Nonfiction Wednesday -March 16, 2016

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2016 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.

Title:  Learn to Fold Origami Zoo Animals
Author: Katie Gillespie
Publisher: Av2 by Weigl
Publication Date: 2013

My Two Cents:  This week’s nonfiction title might seem like a bit of an odd just, but stick with me here. I’m hosting an kid’s origami program at my library, and since I’m absolutely terrible at paper folding I thought I’d do a bit of research beforehand to hone my skills. Learn to Fold Origami Zoo Animals is a pretty nifty little book because of the way it uses origami to introduce kids to all sorts of animal-related nonfiction content in a unique way. Six different animals are featured in this origami guide, and each animal gets a two-page spread of facts and figures, as well as detailed instructions on how to fold a paper version of the animal. The book also includes a knowledge quiz, a fact game, a glossary (which they’ve titled “Key Words”), and web links for additional information.

If you ask a group of children at a Spring Break program if they’d like to learn facts about animals you’d likely get a fair number of groans and frowns. Books like Learn to Fold Origami Zoo Animals can help you seamlessly integrate additional information into an origami program in a fun and natural way. While learning to make an origami elephant, for example, you might share interesting tidbits and fascinating factoids about this mighty animal – did you know, for example, that an elephant’s trunk averages roughly 5 feet in legnth, which is longer than many kids are tall? Or that elephants like to slather themselves in mud because it acts like a natural sunscreen and helps prevent them from getting a sunburn?

The benefits of origami for children have been well-documented – it has even been called a “STEAM Engine” because of the way it can be used to teach concepts relating to science, technology, engineering, art and math. Origami can also be a very calming exercise, encouraging children to slow down, examine a series of detailed instructions, and carefully proceed step by step through a project from start to finish. Now you can incorporate even more learning opportunities into your origami programs by infusing them with captivating pieces of related information.

Nonfiction Wednesday – March 9, 2016

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2016 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.

Title:  Sex is a Funny Word
Author: Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth
Publisher: Triangle Square
Publication Date: 2015

My Two Cents: When I was growing up a long time ago, getting honest, non-judgmental information about sexuality could be challenging. The internet was still in its infancy, there were few detailed, age-appropriate books available, and the thought of asking parents or teachers personal sex questions was mortifying. The situation could be made even more difficult if you attended a religious school like I did – the general philosophy seemed to be that since students wouldn’t be having sex until they married a person of the opposite gender in a few decades’ time, there wasn’t much point in talking about sex beforehand, and you certainly didn’t talk about sexuality or gender identity.

Oh how I wish books like Sex is a Funny Word were available when I was a curious child. This colourful, non-threatening comic-style sex book goes beyond the basic “birds and the bees” sex ed and talks about sex, sexuality, gender, relationships, body image and more. Potentially uncomfortable or confusing topics are approached with openness, honesty and compassion. Sex is a Funny Word is inclusive, sex-and-body positive and diverse – people come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colours, abilities and genders, and sex isn’t something limited to white, cisgendered, hetero, physically-abled individuals.

This is a book about values, as much as it is about sex. ‘Justice means that every person and every body matters’, the author writes, and children are encouraged to be respectful of themselves and of others. Sex isn’t something to be feared, but it is something to be taken seriously and respected. While the target audience is tweens aged 8-12, this is a great resource for teachers, librarians, parents and anyone who might work with young people. It would also be a nice title to have available in a library or classroom for children to read privately, particularly those who might be feeling isolated or afraid to talk to an adult about gender or sexuality. Just realizing that an adult cares enough to have information like this available might help a child realize that they aren’t alone, and that there might be someone they can talk to.

Nonfiction Wednesday – March 2, 2016

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2016 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.

Title:  The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids: 60 Easy Plant-Based Recipes Kids Can Make to Stay Healthy and Save the Earth
Author: Ruby Roth
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: April 2016
Genre/Format: Cookbook

My Two Cents:  March is National Nutrition Month, so what better time to take a look at a plant-based, kid-focused cookbook? As the author suggests, studies have shown that getting kids involved in the planning and cooking of their meals can help build life-long healthy eating habits.

