NSTA Blog - Peggy A.
Mystery Animal Tracks: A Photo Riddle Book by Kelly Barnhill (Capstone Press, 2010) introduces tracks with a human example and then gives text clues to the owner of each footprint before revealing the animal that made it on the next page. The text clues only work if the children have some familiarity with the animal so you can omit them or skip the misleading ones such as “Backwards Bounder” for a rabbit. It’s unfortunate that the raccoon was labeled a “bandit” with the markings of a “robber’s mask”. But the photos of footprints in place show how the animal moved in addition to the shape of their feet. You can wonder aloud, “I wonder why (this animal) has big/small/padded/hoofed feet?” to begin a conversation about how feet function. http://nstacommunities.org/blog/2010/02/07/impressions-in-the-snow/
February 7, 2010Children's Book A Day Blog
"When an animal walks the muddy banks of a river, it leaves its footprints behind. Can you guess what animal left the tracks? Read the clues, check out the photos, and put on your detective hats! A flip of the page reveals fun facts and the photo answer." Read on.............. This eye-catching and engaging book will hold the attention of children both young and old as they guess what animal left the footprint in the sand, mud, water, snow, etc. The author Kelly Barnhill engages the readers by asking: "Can you guess... which animal left the tracks in each picture?" Here is an example from her book: "Handprint bandit See my tiny handprints in the dirt beside the shed? see the little footprints made when I stole some bread? I have 10 fingers and 10 toes. but human I am not. My black-ringed tail and robber's mask make me easier to spot. WHO AM I? The reader studies the picture of the footprints and turns the page.... OK how many of you guessed raccoon? When you turn the page, there is a huge picture of a raccoon along with a short description.... "Raccoons are very clever. They use their fingers to open garbage cans and to dig for grubs. They can even peel the husks off ears of corn!" This book is very well written and designed! I enjoyed the riddles, descriptions, photos, colors and overall layout of the book! What a clever read! This is a great addition to any school, public, or home library. This would be a good introduction to animals for children of all ages and especially reluctant readers as the text is kept to a minimum, the animal photos are large, and the book is overall colorful and cheery! Barnhill includes a Glossary, Read More, Internet Sites, Index, and About the Author at the end! Kudos to Capstone for another fine publishing job! http://dailychildbook.blogspot.com/2010/04/capstone-publisher-presents-mystery.html
April 22, 2010
