Poet James Carter selects his favourite and best poems, including many classroom classics, with pictures by an award-winning children's illustrator. Welcome to the weird, wild and wonderful world of James Carter! Expect to hear the moon speak, explore a magic wood and play air guitar. You'll meet wolves, elephants and a dung beetle; you'll get close to a gorilla and sing a lullaby to a woolly mammoth; you might even meet an alien in a library. Packed with James Carter's most popular and requested poems, plus 8 brand new poems, this is an important collection from one of the top children's poets writing today.
“What does this poem mean?” “How should I read it?” “How do we talk about it?” “What do I DO with it?” “What's the best way to assess it?” “How do I meet standards?” “When can I possibly fit it into my already over-packed day?” Have you ever asked these questions about poetry? The 30 Painless Classroom Poems series makes it easy for you, the elementary school teacher, media specialist, or reading specialist, to share poetry with your students. Whether you already love poetry or you fear or even actively dislike it, these books are for you. The poems, Notes from the Poet, extension activities written by experienced classroom teachers, and tips for using poetry in your classroom will have you sharing poems in no time. In Wacky, Wild, and Wonderful: 50 State Poems, award-winning poet Laura Purdie Salas (author ofBookSpeak!, Water Can Be…, and more) offers up a poem for every state, covering a wide variety of poetic forms, moods, and topics. Extension activities by teacher Catherine Flynn share ideas for spring-boarding from these poems into deeper learning across many content areas. Sample: Pennsylvania: Celebrity Weatherman Phil has no thermometers And no advanced degrees He only knows a cold front By its snapping, chapping breeze He can't interpret radar He's surprised by winter snows But Phil foretells the birth of spring Because his shadow knows ? Note: Every year since 1877, on February 2, a groundhog--who is always named Punxsutawney Phil--comes out of his hole in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. If he sees his shadow, tradition says, that means six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, that means winter is over. Thousands of people go to Gobbler's Knob, a hill outside the town center, each year to see Phil's Prognostication, and reporters around the country spread word of the results. A Note from the Poet: As high-tech as we are, we still love our traditions and superstitions. I love that every February 2nd, on Groundhog's Day, newspapers and news shows still report on whether Phil sees his shadow or not. Up here in Minnesota, we ignore Phil's prediction because there's no chance winter is going to end before mid-March! See all of the 30 Painless Classroom Poems at www.30PainlessClassroomPoems.com. Disclaimer: For those of you collecting all my 30 Painless Classroom Poems books, please note that some information, such as Why Poetry Matters and Classroom Poetry Tips, is repeated from book to book. The introduction to the book, the poems, the Notes from the Poet, and the classroom activities are unique to each book.
Andrew Zimmern loves food. In fact, there's practically nothing he won't try--at least once. As host of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods America on the Travel Channel, Andrew's passion is exploring how different foods are important to different cultures. Now, Andrew is sharing his most hilarious culinary experiences--as well as fun facts about culture, geography, art, and history, to name a few--with readers of all ages. Don't like broccoli? Well, what if you were served up a plate of brains, instead? From alligator meat to wildebeest, this digest of Andrew's most memorable weird, wild, and wonderful foods will fascinate and delight eaters of all ages, intrepid and...not so much.
A clever, funny, and informative look at the pets--from Calvin Coolidge's wallaby to Teddy Roosevelt's flying squirrels--that have passed through the White House gates. Perfect for fans of I Am George Washington and So You Want to Be President? President Truman famously said, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." And a dog is what many presidents got. From James Garfield to Calvin Coolidge to Richard Nixon, presidents often found a friend in Fido (in fact, Abe Lincoln's pup was actually named Fido). Others preferred cats, horses, small critters, or even big, ferocious animals like bears and alligators. With a catchy refrain ("If you want a friend in Washington . . . , "), this is a funny, educational book about the animals that have passed through the White House. Whether it's favorite dogs like Barbara Bush's Millie or the Obamas' Bo; Abraham Lincoln's cat, Dixie; Calvin Coolidge's hippo, Billy; or Andrew Jackson's foul-mouthed parrot, Poll, Erin McGill brings to life a menagerie of presidential pets in this entertaining, whimsical, and carefully researched picture book that's perfect for animal lovers and history buffs alike.
