From: Robin L. Gibson <gibsonr>
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 22:42:15 -0400

I've been enjoying the science discussion, especially hearing from science/nonfiction authors I admire, like Lisa Peters, Kathleen Krull, & Sneed Collard. The latter mentioned _Animal Dads_, which is a favorite in our home, and is illustrated by Steve Jenkins' wonderful collages. It made me think of some of Jenkins other work, like _Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest_ which has defintely inspired my 6 year old son. It is full of fascinating facts, and has also taught him to think about how things are measured/perspective. For instance, not just the highest mountain, but the highest mountain measured from sea level. Or do you consider the mountains as rising from the level of the earth, from under the sea. It has definitely created a sense of wonder for him.

One of my own favorites of Steve Jenkins is his _Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution_ from 2002, which is one of the few books I know of on this subject that is accessible to a very young audience. (I'm still looking for Lisa Peters' book, which is unfortunately not available at my local library ???!!) He explains evolution in such basic, straightforward terms that concepts like genetic mutation and natural selection are understandable to a 5 or 6 year old. And the pictures are stunning.

Some of my favorite science books that inspire are biographies of scientists. For young readers I especially think of Peter Sis' _Starry Messenger_ which tells the story of Galileo in a very simple text. It also includes quotes from Galileo's writing in the background of some of the illustrations -- they are so rich with detail that they add another dimension to the book for older/more interested readers. It was a 1997 Caldecott Honor book also (before the Sibert was around).

Happy reading! Robin



-Robin L. Gibson 55 Old Farm Road Granville, Ohio 43023 gibsonr at denison.edu
Received on Wed 13 Jul 2005 09:42:15 PM CDT