Imagine a Time by Penny Harrison illustrated by Jennifer Goldsmith

 

"Image a time when all the world stops ... "

This might sound familiar. Everyone is now at home. No one goes to work or school. The aeroplanes stay on the ground, ships stop in their docks and cars, buses and trains all stop. This slow-down and stopping means people slow down too. They are allowed outside in family groups and many discover nature. Meanwhile nature itself begins to creep back into the city. People have time to ...

"hunt for orchids and gaze at the moon and they listen with hope to the birds' morning tune."

Eventually the clocks do restart but perhaps some magic from those very different times still lingers.

I wonder how many university papers will be written based around books that are set during the Covid lockdowns. There are middle grade novels and picture books - and that is the setting for Imagine a Time. When adults in the future try to explain the impact of Covid and the way we all stayed home and were forced to slow down, Imagine a Time would be a good discussion starter. I especially like the way these strange times are presented in a very positive light. We did stay home but many people also discovered bush walks in their local area and indeed some wild animals did find their way into deserted city streets.

Here are some simple teachers notes. Here is a review from The Bottom Shelf. 

Here are some other books by Penny Harrison and by Jennifer Goldsmith.

Wings, Waves and Webs: Patterns in Nature by Robin Mitchell Cranfield

Image from the author web page

Teachers of the preschool groups who visit the library I visit each week often ask for books about patterns. I am guessing this topic must be part of their curriculum. 

My friend from kinderbookswitheverything has a fabulous collection of books about patterns. This one is very special. 

What is a pattern? "Anything repeated in a regular way can form a pattern. A circular shape repeated again and again becomes a dotty pattern we call spots. .... This book is about patterns we can see in nature; some are big, some wild, some beautiful, in rivers and snowflakes and eggshells and clouds."

Publisher blurb: From the dots on a ladybug to the spiral on a snail, patterns in nature can be found anywhere. This simple and playful concept book introduces the littlest of readers to both math and nature while engaging their creative potential. By the end, kids will be able to identify:

• Spots and stripes
• Spirals and symmetry
• Waves and honeycombs
• And more

Simple and bright, the artwork pleases the eye as much as it invites young readers to try their hands at copying patterns in their own drawings. The end result is a thoroughly grounded introduction that takes readers a step beyond shape recognition. The final spread depicts a cheerful nature scene and encourages readers to identify as many patterns as they can. A surefire way to get children excited about observing their world. Kirkus

On the author page you will find a link to teachers notes plus other examples of pages from this book. 

Here is part of the end paper image:

I would pair this book with:

My First book of Patterns

Fungi Grow by Maria Gianferrari illustrated by Diana Sudyka

In this book you will discover so much about fungi and mushrooms. How spores are distributed and threads called hyphae which are a little like roots. The colours used on some pages almost look damp which are the perfect conditions for fungi to grow. The only extra I wanted in this book was a list of all the fungi they mention - so many have such quirky and interesting names. 

At the back of this book there is a glossary, a fact page, a list of sources, a further reading list for children, and a long list of websites. Kirkus say this book is thin on detail but I disagree - the really terrific thing about this book is that it is sure to be a jumping off point fueling more curious questions about all forms of fungi.

In a school library it can be easy to think of your nonfiction collection only in terms of syllabus topics but really your collection should be way more eclectic.  I don't imagine many classes study mushrooms, but they are so fascinating, and I am sure a curious child and their parents will thoroughly enjoy this book which is enhanced with scrumptious illustrations. If you visit a library and browse near Dewey number [579.6] I wonder how many other books you will find about fungi? Here's one that is quite old but it could easily be in a school library as these Read and Wonder (later called Nature Storybooks) are so fabulous and most school libraries added titles from this series to their collection. 

Just for fun here are some of the fungi Fungi Grow by Maria Gianferrari - cotton rot fungus; pear-shaped puffball; stinkhorn mushrooms; yellow morel; deer mushroom; chanterelle; and rusty-gilled polypore. See inside Fungi Grow here. 

