Nonfiction Review - How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland

Dinosaur mania continues to reign supreme around Casa de Kinser. Even as I type this, the kiddo is building a "jurassic island" in the living room, using the new dinosaur figures he bought as his souvenir from Disneyland (yes, my kid is such a dino freak that he even chooses to buy dino-themed toys from the happiest place on Earth). We cannot make it home from the library without first perusing the nonfiction shelves to see what new titles may have appeared, and dinos continue to be the favorite topic of dinner-time conversation, from Sprout's perspective at least.

So you might imagine that Mama scored a big hit when I brought home Jessie Hartland's nonfiction title How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum. I thought this book was going to be a bit of a stretch for Sprout, as it's cataloged in the juvenile nonfiction rather than the picture book section. It's also pretty text-intensive, but no matter - Sprout hung in through the whole thing, and has requested it multiple times as bedtime reading. There are nice bits of new vocabulary used here, but Hartland gives them plenty of context so even younger readers can interpret what she's trying to get across. That's a very nice touch, for my money, as it gives kids practice at puzzling out contextual cues, a critical skill in developing reading comprehension.

The nice thing about How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum is it's not just a dry recital of facts. When I remember nonfiction from my own youth, it was all pretty serious stuff - those authors were in it for communicating information, not for spicing things up with story and character and that kind of frivolity. But Hartland has a different approach. She's telling kids the story of a Diplodocus that was unearthed at what is now Dinosaur National Monument in northeastern Utah. We start out in the beginning, when Diplodocus was living, and discover the changes that happen to the environment after her death. Then Hartland brings in the humans who discover the bones of the Diplodocus - first a dinosaur hunter, then a paleontologist to confirm the find, then a group of excavators to begin looking for the rest of the skeleton. Each step of the way, a new spread discusses the role of the next set of experts to work on the Diplodocus, even as Hartland reinforces the steps that went before.

This is a really thorough overview of all the people involved in the process of bringing a dinosaur to the museum. What I appreciated most, aside from the care taken to describe the job of each individual group of specialists, was the illustrations. They are approachable and have high kid-appeal, and it's great that Hartland incorporates some diversity within her cast of characters. Granted, there could be more, but I appreciate that there was an effort to keep the people somewhat diverse.The experts aren't all middle-aged white men - there are women and people of color there too. Sprout thought it was cool that there's a female welder on one of the pages ("girls can do that job too!"). There are also some small touches of humor throughout, such as the Diplodocus being tickled by the feather duster, and problems that arise which need to be solved creatively.

How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum is just one of Jessie Hartland's nonfiction titles; similar books include How the Meteorite Got to the Museum and How the Sphinx Got to the Museum. These are great choices for homeschooling families, for classrooms and libraries. If you want to spark questions and get your kids thinking before an upcoming trip to a museum, check out this or Hartland's other titles. You might just find yourself surprised by how the dinosaur got where she is!

How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland, published by Blue Apple Books
Ages 6-10
Source: Library
Sample: "Here, rooting around the old river bed in 1923, is the Dinosaur Hunter. He has studied geology, pored over maps and books, and knows roughly where to look for dinosaur fossils. After searching and digging for months and months, he finds AN UNUSUALLY LARGE BONE in what today we call Utah."
Recommended

Yes, Let's by Galen Goodwin Longstreth

One of the tasks that's been drawing my attention away from the blog these days is planning for our first family road trip. Travel is pretty important to our family life, and in fact we've figured out that we Kinsers get a bit itchy when we don't have a trip on the horizon. Hubs and I have been wanting to do a road trip for a while, but while Sprout was still pretty little it seemed like it would be more of a headache than anything. (Let's face it -- when your kiddo is potty training, even a trip to the grocery store can require an unplanned stop!) But now that he's almost five (FIVE??!??), it seems much more doable. And so we're planning to hit the road in early summer for a road trip to Utah to see (what else?) dinosaurs. :)

But though our summer trip is going to be several days, there's no substitution for a day heading off into the wilds to have an adventure. Living in the Pacific Northwest, there's a bounty of natural wilderness all around us, and we love to get out and explore. A recent read of ours -- Galen Goodwin Longstreth's Yes, Let's -- introduces kids to just how thrilling it can be to see what nature has in store. (I didn't know until I read her bio that Galen Longstreth is from Seattle, but it totally makes sense!) Right from the get-go, you know this is going to be a fun title; the endpapers are styled like the family's refrigerator, complete with trail map, photos from past outings, lists ("animals to look for") and a grocery list, helpfully amended by one of the young members of the party to include basic staples -- like chocolate chips.

