Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Nonfiction Wednesday




  Join Alyson and others at Kid Lit Frenzy for a nonfiction picture book bonanza each week!
 
Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France
 
 
 
 
I love that we can STILL learn new things about Ben Franklin! I didn't know that when he visited France, he was asked by King Louis XVI to investigate a Dr. Mesmer, who was supposedly hypnotizing people and curing their illnesses. Doctors were furious with Dr. Mesmer, but people flocked to him for their miraculous recoveries. Using the scientific method, Franklin proved that Dr. Mesmer's patients got better just because they BELIEVED they were cured, inadvertently discovering the placebo effect. I really enjoyed the illustrations and the magic show tone the author created.
 
Sleepy Snoozy Cozy Coozy Animals
 
 
 
Fun word play and rhymes accompany sweet illustrations of sleeping animals and lots of fun facts about the nocturnal habits of many animals. This would be a great bedtime book for kids - relaxing AND informational! Interactive questions are asked at the end of the informational paragraphs. I love the last pages of a child sound asleep: "A silky puffy/Toasty Fluffy/Comfy dreamy/Warm moonbeamy/Sleepy snoozy/Cozy cozy/Place where you might lay your head/For you're a child and it's your bed."
 
The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist
 
 
 
 
 
I LOVE birds, so when beautiful books come out about them, I'm very happy! I also love art, so this is the perfect combination. Through Margarita Engle's masterful poetry and Aliona Vereghici's gorgeous illustrations, we learn about Louis Fuertes, who was a bird artist and conservationist. Unlike his predecessors, Fuertes learned to draw birds alive and in their natural habitat. Because of this skill, he is known as the Father of Modern Bird Art. I read a library copy, but I will purchase this one for my own classroom library.
 

5 comments:

  1. Thank you, Holly! I hope children will admire Fuertes as much as I do

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  2. Mesmerized is definitely on our "to read" list

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  3. Ben Franklin is such a spectacular man! I really need to learn more about him, and I know Mesmerized would help me with that. I need to get my hands on it.
    I'm glad you liked Sky Painter. I think it is a gorgeous book.

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  4. Sky Painter is on my list of must read nonfiction. Looks wonderful!

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