The Gold Leaf by Kirsten Hall & Illus by Matthew Forsythe

This book was one I have been wanting to look at for a year or so now, but haven't got my hands on it until I was up in Alaska this summer. 

Interestingly, I always assumed this was a fall book because that is when leaves are gold. BUT it isn't! I am still going to pretend it is a fall book because it is about leaves. 

Winter

Spring! 

Jungle green, laurel green, moss green, mint green, pine green, avocado green, and, of course, sap green. 

So much green! 

A squirrel saw something non-green

A golden leaf. Which does not look golden in this picture. But it is. 

Suddenly everyone wanted the golden leaf.

A bird got to it first.

Then a chipmunk stole it away. 

Then a mousie caught it up...

(Don't you just love the colored backgrounds here?)

Finally, the leaf was in tatters on the ground. 

Finally, the golden bits of leaf floated away on the wind. 

Lost because of greed

I love this fall picture!

Winter wonderland

When spring came around again, the golden leaf was there again. 

But this time, they understood how to leave it alone and so everyone could enjoy it.

Curiosity Book List--P2 Character Trait

The character trait this week in the Positivity Project calendar is curiosity. As you may have guessed from the title of this post. I like to give these little spoilers. 

For whatever reason, I had a bit of trouble with this trait. I know there are books about being curious, but I was drawing a blank. So a lot of these are ones I haven't read and others are ones that are more for inspiring curiosity than celebrating curiosity. I happen to think inspiring curiosity is almost as important as celebrating curiosity, so I am okay with that. 

A quote I came across in an Amazon review about curiosity--

"I think at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity." 

                                                                   --Eleanor Roosevelt

Stella, Queen of the Snow

by Marie Louise Gay

This was the first book that popped into my head for curious. Stella's little brother Sam is the most asking-est kid I ever met. He wants to know the why of everything. 

Ada Twist, Scientist 

by Andrea Beaty

Scientists are the most curious among us, and this book brings that home with our quirky, curious heroine! 

The Curious Kid's Science Book

by Asia Citro

For the curious scientists among us. 

Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover 

by Markus Motum

This one celebrates the human curiosity about our universe. What is out there? What is it like out there. Nonfiction. I really want to read this one!

Plus, the name. It demanded to be included.

The Watcher 

by Jeanette Winter

Jane Goodall was a curious child who grew up to be a curious adult. Watching, noticing, and learning. 

Little Kids First Big Book of Why

by Amy Shields 

Pretty sure I would have devoured this love song to children's curiosity as a kid. I sort of want to devour it now as an adult. The curious mind just needs to KNOW WHY.

5,000 Awesome Facts

by National Geographic Kids

Just because we were already talking about National Geographic and... if this book doesn't make you curious about something, I just don't know. 

The Way Things Work 

by David Macaulay

The original answer book for the questions of my childhood

A Most Curious Girl

by John R. Simanowitz Jr.

I am not crazy about the cover, but this looks like a great book following a curious girl and her adventures.

What Do You Do With an Idea?

by Kobi Yamada

 A book discussing how the curious mind work, particularly a timid, curious mind. You have an idea, but should you act on it? 

Atlas Ocscura Explorers Guide: The World's Most Adventurous Kid

by Dylan Thuras and Rosemary Mosco

I WANT THIS BOOK. It tells of obscure, interesting, real life places in the world.

Explorer

by DK Eyewitness Books

Going along with the Atlas Obscura, being an explorer is really the result of curiosity. If people hadn't been curious about what was over that mountain or across that ocean, we really wouldn't have covered the globe with humanity. 

Interestingly, there are no recent picture books about explorers. The picture book biography has taken off of late with an explosion of great authors and illustrators teaming up to tell us about influential people. But so far, no one has done an explorer. Maybe that is because explorers had their moment in the sun during the past century when they were often revered. Or possibly it is because of the difficult topics like imperialism, manifest destiny, etc. Anyway, explorers are a great "curious" group, but the books you will find about them are wordy, staff-author-written, books from the mid 1990's. 