... readers will come away dazzled by the kingdom’s huge variety of forms and colors, a bit more informed about fungi’s potential uses for industry and waste disposal, and properly warned off from eating any found mushrooms without an expert’s OK.  Kirkus

This vibrantly illustrated picture book sheds a comprehensive light on the often-overlooked mushroom. At first glance, this is a book for younger readers, but each page also features more detailed facts and information about the fascinating fungi world that older elementary students will appreciate as well. … A noteworthy addition to all collections and a book that is sure to enthrall young biologists. School Library Journal

Read more about the science of fungi here.

You can see other books by Maria Gianferrari here. I previously mentioned Diana Sudyka when I talked about this book:

Nightsong by Sally Soweol Han

The world is never quiet. Adults are talking, clocks are ticking, even the 'fridge is not silent. Lewis is surrounded by sounds indoors while he waits for his mum there are more sounds outdoors as they walk along a busy city street to catch the bus. They climb aboard and the hum of the bus engine nearly lulls Lewis to sleep until ...

A flat tyre! POP!

Lewis has his device which usually distracts him but out in the countryside it stops working (thank goodness) and so Lewis sets off to explore.

"The more he listens the more he hears. And the more he wants to see."

He hears the birds and insects. He hears an owl and a possum. He hears the splash of the fish in the creek and the ribbit ribbit of some frogs. It sure is noisy out here in nature.

"The night sounds become a song."

Finally, a new bus arrives, and everyone climbs on board, but Lewis is no longer tired. His mind replays all the wonderful sounds of nature all the way home.

You could easily share this book as part of a mini theme on listening, nighttime and the sounds of nature. Check out this post or type any of these titles at the bottom of this post into my side bar. If you read this book with your own children it would be fabulous to go outside and listen to all the night noises. You could also do this in the daytime to compare. In our city we have a display of hanging bird cages with electronic bird sounds - they change over the day to match when you would actually hear these birds in a forest. Strangely even though it is just a series of recordings it is a magical place right in the centre of the city.

Can I just also say NOTHING beats actually doing something relating to the book you are enjoying either with your young reading companion or even your class. I was talking with a friend today. Our NSW schools are killing books in their classrooms with over analysis. In the book read by this group - Storm Boy by Colin Thiele - the word tussock is used. Surely instead of spending an hour analyzing this word it would be way better to just head outside and look at some clumps of grass. Also, I am sure the wonderful illustrator Robert Ingpen shows readers exactly what this looks like around the sand dunes which are the setting of this famous Australian book.

Here are some other books to read alongside Nightsong.

Night Lunch

Sally Soweol Han won the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) New Illustrator award for her book Tiny Wonders.

Wait! Wait! by Hatsue Nakawaki illustrated by Komako Sakai translated by Yuki Kaneko

A young child sees a fluttering butterfly. We hear the off-stage voice saying Wait! Wait! On the next page the child lifts their arms and looks up as the butterfly flutters away. Moving along the child spies a small lizard on the path. Wait! Wait! Oh no - he has wiggled away. But this is not a problem because now there are three pigeons ready to distract the child but the warning of Wait! Wait! is ignored and so the pigeons flap their wings and fly away. Perhaps these two cats will want to play? No. Never mind there are plenty of other things to explore now that we see all of these tiny moments have been happening at their local park. It is a simple day but it is a day of joy between a father and child with green grass, sunshine and tiny moments to explore and experience. 

There are only thirty words in this book but, as with the very best children's picture books, so much more is going on. This is a book you just have to talk about as you read it with a very young child. Begin with the cover - did you spy the little bee?

