GROWING EARTH CONSCIOUS READERS WITH CANDLEWICK

GROWING EARTH CONSCIOUS READERS WITH CANDLEWICK

This Earth Day, Candlewick is celebrating nature, animals, and healthy living with this vibrant collection of new releases!

For Growing Gardeners:

E-I-E-I-O! How Old MacDonald Got His Farm with a Little Help From a Hen 

By Judy Sierra, illustrated by Matthew Myers

HC: 9780763660437 ∙ February 2014 ∙ $16.99 ∙ 32 pages ∙ Ages 4-8

Old MacDonald has a farm, but it wasn’t always that way. Judy Sierra’s playful picture book takes a familiar nursery rhyme and spins it into a tale of home-grown organic vegetables and the joys of backyard farming. Kids and parents will love singing along to the familiar rhyming verses while learning just how a small patch of grass can bloom into a thriving, organic urban farm.

« “Sierra has written an ingenious parable that’s ripped-from-the-headlines (or HGTV), and she has a two-peas-in-a-pod partnership with Myers, whose sculptural pictures and sly comedy add just the right amount of visual extravagance.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Peppa Pig and the Vegetable Garden

HC: 9780763669873 ∙ March 2014 ∙ $12.99 ∙ 32 pages ∙ 2-5 years

Peppa Pig is back for another adventure with her brother George. This time, they’re exploring the vegetable garden with Granny and Grandpa Pig, and learning all about how tiny black seeds can become ingredients for a fresh salad or a scrumptious blackberry pie. Great for grandparents and grandchildren, this playful read-aloud book will please Peppa fans young and old.

“Fans of the “Peppa Pig” television series will especially enjoy this zany adventure.” – School Library Journal

For Eager Environmentalists:

Little Pear Tree

By Rachel Williams, illustrated by Jenny Bowers

BB: 9780763671266 ∙ March 2014 ∙ $14.99 ∙ 12 pages ∙ 3-7 years

In this stylish lift-flap picture book, watch as a small seed blossoms into a fully-grown pear tree! Readers can discover the complex relationship between plants and animals as they lift flaps to reveal hidden creatures and their names. Jenny Bowers’ captivating illustrations will fascinate budding botanists while aspiring wordsmiths will love the lilting, poetic explanations of the growing process.

“Williams and Bowers use the growth of a pear tree as a lens to focus this quiet, atmospheric tour of the seasons.” – Publishers Weekly

John Muir: America’s First Environmentalist

By Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Stan Fellows

PB: 9780763662141∙ March 2014 ∙ $4.99 ∙ 56 pages ∙ Ages 8-12

Born in 1838, John Muir fell in love with America’s landscape and devoted his life to its preservation. As a writer, inventor, explorer, naturalist, and founder of the Sierra Club, Muir was a man ahead of his time. Readers will delight in the expansive illustrations of America’s most breathtaking natural landmarks and the story of John Muir’s love for his land in this new addition to the Candlewick Biographies collection.

"A useful introduction to Muir, the founding of the national parks, and the broader idea of environmentalism." -- School Library Journal

The Promise

By Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin

HC: 9780763666330 ∙ February 2014 ∙ $16.99 ∙ 40 pages ∙ Ages 5-9

Deep within the city, a thieving girl tries to steal an old woman’s handbag and ends up giving her something instead – a promise. Inspired by the classic French tale, The Man Who Planted Trees, this uniquely illustrated picture book tells the magical story of one girl’s chance to change the world for the better while enchanting young readers with the beauty and value of nature.

For Budding Biologists:

One Beetle Too Many

By Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Matthew Trueman

PB: 9780763668433 ∙ March 2014 ∙ $4.99 ∙ 48 pages ∙ Ages 7-10

This new edition to the Candlewick Biographies collection presents the life of a curious man named Charles Darwin. With a clear, engaging narrative and captivating mixed-media illustrations, aspiring young biologists can learn all about Darwin’s famous theory on the Origin of Species while exploring for themselves the complex ecological world to which this great scientist devoted his life. 

« “Lasky’s text balances the exuberant artwork with well-organized information, gracefully sprinkling in quotes from Darwin.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

Endangered Animals: A 3D Pocket Guide

Illustrated by Sarah Young

9780763669850 ∙ February 2014 ∙ $8.99 ∙ 30 pages ∙ 5-9 years

Humans can be found nearly everywhere on the planet, but for many animals, extinction is a serious threat. This handy pop-up pocket guide, enclosed in a stylish slipcase, profiles twelve endangered species. Meet the Sumatran orangutan, the giant panda, and ten other animals whose habitats are disappearing before our eyes. Complete with a helpful glossary and a world map, this compact guide will inform and amaze.

Bugs: A Stunning Pop-Up Look at Insects, Spiders, and Other Creepy-Crawlies

By George McGavin, illustrated by Jim Kay

HC: 9780763667627 ∙ October 2013 ∙ $19.99 ∙ 12 pages ∙ Ages 7 and up

What’s inside a cockroach’s body? What about a wasps’ nest? The answers are bursting off the pages of this colorful pop-up book for young entomologists, with plenty of fascinating creepy-crawly bugs hiding behind flaps, pull-outs, and more. The exquisitely detailed illustrations are paired with a wealth of scientific facts and theories about arthropod life.

“A fascinating book about arthropods that poises pop-up engineering and text in admirable balance.” – The New York Times Book Review

Flight of the Honey Bee

By Raymond Huber, illustrated by Brian Lovelock

HC: 9780763667603 ∙ September 2013 ∙ $16.99 ∙ 32 pages ∙ Ages 3 and up

Follow the incredible flight of a honey bee as she travels from flower to flower before finally returning to her hive. She uses her finely-tuned sense of smell to find flowers to pollinate, predators to avoid, and other bees to share her journey with. Young scientists and nature lovers will be amazed that these tiny insects are responsible for pollinating every flower, fruit, vegetable, and tree in the garden—and the world.

« “One of the most informative picture books about honey bees, this is surely among the most beautiful as well.” – Booklist (starred review)

Our Thoughts
I really liked the Flight of the Honey Bee.  It's written in a way that kids can easily understand: a story about Scout the Bee, and informative so that it's educational without being schoolbook-ish.  The illustrations are eye-catching and beautifully done.  It takes the reader through Scout finding flowers, avoiding being killed, delivering the pollen & nectar, telling her story to her sister bees, and ends with a visit to the bee nursery. 

Delightful story; highly recommended, and not just for the bug enthusiast child!