After using Tigers by Valerie Bodden during a mini lesson yesterday, I fell in love it. On the surface it looked like a great nonfiction book for younger readers. The photographs are brilliant and large; almost a whole page size in most cases. The text is big for younger readers and not too much print on a page. The photographs have just a one sentence caption which is perfect because the photos are focused requiring just one sentence. I quickly scanned and saw a few words in bold typeface and thought we've got some things to work with here for a mini-lesson.
We are currently talking about nonfiction keywords and if we can predict some words we might see while we are reading it will make our reading go better. It will sound better and we will understand better the "lingo" on nonfiction books. The book Tigers was suggested as a mentor text to use for using nonfition features to help find keywords and understand what they mean. I find glossaries a bit challenging for younger readers because they may not want to stop and flip to the back of the book to find the definition of a keyword. Valerie Bodden must have great insight for early readers because she puts the definition for her words in bold print at the bottom of the page, easily accessible for the reader. This makes the reading process easier to navigate and helps foster more meaning for the reader.
I'm a bit worried because during lunch yesterday, I discovered this book is part of the Amazing Animals series published by Creative Paperbacks and there are 16 books in the series. I want them all!
Thank you Alyson at Kid Lit Frenzy for encouraging us to share nonfiction picture books all year on Wednesdays.
My granddaughter is studying 'big cats" for her personal unit this year & this book sounds just right for her as a beginning reader, Mandy. I understand about your worry, though. There are also books about jaguars, leopards, and on! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this series, Mandy. I'm always on the lookout for books that are great for younger readers.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how you find a book you love and then want the whole series?! :-) I will have to check this one out. I love big cats (and those small ones that live with me too).
ReplyDeleteYeah, this is a good series. And Seedlings, part of the same company. And they've branched out to include other subjects now!
ReplyDeleteI love this series too! And keep adding titles to our nonfiction collection. Your point about words being defined right on the page is a great one. Students really appreciate this.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I have to check out that Creative Paperbacks series - I love how book design and layout really influence the way the reader appreciates a book. :)
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