Activities for Children

Five Children’s Books for Earth Day 2024

 

EARTH DAY 2024

∼ A ROUNDUP ∼

 

 

 

 

Love, The Earth cover Earth with a face watching child.LOVE, THE EARTH
Written by Frances Stickley
Illustrated by Tim Hopgood
(Candlewick Press; $17.99,  Ages 3-7)

In Love, the Earth, by Frances Stickley, our beautiful blue planet promises to take care of us, if only we will take care of it. Scenes unfold showing us all the Earth has to offer: “Please share my food, my lakes, my land . . . / and try to lend a helping hand.” Yet, we also see that the Earth can’t do it without us.

The mixed-media illustrations by Tim Hopgood are lush and layered. The Earth is present throughout, either smiling benevolently or saddened when its land is covered in litter. The book concludes with the Earth signing off, “With All My Love, the Earth,” a heartfelt reminder of how the planet has sustained a truly vast amount of life.

 

Solar Bear cover boy and polar bearSOLAR BEAR
Written by Beth Ferry
Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel
(HarperKids; $19.99, Ages 4-8)

★Starred Review – Booklist

In Beth Ferry’s rhyming picture book, Solar Bear, a magical solar bear gathers bears from around the globe to share stories about species extinction. By shining their glowing light “[on] otters, sloths, and manatees. / On coral reefs and chimpanzees,” they hope to foster a generation of “solar kids” who learn as much as possible about our animals, mindfully use resources, and talk to others to encourage environmental stewardship.

The art by Brendan Wenzel illuminates the animals. This is beautiful but also a preview of how close many of them are to becoming ghosts. When the solar animals interact with children worldwide, the love and hope come through in his illustrations rendered in “watercolor, pencil, acrylic, colored pencil, and pretty much everything else under the sun including an iMac.” While this blurb is funny, it’s also a great representation of pulling together to create. The heartwarming image on the cover sets the tone for this hopeful but urgent request for action.

 

Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet cover boy dog tree.GREEN: THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE ON OUR PLANET
Written by Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Emily Sutton
(Candlewick Press; $18.99, Ages 5-8)

★Starred Review – Kirkus

Nicola Davies’s nonfiction picture book, Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet, opens with a line about how the tree pictured doesn’t seem to be doing much, just standing around being big and green. However, we come to find the many fascinating things that trees do from the huge importance of photosynthesis to its opposite: respiration, which keeps our air in balance. We learn the history of how plants have trapped carbon dioxide, changing the air from toxic to inhabitable for all kinds of life forms.

Emily Sutton’s illustrations showcase the color green. One scene shows green existing only on a single rooftop apartment building in a city where industry is upsetting the world’s delicate balance. The story finishes with a heartwarming companion image to the opening one that sums up why green is the “most important color in the world.”

 

Sona Sharma: Looking After Planet Earth cover Sona among plants.SONA SHARMA: LOOKING AFTER PLANET EARTH
Written by Chitra Soundar
Illustrated by Jen Khatun
(Candlewick Press; $15.99, Ages 6-9)

In Sona Sharma: Looking After Planet Earth (book two of the Sona series by Chitra Soundar), Sona Sharma’s personality continues to shine. This time, Sona and her friends Renu and Joy learn that the Earth is in trouble. Their teacher, Miss Rao, has them pledge to help look after the planet. Well-meaning Sona takes this to heart and starts making changes at home—without anyone’s consent. Who needs lights? Diapers—no more!

While the story is funny, the reality of this crisis comes through, showing ways we all can pitch in. The setting is vivid as are the characters. I particularly like how much of the plot is centered around the town’s annual kolam-making contest (“traditional designs that people draw in front of their homes to celebrate the winter months and the festival season”). Paatti (Grandma) uses rice flour to make the design but Sona’s other grandmother, the President, includes colored powders, glitter, and plastic decorations. Sona’s determined to stop participants from using artificial, bad-for-the-environment art supplies, but the contest is happening soon and it seems the rules allow these materials. Or do they . . .?

The black-and-white sketches by Jen Khatun throughout bring us right into Sona’s world showing her multigenerational family and the lovely kolam designs.

 

Be a Nature Explorer! cover backpack on grass.BE A NATURE EXPLORER!:
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND ADVENTURES
Written by Peter Wohlleben
Illustrated by Belle Wuthrich
English translation by Jane Billinghurst
(Greystone Books; $12.95, Ages 6-10)

Fans of Peter Wohlleben’s best-selling books about trees will be glad to see he now has a hands-on guide for children in an easy-to-carry size to encourage exploration of nature, Be a Nature Explorer!: Outdoor Activities and Adventures. This illustrated 100-page book contains 52 activity ideas to keep kids busy for many outings, or even when they’re just in the backyard.

“Following Slugs and Snails” is one of my favorites because I find these creatures fascinating. I learned that snail shells almost always spiral to the right (clockwise) and sit on the right side of their bodies. If you find a snail whose pattern runs counterclockwise, they’re called “snail kings”—so exciting, like finding a four-leaf clover! You can even record a snail or slug’s slime trail imprint onto a piece of plastic wrap, then add that to your journal as part of your collection and for further observations.

