It’s Nonfiction Monday! Created by Picture Book of the Day, it’s where book bloggers feature a nonfiction book for kids. 
Wendie’s Wanderings hosts the roundup this week.
Today I’ll be reviewing a title sent to me by Capstone Publishers, Animal Rights: How You Can Make a Difference by Rhonda Lucas Donald.
This is an excellent book for any child or classroom interested in animal rights. It’s not just a guide to how others make a difference, it emphasizes how anyone can. Throughout the book, there’s several stories of teens who saw an injustice to animals and fought to right it. As the book opens, we learn the story of Haley, who lost her dog due to antifreeze poisoning, and fought to get her home state of Tennessee to require manufacturers a bitter chemical. Her campaign paid off, and the bill she proposed became a law.
Each chapter of Animal Rights illustrates a step towards activism. This format makes it a great classroom addition, as it goes through all the parts required for such a campaign: brainstorming, research, mapping out a plan, etc. Keeping its young audience in mind at all times, the book asks the reader to consider the reliability of any website (such as looking for university and government websites first), book, etc, to look out for bias and stereotyping. Also, when discussing online communication for their cause, it does remind children to use caution online and never reveal private information. Finally, the resources section of Animal Rights offers the Capstone Facthound service, where readers simply plug in the book’s unique ID number in the Facthound website, and will receive quality and kid-safe websites on the topic.
With a kid-friendly approach towards a complex issue and a helpful guide for their campaign, Animal Rights is a must-have. Slim but loaded with information, plus tips, a glossary, and additional resources, it’s the perfect introduction to giving children a voice for a concern.
Animal Rights: How You Can Make a Difference is part of Capstone’s Take Action! series. Learn more about the series at the publisher’s website
Copy for review provided by the publisher.
Title: Animal Rights
Author: Rhonda Lucas Donald
Date: 2009
Publisher: Capstone Publishers
Pages: 32
Format: Hardback
I survived retail at Christmas, and am looking forward to reading a lot in 2010.
Fainting Goats and Other Weird Mammals by Carmen Bredeson is a small volume of peculiarities in the animal world. The title is a part of the I Like Weird Animals! series by Enslow Publishers. The hardback twenty four page book features eight strange animals, including the Duck-Billed Platypus, the Star-Nosed Mole, and the Pygmy Marmoset. 
The layout of the book is perfect for children, with bold large text, a small glossary of terms with pronunciation guide, and images that cover the entire page. First animal profiled is the vampire bat, with a closeup on the mammal, fangs bared. The caption will intrigue even the most reluctant reader: “The vampire bat is the bat that drinks BLOOD!” The rest of the animals profiled are just are interesting, especially the Tasmanian Devil.
Pygmy Marmoset
At the end of the book, readers will find two pages offering additional resources: three additional books, and two websites of related mammal information. Although they are helpful sources, my only criticism of this title is the limited number of resources.
Other titles in the series include Flying Geckos and Other Weird Reptiles, Leafy Sea Dragons and Other Weird Sea Creatures, and Weird Birds. See the entire list at Enslow’s website
Copy for review provided by the publisher
Title: Fainting Goats and Other Weird Mammals
Author: Carmen Bredeson
Date: 2009
Publisher: Enslow Publishers
Pages: 24
Format: Hardback
It’s Nonfiction Monday! Created by Picture Book of the Day, it’s where book bloggers feature a nonfiction book for kids.
This week’s pick is Sea Soup: Zooplankton by Mary M. Cerullo, featuring photography by Bill Curtsinger.
Sea Soup: Zooplankton introduces readers to the various forms of the organism. From the moment you open this book, stunning underwater images greet you. The layout is very attractive, and catches your eye immediately. There’s splashes of color, vibrant photos in bubbles, but it still flows well, so you get all the information at an easy pace.
The opening starts off as if fiction and the letters cascade down the side of the page, a visual representation of a diver’s descent down below:
“The moment they dropped into the dark,alien world, the searchers knew they were not alone. – (p.2, Sea Soup: Zooplankton)
The book talks directly to the reader, asking questions, inviting the reader to explore the world of the zooplankton. On one page, it’s stark white, and in the middle, a bright colorful photo of a a jellyfish and the text, “Who’s who in a zoo plankton zoo?” or “Are there zooplankton you don’t ever want to bump into?” The corresponding pages then answer the question. This theme continues throughout the book, always engaging the reader into a discussion.
Reference wise, Sea Soup: Zooplankton packs a lot into a thin book. Sizes, their diets, the life cycles, and the various types of zooplankton are covered. Prior to reading this book, my plankton knowledge involved Spongebob Squarepants, and this book definitely filled in the gaps. There’s a glossary and even an additional teacher’s guide available from the publisher, for those who want more information.
Copy for review provided by the publisher.
Title: Sea Soup: Zooplankton
Date: 2001
Format: Hardback
As a child, I was nuts for dolphins. I originally went to college for a degree in Psychology so I’d be able to become an animal behaviorist, and study dolphins. I even memorized the scientific names of various whales and dolphins.
