Backyard (Paperback)

by Donald Silver (Author), Patricia Wynne (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Filled with an assortment of the plants, animals and insects found in the Northeast quadrant of the United States, Silver's backyard is a happening place--"alive with creepers and crawlers, lifters and leapers, movers and mixers . . . builders, buriers, and recyclers." By advising naturalists to focus on a single square meter of their own yards, the book lends immediate confidence and helps readers to value their own observations, discoveries and conclusions. Silver teaches youngsters to use their senses, along with simple, inexpensive tools, to hunt for tunnels bored in bark, to spy out snow fleas, to measure the distance between bud scales to know how fast a plant grows and to analyze droppings. The book mingles standard field exercises (growing mold, making leaf rubbings, catching animal tracks) with a reach of knowledge extensive enough to allow readers to extract what they need. So much information is provided, in fact, that despite the author's emphasis on experimentation, this book remains more of a reference text than a guide to discovery. Still, the combination of humorous, scientifically grounded text with detailed, realistic drawings will pique the interest of armchair naturalists and active explorers alike. A companion volume, One Small Square: Seashore , also by Silver and Wynne, will be released simultaneously. Ages 7-12.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
An exciting journey of science discovery is as near as your own backyard. Just one small square is alive with creepers and crawlers, lifters and leapers, singers, buzzers, climbers, builders, and recyclers. Backyard invites children ages 7 and up to become nature lovers by looking, listening, touching, and smelling the world from the ground up! From the unique One Small Square series of science acitivity books. . .where children can explore exotic and familiar ecosystems in detail, one small square at a time.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 47 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 007057930X
• ISBN-13: 978-0070579309
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,514 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #5 in	Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Flowers & Plants > Nonfiction
  #13 in	Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Environment & Ecology > Nonfiction
  #29 in	Books > Science > Nature & Ecology > Natural History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...a treasure-trove for the young explorer., August 24, 1999

By A Customer

My three children have thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful illustrations, dynamic fact-filled text, and activities given in this book. We love the whole One Small Square series, but because this book has helped solve some mysteries in our own backyard, this one is our favorite! It also served as a great companion to several curricular themes and field trips during the school year.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book for this summer when "there's nothing to do!", April 26, 1999

By A Customer

We read this book over and over! My son learns something new every time. The illustrations are numerous and detailed. "Backyard" provides a great springboard for further exploration of the world.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for getting kids interested in being outdoors, March 20, 2007

By	coeletti "jayhassan" (michigan, usa) - See all my reviews

My son is 4 and loves all worms and bugs. This book is carried with us everywhere. He knows the names of the bugs and the earthworms habits. I love it that he is interested in something that will expand his mind, make him aware of his environment and keeps him away from the TV! He is still a little too young for squaring off a part of the yard but that could be next year. The illustrations are excellent, it creates a forum for conversation, love of nature and science. Too often our children are caught up in brands and being sold from TV brands and characters that are shallow and offer little to our children. How wonderful to fuel interest in something outdoors and interactive with the world we live in.