REVIEWS
Nature All Around: Bugs is a beautiful book filled with rich illustrations that will entice any young reader to pick it up, budding ento- mologist or not. Page after page of softly co- loured insects (or imposters) greet the reader and draw them in. The text hits the right bal- ance of talking to the child using specific and accurate language while still being conver- sational and accessible. This book would be most appropriate for students in grades 3-6 for independent reading, though I could see younger children enjoying it for the illustra- tions alone or as a read-aloud. This book is part of the Nature All Around
NATURE ALL AROUND: BUGS Pamela Hickman, illustrated by Carolyn Gavin Kids Can Press, 2019 32 pages, $18.99 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Reviewed by Vicki Harding
Us series by Kids Can Press. It is an update of two previous publications, The Kids Canadian Bug Book and Starting With Nature: Bug Book. It includes a table of contents as well as a glos- sary and index. The information is divided into small sections highlighting life cycles, habitats, insects in different seasons and endangered bugs and is filled with interesting facts (did you know that a cecropia moth is bigger than your hand?). Children will also find direction on how to be a bug watcher and how to dif- ferentiate between insects often mistaken for
JOIN THE NO-PLASTIC CHALLENGE! A FIRST BOOK OF REDUCING WASTE Scot Ritchie Kids Can Press, 2019 32 pages, $16.99 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Reviewed by Jane Ranson
Join the No-Plastic Challenge! A First Book of Reducing Waste is a children’s picture book that introduces students to plastic pollution. The story takes place on Nick’s birthday when he and his mom and five friends get ready to take the ferry to the island for a picnic. Nick has given his friends the challenge of going all day without using single-use plastics. Right from the beginning, students can see how easy it is to make this change. Nick’s friends bring their own water bottles and reusable bags. They get on the ferry and Yulee exclaims, “Look at the garbage!” Swirling around them are patches of floating plastic and garbage. Under the wa- ter are turtles, fish and seals looking up at the floating plastic. The children then realize that there are no recycling boxes at the snack bar. The cups come with plastic lids and straws, but the children have their own water bottles. They continue to talk about microplastics and the harm they cause to our environment and, as one friend starts to feel terrible about what’s happening, Nick shares a positive mes- sage about what people all over the world are doing to avoid using plastic. The children con- tinue to the island where they celebrate Nick’s
each other, like bees and wasps. The final sec- tion gives instructions to build an insect feeder. Nature All Around: Bugs could be used to
support the Science Curriculum, Understand- ing Life Systems, specifically in grades 1, 2, 4 and 6. The content ties nicely into many of the big ideas listed in the Ontario Curriculum document. For example, in first grade “living things have basic needs that are met from the environment,” or in sixth grade “biodiversity includes diversity of individuals, species and ecosystems.” This book would make an excel- lent anchor text for explicit teaching, but is also appropriate to assign as a research text with older students. Curriculum aside, the illustra- tions and content are so appealing that I would not hesitate to include this book in any class- room library as an independent reading op- tion. I have no doubt that it would spend very little time on the shelf!
Vicki Harding is a member of the Ottawa Carleton Teacher Local.
birthday and participate in a beach clean-up before they head home after spending the day not using any plastic. Along with the informative text, Join the
No-Plastic Challenge is full of colourful illus- trations. You are drawn to every illustration and the detail within each showing what the children are seeing, what they are learning and what they are doing to make a difference in their community. Although part of the title is “A First Book
of Reducing Waste” I highly recommend this easy-to-read, informative and beautifully illus- trated book for all students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 to introduce them to the problem of single-use plastics. Students who read this book will feel empowered by the many ideas about what they can do to make a difference in their communities and the world. This book has great curriculum connec-
tions to the science and social studies curricu- lum. It’s all about environmental awareness and our responsibility as citizens when our environment is changing so quickly.
Jane Ranson is a member of the Limestone Teacher Local.
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 45
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