This is a very informative book and I liked that it covered more than just hibernate. Normally when we think of animals in winter, we think of hibernate but this book talks about what other animals do beside hibernate and this is greatly appreciated. I also liked that it covered some nontraditional animals which is always good to learn about. The illustrations are bright and colorful and the pages weren’t too busy and disturbing. Told in verse, this is a fun informative book. 5 stars
This is a good basic book. It provides a good starting point to bird watching as it doesn’t give you too much information but gives a lot of different information to get someone started. There was a lot of different topics, some topics that I haven’t even thought about or cared about but I read through them and I can see why they were included in here. This book is very thorough which is too be expected from National Geographic.
As I have said before, there are a lot of topics covered in this book. Every two-page spread covers a topic and with 239 pages, you have many subjects to read about. On these two-page spreads, you might find some Fun Facts, ID Tips (how to identity tricky birds), or some Try This ideas (ideas for you to try to actually put that two-page spreads topic into reality). There is also an Introduction, Glossary, an Index, some acknowledgements and some information about the author in the back. Throughout the book, you’ll find some two-page spreads scattered about that are titled “In the Field with Noah.” These pages feature Noah’s own pictures with captions of actual footage he has captured out in the field.
I did find some interesting topics while reading this book and I did find myself frustrated, as I wanted more information on a topic but the book was just the basics. I realize I will have to research those topics further, hopefully in another National Geographic book to find more information. I do think this would be a good starting point for someone who thinks they like birds. There is a lot of think about and look at when thinking about birds.
The book talks about 15 terms that they recommend you learn to identify birds, I thought that was interesting. They mention the website BirdCast which uses radar to show the migration forecasts of birds and I think that this would be cool to check out. I know that squirrels hate chili pepper so you can put that in your bird feeder to keep squirrels out but now I know that it’s the capsaicin in the chili powder that the birds can’t taste. I liked the Pronouncing Bird Names pages. The book also mentioned the Merlin Bird ID app that you can download for free to help identify birds, I need to check into that one. I think my grandkids will also like to use that one. There are a few sections devoted to eBird, a free website that helps you track your own bird sightings. The book also lists other websites that might be helpful. See, I told you there was a lot of fun interesting information in this book. One more little piece of information: “ when you see an unfamiliar bird, keep it in view as long as possible and make conscious observations of its characteristics.” Then, before looking it up in a book, write down what you saw. Well, I don’t do that. I grab the book and start looking up the bird as I’m watching it. I’m going to have to change that. As I find myself confused and just like the book says, “it’s easy to see an illustration and suddenly “remember” something you never really noticed.”
The illustrations/pictures are beautiful. Most of the pictures are photos but there are some drawings and models of birds with the different parts of the bird labeled. The realistic photos provide great detail and I think they definitely add to the book.
This is another excellent resource book from National Geographic but just remember, it’s just the basics. It’ll get you started and, on your way, to bird watching. 5 stars.
15 terms to identify birds: Crown, nape, supercilium, lore, auricular, malar, eye ring, wing bar, primaries, secondaries, tertials, rump, undertail coverts, rectrices, and flanks
A beautiful book and that’s what I have come to expect from a DK Book. This is a marvelous book and not just one for little ones. Just because it’s a board book don’t write this one off to just toddlers as you’d be missing a good great piece of nonfiction. This book with fun flaps has lots of information inside on how butterflies grow. Beginning with how the swallowtail butterfly lays their tiny eggs on a plant, to how the butterfly builds its chrysalis, to how it flies from flower to flower collecting nectar. I enjoyed the detail that this book goes into as it doesn’t gloss things over. You’ll walk away from this book learning a few things so just think what a little child will learn as they look at these beautiful pictures as they find out interesting facts about butterflies.
Stop! Let’s talk about these illustrations, they are amazing! The flaps add entertainment value to the book but the illustrations with their bright, realistic forms, add to the text to make this a great book. Can you tell how much I love this book? I’m super excited about it!! The back two pages have a condensed Butterfly Life Cycle and a condensed Glossary which is helpful. This is one book nature lovers should be snatching up and sharing.
“A caterpillar sheds its skin about four times before it reaches its full size.”
“The wing is covered with thousands of tiny, overlapping pieces called scales.”
“After weeks, or sometimes months, the outside of the chrysalis becomes see-through.”
