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From: JanetWana at aol.com <JanetWana>
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2004 10:51:27 EDT
In response to the request for non-fiction that lends itself to read-aloud?ility I'd like to recommend the work of Jerry Pallotta. He writes with humor and makes learning about bugs, birds, ocean animals, furry animals, dinosaurs, airplanes, vegetables and extinct animals a lot of fun.
Here's an example from The Underwater Alphabet Book (illus. by Edgar Stewart copyright 1991, ISBN # 0?106E5-6)
"C is for Cowfish. Moo! Don't be silly. Cowfish do not moo, but some people think that they look like cows with horns. A Cowfish has bony plates on the outside of its body. You could say that this fish lives inside its own box!"
My kids loved these books as preschoolers. Teachers (K-6) could use his books to introduce any of the topics listed above.
Another amazing ABC author is Kristin Joy Pratt Serafini. She wrote and illustrated A Walk in a the Rainforest and A Swim through the Sea when in high school (under name Kristin Joy Pratt). Her artwork is amazing. For each letter she uses an alliterative sentence, then gives a paragraph of interesting information, though in a more formal voice. She uses borders to show other animals that that start with the same letter. Her books fall into the environmental awareness genre. (ISBN 1?3220-1)
Keeping the ocean theme going, I recommend "Hello, Fish! Visiting the Coral Reef" by Sylvia A. Earle, photographs by Wolcott Henry, published by National Geographic Society 1999. Each reef creature's huge photo is accompanied by text written in free verse poetry. Here's the spotted moray: I often stop and play with morays./ I've even hugged a few!/ Moray eels can be dangerous though,/ if you happen to be a small fish or octopus./ Watch out!/ You could be an eel meal!/ But people aren't on their menu......
I won't share the whole eel poem since I don't have permission, but you get the idea. There are kids out there who don't care as much about fiction but who will be mesmerized by this type of non-fiction.
If you are out visiting any museums/aquariums this summer you will see that this exciting non-fiction writing is popping up all over. Chicago's Shedd Aquarium has a coral reef exhibit with entry signage saying: It Eats! It Breathes! It Lives! The Coral Reef.
Enjoy!
Janet Wanamaker Reader-Writer?ucator Neenah, WI
Received on Sat 07 Aug 2004 09:51:27 AM CDT
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2004 10:51:27 EDT
In response to the request for non-fiction that lends itself to read-aloud?ility I'd like to recommend the work of Jerry Pallotta. He writes with humor and makes learning about bugs, birds, ocean animals, furry animals, dinosaurs, airplanes, vegetables and extinct animals a lot of fun.
Here's an example from The Underwater Alphabet Book (illus. by Edgar Stewart copyright 1991, ISBN # 0?106E5-6)
"C is for Cowfish. Moo! Don't be silly. Cowfish do not moo, but some people think that they look like cows with horns. A Cowfish has bony plates on the outside of its body. You could say that this fish lives inside its own box!"
My kids loved these books as preschoolers. Teachers (K-6) could use his books to introduce any of the topics listed above.
Another amazing ABC author is Kristin Joy Pratt Serafini. She wrote and illustrated A Walk in a the Rainforest and A Swim through the Sea when in high school (under name Kristin Joy Pratt). Her artwork is amazing. For each letter she uses an alliterative sentence, then gives a paragraph of interesting information, though in a more formal voice. She uses borders to show other animals that that start with the same letter. Her books fall into the environmental awareness genre. (ISBN 1?3220-1)
Keeping the ocean theme going, I recommend "Hello, Fish! Visiting the Coral Reef" by Sylvia A. Earle, photographs by Wolcott Henry, published by National Geographic Society 1999. Each reef creature's huge photo is accompanied by text written in free verse poetry. Here's the spotted moray: I often stop and play with morays./ I've even hugged a few!/ Moray eels can be dangerous though,/ if you happen to be a small fish or octopus./ Watch out!/ You could be an eel meal!/ But people aren't on their menu......
I won't share the whole eel poem since I don't have permission, but you get the idea. There are kids out there who don't care as much about fiction but who will be mesmerized by this type of non-fiction.
If you are out visiting any museums/aquariums this summer you will see that this exciting non-fiction writing is popping up all over. Chicago's Shedd Aquarium has a coral reef exhibit with entry signage saying: It Eats! It Breathes! It Lives! The Coral Reef.
Enjoy!
Janet Wanamaker Reader-Writer?ucator Neenah, WI
Received on Sat 07 Aug 2004 09:51:27 AM CDT