Dressed in white overalls, a striped shirt, and chunky shoes, the toddler (who could easily be a boy or a girl) is the star of every spread. ... A lovely and intimate study of a child’s growing sense of independence, capability, and curiosity.  Publisher's Weekly

Sakai’s soft, delicate acrylic-and–oil-pencil illustrations are breathtaking. The butterfly, lizard, pigeons and cats are brilliantly depicted in vivid, accurate detail, while the child is all expressive softness and yearning as she encounters each new experience. Each double-page spread is a sea of white, with a single large-print sentence and a lightly drawn hint of setting, allowing the characters and action to hold center stage. Parents and their little ones will snuggle together to read this joyous evocation of the newness and wonder of the world over and over again. Tender and wistful and glorious. Kirkus Star review

This simple little book captures so nicely the speed of a toddler’s thoughts and the way that they can keep so busy with new discoveries in their day.  There is a wonderful gentleness to the book, where the animals and then the adult are just as much fun and intriguing as one another.  At the same time, there is a sense of discovery and awe as each new creature is found. Waking Brain Cells

When I saw the art of Komako Sakai in The Bear and the Wildcat I fell in love with her work. This book Wait! Wait! was waiting for me at a recent charity book sale. It was published in 2013 and luckily for me this copy is in mint condition and only cost $2! I love this book SO much. My dilemma is do I keep this book - my own shelves are packed full - or do I gift this to a young child?

Here is the Japanese cover  こりゃまてまて

 And the German edition has an entirely different cover:

Would you come too? by Liz Garton Scanlon illustrated by Diana Sudyka

 

I guess this book is meant to be a reaction to our dependence on devices - to encourage children and the adults in their lives to switch off and head outside but for me this is also a book that could use used as a wonderful writing stimulus. 

Every page has the words "If we were ... "

If we were walls ...
If we were a pond ...
If we were tadpoles ...
If we were a nest ...
If we were seeds ...

This book will also encourage you to head outside and hopefully be more observant of the natural environment. 

The strength of this book to my eye, though, comes from the illustrations. The style reminds me of Julia Sarda and Felicita Sala. See inside books illustrated by Diana Sudyka here. You might like to follow her on Instagram. Her book Sometimes Rain has a Kirkus Star review. In this interview Diana Sudyka talks to Betsy Bird (they both live in Chicago). 

A lyrical meditation on the magic of outdoor play that’s creditable for its back-to-nature message. Kirkus

This whimsical and poignant picture book celebrates playing outside and invites readers to grab some friends, gear up their imaginations, and immerse themselves in nature. A Book and a Hug

Here are other books by Liz Garton Scanlon

Read more about Kate, the girl who tamed the Wind

I can see Nature's Rainbow by Vicky Woodgate

 

"Some creatures use colour to camouflage themselves, others to send a warning or to attract a mate. While plants can't talk, their colours are often designed to say 'Eat me!' to animals. From red monkeys and white whales to green sloths and purple snails, discover the amazing rainbow world we are so lucky to live in."

This book is from the UK, but it does contain animals from around the world including our Australian Quokka and Kangaroo. I think this book would be a popular one in your school or preschool library - I imagine it might have been offered on Scholastic Book Club in 2023 as they are the publisher. 

A few discoveries from this book:

Blue - Blue Tang (fish) change colour depending on their mood; No land mammals are completely blue but some have blue faces such as the Golden Snub-nosed monkey; Blue Whales eat up to 40 million kril each day.

Green - The (green) Northern Birdwing butterfly can measure more than 22cm; a green toadstool is the Parrot Waxcap; algae grow on the fur of the sloth turning it green.

Brown - The ring-tailed cat is a cousin of the racoon; Brown bears can outrun a horse.

Red - Red foxes have whiskers on their legs and retractable claws; a very poisonous plant is the Bleeding Heart.

Purple - I had not heard of the Purple Frog, Purple Lubber Grasshopper, Purple Martin (bird) or the Lilac-Breasted Roller (bird).

Image source: Project Noah

Pink - I'd love to see a pink-spotted Lady Beetle. 

