"Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor" by Joanna Cole

Ms. Frizzle is at it again. In “The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor” by Joanna Cole, she takes the kids on a field trip to the ocean. Her students know they are in for another adventure when she drives the bus right into the ocean instead of stopping at the beach as they had hoped. They explore the underwater terrain and learn about the many plants and animals that live in the ocean. Dive in and explore with them!

You can make your own underwater creatures with a few simple supplies. A jellyfish can be made with two disposable bowls, crayons or markers, googly eyes, and scraps of ribbon and yarn.

Color the outside of one bowl with crayons or markers, then, glue on the googly eyes.

On the inside of this bowl glue strips of ribbon, yarn, lace, rick rack, crepe paper, or anything
else you have on hand.

Glue the second bowl inside the first bowl so that the “tentacles” are in between the two bowls.
This will help hold the “tentacles” in place.

You can hang your jellyfish by poking a hole in the head and stringing some ribbon, yarn, or
fishing wire through it.

--Shelley A., WR

Staff Review: "Because Your Daddy Loves You" by Andrew Clements

Happy Father's Day! To celebrate dads everywhere, we're highlighting the picture book release, "Because Your Daddy Loves You" by Andrew Clements.

Written by beloved chapter-book writer Andrew Clements and illustrated by R.W. Alley, "Because Your Daddy Loves You"  follows a little girl and her daddy as they spend the day at the beach. Clements shows all the many little ways that dads show their love--looking for a shoe, retrieving a lost beach ball, carrying a sleeping child to bed and more. Funny and tender, this would be a great a great book for any dad to read with his little ones. Recommended for ages two and up.


--Andrea W., H.Q.


P.S. For some more great titles about dads, click on the books below!

 

National Poetry Month Spotlight: In the Sea by David Elliott

Celebrate poetry this month by checking out "In the Sea" by David Elliott for your young reader. Children love poetry, and rhyming is an excellent way to develop cognitive and literacy skills in your pre-reader. Best of all, it's fun! And when you add striking illustrations to a poem, who can resist?  

David Elliot's brief nautical poems are perfect for shorter attention spans. They are funny and charming, "Her shell spins round,/ a top/ a dancer/ a staircase with no end/ a question with no answer ("The Chambered Nautilus")." Or, "Gotta lotta zing!/ By which I mean,/ Watch out!/ They sting ("Anemones")." The woodblock print and watercolor illustrations by Holly Meade bring life to Elliot's text with their bold lines and bright colors. My favorite poem and illustration is the stripy blueness and green sea of "The Blue Whale", "Rises to the surface,/an island, a mountain./ All fluke and fin and fountain,". What are you waiting for? Request a copy now and discover the rest!

--Andrea W., H.Q.

P. S. For some more ocean poems, check out these titles:

Sea Stars: Saltwater Poems by Avis Harley

Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures by Julie Larios