Copyright Date:
2023
Edition Date:
2022
Release Date:
10/03/23
Illustrator:
K, Mona,
Pages:
107 pages
ISBN:
1-419-76775-5
ISBN 13:
978-1-419-76775-3
Dewey:
578
LCCN:
2022944940
Dimensions:
28 cm
Language:
English
Reviews:
School Library Journal
(Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
PreS-Gr 3 —This British import features 10 informational stories in metered verse sparking delight and curiosity on the everyday miracles of nature, such as those found in mushrooms, a forest, honeybees, and moths. Dawnay, a science writer and poet, weaves together the symbiotic existence of the inhabitants of the stories through rhyming quatrains. Going a step beyond, she introduces poetic and scientific vocabulary like "crepuscular" and "murmurations" in a concluding page at the close of each informational poem-story. The visual design and the transitions between stories are handled with great grace and the book brims with charming illustrations. Playful art posits the anthropomorphized fungi and plants as sentient creatures and enjoins engagement. Text and art are well-matched. Where this volume trips is a split personality about audience: the stories are five minutes long and perfect for reading aloud by younger children but hand the book over to an older person for help with the informational pages that follow each section. Additionally, the choice to represent all external dialogue in the semi-cursive Bakerie font further may confuse the younger end of the audience of emerging readers. VERDICT This has read-aloud potential but may require hand-selling to circulate.—Jessica Fenster-Sparber
Inspired by the hugely bestselling 5-Minutes Stories collections, children’s author Gabby Dawnay and illustrator Mona K present 10 read-aloud stories that invite young nature lovers to celebrate the everyday miracles in a woodland with 5-Minute Nature Stories.
Down by the meadow that blows wild and free,
There’s a world full of wonders I want you to see . . .
Written in engaging rhyming text, each real-life tale in this 10-story collection introduces one of nature’s wonders. And at the end of each story, children are invited to explore an informative “All About” page to discover more facts on the topic. Stories include:
- The Mystery of a Mushroom
- The Woodwide Web
- The Song of the Deer
- The Flight of the Blackbirds
- The Magical Metamorphosis of Frogs
- The Hidden Great Horned Owl
- The Stag Beetle’s Seven-Year Feast
- The Dance of the Honeybee
- The Little Rabbit and the Green Machine
- The Moth and the Moon
These make perfect bedtime stories for kids with curious minds!