First off, this is an unapologetically vegan cookbook, so if you’re a hard-line carnivore this might not be the book for you or your family. However, if you’re open to trying a plant-based diet, or are simply interested in adding more fruit and vegetables to your family’s meals, this is a very approachable, beginner-friendly guide to vegan cooking.  

The cookbook is just beautifully designed – the photographs are quirky and utterly charming, and the recipes are laid out in unique and nontraditional ways. This is a very kid-friendly cookbook – it’s friendly, cute and light-hearted, and makes cooking a fun, rather than intimidating, experience.

I recently watched a documentary series on food and cooking called Cooked, based on the book by Michael Pollan. The series emphasizes the importance of connecting with our food, getting back to healthy basics, and cooking our own wholesome meals. Regardless of your thoughts on different diets or eating habits (Pollan himself is unsure about the benefits of veganism, and I am a omnivore), I think we can all agree that the Western diet typically contains far too much processed and unhealthy food. By getting into the kitchen with our children, introducing them to cooking and encouraging them to be comfortable with food preparation, we can help our children develop a better understanding of nutrition, and support the development of a healthy relationship with food.

The emphasis on independence is also refreshing – kids are first warned never to go into the kitchen with an adult’s permission, but are encouraged to take control, to be independent and to learn how to fend for themselves. This is all part of setting kids up for success and ensuring that they have the skills and confidence they need to live healthy adult lives.

Talking with kids about food, nutrition, the environment, and what it means to be healthy inside and out is vital to preparing them for life, and sharing cookbooks like this with children can be a part of that experience. Did I mention it’s also really, really cute? 🙂

Nonfiction Wednesday – February 23, 2016

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2016 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.

Title:  Anna & Solomon
Author: Elaine Snyder / Illustrator: Harry Bliss
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: 2014
Genre/Format: Nonfiction Picture Book Biography

My Two Cents: 

“Once – and not once upon a time, because this is a true story – in 1897 in Russia there lived a handsome young man who fell in love with a beautiful young woman, and one bright day, under a canopy of leaves and spring flowers, they were married.”

Canada, like the United States, in a nation of immigrants. Ask any Vancouverite about their background and you’ll likely hear stories of families members coming from countries all around the world – I myself am a first generation Canadian, a child of immigrants who were themselves children of immigrants from somewhere else! “Anna & Solomon” is based on the story of the author’s own grandparents, who immigrated from Russia to New York in the late 19th century. Solomon, the author’s grandfather, immigrated first, determined to make enough money in the new country to bring his wife over to join him. Every time he sent money back to Russia to pay for Anna’s ticket to America, however, Anna sent another member of her family over instead! First Anna’s two brothers, then her mother, until Solomon began to lose hope that he would ever seen his wife again! Finally, after many years of waiting, Anna and Solomon were reunited in their new home – America. This is a lovely little story about the immigrant experience,  and the importance of family – Anna puts the needs of her family members before her own, and Solomon, though disappointed, understands how important Anna’s family is to her, and never loses faith that he will be reunited with her again. There are also a few mentions of Jewish culture sprinkled throughout the book, which make this a nice title for encouraging children to learn about other cultural experiences.

It’s also refreshing to see picture book biographies about everyday people, the kind of people whose lives most of us would never otherwise hear about. While kings and queens, politicians, writers, sports heroes, activists and actors are all quite fascinating to read about, most readers have far more in common with Anna and Solomon than they do with any famous person. Picture book biographies like this can help reassure children that every life is extraordinary, and that every person is important, even if they never become a household name or  become famous.

If the illustrations look familiar, it might be because you’ve seen illustrator Harry Bliss’ cartoons and covers for the New Yorker,  or you might have read one of the other picture books he’s illustrated, including Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider, and Countdown to Kindergarten. He’s also the author’s son-in-law, which makes this picture book truly a family affair.

