Welcome back to STEAM Stories. I have a few books I am very excited to share with you today.
I love when books surprise me and these books did just that and all four of these demonstrate why picture book are such a fantastic book form and nonfiction picture books are definitely included. As an adult, if you haven’t read a picture book lately I highly recommend it. I know you teachers and librarians are reading kid lit but parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles, big brothers and sisters, pick up that book the younger kids have and take a look. They are not the same as the ones you read as a kid. But I have to warn you, they can be addictive. My overloaded book shelves are a testament to that.
Shipwreck La Belle that was raised from Galveston Bay. You can see it at the Bullock Museum in Austin. Photo by Angela Turner
Title: A Place for Rain
Author: Michelle Schaub
Illustrator: Blanca Gomez
Publisher/Year: Norton Young Readers, Imprint of W. W. Norton
With all the worry about climate change, I love a book that gives specific actions that kids can take to help. I love the bright primary colored illustrations that are simple but give the reader a lot to take in. The story starts by just observing rain and where the water goes. Cute kids create a rain barrel for collecting water and a rain garden so that the runoff goes into the ground. In Texas schools, this would be a great introduction to the topic in the 7th grade TEKS as well as younger grades. I have used picture books with older age groups and they usually enjoy it and it makes a great discussion starter.
Title: Caves
Author: Nell Cross Beckerman
Illustrator: Kalen Chock
Publisher/Year: Orchard Books 2022
This is a beautiful book but wow it packs a lot in. The lyrical language makes for a great read aloud. Questions get readers thinking like scientists. Layered text makes it accessible and desirable for older and younger readers. The main text is like a path taking you through different cave systems with wonder and beautiful illustrations. I mean just look at that cover. Illustrating dark environments like caves is difficult to do well but Chock nails it. The secondary text gives you background to understand what you are seeing like a park ranger providing a guided tour. The back matter adds even more with an Author’s note, Illustrators note, Cave rules, More Fun Facts and Spelunking Equipment. It is not surprising this book won several awards. And after you read this one, check out her other books in this series, Forests and Volcanoes.
Title: Darwin’s Super-Pooping Worm Spectatular
Author: Polly Owen
Illustrator: Gwen Millward
Publisher/Year: Wide Eyes Editions, Quarto Group 2023
First, what a title! What kid would not be drawn in by that title? Darwin is renowned for his work on evolution but he was interested in many different animals and plants. Earthworms were one of the animals he spent a lot of time observing and doing experiments with. This story follows Darwin’s curiosity and questions. It would be a great book in any classroom where you want to talk about how scientists do their work. Along the way, a cute little earthworm wearing a hat, classes and bow tie fills us in with the worm’s perspective and a little more background information. Here is a quote from the book “Darin started to doubt himself and wrote a letter to his friend. . . He started to wonder if anyone would ever appreciate worms as much as he did.” I think if you read this book you will definitely have new appreciation for earth worms, even if not quite as much as Darwin. Back matter includes more Worm Facts and a section on Worm Futures. Overall enjoyable but also enlightening.
Title: Shipwrecked! Diving for Hidden Time Capsules on the Ocean Floor
Author: Martin W. Sandler
Publisher/Year: Astra Young Readers 2023
This book is a National Book Award Winner and I can see why. I was mesmerized by this book. It may have been written for youth, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned so much. I highly recommend it for adults as well as kids.
I sat down to just browse through it but I think I read the whole thing in one sitting. The intro goes into the first account of seven different shipwrecks. The stories of each wreck are detailed and engaging and I love that the author shows the critical thinking and creativity that archaeologists use in this work. Related side stories are included at the end. Back matter includes a selected bibliography and index, source notes for each chapter, and a list of more shipwrecks to explore with short descriptions. I think I’ll go back and read it again.
