NonFiction Monday: A Place for Bats (by Melissa Stewart)

Non-Fiction Monday is here! It is my first time hosting, and I am thrilled!   Please join in using the self link-up below. 

I have read several picture books about bats because they are such fascinating creatures.  My first encounter with one scared me to death!  I was 11 years old when one flew into my room late at night.  I had no idea what it was at first.  Eventually, it knocked itself out by running into the closet wall.  My dad picked it up and let it go out the window.  Even though they might startle you, I realized bats are harmless.  A few years ago we used to swim sometimes at night.  The bats would sweep down close to us to snatch the insects attracted to the light and water.  It was a wonderful site to see!  I had no fear at all.  Fortunately, my children did not either.  Bats play a vital role in our world.  We need to protect them. 

A Place for Bats takes a different approach than most non-fiction picture books do on this topic. Author Melissa Stewart reveals interesting information about these flying mammals through her narrative, but the focus is on how humans can help make the world a safer place for them. 

This book could actually be read a couple different ways, depending on the audience.  The top margin offers a straight-forward description while the semi-circle bubbles on the sides go into more detail about the topic on the page and relate it to a particular species of bats that has been impacted.  For younger audiences, teachers could read the top margin and, perhaps, summarize the more detailed information.  Older children will enjoy the well-written specific stories about the various types of bats and the environmental impacts. 

Stewart offers many excellent and practical suggestions for how humans can live more harmoniously with the bats, such as turning off wind turbines on calm nights, not using harmful insecticides, putting up gates at the mouths of cave and mines, and protecting their natural habitats.  Many suggestions are simple things we can do in our backyards like building bat boxes, keeping cats indoors, leaving drooping fronds on trees, not removing dead trees, and planting flowers that attract the moths bats eat.

There are some fascinating facts about bats.  For instance, I did not realize they caught insects with their feet.  For some reason, I always thought they caught them with their mouths.  LOL  Also, plants need bats.  They play a vital role in pollination and the spreading of plant seeds.  One of the most important facts:  Despite commonly held myths, bats do not hurt people.  Instead, they are essential for keeping the insect population down.  

Higgins Bond’s illustrations look like photograph snapshots with their vivid details and brilliant colors.  Bats are depicted in their caves and other natural habitats as well as in backyards and neighborhoods.  Each stunning picture encompasses a two-page spread.  I recommend A Place for Bat for ages 7 and up.   The book is an amazing combination of beautiful pictures and vital information.  

Picture Books (Science): Animals, Adaption, and Interdependence

Sylvan Dell has two new Spring Releases that focus on interdependence adaption, and food webs in nature.

Summary of Gopher to the Rescue!  (by Terry Catasus Jennings)  

The ground moves and shakes.  Rumbles penetrate the silent mountain woodlands.  Steam and ash trickle into the air.  Gopher busily digs in his burrow.  The rumbling and shaking become more intense.  Then, a sound resonates through the woods, violent and thunderous.  Gopher continues digging in his burrow.   The mountain explodes and disappears in a cloud of ash and rock.  Even though many animals and plants are destroyed in the blast, gopher is safe in his home.   In this now nearly desolate area of the mountain, few creatures have survived.   The remainder of the narrative describes how the mountain recovers with the vital help of gopher and other survivors, drawing on the scientific observations made after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. 

Evaluation: 

Gopher to the Rescue!  A Volcano Recovery Story is a good balance of engaging narrative and nonfiction information.  The text is straightforward enough that young readers will enjoy it, but dense enough to be a springboard for many science topics like environmental changes, volcanoes, habitats, landforms,, food chains, and so forth.  The illustrations (by Laurie O’Keefe) are rich and detailed, revealing not only the beauty of the woodlands but the desolation of the area after the eruption.  This book is a beautiful story of the resilience of nature and a testimony of hope in the midst of disaster.  I recommend it for ages 4-11.

For more teaching ideas and resources, visit the book page at Sylvan Dell and the 40-page Teaching Activity Guide. 

Summary of Home in the Cave (by Janet Halfmann)   

Deep within a dark cave, Baby Bat snuggles close to his mother.  He is comfortable and safe.  He never wants to leave the cave—ever!   When his mother leaves for her nightly insect hunt, he hears the other youngster describe the dangers lurking outside the cave.  He is determined to never leave!  While practicing his flying, he crashes into a wall and lands in a packrat’s nest.  His new rodent friend leads him on a tour of their habitat where they meet birds, snakes, salamanders, fish, and a host of insects.  Baby Bat learns his vital role in the cave food chain, and he overcomes his fears of the outside world. 

Evaluation:

Using the point of view of a child, Home in the Cave creates a narrative framework for youngster to explore the unknown on two levels.  First, he is venturing into and learning about his physical environment in a calm and simple manner.  Second, he is learning a valuable lesson about growing up and conquering fear.  Both of these lessons are beneficial to children.  Next, the book broadens a child’s experience with nature and expands his science vocabulary/background knowledge by fluidly revealing the wonders of the cave habitat.   Also, there are some excellent opportunities to discuss literary elements with examples of similes, hyperbole, and alliteration sprinkled within the text.  Finally, Shennen Bersani does an amazing job with light and color.   he maintains the dark atmosphere while illuminating the creatures and other elements in there (stalactites, stalagmites, nests, watering holes).  This book is recommended for children ages 4-9.  

For more teaching ideas and resources, visit the book page at Sylvan Dell and the 51-page Teaching Activity Guide. 

Disclaimer: As per FTC guidelines, I received copies of these books from Sylvan Dell Publishing in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

Bats at the...(Brian Lies)

In my search for Halloween-themed picture books, I came across this stunning bat series written and illustrated by Brian Lies.

The illustrations are eye-catching and imaginative.  The books are written in a poetic narrative style that is both creative and engaging.  The author does a remarkable job incorporating beautiful alliteration, consonance, rhyme, and onomatopoeia.  The subjects of the various books are diverse (sports, library, and beach); on the other hand, there is one common bond between all of them:  a sense of community and cooperation.  All the bats play, explore, eat, and learn together.  Parents cuddle and care for their children.  This series which is includes 3 titles (Bats at the Library, Bats at the Ballgame, and Bats at the Beach) is worth checking into!  

Extension Activities

• There are lots of great Bat Crafts that can be done with all ages.
• Learn some Facts about Bats.
• Practice identifying poetic sound devices from the book.
• Create poems (fictional or factual) about bats.
• Plan a trip (or write about a trip already taken) to a baseball game, a library, or beach.  Then write about the experience in poetic, narrative, or journal form.
• Students can image they are a bat in one of the books.  Then, they might create a journal entry or draw a picture about their experience.  
• Create a new product that could be marketed at the baseball game, library, or beach that is geared for bats.  See examples in the book, such as Cricket Jack and bug-mallows.
• Check out the author Brian Lies Website.  He has some bat activities and teacher guides for some of the books.
• Check the ideas in the links Links to Units and Activities throughout the Web and Links for Bat Activities ABKL Designs.