Customer Reviews

Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs, and Other Ughs (Sharing Nature With Children Book)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Under One Rock is a cumulative informational book that details a small child's findings when he lifts a rock.

This is an interesting book with a great deal of information included on the insects and worms found in nature. The cumulative nature of the text draws children into the story and allows predictability for early readers. The author's notes, glossary, and publisher information in the back of the book provides a fantastic classroom or parent resource.

As a nature lover and a mother who believes children today are suffering from nature deficit disorder, I am so thankful to have added this book to my library. It is a wonderful example of the science that occurs around us at any given moment. If we just slow down for a moment, we may witness some of the wonders of the natural world.

As a classroom extension, consider placing a large rock on the playground then observing the changes under the rock for several months. The grass will die, insects may inhabit the sheltered space, earthworms may be observed, etc. In addition, a nature walk may reveal many other small ecosystems in unexpected locations. If you are looking for a naturalist title or a book to inspire the exploration of nature, this is a good start!

I did enjoy this book but feel that it was a bit low for my 1st graders. My 3 year old loved it. It's worth it if you just want to intro. earth/bugs/etc. and then carry on with other books.

A cute book about what is under the rock. I was hoping to find more things under this rock. It has a lot of words that don't keep my toddler interested. He loves bugs and looking under rocks himself. Nice illustrations.

REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker, reviewer with Stories for Children Magazine



Did your mother ever tell you, when you came into the house all dirty, that you looked as if you had crawled out from under a rock? What does live under a rock anyway? The fact is that underneath a rock in your backyard there is a habitat for all kinds of interesting creatures, such as earthworms, ants, spiders, beetles, crickets, millipedes, and slugs, all of which play a very important part in nature's cycle of life. Be honest--haven't you ever peeked under a rock to see what was there? Author Anthony D. Fredericks is a former classroom teacher and a nature explorer from way back who has written over twenty children's books, including several in a series on animal communities for Dawn Publications.



The rhythmic text, reminiscent of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" and "This Is the House that Jack Built," has just enough repetition to make the story fun for children to read. In addition to the text, Jennifer DiRubbio's engaging illustrations from a close-up perspective will send kids outdoors to start looking under rocks and exploring nature. In addition, the back of the book contains two pages of "Field Notes" with further information and a fantastic fact about each of the species mentioned in the story. There is also page of "How to Learn More" with resources for digging deeper into ecology. Under One Rock has won several awards, including the Izaac Walton League Book of the Year. Any child who enjoys studying nature will really like this book.

This book is beautifully illustrated and well written. I like the rhyming that builds in each vignette and is repeated throughout the book. I read all the children's books I give as gifts. This one is delightful