Nonfiction Wednesday – February 17, 2016

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2016 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.

Title: There’s a Stegosaurus on the Stairs
Author/Illustrator: Aleksei Bitskoff, Ruth Symons, Chris Jarvis
Publisher: QEB Publishing
Publication Date: 2013
Genre/Format: Nonfiction

My Two Cents: 

You can’t really go wrong with dinosaurs. Throw a T-Rex, an apatosaurus or, as in the case of today’s book, a stegosaurus, in a book, fill it with some fun facts and eye-catching illustrations, and you’ve got at least a pretty decent chance of creating a kid-pleasing nonfiction title.

How might a stegosaurus react if it was transported to the modern day? Well, it would probably either start eating someone’s lawn or get into a fight with a car, but There’s a Stegosaurus on the Stairs takes a more lighthearted approach to dinosaurs information. The friendly stegosaurus plays on a seesaw in the playground with an elephant because the two animals weigh about the same (5.5 tons, if you were curious). Poor stegosaurus would likely struggle to keep up in school with a brain about the size of a tangerine (the fact that it wouldn’t fit through the classroom doors notwithstanding), and it would likely give its mother a bunch of flowers for Mother’s Day, cut with its sharp, plant-eating beak.

This certainly isn’t the most scientific of nonfiction dinosaur texts, but it does provide a significant amount of factual information in a way that might be more accessible for little dinosaur fanatics. The illustrations are cute and cartoony, too, making this a nice book for the youngest readers or more sensitive children who might be put off by scarier, more realistic dinosaur illustrations. And really, what kid hasn’t day-dreamed about bringing a dinosaur to their birthday party so it can open a pinata with its spike tail?

Nonfiction Wednesday – Feb 10, 2016

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2016 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.

Title: Patient Zero: Solving the Mysteries of Deadly Epidemics
Author: Marilee Peters
Publisher: Annik Press
Publication Date: 2014
Genre/Format: Nonfiction

My Two Cents: This is the second disease-related Red Cedar Award nominee I’ve shared as part of Nonfiction Wednesday, but while It’s Catching used humour and cartoony illustrations to teach kids about epidemiology, Patient Zero is an all together more serious tale for older readers.

Patient Zero focuses on several of history’s most terrifying outbreaks, including the Black Death, cholera, the Spanish Influenza, and AIDS. A blend of fictional and biographical anecdotes helps bring different periods in history to life, recounting the often harrowing experiences of those living during these outbreaks. This is definitely a text-heavy book, with the occasional illustration or graphic element thrown in to break up the text. Still, the text is so well-written and the stories are so gripping that the pages just seem to fly by. This is narrative nonfiction at its best – facts and figures presented in a way that reads like a thrilling adventure novel. Doctors and scientists become adventurers on the hunt for evidence and answers across the globe and throughout history, often in a desperate race against time. History and science, like all subjects, can indeed be boring – but in the hands of a skilled writer, these subjects can be as entertaining as any piece of fiction.

I also appreciate that the author has included a detailed table of contents, glossary, index, additional resources list and a comprehensive list of sources – perfect for introducing readers to scholarly research.

It’s also pretty cool that Patient Zero features Dr. Jennifer Gardy, author of It’s Catching! I’m always happy when kids are introduced to real-life scientists, and it’s particularly awesome that Dr. Gardy is Canadian.

A thrilling look at epidemics throughout history that reads like a great adventure novel, Patient Zero blends fact and fiction to create a truly winning nonfiction text for older children.

Nonfiction Wednesday – Feb 3, 2016

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2016 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.

