Let’s Go Nuts! Seeds We Eat is a chant which introduces children to beans, nuts, grains, and spice seeds. Endmatter explains why seeds don’t grow inside our stomachs, why seeds are such great food, and how seeds fit into biology, ecology, and culture. This book completes the trio of books that includes Rah, Rah, Radishes: A Vegetable Chant and Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant.
Eat Like a Bear…with Stars
Eat Like a Bear, my book illustrated by Steve Jenkins and published by Henry Holt, just received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly. Kirkus reviews also gave it a starred review. I’m excited that folks “get” this book. I was so pleased with every word, illustration, design choice on this project. It was a great team effort. Tilt the cover and check out the shiny ants. Notice the designer’s great backmatter fonts and layout. See a few pages on Henry Holt’s website. Okay, so I’m a little stoked about it. Guess what else thrills me: Steve Jenkins has signed on to illustrate my next three books with Henry Holt! Need I say more? Yes. Another Steve Jenkins book, one which he wrote, The Animal Book, received a starred review in PW this week. Go, Steve!
Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! in Family Magazine
Good review of Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! and related books in and Ocean Alive Section of Family magazine and also on the website of reviewer Meribeth Shank. Hooray! Nice to be in good company.
Resources for Let’s Go Nuts: Seeds We Eat
Here are some resources to help readers and teachers use my new book, Let’s Go Nuts! Seeds We Eat (Release date August 27, 2013, Beach Lane Books an imprint of Simon & Schuster). Hope you find edible seeds a a chewy, fun topic as I did!
Related Children’s Books and Reference Books
Here Come the Humpbacks! Event Kit
Everyone is invited to download a free Whale Migration Game for classrooms, libraries, bookstores, and other mammal loving locales. The event kit encourages readers (ages 5-10) to imagine both the perils and delights of being a baby humpback on its first migration through the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Explore and Download whale event kit here
Shark Tank and Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! and Lionfish
When the new edition of my book, Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! was created, there was a lionfish on the top left corner of the cover. My reaction: WHAAAA? I’ve been snorkeling the reefs in the Caribbean for about 20 years and I knew that was not a native fish. After a little research, though, I found out more about the lionfish invasion of the reefs. And I found out this fish is indeed widespread now. I thought having this fish on the cover would be a great teaching point. Kudos to the illustrator, Annie Patterson, for putting it there in the first place.
It’s a great jumping off point for students researching this issue. I just watched the tv entrepreneur show, Shark Tank, where Dave Johnson and Gary Groomes of Traditional Fisheries talked about the lionfish invasion of Atlantic reefs. Teachers, I think you might be able to develop some terrific research/conservation projects related to this issue. Perfect for common core and research. There are many logistical aspects to accomplishing what these folks are trying to do. Eat the fish that is eating the reefs! They made a great case on the show for this solution.
Here Come the Humpbacks! Paired With Poetry
Booklist Online’s newsletter has a lovely article by Anastasia Suen that has some terrific ocean poetry books and includes Here Come the Humpbacks! as a book connection. Hurray!
Alphabetical Seed Guide for Let’s Go Nuts: Seeds We Eat
Here are photos of seeds to help you identify the seeds in my book Let’s Go Nuts: Seeds We Eat, (August 27, 2013, Beach Lane Books). Continue reading “Alphabetical Seed Guide for Let’s Go Nuts: Seeds We Eat”
Let’s Go Nuts: Seeds We Eat Memory Jogger
Have you accidentally (or on purpose) memorized parts of Let’s Go Nuts! Seeds We Eat? (Beach Lane, August, 2013)
Below are two photos with seeds arranged in the format of parts of the seed chant.
Try out your memory. “Read” these photos by identifying the seeds and saying the seed chant out loud to help you figure out the seeds that you find hard to recognize! You can click on the photo for a much larger version to examine.