And that's just the beginning of the delightful illustrations by Maris Wicks, who definitely knows how to capture family life. Here we have a family of seven: Mom, Dad and four children, plus their adorable scruffy puppy, and they are out for a day of exploration. "Let's wake up extra early, before the day gets hot. / Let's pack a picnic, hurry up -- ready or not." So begins the adventure, where we see the family cajoling Mom and Dad out of bed, then the whole crew packing lunch (the youngest pouring extra extra chocolate chips into the trail mix. . . hence the grocery list addition!).

The tone Longstreth strikes throughout this one-of-a-kind picture book is spot on. Yes, Let's is all happy excitement, the anticipation of the events buoying the family through. Even though some small mishaps do occur, nothing can deter from the pure delight of experience. The joy of dropping backpacks and shedding layers down to swimsuits, then jumping into the possibly-too-cold-at-first water; the hopefulness of making boats out of sticks and leaves; the laziness of lounging with a book on the riverbank -- it's all here, evoking memories of encounters past for parents, and building the thrill of future outings in the minds of kids. The day winds down as the book does, with a stop for dinner and then a parent toting in a sleeping child. It's a classic summer adventure, the kind captured in photos to remember afterward. Who among us hasn't had days much like this, and long for the same for our own children?

Yes, Let's is a terrific book that deserves a wide audience, because it's about nothing more than enjoying time together in nature, as a family. Read this one now, if you're itching for spring, and start to plan your own summer escapades. It's fun to have adventures together -- so let's!

Yes, Let's by Galen Goodwin Longstreth, published by Tanglewood Books
Ages 3-6
Source: Library
Sample: "Let's hike the trail, hop the stream, and duck the fallen logs. / Let's go this way, we've got all day -- someone call the dog."
Recommended

30 Days of Picture Books - Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters by Jane Yolen

Today is Day 19 of our 30 Days of Picture Books. Our book for today is one that just makes me smile every time I look at the cover, or even hear the title for that matter. Do you have a picture book that makes you happy right on sight? That's one of the things I love most about children's books - when was the last time a tell-all memoir or work of literary fiction made you burst into a smile?

Tonight we're sharing Jane Yolen's Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters. Yolen's a legend in the world of kidlit. It has to be the very rare child nowadays who hasn't heard at least one of Yolen's books before moving out of elementary school, and for good reason - Yolen captures the moments of kidlit like few other authors can. Whether she's addressing serious issues or just exploring the playful side of life, this is an author who knows what kids like and excels at giving it to them.

And it is that very playfulness that's at the center of Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters. Young fans of the Pixar franchise are the obvious audience for this title, which explores a monster neighborhood full of creatures at their leisure. We're following a pair of monster siblings as they take a trip to the park with Mom. They're sliding down slides, blowing bubbles, riding bikes and sailing boats. And at the end of the afternoon, everyone wants to cool off with a monster-sicle, of course - but unfortunately a little spat ensues, a scenario any parent will find oh-so-familiar.

Yolen's simple, direct phrases are brought to life with deadly cute illustrations by Kelly Murphy. Murphy's translated many of the characteristic behaviors of young children into a monster-verse populated with kids at play. Readers will love poring over the pages to see all the small details Murphy includes, and all the adorable facial expressions (Sprout loves the page where our starring characters fall on the ground during a three-legged race). And adults will see the humor in the parallels with  our own days out with little ones.

At days' end, the monster sibs are headed home with Mom, tired and full of great memories. And when you close the book, you'll share the monster mama's smile at another childhood day gone by.

Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters by Jane Yolen, published by Candlewick Press

Picture a Tree by Barbara Reid

Last summer our next-door neighbor cut down a couple of old apple trees in her yard. It was a sad experience for us because we loved to watch the squirrels and birds in those trees, plus we really enjoyed the shade they provided. It's been a year and while our own trees are flourishing now that the bigger ones aren't blocking the sun, we still miss those old trees. Sprout asks about them at least once a week, as in his comment this morning that, "You know, I can't tell why someone would just cut a tree down for nothing." (Me either, kid.)

Fortunately we had a little treasure hiding in the library basket that helped us talk through our thoughts about trees. Barbara Reid's Picture a Tree is a lovely, lyrical celebration of trees and all the ways we can see them. Reid describes how we encounter trees and how we might view them, as though they are characters in our personal stage-play of life. There are some really clever juxtapositions of illustration and phrase, resulting in a lot of subtle humor. The prose is spare, each sentence carefully constructed to relay Reid's message with no unnecessary words. As we read this one, we often had to stop and take in the meaning Reid was trying to impart, a trait of the best picture books, in my opinion.

I love the emphasis on diversity here - not only does Reid show us trees of all varieties and stages, but she also includes a multi-ethnic population as varied as the trees themselves. That's a great bonus for books like these, where race isn't the driver of the story and people are just people, unique to themselves. Plus the illustrations here are just marvelous. Reid uses a technique where she molds Plasticine to make her scenes, and blends in paint for effect. The result is really tremendous to see - it reminds me somewhat of those old clay-mation films of my childhood, because you honestly feel like Reid's characters are going to jump off the page, they're that expressive. That just adds so much depth to the overall message of Picture a Tree, broadening the kid-appeal even more.

This is a nice title to share with even the youngest children, to include in units about the seasons or nature, or just to browse through yourself. Adults will get the shades of meaning and humor, but kids will love this title too (Sprout definitely did, enough that we've had to keep renewing our library copy). Colorful and thoughtful, warm and expressive, Picture a Tree is just the thing to help young explorers understand all that trees are and can be - and to get them thinking about how we see things in very different ways.

Picture a Tree by Barbara Reid, published by Albert Whitman & Company
Ages 4-7
Source: Library
Sample: "There is more than one way to picture a tree. / You may see a drawing on the sky. / A game of dress-up. / The first drops of color. . . then all the art supplies at once."
Recommended

Library Find: In the Park by Huy Voun Lee

Wow oh wow, are we glad to see the warmer weather around these parts! I'm telling you, it's no mean feat keeping a four-year-old busy and engaged when the weather's too foul to play outside. And so we soak up as much outdoor time as we can once the clouds start to dissipate. This year we've been working on a big yard project, and Sprout's been right in the thick of things, helping us dig, hauling dirt and weeds in his wagon, and riding his brand-new birthday bike. Bonus: he sleeps like the dead every night! :)

Of course we had to read some summer-themed books to sustain the mood, right? And among the treasures we unearthed on a recent library trip is Huy Voun Lee's picture book In the Park. This title is part of Lee's Season Series, which includes At the Beach, In the Snow, and In the Leaves. Today's pick is an oldie, so you might have to look a bit for it - I'd try the library, or a good used bookstore if you want to own your own copy.

I'm hard put to say what we like most about this title, because there are several elements that make it not only fun to read but also a treat for the eyes. Firstly, there's the plot: as the weather turns nice, Xiao Ming and his mother head to the park to enjoy an afternoon outside. Mother suggests that they work on their Chinese characters together while they are there. As the pair explores, she finds opportunities to teach Xiao Ming new characters based on what they see. The character for earth, for instance, looks like a plant growing. The sight of a bird in flight presents a chance to learn the character for bird. Even a spring storm helps Mother introduce the character for umbrella.

