers a beautiful invitation to begin learning more about the world under the snow)

Feathers Not Just for Flying written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen

Bird, Butterfly, Eel with story and paintings by James Prosek

The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit’s Amazing Migration written by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Mia Posada

Nest by Jorey Hurley

Weeds Find a Way written by Cindy Jenson-Elliott and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher

Books about Creatures: Small to Gigantic, and all sizes in between:

Eye to Eye: How Animals See The World by Steve Jenkins

Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Cindy Trumbore and Susan L. Roth

Mama Built a Little Nest written by Jennifer Ward and illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Big Blue Whale written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Nick Maland

Jumping Penguins illustrated by Marije Tolman with text by Jesse Goossens

See What a Seal Can Do written by Chris Butterworth and illustrated by Kate Nelms

Information/Concept titles:

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animals’ Lives written by Lola Schaefer and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

Swirl by Swirl (Spirals in Nature) written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beth Krommes

Gravity by Jason Chin

Locomotive by Brian Floca

Biographies/Memoir:

The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins and illustrated by Jill McElmurry

Orani My Father’s Village by Claire A. Nivola

Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill

Dare the Wind written by Tracey Fern and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully

Grandfather Gandhi written by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus and illustrated by Evan Turk

The Boy who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos written by Deborah Heiligman and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet

Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson

(I featured a few of these titles in this post last year: Wonder Inducing Nonfiction Read Alouds Some are clearly my favourites!)

What beautiful nonfiction picture books make you swoon? Please share them in the comments.

Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2014! Follow the link to Alyson’s blog to read about more nonfiction titles.

Ocean wonders: twenty nonfiction picture books about sea life

Posted on March 19, 2014 by carriegelson

My class and I have fallen into a theme of ocean and sea life without really knowing we were heading in that direction. And just like dipping your toe into the deep blue sea and being lured into the depths, we have found that everywhere we turn, there are more books on this theme for us to discover. Here are twenty nonfiction picture book titles – some we have read, some that are in the pile to share and some we might not get to this time around. I hope that some will be ones you want to share with the children in your lives.

Books with a theme of Exploration:

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins

How can we not be intrigued at the idea that we may only have encountered half of the large animals living in the sea?

Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau written by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Éric Puybaret

Cousteau was fascinated by a world that he couldn’t spend prolonged time in. Without being able to breather underwater, how could Cousteau explore its mysteries? Read a more detailed review here.

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jaques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino

Another fantastic picture book biography sharing the life of the inspiring Jacques Cousteau.

Sophie Scott Goes South by Alison Lester

This title is based on the author’s real experience of travelling to Antarctica. Full of all kinds of facts about icebergs, icebreakers, life in a research station. Read a more detailed review here.

Books with an Environment theme:

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A Nivola

Winston of Churchill by Jean Davies Okimoto

This book tells us about Winston, the bear from Churchill, Manitoba who decides to mobolize a group of polar bears to teach the tourists who come to see the polar bears about the effects of global warming on the melting ice in the Arctic.

Ice Bear (In the Steps of the Polar Bear) written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Gary Blythe

Nicola Davies tells us how polar bears survive in the Northern landscape weaving facts on each page into the beautiful story she tells in lovely poetic text.

Read about how I used this title in my room to practice deep thinking questions here.

Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm

Narrated by the sun. Learn about ocean’s life cycles and the importance of phytoplankton.

Books about Specific Sea Creatures (one or many):

Here Come the Humpbacks written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Jamie Hogan

Through a story of a mother whale and her calf’s migratory journey, we are able to learn many things about humpback whales.

See What a Seal Can Do written by Chris Butterworth and illustrated by Kate Nelms

The reader is then invited into the world of seals. Learn all about gray seals – how they move, how they hunt and how their body is perfectly suited to their ocean home.

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Animal Stories

Posted on January 22, 2014 by carriegelson

It’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday!

I love nonfiction titles that read like a story ( I refer to them as information storybooks) and am always on the lookout for titles to read aloud to my students. Some of these titles read just like fiction, others are lyrical or full of rich, descriptive language. Facts and information are woven through the text.

This week, three titles stood out for me as engaging animal stories where the language and story are as rich and powerful as the learning.

See What a Seal Can Do written by Chris Butterworth and illustrated by Kate Nelms (published in 2013)

This story begins:

If you’re down by the sea one day, you might spot a seal, lying around like a fat sunbather or flumping along the sand.

The reader is then invited into the world of seals. Learn all about gray seals – how they move (their movement on land is described as a flump – a cross between a flop and a jump), how they hunt and how their body is perfectly suited to their ocean home.

Fascinating facts for me:

gray seals molt or shed their fur every year which helps to keep their coat waterproof
when a seal dives deep, he can slow his heartbeat down to only four beats a minute in order to use less oxygen
when a seal opens his mouth, his jaw closes so he won’t swallow water

Visually this book is an absolute treat: seriously gorgeous illustrations throughout and beautiful black and white drawings of different seals in the end pages of this book.

Eat Like a Bear written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Steve Jenkins (published in 2013)

This title invites the reader to eat like a bear over the course of the four seasons. How does bear find food in early spring? How does she prepare for winter? How does a mother bear nourish her babies during her winter slumber?

This title is full of poetic language, beautiful to read and reread aloud. It is descriptive and full of alliteration:

Bushes? Bare. No berries there.

Dig in. Dig down. Paw and claw and pull. Find . . .

A spruce, a shrub, an early-skunk.

The book ends with a two page spread full of additional information about bears with titles like Do Bears Really Hibernate? Bear Food, Not People Food and Grizzly Bear Future

Little Lost Bat written by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Alan Marks (published in 2006)

This is an emotional read for young listeners/readers. Through the story of a little Mexican free-tailed bat living with its mother in a colony in Texas, we learn much about bats’ hunting habits, their predators and how they raise their young. It is a tender and important relationship described between mother bat and baby as they nurse, snuggle and cry out to communicate with each other in a nursery full of babies. While mothers are out hunting, babies are vulnerable to predators like snakes. Although – they are safer in a large group huddled together. Mother bats must hunt every night for insects to feed themselves and produce milk for their babies. Some bats are eaten by owls. What if a mother bat has lost her baby to a snake? Will she “adopt” an orphaned baby whose mother doesn’t return from hunting? Eventually we come to this question in Little Lost Bat.

I can imagine this would have many children on the edge of their seats and needing to talk about the dramatic balance between safety and survival in nature.

Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2014! Follow the link to Alyson’s blog to read about more nonfiction titles.

My goal is to read 65 nonfiction picture books for 2014. Progress: 19/65 complete!