Book picks similar to
A Passion for Elephants: The Real Life Adventure of Field Scientist Cynthia Moss by Toni Buzzeo
biography
nonfiction
animals
picture-books
Surprising Sharks
Nicola Davies - 2003
But most sharks aren’t at all what people expect. In fact, those who think all sharks are giant, man-eating killers are in for a surprise! The compelling narrative, colorful illustrations, and captivating facts in SURPRISING SHARKS reveal that sharks come in all shapes and sizes - and probably should be more afraid of humans than we are of them.
Galápagos Girl/Galápagueña
Marsha Diane Arnold - 2018
She greets sea lions splashing on the shore, scampers over lava rocks with Sally-lightfoot crabs, and swims with manta rays. But Valentina also understands the fragility of this wondrous world, and she makes a solemn promise to protect the islands and her animal friends.This delightful bilingual story was inspired by the childhood of Valentina Cruz, whose family was one of the first permanent inhabitants of the Galápagos. Valentina is now a biologist and naturalist guide who has dedicated her life to the conservation of the islands. Whimsical illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor recipient Angela Dominguez transport readers to these unique islands, which shelter a diverse number of plant and animal species, many found of which can be found nowhere else on the planet. Come discover this beautiful world with Valentina and her animal friends!
Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books
Kay Winters - 2003
He traced letters in sand, snow, and dust. He borrowed books and walked miles to bring them back. When he grew up, he became the sixteenth president of the United States. His name was Abraham Lincoln. He loved books. They changed his life. He changed the world.
Alice Waters and the Trip to Delicious
Jacqueline Briggs Martin - 2014
For Alice, a delicious meal does not start in the kitchen, but in the fields with good soil and caring farmers.Jacqueline Briggs Martin, author of the Caldecott winner, Snowflake Bentley, teams up with Hayelin Choi, making her illustration debut, to show how one child's search for delicious led to a dream for all children to share the joy of tasty food—the same joy we get from a beautiful song, or a starry sky. Alice Waters and the Trip to Delicious is the second of the author's Food Heroes series on people who changed what and how we eat, after the award-winning Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table.Alice Waters founded Chez Panisse restaurant in 1971 and the Edible Schoolyard in 1995. She won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in 1992 and Chez Panisse was named the Best Restaurant in America by Gourmet in 2001. Time magazine named her among "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2014.
Circle
Jeannie Baker - 2016
They follow invisible pathways — pathways that have been followed for thousands of years — while braving hunger and treacherous conditions to reach their destination. In Circle, Jeannie Baker follows the godwit’s incredible flight, taking us over awe-inspiring scenes as the birds spread their wings above such beautiful landmarks as the Great Barrier Reef and China’s breathtaking cityscapes.
The Elephant Scientist
Caitlin O'Connell - 2011
This observation would guide the scientist to a groundbreaking discovery about elephant communication: elephants actually listen with their limbs.
How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning
Rosalyn Schanzer - 2002
Told with narrative flair, this focuses on his famous lightning experiments. In an inventive way, Rosalyn Schanzer brings us a brilliant and ever-curious American original. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 6 to 8. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.Ben Franklin was the most famous American in the entire world during colonial times. No wonder! After all, the man could do just about anything. Why, he was an author and an athlete and a patriot and a scientist and an inventor to boot. He even found a way to steal the lightning right out of the sky.
Johnny Appleseed: A Tall Tale
Steven Kellogg - 1988
Along the way, he cleared land and planted orchards so he could supply apples to the settlers he knew would follow. When the settlers did arrive, John befriended them, often giving away his trees. Soon he became known as Johnny Appleseed.Legends about him spread quickly: It was said that he slept in a tree-top hammock, that he had a pet wolf, that he played with a bear family. Everyone seemed to know a story about Johnny Appleseed. And even today people claim to have seen him.In vivid prose and magnificent pictures that spring off the pages, Steven Kellogg tells the lively story of a true American Hero.
Nina: Jazz Legend and Civil-Rights Activist Nina Simone
Alice Brière-Haquet - 2017
Shared as a lullaby to her daughter, a soulful song recounts Simone's career, the trials she faced as an African American woman, and the stand she took during the Civil Rights Movement. This poignant picture book offers a melodic tale that is both a historic account of an iconic figure and an extraordinary look at how far we've come and how far we still need to go for social justice and equality. A timeless and timely message aptly appropriate for today's social and political climates. ♦ "A good introduction to Simone's life, from her early love of music to her rise to the status of legend" --Kirkus Reviews, starred review♦ "Strikingly illustrated" --Booklist, starred review♦ "Hauntingly beautiful illustrations" --Foreword Reviews, starred review"Stirring and powerful. . . " --BookPage
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation
Duncan Tonatiuh - 2014
Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a “Whites only” school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.
Thirty Minutes Over Oregon: A Japanese Pilot's World War II Story
Marc Tyler Nobleman - 2018
during WWII—the only enemy ever to do so—and comes back 20 years later to apologize. The devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, drew the United States into World War II in 1941. But few are aware that several months later, the Japanese pilot Nobuo Fujita dropped bombs in the woods outside a small town in coastal Oregon. This is the story of those bombings, and what came after, when Fujita returned to Oregon twenty years later, this time to apologize. This remarkable true story, beautifully illustrated in watercolor, is an important and moving account of reconciliation after war.
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist
Cynthia Levinson - 2017
As she listened to the preacher’s words, smooth as glass, she sat up tall. And when she heard the plan—picket those white stores! March to protest those unfair laws! Fill the jails!—she stepped right up and said, I’ll do it! She was going to j-a-a-il!Audrey Faye Hendricks was confident and bold and brave as can be, and hers is the remarkable and inspiring story of one child’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.
She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
Lynn Fulton - 2018
She longed to follow the path her own mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, had started down, but young Mary Shelley had yet to be inspired.As the night wore on, Mary grew more anxious. The next day was the deadline that her friend, the poet Lord Byron, had set for writing the best ghost story. After much talk of science and the secrets of life, Mary had gone to bed exhausted and frustrated that nothing she could think of was scary enough. But as she drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of a man that was not a man. He was a monster.This fascinating story gives readers insight into the tale behind one of the world's most celebrated novels and the creation of an indelible figure that is recognizable to readers of all ages.
Viva Frida
Yuyi Morales - 2014
Her life was filled with laughter, love, and tragedy, all of which influenced what she painted on her canvases.Distinguished author/illustrator Yuyi Morales illuminates Frida's life and work in this elegant and fascinating book.A Neal Porter Book
Noah Webster and His Words
Jeri Chase Ferris - 2012
But who was that Webster? Noah Webster (1758–1843) was a bookish Connecticut farm boy who became obsessed with uniting America through language. He spent twenty years writing two thousand pages to accomplish that, and the first 100 percent American dictionary was published in 1828 when he was seventy years old. This clever, hilariously illustrated account shines a light on early American history and the life of a man who could not rest until he’d achieved his dream. An illustrated chronology of Webster’s life makes this a picture perfect bi-og-ra-phy [noun: a written history of a person's life].