I wanted to track down Bigfoot, like who doesn’t?1? My son was telling me that there are some individuals at his work who actually belong to a group who does this. They go out on the weekends or take vacations and hunt for Bigfoot, seriously. Boy, was I intrigued! I wanted to know exactly how they did this and what they found. Were this people, ok? Sure, I’ve watched those shows on TV but I feel they hype things up but to actually talk to someone who has actually went out and hunted around looking for him, now that’s crazy! Do you think this is crazy? I think it’s fun and exciting but I don’t know if I would spend my free time doing it. When I saw this book at the library, I knew I had to read it. I wanted to know if I would learn anything.
I liked that this book included some of the famous pictures we all know surrounding Bigfoot. I think seeing these throughout the book made me feel that I was actually on a mission. I do enjoy reading these choose-your-own-ending books as it seems that you can spend however long you’d like, reading these books before you’re done with them. In this book, I liked that they sent you right back to the beginning every time that you finished one of the missions. This book did a great job setting up the scene and telling me about Bigfoot. As you read each story, the encounters that you’ll have will vary.
The book takes you on adventures with Bigfoot, The Skunk Ape of the Everglades, The Himalayan Yeti and there is some information about whether Bigfoot is real or just a hoax. At the back of the book, there are some interesting sections, so make sure you check them out. One was about the different Bigfoots in the world. From the Orang Pendak in Indonesia to the Big Greyman in Scotland (original name, huh?) to the Moehau in New Zealand and Ucu in Argentina these are creatures from around the world that individuals can’t explain. A man with yellow hair and large tusks? A man with glowing eyes and extra-large arms? These all sound interesting and I wonder just how similar they are to each other. The author also gives us other questions to consider while thinking about these creatures. There are also a couple other books listed and some internet sites an individual could use to find out more about Bigfoot. An index is also at the end of this book. I think this makes a great book for children who enjoy these types of stories as there is a lot of different stories within this book. This is not a scary book but carries a mysterious element to it, as you discover and uncover information about these unexplained creatures. 4 stars
I’ll be honest and say that, a few sections of this book were WAY over my head. I’m not a doctor or a nurse, nor do I have any medical field experience. I’m a mother and a Nana which gives me some medical experience but my badges of an accountant, substitute teacher, volunteer, and a devoted book reader don’t give me the background to handle some of the terms and procedures that Sanjay was mentioning in this book. I did my best trying to decipher these sections of the book which included DNA, RNA, and chemical reactions, but some of it was just tumbling around in my head. He talked about the origins of infectious diseases which I thought was interesting. Finding the origins of these illnesses and when they began is important as it can say a lot about the disease. Previously many infectious diseases began from domestic animals and I remembered that they were linking Covid to bats. The common cold originally began in a camel and pigs and birds are the sources of the many strains of the flu. Makes me wonder, if they can give us these diseases, do humans give them any diseases?
Sanjay talks about a Global Health Security Risk which I thought was interesting. This Security Risk was assembled by “the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the John Hopkins Center for Health Security (JHU) and was developed with The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).” The purpose of this index was “these organizations believe that, over time, the GHS Index will spur measurable changes in national health security and improve international capability to address one of the world’s most omnipresent risks: infectious disease outbreaks that can lead to international epidemics and pandemics.” This index was created in Oct 2019, this was before the pandemic. How was the U.S. ranked out the of 195 countries? Number 1, they scored 83.5 out of 100, the best prepared county to handle a pandemic/epidemic. The United Kingdom received a 77.9 and New Zealand a 54. YET, and I say yet, we all know what happened in the U.S. The U.S., according to the graphs that I saw on the news, they didn’t look like they were the best prepared. Sanjay makes a point by saying that the United States has 4% of the world’s population but they had 22% of the world’s total infections of this disease by the end of 2020. That’s like taking “Ten (10) Airbus 320 Jetliners with 150 individuals on board and having them all fall from the sky, every day! We haven’t even considered the number of lives that were lost in 2021.
“Had we taken action and carried out control measures, like physical distancing and masking up just one or two weeks earlier, a report created at Columbia University states that more than half of the deaths and illnesses could have been avoided.” Sanjay gives more details about this topic and like many, he has his data to back it up.
So, what’s the future hold? I thought what Sanjay said made sense and he used PROOF to organize his points. Sanjay believes that Covid is here to stay, just like many other professionals. Learning how to live together, each of us will need to adapt, change and respond to one another. Using PROOF, Sanjay makes some valuable points about risks, the internet, keeping vigil, and planning.