Today I’ve got a review of a great new children’s nature book about a little dolphin with an incredible spirit, and the generous people who helped her recover from a terrible injury.
From the authors of Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship, and Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World comes Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again.
Winter the bottle-nose dolphin was entangled in a crab trap off the east coast of Florida, and was thankfully rescued by a concerned fisherman.
Her tail had become severely injured by the net, and needed medical attention soon. Volunteers at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium were able to get the baby dolphin to eat, and gradually she grew healthier, but her tail eventually fell off.
The clever dolphin learned how to swim her tail’s stump by moving her body side-to-side, similar to that of a fish. The staff at the aquarium was impressed by her ingenuity and determination. They eventually introduced her to another rescued dolphin. Soon, Winter began attracting media attention, including The Today Show and local radio programs. An animal lover, Kevin Carroll, heard about Winter on the radio and wanted to help. He created prostheses for humans, and thought he might be able to do the same for Winter. He and others developed a special prosthesis for Winter, one that would work in the water, and function like a real tail. Kevin Caroll’s design and formation of a special gel to ease any of Winter’s discomfort helps others, such as Iraq war veterans who have lost limbs. Winter’s courage and unwavering spirit helps inspire others who face challenges.
Winter’s Tail is a great story for kids and adults. It’s an extraordinary tale of survival, and Winter will definitely touch your heart. The story flows well, and the enclosed photographs chronicle Winter’s journey from her discovery to her life today. It’s a really informative title with a lot of information conveyed in a pleasing format, with such a good amount of text and pictures, the reader is immediately drawn into Winter’s story. I especially enjoyed the pictures of Winter’s birthday party, Winter with her trainers, and the crowds that she draws.
The back pages include information about her new home, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, dolphins, how dolphins are “trained,” and Kevin Carroll.
Would you like to get your own copy of Winter’s Tail? Scholastic has an opportunity for you to win a Winter’s Tail prize pack.
The winner will receive the following:
* Dolphin Plush
* Dolphin Key Chain
* Winter’s Tail video game for Nintendo DS
* Copy of Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again Book
Retail value: $81.99
One commenter will win.
Per the sponsor’s rules, The
Winter’s Tail contest is open to U.S. addresses only. International readers may enter, provided they can have a friend in the US receive the package for them.
Sweepstakes begins September 28, 2009 and will run for 3 weeks, closing October 12, 2009 at 12:00 AM (Central). Winner will be chosen using random.org
Leave your email address in the comments. Additional entries:
+ 1 for Tweeting this contest/review (please include your @twitter name)
My thanks to Scholastic and Big Honcho Media for inviting me to participate in this promotion.
There’s a wealth of material on Winter for teachers and parents who’d like to use the book in a curriculum.
View the book trailer:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVYd-aj7h0g&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6]
Additional links:
There will be a live webcast about Winter on October 7, 1:00-1:45 ET at
Scholastic
Copy for review provided by the publisher.
Title: Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned How to Swim Again
Author: Julianna Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, and Craig Hatkoff
Date: October 1, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 40
Format: Hardback
It’s Non Fiction Monday! Created by Picture Book of the Day, it’s where book bloggers feature a nonfiction book for kids. This is my first time participating, and first up is Saving Birds: Heroes Around the World by Pete Salmansohn and Stephen W. Kress.
An Audubon book, Saving Birds features five stories of birds nearing extinction, and the efforts mounted by ordinary people to save them.
The strongest point of the book is the variety of birds featured, the species aren’t common birds and the bright photographs alongside the text really educate the reader on the birds. From Black Robins in New Zealand, to Common Murres in California, a worldwide view of threatened species, and the varying attempts to preserve their numbers.
Readers travel worldwide, to locations such as Israel, where the number of Lesser Kestrel pairs is below a thousand, or China, where the Black Necked Cranes’ wetlands are dwindling.
Particular favorite: The story of the Quetzals of Chiapas, Mexico, and Oswoldo Contreras and Gonzalo Del Carpio, who put on school productions educating children about the bird, who was once worshipped by the Mayan and Aztec Indians. The two pass out coloring books after their puppet shows, and children write letters pledging their support.
This is a great title that demonstrates to kids and adults that everyone has the power to help wildlife. One minor thing: The font on the back cover is in red, and is hard to read when paired with the dark green background color.
Copy for review provided by the publisher.
Title: Saving Birds: Heroes Around the World
Author: Pete Salmansohn and Stephen W. Kress
Date: September 2005
Publisher: Tilbury House
Pages: 40
Format: Trade paperback
This is an excellent book for any child or classroom interested in animal rights. It’s not just a guide to how others make a difference, it emphasizes how anyone can. Throughout the book, there’s several stories of teens who saw an injustice to animals and fought to right it. As the book opens, we learn the story of Haley, who lost her dog due to antifreeze poisoning, and fought to get her home state of Tennessee to require manufacturers a bitter chemical. Her campaign paid off, and the bill she proposed became a law.
