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Welcome
to SB&F Book Talks!
Below
are the first four installments of the SB&F podcast,
Book Talks. In these four episodes you'll hear interviews with the
2007 SB&F Prize winning authors and illustrators, along
with readings, by the authors, from their prize-winning books.
Episode
1: Team Moon | Episode 2: An Egg is Quiet
| Episode 3: Thomas Edison for Kids | Episode
4: Tigerland
SB&F
Book Talks, Episode 1: Catherine Thimmesh, author of Team Moon:
How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon
Listen
to this episode.
SB&F
review of Team Moon:
As newlyweds in 1969, my bride and I watched the moon landing
along with billions of earth's citizens. Sadly, it was perhaps
the last time most of us seemed to be pulling together for one
main objective. We immortalized the astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin,
and Collins, but do we remember Eleanor Foracker, Tom Sanzone,
or Kirby Hinson as being equally essential to the mission? This
book gives homage to Foracker, who sewed the space suits; to Sanzone,
who designed the life-supporting portable space packs, and to
Hinson, who designed the parachute recovery system necessary for
a safe return to earth. These individuals and many others-some
400,000 professionals-made up Team Moon and ensured the success
of the moon landing. Although the book may be focused toward children,
the text and appealing photographs should satisfy all age groups.
The author states that she could pull only a handful of players
"from the bench of the best team ever," but still, it
is enough to deliver the message of the book. Kudos to Catherine
Thimmesh for remembering the players on Team Moon and dedicating
the time to document their efforts for all of us to appreciate.
This is a thin book, but well assembled and worth you and your
children's time to read and enjoy.
About
the author:
Catherine Thimmesh took on an enormous mission in researching
Team Moon. Devoting time to reading, interviewing, watching
videos, listening to tapes, and researching photos, she collected
many remarkable stories of those involved in the Apollo 11 effort.
Catherine lives in Plymouth, Minnesota, with her husband and two
young children. She is the author of Girls Think of Everything:
Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women; The Sky's the Limit:
Stories of Discovery by Women and Girls; and Madam President:
The True, Extraordinary (and Evolving) Story of Women in Politics.
When she isn't writing, Catherine enjoys playing with her kids,
reading (new favorite author: Zadie Smith), and traveling (especially
to warm locales in the winter). And what started as a lark has
now become a passionate hobby; once a week the author can be found
hanging upside down and flipping off the flying trapeze at circus
school.
SB&F
Book Talks, Episode 2: Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long, author and
illustrator of An Egg is Quiet.
Listen
to this episode.
SB&F
review of An Egg is Quiet:
The title of this book is the first sentence of what passes for
a story line, which ends with "an egg is noisy!" accompanied
by a drawing of hatchlings of the "quiet" egg illustrated
on the first page. In between, some characteristics of eggs are
noted (e. g., they are colorful and textured), and adaptations,
such as being speckled or "pointy," are briefly explained.
The hand lettered text is richly garnished by over 100 ink and
watercolor illustrations of eggs (and many of the adults that
produce them) of a rather eclectic array of species, all identified
by common names. As is to be expected, birds make up the majority
of the animals pictured, but insects, crustaceans, fish, reptiles,
and amphibians are represented as well. No part of the book has
gone unillustrated; even the front and rear endpapers are decorated
with the shell pattern of one of the eggs. This book is visually
pleasing, educational, and utilitarian-destined to be a "keeper"
in many homes. A child who might have had it read to him or her
as a preschooler could use it several years later to identify
an unknown egg found on a field trip.
About
the author:
Dianna lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where she is learning
the science of hot-air ballooning and plans to get her pilot's
license. She grew up in Houston, where she remembers the only
wildlife as cockroaches, sparrows, and frogs. Once she moved into
a rural area outside of Austin, Texas (after receiving her degree
in journalism/political science), she began noticing birds, raccoons,
armadillos, coyotes, snakes, deer, horny toads, etc... She believes
we can learn, or re-learn, harmony-the natural rhythm of the world-by
studying the natural world.
She has two children, James and Lizzie, who are the most fascinating
creatures of all.
Her previous books include When You Were Born, Loony Little,
and Bless This Mouse. Her latest book is entitled A
Seed Is Sleepy.
About
the illustrator:
The publication of her first children's book, Ten Little Rabbits,
launched Sylvia Long's children's book career and quickly won
her a loyal and enthusiastic following.
"After I finished my first children's book, I realized that's
what I should have been doing all along. Books reach so many people
and actually influence them. It feels really good."
Ms. Long graduated from Maryland Institute of Art and has exhibited
her paintings extensively for the past twenty years. She lives
in Arizona with her dog, Amigo, and near her two sons, Matthew
and John.
When she was younger, she spent hours creating cards for her parents
and doodling in her notebooks. She feels art is an important aspect
of education and that children should be encouraged to express
themselves visually, without criticism. Too often, she feels,
art and music are viewed as "playtime" and children
are not encouraged to take it seriously.
