Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

I’m a little slow today for my Perfect Picture Book Friday post, but this book is worth the wait!

[And you have 2 more days to get in on the GIVEAWAY in honor of National Library Week and Ben Franklin. See last week’s post and leave a comment for a chance to win.]

Title: Volcano Dreams, A Story of Yellowstone

Written by: Janet Fox

Illustrated by: Marlo Garnsworthy

Web of Life Children’s Books, 2018

Suitable for ages: 5-9

Themes/topics: earth science, ecosystems, Yellowstone

Opening:
As the sun rises, something is sleeping in Yellowstone.

Overview: (from barnesandnoble.com)
Lyrical prose and luminous paintings lead readers on a tour of the Yellowstone supervolcano, from the wolves, elk, bears, and mountain goats that roam its surface to the fiery depths of its magma chamber. VOLCANO DREAMS knits together the vibrancy of the Yellowstone ecosystem with its explosive history, placing the everyday lives of its creatures within the context of geological time. Janet Fox’s poetic text takes us to the root of it all––– the “sleeping giant” of magma responsible for the Yellowstone landscape-–and Marlo Garnsworthy’s evocative paintings capture the awe of natural forces at work in our nation’s oldest national park.

Activities and Resources:
Educator’s Guide K-4

Classroom geyser experiment 

Why I like this book:
This engaging, lyrical book about what lies in and beneath Yellowstone National Park is not just for park visitors. Fox starts with the animals present today, then smoothly takes us back in time to the volcanic eruption which carved out the land features and created the geological wonders. We see how life sprouted from the ash and then fed the animals we saw earlier. This beautiful story goes full circle and reveals the interconnectedness within nature and the creation of an ecosystem.

Science writers should take note of this title. The gentle personification, with the volcano as a sleeping giant beneath the earth, isn’t overdone and maintains the real science through the poetic text.

Author website 

Visit author Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Books for a plethora of picture books listed by title and topic/theme, each with teacher/parent activities and resources.

Visit the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge on Kid Lit Frenzy on Wednesdays for more great nonfiction books for kids!