Orange - The Zombie Frog is orange; and so is the Baboon Tarantula.

Yellow - this page includes a flower I always associate with a book - the Black-eyed Susan; the yellow in the eye of a lion helps it see better at night.

White - Mute Swan; Dwarf Hotot Rabbit; Snow Petrel; Giant Leopard Moth; Beluga Whale.

Grey - the collective noun for mushrooms is a troop; you need to know I am frightened of Geckos and now I discover one called a Grey Gargoyle Gecko.

Black - Polar bears have black skin; I like the name Chimney Sweeper Moth; the Dracula Orchid.

Chimney Sweeper Moth image source: Stewkley Wildlife Reserve

My favourite page in this book is near the end - it is filled with rocks and minerals of every colour. There is a full index and a page of projects at the back too.

Here is the web page for Vicky Woodgate.

Despite only having 32 pages, I Can See Nature’s Rainbow, is absolutely full to the brim with images and words explaining how diverse things are in the natural world. This will appeal to inquisitive children, in early years and KS1, who prefer information books. Just Imagine

Questions, Questions by Marcus Pfister

I am collecting books that are filled with open-ended questions like this one. They could be used in a classroom as discussion starters or as writing ideas or even as a model for writing your own questions.

Marcus Pfister wrote this book in 2011 so it is long out of print but if you can find it in a library, I would even suggest copying the pages to use for a class or library display.

Here are some of the thirteen rhyming questions I enjoyed:

• How do seeds know how to grow. To reach up from the earth below?
• Who paints the colours on the flowers that lift their heads to sun and showers?
• What turns the rain on in the sky and brings the sun to make things dry?
• Do apple seeds dream happily of growing up to be a tree?
• Does a whale make up a song so other whales will sing along?

In 2016 a Goodreads reviewer said: This book is filled with rhyming couplets. There are serious questions, silly questions, and questions students may never have thought to ask. I enjoy this book because it begins to spark curiosity for students as they think about the world around them. I would use this book to teach students how to write a question and how to use a question mark. We could create a book with our own questions in it and then look up the answers and create a book of answers. We could compare and contrast the questions in our book to the answers in the other.

Another thing to notice with this book is that every page and the cover have a tiny fragment of silver foil. It adds a sparkle, but it could also engage your young reading companion to hunt for this glint on every page. This addition should not surprise you when you realise Marcus Pfister is the creator of The Rainbow Fish. 

Marcus Pfister was born in Bern, Switzerland. After studying at the Art School of Bern, he apprenticed as a graphic designer and worked in an advertising agency before becoming self-employed in 1984. His debut picture book, The Sleepy Owl, was published by NorthSouth in 1986, but his big breakthrough came six years later with The Rainbow Fish. Marcus has illustrated over sixty-five books that have been translated into more than sixty languages and received countless international awards. He lives with his wife, Debora, and their children in Bern.

Naturopolis by Deborah Frenkel illustrated Ingrid Bartkowiak

 

Nature + 'metropolis’ = Naturopolis

"Look! The great grey city. All steel and stone. Tile and Tar. But wait! 

Look closer, look with care and you may find a forest.

The illustrations in this book are so appealing. Such fine details - the pages look scientific but also artistic. It is fun to keep hunting for the tiny ant on each page and in each setting. I do like the dandelions; the close-up page of moss; and the gum blossoms. The three rectangles which show close, closer, closest is so effective.  My favourite part of each page is the inclusion of a small tag - a bit like a tag that might be added to a specimen in a museum. I found this image to show you what I mean.

I was not sure what the spiders were eating when the text says “sharing the spoils of their hunt”? But spiders make me shudder, so I didn't want to look too closely at all those spiders.

