Summer Reading
Browse the best books for every age and adventure including popular series, classics, and editors' picks in our Kids Summer Reading Store.
Release date: August 26, 2008 | Age Range: 3 and up | Lexile Measure: 1080L (What's this?)
Come explore the hidden shapes and patterns in nature. The peacock's flashy tail is a masterpiece of color and shape. A buzzing beehive is built of tiny hexagons. Even a snake's skin is patterned with diamonds.
Poet Betsy Franco and Caldecott Honor winner Steve Jenkins bring geometry to life in this lively, lyrical look at the shapes and patterns that can be found in the most unexpected places.
{"itemData":[{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":13.09,"ASIN":"1416903860","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":9.63,"ASIN":"B0006NM1K8","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":12.3,"ASIN":"1561455644","isPreorder":0}],"shippingId":"1416903860::19MKlGmtS9GApblNeWo0N9y7x%2BNoqgOJ9psg0TuKiIuRUzbdgDNJUN137GEva4oSOLbwppMGq%2B6nE80OIQnLuVjf2kFf1NPzB7UDVVOqtNY%3D,B0006NM1K8::QHRlO4suIrcE9oZmxcopKg1edFXP5HTEHEg67crOC%2Bg3ZornAoau2PizxzVlEVfpeji1Bdpmv%2BTJsIqk0MMTrS4R3F5peOCNgQoeZ8lNaamIP1cxVTFrSA%3D%3D,1561455644::K1QAOGj6vP3hGY33Maurm6TRNUUeAVwNGU7wZnCQb7C3MWkU8EllvvjXrZVIhbAm42Mngm0%2BbcgRvXbc0fD4q%2BWMSyBmPxOiD6RQspj6W7R5%2FtRqaQC0Pw%3D%3D","sprites":{"addToWishlist":["wl_one","wl_two","wl_three"],"addToCart":["s_addToCart","s_addBothToCart","s_add3ToCart"],"preorder":["s_preorderThis","s_preorderBoth","s_preorderAll3"]},"currenyCode":"USD","shippingDetails":{"xz":"availability","yz":"same","xy":"availability","xyz":"availability"},"tags":["x","y","z"],"strings":{"showDetails":"Show details","differentAvailabilityAll":"Some of these items ship sooner than the others.","addToWishlist":["add to wishlist","Add both to Wish List","Add all three to Wish List"],"shippingError":"An error occurred, please try again","differentAvailability":"One of these items ships sooner than the other.","preorder":["Pre-order this item","Pre-order both items","Pre-order all three items"],"addToCart":["Add to Cart","Add both to Cart","Add all three to Cart"],"showDetailsDefault":"Show availability and shipping details","priceLabel":["Price:","Price for both:","Price for all three:"],"hideDetailsDefault":"Hide availability and shipping details","hideDetails":"Hide details"}}
*Starred Review* The duo behind Birdsongs (2007) teams up again in this winning introduction to the patterns and shapes found in the natural world. From the dazzling eyes of the male peacock’s feathers to the hexagonal chambers of the bee’s hive, Franco’s spirited poems explore the many forms and functions of nature’s geometry. Verses tuck neatly into each subject’s double-page spread or cleverly echo its shape, mimicking the spiral lines of a snail’s shell or the rounded exterior of a puffer fish, and an appending section explains the scientific facts behind each poem. Jenkins’ masterful collage work, which renders everything from the transparency of dew drops on a spider web to the soft gray fur of a deer mouse, will have readers impulsively reaching out to feel the tactile appearance of the shaped and textured papers. The perfect precursor to a science unit or a simple walk in the park. Further information on each of the animals is appended. Preschool-Grade 2. --Kristen McKulski
Children are fascinated by the world around them. Watch a young child, as they draw patterns in the sand or trace the lines in a seashell. If your child loves animals and visual details, look for this book.
This poetry picture book about patterns in nature brought delight to my children, through its vibrant pictures, the engaging poetry and the fascinating concepts. Franco and Jenkins explore the many forms and functions of nature's geometry. They show the mathematical genius of the bee, as it fits hexagons side by side in its honeycomb. They light up our eyes with the symmetry of the moth, showing the "stunning 'eyes', perfectly matched on either side." But my favorite poem is of the spider:
"Some spiders weave delicate tapestries that shine in the sunlight and sway in the breeze. They spin lacy lines, then go round and round. Their knowledge of shapes is truly profound."
