Book picks similar to
The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics by Susan Hood
poetry
picture-books
nonfiction
non-fiction
Drop: An Adventure Through the Water Cycle
Emily Kate Moon - 2021
She's water! And she's seen a thing or two. Yep, even dinosaurs; she's four and a half billion years old, after all. Everywhere Drop flows--and she flows everywhere--she keeps things moving, making life on earth possible, and having a great time doing it. (Have you ever plummeted from a rain cloud? Or took a thousand-year nap in a glacier? Drop knows how to live right.) With delightful panache and a steady stream of funny one-liners, Drop takes readers on an adventure through the water cycle and beyond. Filled with irresistible artwork, funny asides, and a steady sprinkle of kid-enticing facts, Drop is the story about water you never knew you were thirsting for.Splashy and original. --KirkusA stand out from others of its type. --SLC"An endearing, conversational introduction to the water cycle." --PW
Señorita Mariposa
Ben Gundersheimer - 2019
At the end of each summer, these international travelers leave Canada to fly south to Mexico for the winter--and now readers can come along for the ride! Over mountains capped with snow, to the deserts down below. Children will be delighted to share in the fascinating journey of the monarchs and be introduced to the people and places they pass before they finally arrive in the forests that their ancestors called home.
Carl and the Meaning of Life
Deborah Freedman - 2019
He spends his days happily tunneling in the soil until a field mouse asks him a simple question that stops him short: "Why?" Carl's quest takes him on an adventure to meet all the animals of the forest, each of whom seems to know exactly what they were put on this earth to do, unlike the curious Carl. But it's not until the world around him has changed that Carl begins to realize everyone, no matter how small, makes a big difference just by being themselves.
So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth's Long Walk Toward Freedom
Gary D. Schmidt - 2018
Schmidt comes a picture book biography of a giant in the struggle for civil rights.Sojourner Truth was born into slavery but possessed a mind and a vision that knew no bounds. So Tall Within traces her life from her childhood through her emancipation to her leadership in the movement for rights for both women and African Americans.
Some Bugs
Angela DiTerlizzi - 2014
Get the buzz on bugs in this picture book from Angela DiTerlizzi!Grab your magnifying glass!Find your field guide!And come hop, hide, swim, and glidethrough this buggy backyard world! Featuring insects including butterflies and moths, crickets and cicadas, bumblebees and beetles, this zippy rhyming exploration of backyard-bug behavior is sure to have insect enthusiasts of all ages bugging out with excitement!
Recycle This Book
Dan Gutman - 2009
Cooney, Laurie Halse Anderson, Bruce Coville, Gennifer Choldenko, and over 100 others, each piece is an informative and inspiring call to kids of all ages to understand what’s happening to the environment, and to take action in saving our world.Helpful tips and facts are interspersed throughout. This book will be a great classroom tool to teach young readers how they can help to make the Earth a greener place.
Weeds Find a Way
Cindy Jenson-Elliott - 2013
With lovely language and a sly sense of humor, this beautiful picture book celebrates the tenacious temperaments of these pesky plants and is sure to have little ones chanting, “Way to go, weeds!”
If You Lived Here: Houses of the World
Giles Laroche - 2011
If you lived in the mountains of southern Spain, your bedroom might be carved out of a mountain. If you lived in a village in South Africa, the outside of your house might tell the story of your family. And if you lived in a floating green house in the Netherlands, you could rotate your house to watch both the sunrise and sunset. With intricate bas-relief collages, Giles Laroche uncovers the reason each home was constructed the way it was, then lets us imagine what it would be like to live in homes so different from our own. Showing the tremendous variety of dwellings worldwide—log cabins, houses on stilts, cave dwellings, boathouses, and yurts—this book addresses why each house is built the way it is. Reasons—such as blending into the landscape, confusing invaders, being able to travel with one's home, using whatever materials are at hand—are as varied as the homes themselves.
Do Not Lick this Book
Idan Ben-Barak - 2017
She is small. Very small. In fact so small that you'd need to look through a microscope to see her. Or you can simply open this book and take Min on an adventure to amazing places she's never seen before—like the icy glaciers of your tooth or the twisted, tangled jungle that is your shirt. The perfect book for anyone who wants to take a closer look at the world.
The Hidden Life of a Toad
Doug Wechsler - 2017
To get these images, Wechsler sat in a pond wearing waders, went out night after night in search of toads, and cut his own glass to make a home aquarium. The resulting photos reveal metamorphosis in extreme close-up as readers have never seen it before.Budding naturalists will be transfixed by this unprecedented peek into the secrets of tadpole transformation. DemystifyingA book that encourages observation and conservation and may start some young biologists off on their own lifelong quests to understand animals -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review A fascinating look at toad development -- Booklist, starred reviewSuitable for libraries needing to bolster their early nonfiction collections -- School Library JournalA remarkable visual chronicle of an easily overlooked creature -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's BooksChicago Public Library's 2017 Best of the Best Books selection
Zonia's Rain Forest
Juana Martinez-Neal - 2021
Every morning, the rain forest calls to Zonia, and every morning she answers. She visits the sloth family, greets the giant anteater, and runs with the speedy jaguar. But one morning, the rain forest calls to her in a troubled voice. How will Zonia answer?Acclaimed author-illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal explores the wonders of the rain forest with Zonia, an Asháninka girl, in her joyful outdoor adventures. The engaging text emphasizes Zonia’s empowering bond with her home, while the illustrations—created on paper made from banana bark—burst with luxuriant greens and delicate details. Illuminating back matter includes a translation of the story in Asháninka, information on the Asháninka community, as well as resources on the Amazon rain forest and its wildlife.
Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard
Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld - 2012
And illustrator Priscilla Lamont's funny, friendly paintings make this a garden everyone will want to explore.Kids will eat up this wonderful book of backyard science—and perhaps they'll even be inspired to eat their vegetables!"A wonderfully informative and enjoyable journey through one family’s backyard garden, from spring planting to fall harvest. . . . this is bound to spark some backyard explorations." —Kirkus, Starred ReviewFrom the Hardcover edition.
Every Day Birds
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater - 2016
Every Day Birds helps children identify and learn about common birds. After reading Every Day Birds, families can look out their windows with curiosity--recognizing birds and nests and celebrating the beauty of these creatures! Every Day Birds focuses on twenty North American birds, with a poem and descriptions written by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and beautiful paper-cuttings by first-time picture book illustrator Dylan Metrano. Interesting facts about each bird are featured in the back of the book.
The Mess That We Made
Michelle Lord - 2020
Simple, rhythmic wording builds to a crescendo ("This is the mess that we made. These are the fish that swim in the mess that we made.") and the vibrant digital artwork captures the disaster that is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Children can imagine themselves as one of the four multi-ethnic occupants of the little boat surrounded by swirling plastic in the middle of the ocean, witnessing the cycle of destruction and the harm it causes to plants, animals, and humans. The first half of the book portrays the growing magnitude of the issue, and the second half rallies children and adults to make the necessary changes to save our oceans. Facts about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, ocean pollution, and how kids can help are included in the back matter.
Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph
Roxane Orgill - 2016
Could he pull it off? In a captivating collection of poems, Roxane Orgill steps into the frame of Harlem 1958, bringing to life the musicians’ mischief and quirks, their memorable style, and the vivacious atmosphere of a Harlem block full of kids on a hot summer’s day. Francis Vallejo’s vibrant, detailed, and wonderfully expressive paintings do loving justice to the larger-than-life quality of jazz musicians of the era. Includes bios of several of the fifty-seven musicians, an author’s note, sources, a bibliography, and a foldout of Art Kane’s famous photograph.