The bizarre beasts, incredible places, and peculiar phenomenons featured in this mind-blowing compendium are not just really weird - they're really real! With more than 125,000 copies sold worldwide, this wacky encyclopedia explores our world's most exciting oddities. Did you know there's a plant that eats mice? Or that you can dip your toe in a rainbow-colored river? From fiery tornadoes flying across the sky to huge sinkholes eating up the earth, each example is illustrated with jaw-dropping images and handy fast facts that provide the explanations behind the stories. Whether it's geography, people, places, animals, plants, or weather, Strange But True! is the ideal book for curious young minds who are fascinated by our weird and wonderful world.
In All Things Wild and Wonderful, Kobie Krüger brings us further stories of her life in the Kruger National Park, where her husband was a game ranger. After eleven years in the remote Mahlangeni region they are transferred, first to Crocodile Bridge and then to Pretorius Kop. Fully at peace in the wild and lonely landscapes of the north, Kobie fears she will never adapt to the relatively people-populated southern area. It takes time, but eventually she is able to acknowledge that the move has shown her 'other Edens' and has given her a store of new adn precious memories. Foremost among her memories is the unique experience of raising Leo, an abandoned lion cub. It is a fascinating and emotional encounter with the king of the beasts, which brings her and her family equal measures of joy and sorrow. Written with her usual warmth and humour, and imbued with her love of the wilderness and all its inhabitants, this new book is truly a celebration of all things wild and wonderful.
OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD! Winner of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award It started the summer of 2002, when the Springfield librarian, Molly McGrew, by mistake drove her bookmobile into the zoo. In this rollicking rhymed story, Molly introduces birds and beasts to this new something called reading. She finds the perfect book for every animal—tall books for giraffes, tiny ones for crickets. “She even found waterproof books for the otter, who never went swimming without Harry Potter.” In no time at all, Molly has them “forsaking their niches, their nests, and their nooks,” going “wild, simply wild, about wonderful books.” Judy Sierra’s funny animal tale coupled with Marc Brown’s lush, fanciful paintings will have the same effect on young Homo sapiens. Altogether, it’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
Age range 5+ Did you know that, in 2009, a massive dust storm inAustralia blew red dust and sand all the way to New Zealand, where it turnedthe glaciers pink? That, in 1899, Cyclone Mahina plucked dolphins out of theocean in Far North Queensland and deposited them on cliff tops? That it snowedat Uluru in 1997? In Australia's Wild Weird Wonderful Weather, readers are introduced tothe wide range of weather in Australia, with bite-size pieces of informationpresented alongside graphic illustrations to entice young readers. Olderreaders will enjoy the detailed explanations about everything weather, fromwhat causes certain phenomena to reading weather maps, exploring the climate ofthe past and preparing for the climate of the future. With sections aboutAustralia's extreme weather and the effects of climate change, Australia's Wild Weird Wonderful Weathergently introduces young readers to the challenges of a warming planet andencourages them to be mindful of impact their actions have on the environment. A resource section andglossary of weather words at the back of the book enable a parent, teacher or olderreader to satisfy the deeper interest in weather that the book is sure tostimulate. Link to Teachers' resources here
Kids should have a ball creating such wonders as an edible ocean or a greenhouse grown in a plastic bag. Among the 78 recipes are instructions for making such revolutionary new artistic mediums as whipped cream finger paint, dryer lint clay, and toothpaste putty. Quite a few of the concoctions are edible while others make great party activities or simple gifts. Illustrations.
Find each and every wacky mistake in this silly book of errors with Dr. Seuss! From a shoe stuck on the ceiling to tigers at school to flying cars, this is no normal Wednesday! Kids will love counting up the crazy things they see on every page in this search-and-find activity book featuring the madcap magic of Dr. Seuss's rhyme, and hilarious illustrations from George Booth! Originally created by Dr. Seuss himself, Beginner Books are unique early readers that encourage children to read on their own, using simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning. Smaller than the classic large format Seuss picture books like The Lorax and Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, these portable packages are perfect for early and practicing readers ages 3-7, and lucky parents too!