Unless you know of good, recent explorer books--in that case, let me know!!

Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey

by Nick Bertozzi

I did come across a few by Nick Bertozzi though! This is a graphic novel story of Shackleton's adventure. 

And you can always count on the What was...? and Who was...? series 

What was the Lewis and Clark Expedition? 

by Judith St. George

I am Amelia Earhart 

by Brad Meltzer

Amelia Earhart was a curious person--wanting to see how far she could fly in different planes, but also, what happened to her was curious. She disappeared without trace. That has made people curious for a few decades. Although scientists seem to think they have found her remains 

John Deere, That's Who!

by Tracy Nelson Maurer

Just read this one to my kids--an easy to read book about John Deere moving west and inventing a better plow. Both the moving west and the inventing were both signs of a curious nature. 

Inky's Amazing Escape 

by Sy Montgomery

And here is the story of an exploring octopus who was curious enough about things to escape his life in a marine center and get back to his home in the ocean. Based on a true story, which makes it that much more interesting!!

Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin

by Gene Baretta

Inventors--those tinker what-if-ers. Curiosity is needed in large doses to be an inventor! 

Curious George

by H.A. Rey

For little kids, this is a great intro to curiosity. "George was always curious." I read this today with Pre-K and interestingly, George smokes a pipe. And then, there is the whole, kidnapping a monkey and insinuating he would be happier/better off in a zoo than in the wild. So you might be happier with a different Curious George book. 

Explorers of the Wild

by Cale Atkinson

These two adventurers need to dig to find their bravery. Curiosity generally leads to exploration. So being curious often means you are an explorer. 0

Snowflake Bentley

by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Bentley was so curious about snowflakes, he spent a good part of his life studying and taking pictures of them. 

Edda: A little Valkyrie's First Day of School by Adam Auerbach

This is a fun starting school book that is a little remniscent of The Princess and the Pony. Which for some reason, I have never done a post on. Oh boy! Just think of the fun ahead! 

Edda is the littlest Valkyrie.

But sometimes littlest Valkyries, while happy with their lovely Asgard full of magic, adventure, and dragons, want to hang out with people their own age. 

Her father knows just what to do! 

I bet she stymied her teacher when her kindergarten teacher wanted to make a bar chart about how everyone got to school that day--"Why is there no column for flying horse?"

Even Valkyries can be nervous when they don't know everyone. 

When compared to Asgard, school seems to come up a short second. 

And no one wants to swap their lunch for her shank of meat. 

Even the animals and creatures of school are less interesting (to say the least!) at school.

However, when Edda tells the class about Asgard, 

(Dragon hugs!)

She begins to make friends and enjoy school. 

So much so that she brings home a play date. 

(What kind of mother lets a clearly eccentric man take her son off on a flying horse with eight legs to a mythical land? Clear case of irresponsible parenting right there.)

And on the second day of school, Edda brings her dragon along for his first day of school. 

And it appears her friend survived his Asgard play date, so whew! 

Mermaid School by JoAnne Stewart Wetzel & Illus by Julianna Swaney

This is an incredibly cute book with very little depth. Except for the part about the ocean--that is pretty deep. HAHAHA. Sorry. couldn't resist.  

Pretty much perfect for the younger crowd and a little overly sweet for everyone else. 

While there isn't that much point to this book, the mermaid angle, the cute illustrations, and the what-if-school-were-under-water? aspect will probably make me buy this for my school library. Kids like mermaids. 

So many fish in the sea!

The first day of Mermaid school! 

Totally cute pictures and rhyme-yness. 

My six year old daughter loved all the details--the kelp door hanging, the barnacle like cubbies.... 

But WHY are their backpacks called tailpacks? They are not on their tails. It is a mystery. 

The A-B-Seas

Trumpetfish and drum fish making some dance music

Those weird, made up creatures without tails that live out of the water! 

Even mermaid school has a clip chart. 

You can't argue with adorable though.

The author even provides you with the mermaid school handbook.

Aren't my flowers pretty floating in their waterbowl?