Title: How to Save a Species
Author: Marilyn Baillie, Jonathan Baillie and Ellen Butcher
Publisher: Owl Kids
Publication Date: 2014
Genre/Format: Nonfiction

My Two Cents: It only takes a cursory glance through the pages of How to Save a Species to come to the sad conclusion that planet Earth is in pretty poor shape. The sheer number of animals on the endangered species list is both mind-boggling and heart-breaking, and some of the stories covered in this nonfiction title are just staggering (there are only 4 Red River Giant Softshell Turtles alive in the wild!). The challenge facing authors Marilyn and Jonathan Baillie and Ellen Butcher is how to balance these stark facts with just enough hope and inspiration to keep the text from becoming overwhelming and discouraging for young readers.

How to Save a Species accomplishes just this by countering tales of dire straights with inspiring accounts of survival and resurgence. Profiles of scientists and researchers from around the world help bring the roles of conservationists to life. And of course there are plenty of vivid, brightly-coloured illustrations of these beautiful and threatened creatures. I appreciate that the authors have chosen to highlight a wide range of endangered creatures, including cute and cuddly favourites like sloths, and stranger creatures like wild yams, newts and pitcher plants. A living creature need not be cute to be worth saving!

The book includes a table of contents, a glossary and an index, all of which I like to see in a nonfiction text as they help young researchers develop and hone their skills. It also finishes with a great map showing where all of the animals in the book can be found (for now…), and a list of the world’s 100 most endangered species adds even more information to the book.

Another strong Red Cedar Award nominee, and another strong Canadian nonfiction book!

Nonfiction Wednesday – January 27, 2016

 

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2016 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.

Title: Take Shelter: At Home Around the World
Author: Nikki Tate and Dani Tate-Stratton
Publisher: Orca
Publication Date: 2014
Genre/Format: Nonfiction

My Two Cents: From caves to trees, mud huts to glass skyscrapers, boats to caravans, people live in a staggering variety of dwellings. The creators of Take Shelter examine the incredible diversity of human habitation, traveling across the globe to showcase dwellings both ancient and cutting edge. Ample colour photography captures the people, places and homes in great detail in this Red Cedar Award nonfiction nominee. Because of the sheer breadth of information covered, no single entry is examined in much detail, making this more of an introduction to cultural and environmental diversity, rather than a research-focused text. Perhaps more than anything, Take Shelter is a celebration of the ingenuity of human kind and our ability to adapt to our surroundings and to thrive in the most unexpected environments.

Nonfiction Wednesday – January 20, 2016

 

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2016 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.

We’ve got another Canadian title on the blog this week!

Title: It’s Catching – The Infectious World of Germs and Microbes
Author: Jennifer Gardy, PhD / Illustrator:  Josh Holinaty
Publisher: Owl Kids
Publication Date: 2014
Genre/Format: Nonfiction

My Two Cents: This week we’re upping the “so gross it’s awesome” factor with a book all about infectious diseases! It’s actually much more palatable than it might sound, thanks in no small part to Josh Holinaty’s cute illustrations and Dr. Jennifer Gardy’s humorous text. In It’s Catching, kids are introduced to the microscopic world of germs and microbes, learning a bit about the history and science of pathology and epidemiology, and getting up close and personal with several different diseases, from the common cold to the terrifying ebola virus.

The book cleverly balances potentially frightening facts (“Measles is a big problem in the developing world, where it kills over 750,000 people every year”) with cartoon illustrations to create a text that is accurate and informative but still age-appropriate.

I also appreciate that the book starts with an introduction by the author, who happens to be a pretty cool woman. It’s always satisfying to be able to provide kids with real-world examples of women pursuing exciting, nontraditional careers, being successful, and challenging industry stereotypes (remember the “distractingly sexy” fiasco from a few months back?).

I do wish that the book included a bibliography or cited sources, both to give kids further sources for further research and to provide an example of properly cited work.

Still, that teeny-tiny critique aside, this Red Cedar Award-nominated ode to the weird and wonderful world of the microscopic makes for infectiously good reading.

Nonfiction Wednesday – December 30, 2016

 

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2015 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.