What's great about the Chinese characters is that Lee helps readers learn how to write them, presenting visual examples as well as helpful hints for remembering them. Each character is tied to an event in the book, and kids will have fun guessing what character the pair will be writing based on what the illustrations show. And let me tell you, these illustrations are really stunning, as Lee uses cut-paper collage to articulate the actions of the story. Each page includes lots of small elements that deepen the visual impact, such as shadows on a hilltop or dandelion seeds wisping in the wind. There's a ton of diversity here too, a real bonus for all audiences. Lee elevates what could be a didactic premise into a gorgeous one, that not only celebrates a culture but also the relationship between a mother and son.

The first and last pages of In the Park are a glossary of the Chinese characters included. For each character, Lee has included a visual reference, the character itself, its meaning, and the written word in Chinese, with its pronunciation. This is a very nice touch and helps take the book to the next level, in my estimation. Families familiar with Mandarin will en;joy the book, but it's also a nice one to share with children as an aid to reinforce linguistic similarities and differences. And kids can't help but be intrigued by the images formed by these characters - Sprout was fascinated at the thought that each word is its own little picture!

I've said it before but I'll say it again - tying books into the events happening in our lives is one of the best ways to reinforce the relevance of literature for children. And when there's an opportunity to do so while including a multicultural theme, the benefits grow exponentially. Check this one out and see what I mean!

In the Park by Huy Voun Lee, published by Henry Holt
Ages 3-6
Source: Library
Sample: "Xiao Ming and his mother walk until they come to a stream. 'What does this look like to you?' she asks Xiao Ming as she stops to draw. 'It looks like water flowing,' Xiao Ming says. 'It must be the character for stream."
Recommended

Poetry Review - A Stick is an Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer

It's nearly summer! By the calendar at least, if not fully by the weather forecast here in Northwest Washington. We've had a couple of warm days already, though. During one of them, Sprout and Daddy happened to be out at the park just at the perfect moment when they were testing the splash pad, and Sprout got to have an impromptu run-through-the-sprinklers moment. Other than that we haven't had the chance to do a lot of summery things yet, but we're definitely looking forward to them: more bike rides, popsicles, picking strawberries, playing in the wading pool, watching the fireworks. Blissful.

In keeping with the spirit of the season is Marilyn Singer's new book A Stick is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play. Singer's the author of a number of well-loved books for children, including I'm Your Bus, which Sprout loves for its transportation theme, and A Full Moon is Rising, last year's gorgeous book that takes a look at how different cultures incorporate the phases of the moon. What I loved about the latter title is that we can dip into it at any point, reading the page or pages that catch Sprout's fancy. And isn't that the best thing about poetry - the way each individual piece shines like its own unique gem?

In this latest title, Singer is celebrating life after the last day of school. And who wouldn't be anxious to hear that final bell ring, if they were enjoying all the wonderful fun that bursts forth from Singer's terrific poems? The poems vary in length and subject, everything from a boy who's playing catch with his dog, to a game of double dutch, to a romp through the backyard sprinkler ("Get wet! Jump out! / And always SHOUT!"). Each one perfectly encapsulates a summer experience that brings me back to those seemingly endless summer days, riding my bike with the neighbors or waiting and watching for the temperature to get warm enough to go swimming.

And the very best part of Stick, in our estimation, is that the book is entirely peopled with multicultural characters. There are kids here in every shade of skin tone and hair color, all frolicking together through Singer's delightful poems and enjoying the bounty of summer. LeUyen Pham did the illustrations here and as usual they are a true joy to look at. Not only does she capture the wicked fun these kids are having, she also evokes a retro vibe that will remind parents of their own summer days.

A Stick is an Excellent Thing is a winner for lots of reasons, and one that you'll love including as part of your summer reading routine. Oh, and for reluctant readers it's just the thing to keep those skills up over the break. Once they read one or two of these snappy pieces, they'll want to read the whole book (and so will you!).

A Stick is an Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer, published by Clarion Books
All Ages
Source: Library
Sample: "This bubble I'm blowing, / this bubble is growing -- / this bubble of ginormous size. / It's as big as a plate. / You can watch it inflate. / This bubble will win me a prize!"
Recommended

Bonus: take a peek inside the book at the Seven Impossible Things blog