Archive for November 25, 2019

Sleep: How Nature Gets Its Rest

Sleep 2Written and Illustrated by Kate Prendergast

This cute nature story explores all the many ways animals sleep. All animals sleep. Cats and dogs sleep curled up. Geese like to be near a pond, while chickens like their henhouse. Horses often sleep in a field, while cows sleep in a barn. Meerkats sleep in a heap, while rhinos sleep alone. Some animals sleep in the heat, while some are in the cold. Some even sleep upside down.

An appendix gives some further information about animal sleep habits, such as the fact that cats sleep as much as 20 hours a day. Ants for only a few moments at a time. The Find Out More section has several websites for exploration, including National Geographic and The World Wildlife Fund.

Adorable mixed media illustrations enhance the story and effectively show how the animals sleep.

This is a great place to start learning about this aspect of animal behavior and a jumping off place for exploring other aspects. It’s probably best read at bedtime or together with a class.

  • Title: Sleep: How Nature Gets Its Rest
  • Author/Illustrator: Kate Prendergast
  • Published: Candlewick Press, 2019
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • Grade Level: PreK to 2
  • Genre: Nature, Animals
  • ISBN: 978-1-5362-0798-9
  • Extras: How Do They Sleep? A Closer Look and Some Other Fun Facts, Find Out More

Sadie and the Silver Shoes

Written by Jane Godwin
Illustrated by Anna Walker

Sadie loves her shoes. She has three older brothers and sometimes the only new clothes she gets are underwear and shoes. When her mother buys her very special silver shoes, she doesn’t want to take them off. So she loses one shoe in a stream. Of course, she has to wear one silver shoe. The other girls at school find that a reason to tease her. When a new girl moves in, Sadie eventually finds out she has the other shoe. They become fast friends.

Readers can learn so much about being yourself and about what can make a good friendship from this simple story. The illustrator has managed to capture Sadie’s joy in her silver shoes and in her new-found friend – from Sadie kicking her feet with the new shoes on to Sadie and Ellie dancing together at the end.

Lots to enjoy and lots to discuss from this cute tale.

  • Sadie and the Silver Shoes2Title: Sadie and the Silver Shoes
  • Author: Jane Godwin
  • Illustrator: Anna Walker
  • Published: Candlewick Press, 2019
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • Grade Level: PreK to 2
  • Genre: Friendship, Self-determination
  • ISBN: 978-1-5362-0480-3