This fun guide’s pages are enlivened with illustrations by Belle Wuthrich, and photos. This winning combo elevates this book to the top of my list for gift-giving. Pair this welcoming book with a blank journal and watch kids get their nature explorer groove on. Parents will thank you!

 

 

Click here to read reviews from last year’s roundup.

 

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Picture Book Review – Treasure Hunt

 

 

TREASURE HUNT

Written by Stephanie Wildman

Illustrated by Estefania Razo

(Lawley Publishing; $17.99 HC, $10.99 Paperback, Ages 4-8)

 

Treasure Hunt covers English Spanish versions kids in cardboard box

 

 

I remember creating a treasure hunt for my daughter’s birthday party one year. We lived on a cul-de-sac so I scattered clues close by to get the kids out of the house. The look on the children’s faces, as they set off in search of the unknown, made all the effort worthwhile. Now parents can share the excitement with Stephanie Wildman’s latest picture book, Treasure Hunt, illustrated by Estefania Razo. A Spanish language version is also available with a translation by Cecilia Pópulus-Eudave.

When twins Flor and Roberto come home from school, older brother Luis shares an idea that will get his siblings off the sofa and away from technology. A delivery man has left Luis a big cardboard box that will come in handy for Luis’s surprise.

 

Treasure Hunt int1 Flor Roberto Wonder
Interior spread from Treasure Hunt written by Stephanie Wildman and illustrated by Estefania Razo, Lawley Publishing ©2022.

 

Treasure Hunt is a simple story of how fewer high-tech games and more creative play can be rewarding with its promise of rich interaction. Luis proposes a treasure hunt and offers the first clue. “I’m round and hollow. I’m usually trash. I don’t belong in the kitchen, where you will find two of me.”

After combing the kitchen the team of twins heads to the bedroom and then the living to continue searching for clues two and three. At first, the things they find leave them perplexed. Empty toilet paper rolls, yarn, and buttons. But Flor figures it out and I hope your kids will too. Using the empty carton as a stage, the children make puppets with items from the treasure hunt and then put on a puppet show for neighborhood friends.

 

Treasure Hunt int2 Clue1 siblings
Interior spread from Treasure Hunt written by Stephanie Wildman and illustrated by Estefania Razo, Lawley Publishing ©2022.

 

The back matter includes easy instructions from Wildman on how to craft the puppets with adult supervision (for scissors) so everyone can get involved in preparing the puppet show. Families can even use the same clues for their own treasure hunt and seek other puppet-making ideas on the internet. Treasure Hunt provides the perfect activity to occupy and entertain children this summer or anytime. Estefania Razo’s digital art adds a light-hearted quality to the prose. Illustrations depict the siblings’ pleasure and move the story forward as Luis’s treasure hunt leads to an afternoon of sheer delight for everyone.

  • Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

 

BUY THE BOOK

Support independent bookstores by purchasing a copy of Treasure Hunt at the link below.

Treasure Hunt a book by Stephanie Wildman and Estefania Razo (bookshop.org)

Búsqueda del Tesoro, the Spanish language edition is available here.

 

NOTE: The Children’s Book Council named Treasure Hunt as one of six books it featured for inclusion on their 2023 Screen Free Children’s Booklist for #ScreenFreeWeek and #ChildrensBookWeek (May 1-7) last month.

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Go Out and Play, You Say?

Debbie Glade reviews a book that reminds her of her own childhood, way, way back when.

You know you’re dating yourself when you say, “When I was your age, we did not have electronic toys. We went outside and made up games, playing and running around all day long.” Frankly, I thought those days were over until I read Go Out an Play: Favorite Outdoor Games from KaBOOM ($11.95, Candlewick Press, Ages 5 and up). KaBOOM (nonprofit) was created by Darell Hammond with the mission to keep children active and playing, while using their imaginations. What a stellar idea that was and what a big hit KaBoom has been!

Go Out and Play is simple, yet delightful. Page after page, you will find indoor and outdoor tag, hide and seek, ball, team, sidewalk, circle, race and other games to keep your little ones active and busy all day, just like you did when you were a kid. Remember Marco Polo, Mother May I?, Egg and Spoon Race and Red Rover? There are plenty of games like these in the book, plus some new ones your kids will want to try. There’s an intro from Darrell Hammond as well as information in the back of the book about getting and keeping kids active with a call to action.

In this age of sedentary living, computers, iPads and video games, any book, toy or product that encourages kids to get up, get out and play is a winner. There’s nothing like seeing children engaged in old-fashioned good fun, burning up energy and staying fit while having a ball. And perhaps just as wonderful is the fact that these activities don’t cost a dime!

Reading this book reminded me of a sidewalk game with chalk and a ball my older sister and I played for years called Rolly Polly. I remember winning much more often that she did, but she insists I’ve got that all wrong.

Now I’m in the mood for playing Follow the Leader. I’m the leader. Are you in?

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