15th February Galileo Day

One of the most important figures to come out of the awakening world of the Renaissance was Galileo Galelei. Galileo was forever asking questions. Is it possible to measure heat? Can you weigh air? Does the earth stand still or does it move? How fast do objects fall to the earth? These questions, and his answers to them, led to some of the most important discoveries ever in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and the natural world.

Among his many accomplishments Galileo advanced the astronomical telescope and invented the compound microscope. He measured the rotation of the sun, invented the thermometer, a geometrical compass, and the pendulum clock.

Albert Einstein called Galileo “the father of modern science.” 

When my daughter was at school she was fascinated by Galileo and how he proved that the sun was at the centre of the solar system. She was fascinated that people once thought the earth was flat and that you could walk off the edge. She was very happy to read whatever she could about Galileo so I brought books home from the school library.

Galileo for Kids by Richard Panchyk

This book will inspire kids to be stargazers and future astronauts or scientists as they discover Galileo's life and work. Activities allow children to try some of his theories on their own, with experiments that include playing with gravity and motion, making a pendulum, observing the moon, and painting with light and shadow. Along with the scientific aspects of Galileo's life, his passion for music and art are discussed and exemplified by period engravings, maps, and prints. 

I, Galileo  by Bonnie Christiansen

Bonnie Christensen adopts the voice of Galileo and lets him tell his own tale in this outstanding picture book biography. The first person narration gives this book a friendly, personal feel that makes Galileo’s remarkable achievements and ideas completely accessible to young readers. 

Galileo's Leaning Tower Experiment  by Wendy Mcdonald and Paolo Rui

When the great scientist and professor Galileo meets a bright farm boy, Massimo, the teacher becomes the student. On an ordinary day, Galileo encounters Massimo dropping food from a bridge to his uncle passing below in his boat.

Starry Messenger  by Peter Sis 

In every age there are courageous people who break with tradition to explore new ideas and challenge accepted truths. Galileo Galilei was just such a man--a genius--and the first to turn the telescope to the skies to map the heavens. In doing so, he offered objective evidence that the earth was not the fixed center of the universe but that it and all the other planets revolved around the sun. Galileo kept careful notes and made beautiful drawings of all that he observed. Through his telescope he brought the starts down to earth for everyone to see. 

And some more recent books about Galileo and his discoveries:

Galileo Galilei (2023) by Jane Kent and Isabel Munoz

Meet Galileo Galilei and discover the story of his life and work in this engagingly illustrated biography - narrated by the scientist himself. Astronomer, physicist, and philosopher Galileo Galilei was referred to as "The Father of Modern Science," because of his groundbreaking research. Making observations about nature, and using mathematics to back them up, he proved the Copernican Theory true: the Sun, not the Earth, is the centre of the universe.

Galileo Galilei (2024) by Alexandra Badiu and Anna Baker 

Tells the story of 'the father of science' - covering his origins as the son of a musician through his work in astronomy and optics, his troubles with the Church and his enduring legacy today.

Too hot February!

We have sweltered at school since the term began. The heat and humidity seem interminable. It doesn't make for productive teaching when everyone just wants to get cool. Why aren't schools air-conditioned? I tried the 'power of suggestion' by putting together library displays about swimming and ice cream.

Many of the preschool classes have been to the library for the first time and it is a long walk (not really but they think it is) so we pretended to eat ice cream, acted out an ice cream poem and read Sam Lloyd's Two Little Aliens . In this story two aliens find ice cream and don't know what to do with it. It always makes the children feel so knowledgeable and they laugh at the aliens.

The displays worked. All the ice cream books left the library very promptly.They went before I even had the chance to share Bob Graham's Vanilla Ice Cream or Peter Sis' Ice Cream Summer. I always  enjoy sharing Mr Plunkett's Pool too, as there are so many scenarios that arise and can then be  discussed by the children, especially with my students who think that everyone has a pool or lives near the beach.

Below are some of the books we put out on display.

23rd July Hot Dog Day; Vanilla Ice Cream Day

Hot dogs and ice cream are not necessarily topics we associate with children's books, but even national days such as these can in fact be celebrated by reading wonderful children's books.

Mo Willems has both topics covered by his popular pigeon in The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog  and by Elephant and Piggie in Should I Share My Ice Cream?

Tom Watson has both topics covered in his series about Stick Dog, Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog and Stick Dog Dreams of Ice Cream. These quick-read novels are extremely popular with my able readers in Year 2. They will be very excited to see Book 4 has just arrived.

Then these three ice-cream books just should not be missed by anyone!
• Vanilla Ice Cream  by Bob Graham
• Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sis
• I Scream Ice Cream by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Serge Bloch (just amazing word play to revisit and ponder over often)

12th October Christopher Columbus

While Columbus Day it is not a holiday in Australia and we do not celebrate the anniversary of his arrival in the Americas on 12th October, 1492, given that I have spent so much time with picture book biographies lately, I thought I would look at two books that are in my library about Columbus.

