16th August Science Week

It is Science Week! If I was at school there would be a wonderful display of books for students to borrow, but we are home in lockdown. Today while planning lessons and locating poems that had a science focus, I thought of all the wonderful poetry books on the shelves at school that would have been helpful.

Here's a list:

* Spectacular Science by Lee Bennett Hopkins

* Our Big Home  by Linda Glaser and Elisa Kleven

* Thank You Earth by April Pulley Sayre 

  

* Volcano Wakes Up by Lisa Westberg Peters and Steve Jenkins

* Earthshake  by Lisa Westberg Peters and Cathie Felstead

* Ubiquitous by Joyce Sidman and Beckie Prange

* Red Sings from the Treetops by Joyce Sidman and Pamela Zagarenski

* Dark Emperor by Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen (in fact nearly anything by Joyce Sidman)

* Anything by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder

* Anything by Douglas Florian

* A Leaf Can Be

* Water Can Be

* A Rock Can Be  by Laura Salas

 

5th June World Environment Day Odd Socks Day

World Environment Day seeks to focus world attention on the environment and probably the best way to appreciate the environment is to get out and experience it. If you can't and even if you can it is also good to experience it
vicariously through books, in particular beautifully illustrated picture books. As World Environment has very similar aims to Earth Day, anything written about on 22nd April will apply to today as well. If you want to revel in the wonder of the natural environment read Carin Berger's The Little Yellow Leaf. Who can resist that art work?

Each year there is a theme for the day and this year's is 'Many Species. One Planet. One Future.' This was chosen so as to celebrate the incredible diversity of life on Earth as part of the 2010 International Year of Diversity. When I think of animals and plants and the word species my 'book' mind automatically returns to Douglas Florian, Steve Jenkins and Jeannie Baker. Time to rummage in the library for their books.

For Odd Socks Day see yesterday's post.

18th March Douglas Florian (1950)

The Sharks

Sharks can park

Wherever they wish.

They do not fear

The other fish.

Sharks can swim

Wherever they please.

On this each other

Fish agrees.

This is one of the fabulous sea creature poems that are in Douglas Florian's In the Swim.Young Australian children are fascinated by sharks and they will borrow shark books again and again, so a poster of this poem displayed in the library would be well read. American, Florian writes very quirky poems about all sorts of things and then illustrates the poems himself with equally unique paintings. His animal poetry anthologies such as Mammalabilia; Beast Feast and Insectopedia are fun to share with children. He writes about skinks, aardvarks, camels, flying fish, absolutely everything that you can think of. There is a very interesting interview explaining his unconventional work. His poems will be perfect for World Poetry Day on the 21st March!

PS. While researching for and collecting poems for Poetry Day I learned that Lillian Moore's birthday was yesterday and I didn't mention her. How remiss. She started her working life as a teacher so her poems appeal to young children. See her anthology I'm Small and Other Verse. Add her to your calendar. This poem of hers is very fitting for this moment!

I Left My Head

BY LILIAN MOORE

I left my head

somewhere

today.

Put it down for

just

a minute.

Under the

table?

On a chair?

Wish I were

able

to say

where.

Everything I need

is

in it!