"Being an illustrator is a wonderful, fulfilling career,
and children should be aware that it is an option in life. I think
it's a shame that art is not a bigger part of our culture. We
all can learn a lot through art."
SB&F
Book Talks, Episode 3: Laurie Carlson, author of Thomas Edison
for Kids: His Life and Ideas.
Listen
to this episode.
SB&F
review:
Thomas Edison for Kids: His Life and Ideas: 21 Activities,
by Laurie Carlson, is a 146-page biography of arguably one of
the most influential minds in America. This well-written book
contains nine chapters that take the reader through Edison's life
from his birth in 1847 to his death in 1931. In addition to getting
to know Edison as a person, readers will learn about his work
as an inventor, especially in the areas of electricity and magnetism.
The book opens with a brief introduction to Edison himself, followed
by a time line that demarks significant events in his life. The
content represents an excellent view of the relationship between
science, technology, and society; in addition, the history and
nature of science provides a backdrop for the narrative description
of Edison's curiosity, experimentation, inductive reasoning, and
many inventions.
The narrative text is augmented by many illustrations, including
drawings, sketches, and photographs. Ample text boxes appear in
the margins and provide interesting links to related inventors
and ideas. For example, one text box presents a concise description
of patents and copyrights, while others cite related inventors
and businessmen, such as Alexander Graham Bell, Nikola Tesla,
Henry Ford, and George Westinghouse. In general, the book provides
a nice set of activities that supplement the text.
Each chapter is strengthened by the inclusion of two or three
related hands-on activities. For example, students can build a
simple circuit to test various materials for electrical conductivity.
Each activity contains a list of materials needed, along with
a narrative description of the steps to take; embedded within
the narrative is the scientific explanation of the content.
The book concludes with a resource section that lists sources
of supplies, Edison's major inventions, locations to visit, and
selected Web sites. There are also a bibliography and an index.
The reading level and related activities would likely serve students
in upper elementary grade levels through middle school and perhaps
beyond. This book is made to order for those who seek to demonstrate
how social studies and science are naturally connected.
About
the author:
Laurie Carlson currently teaches history at Western Oregon University
in Monmouth, Oregon. Laurie, husband Terry, son, and grandson
live near Dallas, Oregon, where they have begun restoring a farmhouse
on six acres. Her books are wide-ranging, including Colonial
Kids, Classical Kids, Green Thumbs, More Than Moccasins, Days
of Knights and Damsels, Westward Ho, and several serious adult
history books, including A Fever in Salem: a New Interpretation
of the New England Witchcraft Trials, and Cattle: An Informal
Social History.
SB&F
Book Talks, Episode 4: Eric Dinerstein, author of Tigerland and
Other Unintended Destinations.
Listen
to this episode.
SB&F
review:
Tigerland and Other Unintended Destinations is a quiet,
unassuming book that can (and should!) be savored on many levels.
In it, author Eric Dinerstein presents a series of autobiographical
chapters about his experiences in the wild and unique places of
the world: Nepal and Costa Rica, New Caledonia and the Galápagos
Islands, Venezuela, Tanzania, and even Montana. Each essay is
enjoyable as narrative, with the author recounting his encounters
with people and efforts to preserve wild places and wild things.
Each chapter is unique, too, as the author addresses the critical
issues associated with wildlife and wild lands conservation today-protection
for endangered species, the protection of habitats, the destruction
and fragmentation of habitats by humans, and, finally, the restoration
and repopulation of ecosystems-all key concepts and each fundamental
to an understanding of how conservation really works. The reader
will emerge with a broad perspective of what is involved in conservation
today and how a few dedicated individuals have made (and are continuing
to make) a difference. I recommend this book highly as a gentle,
entertaining (and nonpedantic) introduction to the conservation
of wildlife and wild places.
About
the author:
Eric Dinerstein is a die-hard adventurer who has traveled the
world practicing conservation on the frontlines - working on everything
from snow leopards in northern India to tigers in Nepal to fruit
bats in Costa Rica. He led the first team to identify every ecoregion
on the planet and define the most biologically important of those,
a framework called the Global 200 that now guides World Wildlife
Fund's fieldwork in more than 100 countries.
His first love, though, is the rhinos of Nepal and India, living
remnants of the world's prehistoric age. Eric began researching
the wildlife of Nepal's lowland jungles as a Peace Corps volunteer
in 1975. Besides studying the biology of large wide-ranging mammals,
he has championed the idea of looking at protection beyond the
boundaries of the park and considering how to protect the rhinos
and their habitat at the larger landscape level. Considered groundbreaking
at the time, this approach is now standard practice for large-mammal
conservation. Eric also was an ardent advocate of forming partnerships
with local communities to ensure their support in protecting the
species.
Dr. Dinerstein got his Ph D from the University of Washington
and did his post-doc in Nepal with the Smithsonian Institution.
He is author or coauthor of over three dozen peer-reviewed articles
and nine books, especially related to eco-regional assessments
world-wide, and Asian conservation issues. He is Chief of Conservation
Science and Vice-President for Research at World Wildlife Fund
in DC.
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