Always Wonder!
“Many children, perhaps because they themselves are small and closer to the ground than we, notice and delight in the small and inconspicuous.” — Rachel Carson
Recently, my almost-6-year-old granddaughter has shown an even greater interest in our pond and dam that make up our side yard.
She has named the ducks that paddle across the pond at breakneck speed to devour the bread she offers, Tim and Johnny. She has even perfected her unique duck call for them.
She has learned to observe the calm water for tiny ripples indicating minnows are just below the surface. And with the wild abandon of childhood, she efficiently scoops them up in the net (a Christmas gift from her Tio) and gently nudges them into her waiting bucket, counting and observing. Without fail, she tells them, “Time to go back to your family!” as she releases them back to the frigid water.
During our daily walks along the pond dam, she notices the still-wet piles of debris deposited by the beavers we’ve managed to capture on our trail camera. “Abuelo is not going to like that!” she says, already knowing beavers are amazing but usually unwelcome on small ponds like ours. She kicks the piles back into the water. I’m not sure if she’s keeping their secret or just enjoying the fun of the splashes!
All of this warms my heart not only because I am a nature-lover myself, but because the first picture book I ever wrote and published is about Emersyn Blake exploring the pond. She was only a year old at the time.
In the coming weeks, I have two school author visits scheduled. I am SO excited to share Emersyn Blake and the Spotted Salamander with several classes of 2nd and 3rd graders. I hope Emersyn’s curiosity, wonder, and care for the living things around her will encourage other children to get outside, explore, and wonder! (Are you interested in a virtual author visit? Please let me know!)
Newsletter Changes
Choosing CLARITY as my priority this year has led me to try to create a more focused newsletter. EVERYONE is busy. I hope what I share each month will be worth your valuable time. I’m always open to comments and suggestions!
Favorite Quote
Focus on STEM (free monthly STEM lesson)
Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato Challenge is a fun engineering lesson based on the Irish folktale written by Tomie DePaola. After reading the story, student teams must engineer a way to transport a real potato a given distance. This lesson, with built-in constraints, incorporates Dash Robots, but can be edited to use other technology, homemade simple machines, or good old kid-created ingenuity. My little engineers LOVED this one! Let me know if you have any questions.
Fantastic Picture Books
I am currently knee-deep in research for a picture book biography I’m writing about a scientist our nature-loving kids will especially find fascinating! Can’t wait to share more!
Here are just some of the amazing mentor texts I’ve been using. They are all rich in strategic lyrical language written to convey interesting facts in the most kid-friendly ways!
Wood, Wire, Wings Emma - Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane
Rachel Carson’s Wonder-Filled World - How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement
Margaret and the Moon - How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing
The Crayon Man - The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons
As a Bookshop.org affiliate, I earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you—and your purchase supports indie bookstores.
Featured Follow
If you are not already following April Berry’s newest adventure, Picture Book Postcards, what are you waiting for? April shares bite-sized messages from the newest picture book characters and their talented authors! Make sure you sign up HERE to have her postcards delivered straight to your inbox!
This is one of my favorite postcards so far—O’win and the Moon by best-selling author Roseanne Baxter Frank.
Falling Forward
An exciting update from Collazo Cove!
My first non-fiction picture book, JOURNEY OF A SHARK TOOTH, is officially on submission through my agent, Katie Monson (SBR Media)! This lyrical narrative adventure of a 300-million-year-old shark tooth fossil, which survives shifting continents, five ice ages, and the eventual erosion of its safe hiding place, will hopefully mesmerize and interest young readers, as well as parents and teachers!
Here’s what Joyce Uglow, award-winning author of Stuck! The Story of the La Brea Tar Pits had to say about it:
Speaking of shining…your beautiful work shows that you’ve done your homework. The research is wonderful as are your writing chops.—Joyce Uglow
Keeping my fingers crossed for this and all of the work my author friends are sending out into the agenting/publishing world! Cheering for you all!
And for my educator friends, especially my colleagues in the south who don’t get the week off in February that many of my northern friends do, I’m thinking of you. Keep up the incredible work you are doing with our students. You rock!
All the best,
Kim
Nice Newsletter this month!! I can see the ‘clarity’ in this one. Love how interested your granddaughter is with nature!!
Loved this and your granddaughter is so adorable and smart!