Title: Friend or Foe – The Whole Truth About Animals That People Love to Hate
Author: Etta Kaner / Illustrator: David Anderson
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Publication Date: 2015
Genre/Format: Nonfiction
Publisher’s Summary: Rats, mosquitoes, bats, cockroaches, leeches, vultures — it’s easy to fear and despise them. But are they all bad? You probably know that rats destroy food supplies and can cause house fires when they gnaw on electrical wires, but did you know their supersensitive noses can help detect tuberculosis or even land mines?

Are these conventionally icky critters really public enemies, or do they have merits worth appreciating? Friend or Foe takes a close look at what we dislike about each of 10 unpopular animals, and then presents the flip side: these very same animals are often smart, helpful to humans and the environment, or inspiring to scientists.

After each pair of polarizing spreads, readers are asked to decide for themselves if the animal is friend or foe. Fascinating research and anecdotes, fun design inspired by propaganda posters, and playful use of persuasive language and point of view make Friend or Foe an engaging read that will leave readers reconsidering common perceptions.

My Two Cents: Rats, leeches, and snakes, oh my! This is another so-gross-it’s-cool nonfiction book that’s sure to catch the eye of young readers with its bold illustrations and slightly creepy subject matter. A series of different creatures are examined from different points of few, prompting readers to consider the positive and negative aspects of each animal, and eventually realize that, as the author suggests,

“Animals just are what they are! Seeing them as friend or foe depends on the time and place, and a person’s point of view.”

10 animals in total receive two spreads each, one casting the creature as a fearsome foe ( “The Big, Bad Wolf”, “Spiders: Scary, Sneaky and Spooky”, “Snakes: Silent and Deadly”), the other showcasing its friendlier characteristics (“Wolves are Wonderful!”, “Spiders are Spectacular!”, “Snakes are Super!”). The artwork of each spread changes to suit the style of the text, with scary images on one spread, and cute, cartoon drawings on the next.

The “foe” spreads are likely to be more attractive for young audiences than their friendly counterparts, simply because of the appeal of scary/gross illustrations and text, but the entire book would make a good starting point for group discussion, and could inspire engaging classroom activities and research assignments. This is a thoughtful, well-arranged title that encourages children to approach the world with an open mind and to consider multiple perspectives when making a decision.

Title: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Author: William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer / Illustrator: Elizabeth Zunon
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2012
Genre/Format: Nonfiction
Publisher’s Summary: When fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba’s Malawi village was hit by a drought, everyone’s crops began to fail. Without enough money for food, let alone school, William spent his days in the library . . . and figured out how to bring electricity to his village. Persevering against the odds, William built a functioning windmill out of junkyard scraps, and thus became the local hero who harnessed the wind.

Lyrically told and gloriously illustrated, this story will inspire many as it shows how – even in the worst of times – a great idea and a lot of hard work can still rock the world.

My Two Cents: William Kamkwamba, like many young boys, was insatiably curious. He “dreamed of building things and taking them apart”, and while working in the fields of his family’s struggling farm he would watch passing trucks and wonder, “how does its engine make it go?” Denied an education, William educated himself, devouring science books at a local American-founded library, and teaching himself rudimentary engineering. Using bits and pieces of scrounged materials and his own ingenuity, William built a windmill, and though at first he was only able to power a single light bulb, he realized then the powerful potential of electricity.

William Kamkwamba’s experiences have been simplified in this picture book edition, but this young man’s persistence and imagination remain the inspiring focus of the story. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind would be an engaging classroom text, a valuable addition to units on renewable energy, environmentalism, Africa, inventors or children around the world. William embodies imagination, creativity, study, persistence and self-confidence – even when his neighbors called him “misala”, crazy, William did not lose faith in himself or his ideas.

Elizabeth Zunon’s cut paper illustrations perfectly capture the spirit of Kamkwamba’s story, mirroring his experiences piecing bits of things together to create something wonderful. An inspiring story for children of all ages.