Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall by Lynn Brunelle illustrated by Jason Chin**

 What an exquiste and fascinating book!! As I read, I was amazed at God's wisdom and creativity as I learned about how a whale fall supports many organisms and continuing life on earth. Not only is this book full of mind-blowing facts about creation, it contains beautiful language. Ms. Brunelle incorporates alliteration, similes, and apt verbs. She also offers the reader a better understanding of size by comparing the whale and its body parts to common objects. Diagrams and side illustrations support the text.

Although the age range is for ages six to ten, I am going to have my ninth grader read it for biology. It connects to many terms he has been learning this year. Numerous ages (from elementary through high school) will be enthralled with this book.

World magazine, January, 2025, featured this book as an honorable mention book for children's nonfiction for their 2024 Books of the Year picks. I am so glad they brought this book to my attention.

**Highly, highly recommend.

Consideration/discuss: reference to "billions of years"-old earth view, the whale dies (but hope abounds as the reader sees how it benefits swarms of life and future whales)

I see Melissa Stewart also wrote a picture book about this topic. I will be requesting it, reading it, and reviewing it soon.

-Borrowed from the library.

Near One Cattail : Turtles, Logs, and Leaping Frogs by Anthony D. Fredericks illustrated by Jennifer DiRubbio

In rhyming text, this book focuses on life at a pond surrounded by cattails.
Food chains can be easily found.
The illustrations are beautiful.
Additional facts about each creatures are in the back.  The author holds to evolution and old earth theory.
-Borrowed from the library.

Pond by Jim LaMarche*

Any book that Mr. LaMarche illustrates I must read!  His illustrations are exquisite.
One late winter/early spring, Matt visits an area which he and his sister and friend Pablo have dubbed "The Pit", and discovers a steady stream of water attempting to flow into it.  He concludes that "The Pit" must have been a pond long ago.  He, Katie (his sister) and Pablo spend the spring cleaning up the area, allowing the pond to refill.  As the seasons progress, the children experience the benefits of their efforts and the reader witnesses the beautiful wildlife that frequents the pond.
This book displays the value of perseverance, work, and team work.  It also reinforces that children can make a difference in this world.
 I like how it celebrates children being outside, away from screens!!  Our current generation of children will benefit from books like this one!  So much awaits them outside, just a few steps away from their home.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Strategy: infer

Hoot Owl Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor illustrated by Jean Jullian

Hoot Owl is hungry so he ventures out into the night to catch and devour a tasty morsel.  Throughout the book he reminds the reader that he is "the master of disguise".  What he eventually eats will bring smiles to readers' faces.
The repeated phrases, for some reason,  irritated me a bit but younger children enjoy repetitive, predictable language.
Figurative language-similes.
Borrowed from the library.

Neighborhood Sharks by Katherine Roy*

"Hunting with the Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands"
Very well researched.
Ms. Roy shares how great whites attack their prey; then cleverly weaves in how their body structures have been created to attack.
Topics include:  their prey-elephant seals, the great white's body structure, their ability generate warm blood, their amazing vision, teeth, projectile jaws, tagging of the sharks by scientists, food chain, migration

Blood is drawn so not for the squeamish!!

Text features: headings, cross sections/cut aways, labels, diagrams, close ups, arrows, author's note with more information, online resources, map
**Highly recommend.

The Great Kapok Tree A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry

A man is about to cut down a Kapok tree but fulls asleep to sweet sounds of nature.  During his sleep, various creatures visit him, telling him the importance of the tree to them and the surrounding life in the Amazon.
Perfect for science unit on food chains and interrelationships.
Strategy: synthesizing
Text features: maps, diagram

Frightful's Daughter Meets the Baron Weasel by Jean Craighead George illustrated by Daniel San Souci*

*Highly recommend.
Read along with My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (chapter book).
Sam Gribley has made a nest box for a falcon family.
Oksi, a peregrine falcon, has two babies to feed and care for, as does Baron the weasel.  The Baron attempts many times to crawl up to kill the falcon babies but is outsmarted by Sam Gribley.
A wonderful view how various forest animals try to survive.
Great for food chain/food web unit.
Strategies: connections, inferring, summarizing

Secrets of the Garden by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld illustrated by Priscilla Lamont

"Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard"
The reader experiences the life cycle of a vegetable garden as he/she witnesses a family plant, maintain and harvest a large vegetable patch.  Other organisms are living in the garden which help the garden thrive.  The author utilizes these organisms to introduce food chains and the food web.
The pet chickens' comments add humor.
The illustrations are adorable.
 I love the end pages which have the map of the garden.  I also like the layout of the worm page.