Module 7 Informational Nonfiction/Biography

Module 7  Informational Nonfiction/Biography

July 14-20, 2014

An Egg Is Quiet By Dianna Aston, Illustrated by Sylvia Long

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Bibliography: 

Aston, D. H., & Long, S. (2006). An egg is quiet. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Summary:

This is an informative book about eggs. The story is descriptive and the added illustrations are detailed and labeled so the reader could use this book as a field guide for identifying different types of eggs. 

Impressions: 

I found this book to be interesting, informative and very well written and illustrated. I would highly recommend it especially for a science class that may be studying this subject.

Reviews:

Like the subject matter it describes, this book packages with understated elegance the substantive matter found within it. "An egg is quiet. It sits there, under its mother's feathers... on top of its father's feet... buried beneath the sand," Aston (When You Were Born ) begins, as spot illustrations zero in on a hummingbird, emperor penguin and sea turtle, respectively. The narrative then launches into a kind of survey about the characteristics of eggs, which follows a simple format. In most spreads, different adjectives (colorful, shapely, textured, etc.) complete the sentence, "An egg is...." This repetitive rhythm contrasts with the visual variety of the illustrations. Long's (Sylvia Long's Mother Goose ) skilled use of contrast and compositional balance prevent monotony. For example, a border that resembles a color test pattern runs down the outer edges of a spread of nearly 40 carefully placed "colorful" examples, set against a white background, which dazzle the eye. The main text appears in large, flowery cursive, while a smaller printed typeface serves as labels and brief factual captions. "An egg is clever," in fancy script, for instance, sits alongside examples of camouflage: "An egg might be speckled to resemble the rocks around it." The letters' dramatic curlicues mimic curvy grasses and vines dappled with tiny insect eggs. Long introduces breathtaking color into the final spreads, as a concluding scene "hatches from" this peacefulness, reminding readers of an egg's purpose. This attractive volume pleases on both an aesthetic and intellectual level. Ages 5-10. (Apr.)

Children's Book Review: An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston, Author, Sylvia Long, Illustrator , illus. by Sylvia Long. Chronicle $16.95 (26p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4428-4. (n.d.). Retrieved August 04, 2014, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8118-4428-4

Suggestions for Use:

This is a great book to use in a science lesson. Listed below is website with links to activities related to this book.
http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/an-egg-is-quiet/

What If You Met A Pirate? By Jan Adkins

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Bibliography: 

Adkins, J. (2004). What if you met a pirate?: An historical voyage of seafaring speculation. Brookfield, Ct.: Roaring Brook Press.

Summary:
This is a very informative book about Pirates. It tells the real story not the commercialized version of pirates. It is very thorough in detail even diagraming a pirate labeling all of the accessories and uses for those accessories. If you love pirate you will really like this book. 

Impressions: 

This book was very informative giving a timeline of showing the history of Pirates and the various types of pirates. It has great illustrations and a great deal of text to thoroughly cover everything about pirates. I thought it was done well.

Reviews:

Children's Literature - Dr. Judy Rowen

"Cam" is short for "camera", a nickname earned because she has a photographic memory. On a field trip to the museum, Cam notes that the Coelophysis skeleton is missing three tailbones. No one believes her, but she and her friend Eric pedal off on their bicycles in an attempt to catch the crooks. The story is quickly paced, and the two friends involve the authorities rather than entirely taking matters into their own hands. The series certainly proves the value of paying close attention to detail; the clues that Cam uses are in the book, but I had to look back to see that they were there. 1997 (orig.

The Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones (Cam Jansen Series #3). (n.d.). Retrieved August 04, 2014, from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mystery-of-the-dinosaur-bones-david-a-adler/1100556502?ean=9780142400128

Suggestions for Use:

After reading this book you can play a memory came and have the students test how well their memory is by having them close their eyes and try to list things in the room. This was an idea along with several others found from the resource listed below.

https://www.teachervision.com/tv/printables/penguin/CamJansenMysteries_TG.pdf