What's Alive? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) [Paperback]

Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (Author), Nadine Bernard Westcott (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1

How to tell the difference between living and nonliving things—an essential first skill in scientific sorting and classifying—is explored with hands-on activities and colorful diagrams.

Best Children’s Science Book List 1995 (S)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?A simple and direct concept book that enables children to differentiate between living and inanimate things. Reader involvement is assured by a question-and-answer introduction that asks youngsters to consider how they are like a cat, a flower, or a bird. She urges children to draw pictures of everything they see on a walk and then to sort them into living and nonliving groups. Death is presented as part of life. Wescott's characteristically cheerful and lively illustrations depict a girl involved in a variety of activities, with interested cats and dog looking on. Their activity contrasts with the girl's doll, which is also present but can't move or express itself. A solid addition for classrooms and recreational reading.?Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-7. Part of the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series, this uses simple words and pictures to introduce basic concepts of classification in biology. "Are you like a cat?" The immediacy of the questions and answers makes the child look closely at ordinary things, how they are the same and how they are different. Then the ideas get more complex ("like a flower and a tree, you are growing" ), and finally, the division is into living and nonliving things, with living things divided into plants and animals. The concepts aren't easy, and children will need to talk about them a lot. It helps that Zoehfeld keeps coming back to ideas in different ways and that Westcott's clear, cheerful line-and-color illustrations invite attention and help sort things out. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Collins (August 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064451321
• ISBN-13: 978-0064451321
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 9.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Biology
  • #37 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Biology
  • #67 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > General

More About the Author

Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld is the award-winning author of more than sixty books for children, including DINOSAUR TRACKS, "a great choice for even the most discriminating dinophiles" (School Library Journal); DID DINOSAURS HAVE FEATHERS?, a Children's Book of the Month Club selection, described as "fascinating" by Kirkus Reviews; and DINOSAURS BIG AND SMALL, a 2003 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Book Award winner.

When she's not reading, researching, writing, or editing, Kathleen loves to spend her free time exploring, doing fieldwork, and preparing fossils for her local natural history museums.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful, September 23, 2006

By 

Audrey "ellegirl23" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What's Alive? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) (Paperback)

Living things eat, drink, sleep and grow - a simple explanation with examples that will appeal to most small children (e.g. cats, dogs, birds). Living things also die, and this is touched upon very briefly. I am always looking for books to assist me in homeschooling my 5 yr old son, and it's difficult to find educational books that don't bore or beat a topic into the ground. This was a satisfying choice.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for elementary science teachers, April 5, 2007

By 

C. Castillo (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What's Alive? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) (Paperback)

This book is excellent at explaining and illustrating what is alive. It uses simple language and examples to let young children understand what things are living or non living. The information is age appropriate for elementary school children, but can be modified for younger children.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sparks..., July 18, 2008

By 

B. Davis (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What's Alive? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) (Paperback)

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I'm pleased with it. The subject matter hasn't totally clicked for my young daughter but it's just a matter of time before we read this book and she truly starts to catch on. I recommend the book, my 2 year old enjoys this one.