I have always been a reader. As a kid, I couldn't get enough of Rainbow Fish, Froggy’s adventures, or any book that had a Sesame Street character in it. Even as I grew older and started reading books with fewer pictures, I have continued to love picture books. Being an educator is a fantastic excuse for me to spend time in the childrens’ section of the library, reading little stories and admiring the artistry that goes into each of the books. Here are some reviews of the books I love, some of which I've read as a part of educational programming already, and some I hope to read in the future.
Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft and Richard G. Van Gelder, illustrated by Helen K. Davie.
Animals in Winter is a nonfiction book, but reads like a story, which is important when it comes to reading to a group of children. Nonfiction books can be challenging to read aloud to a group, especially if they delve into technical details, and are text-heavy. This book has just the right amount of text. The book checks in on a number of animals to see what they’re up to in the winter. We learn about animals that migrate, animals that hibernate, animals that store food for winter, and those that have to look for food all winter long, all accompanied by beautiful realistic illustrations. I’m looking forward to reading this book with kids next week before working on our bird (or more likely, squirrel) feeders, that will help feed the birds in this final stretch of winter.
Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Richard Jones
Winter Dance is a story about a fox getting ready for winter. He asks his forest friends what to do during the winter, but he doesn’t think he should hibernate or migrate or store food for the winter like they will. Eventually he finds another fox, and learns that in the winter, the fox dances among the snowflakes.The highlight of this book is the illustrations, which are done in mixed media, but feature watercolor. The images are gorgeous, and complement the story well. After reading this story, the kids got to do their own winter dance, and I got to put my almost-majored-in-music skills to work playing guitar and singing with them. We also created our own little foxes that did their own winter dance.
Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
Maybe you’re sensing a pattern here. Hibernation Station is about all the animals in the forest that hibernate getting on a hibernation train at the hibernation station. They all need specific conditions to hibernate, but it seems that they’ve gotten in the wrong cars, and no one is quite comfortable enough for their winter nap. Once they figure it out, they rearrange, and everyone is cozy and safe for hibernation. After reading this story, we created our own hibernation dens, and some little creatures that live inside, keeping in mind that different animals need different features in their dens. This was a pretty chaotic activity for preschool, I can’t lie. We had a lot of fun, but in the future, I will refrain from trying to glue anything more than paper with a glue stick, because it simply does not work well.
Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes
Finally a book that isn’t about animals in winter! This book shows off spirals that occur in the natural world, showing us that the spiral is both a graceful and strong shape. A spiral can protect important things near its center, yet it can expand outward into the universe. The illustrations show off spirals in sleeping animals, flower petals, spider webs, ocean waves, and galaxies. This book highlights the overlap of art and science in the world. As a scientist, I often find myself thinking about the natural world quantitatively and think of art and science as distinctly different disciplines. This book made me stop and admire that the world around us is beautiful and complex in its own regard, and while measurements and surveys are valuable, sometimes we need to slow down and take time to admire the natural artistic beauty of the world.
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
I’ve spent a lot of time the past few years digging in the dirt. Partially because I was pursuing a minor in soil science, but also because there is a whole world that lives under our feet that I can’t help but explore. The main character in this book does that. We follow the child and their grandmother as they prepare, plant, and harvest a garden. The illustrations throughout this book show us a variety of perspectives of the garden, zooming in to see small insects and zooming out to see the bigger critters hanging around. My favorite part is the illustrations of all the life under the soil, in addition to what we’re used to seeing above ground.
All in all, even as adults, there is a lot we can learn from picture books. Even though they are designed for children, if a book catches your eye, pick it up and give it a chance. You might learn a thing or two!
Bethany holds four active library cards, and is working on getting a fifth. Though she’s visited many libraries, her favorite will always be the Minocqua Public Library in Minocqua, WI. Learn more about Bethany here!