They are both well worth reading.

• The First Voyage of Christopher Columbus 1492 by Barry Smith, is the easier of the two so it is suitable for a younger audience. It tells the story from the point of view of a sailor who goes on the journey with Columbus. This is not the journey where Columbus reaches the Americas, but it gives the reader a feel for the time and the uncertainty of  exploration. It also has a large fold out map at the back to chart the journey.


• Follow the Dream the Story of Christopher Columbus by Peter Sis does not have a lot of text but the illustrations probably appeal more to older children and adults. It too, examines the uncertainty of exploration, the beliefs that there was more to the world and the adventurous nature of Columbus.

Champions Read 1 - Science Champions

In Australia the theme for Book Week this year is Champions Read, probably partly because of its close proximity to the Olympic Games. As I only teach very young children from 3 to 8 years old, this theme didn't strike me as being that exciting and I wasn't all that enthusiastic, but the more I have thought about it and the wider I am able to make the definition of 'champion' the better I feel about it. I have been putting together a reading list of picture book biographies for teachers and my Year 2 Book Club group and have decided to spread them out over several blog entries. I plan to look at Champions of Science; Champions of the Environment; Champions of Art; Champions of Literature and others as well as Champions of Sport.

For me a champion is:

• someone who surpasses all rivals,

• someone who commits an act and is worthy of positive recognition for such an act,

• someone who vigorously supports a cause.

To start with Science Champions:

Mary Anning (1799 - 1847) fossil collector

As a young girl in Lyme Regis, England she collected fossils along the shoreline. She is believed to have been the first to find the bones of an Ichthyosaurus. There are two picture books that tell her story:

* The Fossil Girl by Catherine Brighton, and

* Stone Girl Bone Girl by Laurence Anholt who also lives in Lyme Regis.

Eratosthenes - (276 BC - 194BC)

Greek philosopher and scientist who compiled the first geography book and accurately measured the globe's circumference. This book tells his story:

* The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky

Galileo (1564 - 1642) astronomer

* Starry Messenger by Peter Sis

* I, Galileo by Bonnie Christensen

John Tebbutt (1834 - 1916) Australian astronomer

* Bright Star by Gary Crew and Anne Spudvilas. This book tells the story of Alicia whose life is influence by John Tebbutt.

Buzz Aldrin (1930 - ) astronaut

* Reaching For the Moon by Buzz Aldrin

Charles Darwin - naturalist

There are a large number of picture books about Darwin's life, but these three are in my library and offer the opportunity for a thorough examination of his work and life with wonderful illustrations.

* What Mr Darwin Saw by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom

* One Beetle Too Many by Kathryn Lasky

* The Tree of Life by Peter Sis

The students who are interested in Darwin will also like this biography about the geneticist, Mendel.

* Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas by Cheryl Bardoe

And lastly, although I am sure there are many more that you would add, a book about Thomas Edison.

* Odd Boy Out by Don Brown

27th January Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the son of a violinist who was considered a wonderchild because of his piano playing and ability as a composer. While there are plenty of expository texts about his life, there are also many picture books about him or his music. Some that we have are:

• Play, Mozart, Play! by Peter Sis

• Mozart Finds a Melody by Stephen Constanza

• Young Mozart by Rachel Isadora

• The Magic Flute by Kyra Teis

and this story that focuses on his sister who was also a clever musician

• For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart by Elizabeth Rusch

11th May Peter Sis (1949) Salvador Dali (1904 - 1989)

Peter Sis writes and illustrates picture books that are multilayered and thus read by audiences of all ages. Adults comment on how much they learned from a Sis book or how much they wanted to just sit and wonder at the illustrations, yet children in the Prep library will pick up Sis books that are on display and bring them to me to show me something that they have seen and want to ask about. His illustrations are detailed and complex, but appealing and they 'move', as if they are part of a film. So I wasn't surprised to read that Sis was a film-maker in Czechoslovakia where he was born and grew up, until 1982 when the Polish government sent him to Los Angeles to make a film about the Winter Olympics. While there he applied for asylum and it was granted. After contacting Maurice Sendak he became an illustrator and artist and now lives in New York.

While Sis has some pre-school books such as Fire Truck; Trucks, Trucks, Trucks and Dinosaur!, and other picture books for young children such as his Madlenka titles, it is his more complex books such as Tibet Through the Red Box; The Tree of Life; and Starry Messenger that set him apart from other illustrators. These books are outstanding!

"With Sís, everything is multilayered and full of surprises. Getting it all in one read is like seeing the Metropolitan Museum of Art in an afternoon." --The San Diego Tribune

Secondly, today is artist Salvador Dali's birthday, so it's a good ti

me to share Dali and the Path of Dreams by Anna Obiolis and Joan Surbirana or to have an Adventure in Art with Angela Wenzel's The Mad, Mad, Mad, World of Salvador Dali. Another source of inspiration worth exploring is the Children's Art blog.