Overall, I thought it was a great book for me. I liked his mindset and the book didn’t feel overloaded with emotions and turmoil. I thought Sanjay was honest and he shared a variety of different topics in the book. There were some parts of the book that were difficult for me to read terminology, but I managed. 4.5 stars
The illustrations inside this book are what makes this book for me. I like everything about them from the color selection, to the details included in them, to how simple the designs really are. I also liked how the book addressed Covid-19. When I think of Anthony Fauci, I think of Covid-19, for he was the one who talked to me on the news about this pandemic and he seemed to know what was really happening. Many pages of this book addressed Anthony’s part in the Covid-19 crisis.
I thought this book was okay. I was hoping it would have a lot more personal or entertaining information about Anthony than it did. I thought the book contained a majority of general information about him. Information that seemed boring or trivial. I did find a few pieces of information that I thought, gave me an inside look at who Anthony really was.
The book mentions some of Anthony’s attributes that began when he was child which have helped him as an adult. Anthony loved playing basketball but he was short individual. Determined to play, Anthony found that his speed and his ability to communicate would be his way to contribute to this game. Anthony’s determination was also a huge asset. Having these qualities also helped Anthony survive in the tough neighborhood that he lived in.
The book in general, gives general information and walks the reader through how Anthony found his way working on some of the toughest diseases in our nation. It’s a book that shows children where it all began for Anthony and that anyone, can reach for the stars, if you keep reaching.
There is a lot of other pages full of added material, in the back of the book. There are some pages dedicated to “How Do Vaccines Work?” Are Vaccines Safe?’ “Dr. Faucis’ Five Tips for Future Scientists.” There’s also a timeline of some of Fauci’s milestones, a page of recommended reading, and a sources page. A few pages of black-n-white photos of Anthony with a short author’s notes and acknowledgements, rounds out this book. 3.5 stars
I’m not bat savvy so I needed this book. I thought I knew a few things about them and I knew I had some “deceptions” about them but now, I feel knowledgeable. In our neighborhood at night, you can see a few bats soaring in the sky come dusk. I’m grateful that they’re eating the insects yet, I’m also thinking how dirty those little guys are and how I don’t want them to get tangled up in my hair. At least now, after reading this book, I feel educated and grateful that they picked our air space to do their hunting.
I have to share this eye-opening moment for me first. I never realized that bats pollinate. Bees, yes but bats? It makes sense but I never really thought about it until I read about it in the book. A few pages were focused on this topic and I guess looking back over the years, pollination was always about bees and birds.
I enjoyed this book immensely as I do with most DK books. The paper is the thick matte finish which compliments the illustrations/text. I think the paper provides a richness to the book and will hold up better over time. The illustrations are fantastic, with their convincing drawings that pull your eyes in to pagefuls of helpful information. I liked the contrasting text colors and the use of graphs, text boxes, and the how everything is labeled and arranged.
I found plenty of information inside this book which was presented in an easy-to-read format. From different types of bats and their body types, to why they are so important, to myths about them, the author gives us plenty to think about. A great book! 5 stars
I know, I know, I know. People are tired of hearing about Covid but I really wanted to hear from someone different. Someone who actually worked on the front lines, in an area different than my own and I wanted to hear his own words about what he experienced and witnessed with his own eyes. I really enjoyed this book, in fact, the book exceeded my expectations. At first, I hesitated on reading it, afraid it might contain difficult medical jargon but the book was very down-to-earth.
This book centers on Montefiore Health System in Harlem which serves about 1.5 million people annually. With their staff including their medical students, their facilities including their modern equipment, they feel that there’s no better equipped hospital to serve Covid patients than their building. Within one month of receiving their first Covid patient, the hospital gets control of the situation but there’s no end in sight. They were able to manage the shortages that came with the demand of this illness while still providing what they could to their patients and staff. The hospital experienced highs along with the lows while they provided care for their patients, those highs amongst all the chaos and despair provided hope and strength for another day.
There were many references that I enjoyed in this book, remarks that stood out as I read them. The first one referred to how the hospital dealt with the crisis. This state of mind continues today as officials examine the booster vaccine. The doctors learned as they go. They learned about the illness from others, they learned from doing something different, and they learned from going outside-the-box. This illness is new, it’s something our society has not dealt with before. This is a new crisis- there are no set rules, there is no handout to follow, no set procedures in place. We are creating the handout and the rules as the days on the calendar move forward and unfortunately, as people get sick, die, and refused to believe that this illness really exists. The second comment that stuck with me was how the medical staff put everything on hold while they dealt with Covid. How will that effect our future? What will happen if we encounter another untreatable illness? I stop and think about the implications of this time? What has this done to us as a nation and to us around the world? Has this united us or tore us apart? According to a few surveys, our children’s education has suffered. That’s our future. How long will we continue to argue and battle what is “right?”
There was a wake-up moment in Harlem when other colleagues in other areas of the hospital started to offer their help. Months earlier they’ve been too scared to help but now, they see how things are not letting up and they feel the need to pitch in but how? They don’t have the training to work in the ER. The emergency doctors took them, they trained them on something/anything that they thought they could do, they needed another pair of hands, someone to provide some relief. These newly trained ER staff members thought they were scared before, well working on the front lines now, they’re realizing just how bad Covid really is.
I didn’t expect a happy story and I found myself crying a few times while I read this book, the emotional toil and the personal stories hit me. You never knew how things would turn out. An image that stayed with me as I read this book was the person lying in the hospital, just waiting, all alone. Imagine yourself lying there, alone, isolated, no TV or entertainment, all you hear is the constant beeping of the monitors all around you and the noises of the staff as they scramble to assist the others that are lying nearby. How do you feel? Sick, helpless, defeated, worried, deflated…..
It’s a crisis that’s hitting every continent and not everyone is able or willing to stop/control it. You need to be able to live your life, not just survive but live. We need to remember all of those who have died, what we have learned through these individuals, and we need to honor those who have helped us along the way.
It’s a great read and one that I highly recommend. I appreciate the two cousins getting together and sharing this story with us and although, I haven’t witnessed it firsthand, I have heard enough stories from friends and loved ones that I don’t want to nor do I need to, to understand how serious this crisis is. Emergency medicine is constantly changing and you have to remember that no one has all the answers yet. Stay well everyone. 5 stars
Let’s talk about bees. What do you really know about bees and what do you think you know about bees? I think that most people know that bees make honey and that there’s a queen bee, a drone bee and worker bees in a hive. Did you know that there’s hundreds of drone bees in a hive and that they only live a few weeks? Did you know that the queen bee typically lives 5 years and that she’s the mother to most of the bees in the hive? I thought the worker bees were busy, but the queen bee, she lays about 2,000 eggs a day! Welcome to just one page inside this fantastic book by Charlotte Milner. With the bee population dwindling, reading about these fascinating creatures made me realize just how important they really are.
With bright colorful illustrations this book is full and I mean, full of information!! Upon opening the book, there is a Table of Content which consists of a list of comments or questions pertaining to bees with a corresponding page number. Thumbing through the book, I love just looking at all the different illustrations on the pages and reading the text that accompanies them. Some of these are just fast-facts about bees and some provided more detailed reading but they’re not long reports on bees that slow me down or overwhelm me. At the back of the book, there’s a great index too. Did I mention how wonderful the illustrations are and how bright and colorful the pages are?
I can learn about pollination, why pollination is important, what a honeybee is, where honey comes from, and tons of information on the honeybee’s hives. I can learn about the different types of bees that are needed inside a hive, why the bee population is dying and what I can do to help the bees survive. I can also read about bee swarms which sound like a horrible thing but according to the brief summary, they usually aren’t.
This is a wonderful book. It’s a book worth keeping and definitely, one worth sharing. I’m sure that everyone will learn something from this book unless of course, you’ve been studying bees for years. So, where does a honeybee store the nectar that it collects before he goes back to the nest? How many eyes does the honeybee have? Why does he have so many? Can the female honeybee sting you? Better get reading to find these answers.
I have no idea why my library chose to put this book under the Easy section of the children’s library. This is definitely a non-fiction book with a capital N and I will definitely bring this to their attention. There was a lot to love about this children’s nonfiction book and being a newly butterfly nature lover, I’m all over this book.
Within the past couple years, we have planted butterfly bushes and have witnessed the lifecycle of the monarch butterfly firsthand. I can tell you; this has been a truly remarkable and rewarding experience. I never thought in my 50+ years of life, I would be having sleepless nights over aphids and buying ladybugs in the mail but now, I can say I have. I like to find children’s books that talk about incredible process as I think children need to understand this process and if possible, witness this journey firsthand, as it’s part of nature unfolding.
I liked that this book is 32 pages of some incredible illustrations and the variety of text fonts makes this book fun to read. The book begins with a Table of Contents listing exactly what you’re going to be reading about, from what a butterfly is, to the life cycle of the butterfly, to butterfly facts, and a glossary and an index in the back. The text is big and bold and the illustrations give great captions of interesting information.
This is one book that can be used as a great reference over and over again as you learn about butterflies and one that will never get old. This is definitely one that you need to get a hold of and read – I highly recommend it!
” A caterpillar has 4,000 muscles in its body. People have about 650.”
“Threats to the butterfly change depending on the stage of its life cycle.”
One Chapter 