A Chicken Followed Me Home! Questions and Answers About a Familiar Fowl
by Robin Page
Beach Lane Books (May 19, 2015)
As I thought about this week's blog post, I wondered if I should share about books I had recently read even though they varied greatly in theme, or if I should cluster books together around a similar topic. The more I thought about it the more I decided that it would flow better to have more similar topics, and my penchant for themes won out.
Recently, I discovered that Robin Page had created a new nonfiction picture book with information for young readers about chickens. Once I knew that it was out, I proceeded to track it down at my local indie bookstore.
Typically Robin's books are at a perfect level to use with preschoolers to first graders and this one is just right for those younger readers. Simple questions followed by clear, engaging expository text will draw in readers at this level.
I love how this one starts! A chicken followed me home....what do I do now? Through a series of questions, Page provides readers with basic information about chickens.
From what do chickens eat to where do they live and will they fly away, more and more is revealed to young readers.
Though this book does not have a lot of text features, the below spread introduces early readers to the concept of labels, as all of the names for the various parts of chickens and roosters are named. Students are also introduced to various types of chickens.
Perfect for a read aloud or a mentor text, A CHICKEN FOLLOWED ME HOME! is a must add to any classroom collection on farm animals.
Egg: Nature's Perfect Package
by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
HMH Books for Young Children (March 3, 2015)
As it can be with picture books, an author or illustrator may have no book releases for a year or two and then all of a sudden several are released. Page partnered up with real life partner, Steve Jenkins for EGG: NATURE'S PERFECT PACKAGE.
Though this book is not about chickens, it is about eggs. In A CHICKEN FOLLOWED ME HOME!, readers learn about how hens lay eggs, how many eggs a hen can lay in a year, and a little bit more.
Jenkins and Page go much deeper into the various types of eggs that animals lay and also provide readers with a sense of perspective in understanding the color, shape, size and layers each egg has.
The layout and structure of EGG: NATURE'S PEFECT PACKAGE is much more straightforward and focused on providing readers with facts. Though this may not lend itself as easily to reading aloud, it does make for a great book for 2 children to share and explore and discuss.
The final book in this week's collection is A NEST IS NOISY, which would also pair nicely with AN EGG IS QUIET.
A Nest is Noisy
by Dianna Hutts Aston; Illustrated by Sylvia Long
Chronicle Books (April 14, 2015)
In a very different style, Dianna Hutts Aston does for nests what Jenkins and Page do for eggs. Through an exploration of nests of different kinds of animals, readers learn about size and materials and locations of each nest. With rich descriptive language partnered with a clear explanation of each type of nest, readers are introduced to two styles of writing, which can be read together or separately for varying experiences.
The vocabulary is so vibrant and alive in this book, as it is in the other books in this series.
All of these books can be found at your local indie bookstore or community library; however, you will likely want to include them in a classroom library for easy access.
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