GREAT SCIENCE BOOKS FOR KIDS

 

I was pleased to be included in a wonderful list of great science books for kids put together at the blogsite GeekWrapped. On the list of 100 titles is my book Too Hot? Too Cold? Keeping Body Temperature Just Right (Charlesbridge, 2013).  In it readers will discover the remarkable--and similar--ways in which humans and animals adapt to heat and cold. The book is illustrated with lovely watercolor paintings by Annie Patterson.

ABFE/CBC Silent Auction of Children’s Book Art at BookExpo in New York

Illustration of A Day and Night on the Prairie, 6:00 a.m.

The ABC Children’s Group at ABA and the Children’s Book Council (CBC) are partnering to bring back the popular Silent Art Auction and the Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards Announcement in a joint program to take place on May 31, 2017, from 5:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Javits Center South Concourse in New York City, as part of BookExpo. The event will benefit American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) and Every Child a Reader.

I am pleased to donate a giclee print of one of my cut paper art illustrations from A Day and Night on the Prairie (PictureWindow Books, 2015.)

This year’s Silent Art Auction program will also celebrate the 75th anniversary of Random House’s Little Golden Books imprint, which began in 1942. The auction will feature a special selection of works celebrating the Little Golden Books legacy as part of a year-long marketing and publicity campaign kicking off in February 2017.

If you are going to be at BookExpo, please stop by the exhibit and take a look at the art!

David Wiesner Picture Book Illustrations at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Illustration from Mr. Wuffles by David Weisner at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art

David Wiesner, the recipient of three Caldecott Medals for his books, Tuesday (1992), The Three Pigs (2002) and Flotsam (2007), is one of the premier children’s book illustrators of our time.

Looking into the second room of the exhibit

A week ago I went with two friends to see the exhibit, David Wiesner, the Art of Picture Book Storytelling at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. It was a wonderful opportunity to see his original paintings up close and to learn about the various influences on his work, ranging from silent movies from the 1930's, surrealist painters, his childhood memories, comic books, his pet cat, and more. 

Illustration from Flotsam

David Wiesner's mastery of detail and imaginative use of images make you want to examine his art again and again–each time finding something new to look at.

Art from The Three Pigs

A collection of his books are also part of the exhibit, allowing visitors to read the stories along with viewing the art. Here are just a few of the paintings in this stunning exhibit. The exhibit, which opened January 29, 2017 will close May 14, 2017.

Reproduction of David Weisner's Book Week poster

TEACHING IDEAS for Hatching Chicks in Room 6 at the SLJ Classroom Bookshelf

A wonderful article with teaching ideas for my book Hatching Chicks in Room 6 was published yesterday on The Classroom Bookshelf blog of School Library Journal. It is written by Erika Thulin Dawes, a professor of language and literacy at Lesley University. Here is the link: http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2017/05/hatching-chicks-in-room-6/ There is a treasure trove of ideas for classroom teachers here. I love that the author, Erika Thulin Dawes,understands how, in a photo essay, the pictures and text work together to tell the story. And I love that she shows how the book can be a springboard for further reading and exploration. In addition to the long list of teaching areas the article also lists book and website resources, has a book review and a section on critical literacy. I am thrilled!

Erika Thulin Dawes is a former classroom teacher, reading specialist, and literacy supervisor, she now teaches courses in children’s literature, early literacy, and literacy methods.

Sharing Butterflies with the WPC Preschool

Recently, I raised painted lady butterflies to learn how they grow from egg to caterpillar to adult. After the butterflies emerged from their chrysalises I released them outdoors so they could continue their lives in nature. I took some of them to the WPC preschool to share with the children in Room 1. After looking at them in the classroom we took the butterflies to a grassy lawn next door that was bordered by a flowering garden. The children watched as their teacher let the butterflies out of their netted habitat. One by one, the butterflies fluttered their wings and flew away. A week later I received a charming thank you note decorated with a rainbow of colors--even more colorful than the butterflies. I love it! I thank my friends in Room 1 for their beautiful artwork and for helping me to release my butterflies.