Readers will enjoy all the tiny details in the illustrations and the way Ingrid paints textured surfaces. There is also a pleasing consistency in her use of colour. We see tiny glimpses of pink for example on the gum blossoms on one page, the gum nuts on another and then on a leaf tip on the final page. On her web page Ingrid Bartkowiak mentions “the arts and crafts movement”. The way she is able to draw and paint leaves did remind me of William Morris.

The wording of the text itself is lyrical and text fragments such as “tile and tar”; “cumbersome crumb”; “leaves like the teeth of a lion”; “tangle and tumble of froth”; and “the silence is easily bruised”. This book is a perfect combination of narrative and non-fiction.  

I really appreciate the intention of this book to make us slow down and notice the minutiae of life. I like the ethos of the Canberra publisher Story Torch Press: “books that promote resilience, sustainability and community engagement".

Curious readers will want to discover more about the Gravel Ant, dandelions, maidenhair fern, zooplankton, Silver Moss, Ghost Mushrooms, Wild Fennel, the Social Huntsman Spider, the Penny Lizard, the Ringtail Possum and the Tiny Logania. You can read more about each of these in the back matter. I had never heard of gravel ants - they are also known as meat ants!

Each page carefully reveals its wonders, paying particular attention to scale. We see the animal or plant from our point of view and then in closeup.  Each animal and plant is given its botanical name and some salient fact. Storylinks

Packed with gorgeous hand-painted fine art illustrations by Ingrid Bartkowiak and a beautiful story by Deborah Frenkel that blends fact with fiction, this is a heart-warming book with themes of hope, the environment and resilience. Better Reading

Here is an interview with Deborah Frenkel and Reading with a Chance of Tacos. And here is a video made for the publisher Story Torch Press where you can see the illustrator at work. And here is her webpage.

Naturopolis was shortlisted for the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) New Illustrator award for 2023. Here are the judges' comments (I was a judge for this round):

Bartkowiak brings to life the title of this book in a very assured style with high-quality, hand-painted fine art illustrations. The tactile front cover and endpapers are incredibly appealing and tempt the reader to peer into the world described in the written text. The whimsical illustrations and confident use of design convey convincing scenes of the human world juxtaposed effectively with the often-unseen natural world. The reader is invited to zoom into the tiny details of the natural environment with plenty to explore on each page, including hunting for the tiny ant in each setting which keeps the reader engaged. Bartkowiak uses a sublime repeating technique of three rectangles which illustrate close, closer, closest. There is also a pleasing consistency in the use of colour with tiny glimpses of pink on the gum blossoms, the gum nuts and later on a leaf tip.

It was also a Notable title in the Eve Pownall category. Here are some teachers notes.

Companion books:

Some Questions about Trees by Toni Yuly

Do tiny trees dream of being big?

Do the tallest trees get lonely?

What part is the heart of a tree?

Who tells the trees when spring is here?

I recently talked about Ask Me by Bernard Waber illustrated by Suzy Lee. Asking questions can be a great way to foster conversations. Some Questions about Trees is another perfect picture book. The questions are open ended, the illustrations look simple but are packed with impact and every page in this book has been beautifully crafted. Reading this book I had a deeply emotional reaction. 

The mixed-media art is spare, utilising white space and innocent character designs to fit the theme well. ... This is a very simple book, yet manages to inspire some deeper considerations – and appreciations – for trees. The Baby Bookworm

Our narrator is often just a smudge of teal (red in the winter thanks to her puffy coat) with dotted eyes and lines of messy hair, and the trees are simple but evocative, solid in trunks and branches with dashes of color for leaves and animals. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

See inside Some Questions about Trees here.

I have been thinking about who should buy this book. I would most certainly add it to a school library collection and perhaps even a preschool book shelf (if funds permit) but I also think this book could be a very special gift for a new arrival in a family or even at a time of sadness. You could gift the book with a small tree for their garden - that would be a truly special way to enjoy this book. 

Here is the web site for Toni Yuly. Her newest book will be Slowly Slowly due for publication in September 2023. Here is an interview with Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast. 

Companion books: