Been There, Done That: Reading Animal Signs

by Jen Funk Weber, Andrea Gabriel

Overview

Spotting wildlife is a thrill, but it’s not easy. When Cole comes to visit his friend Helena, he can’t wait to see all the wildlife the forest has to offer—and is disappointed when all he sees are a few birds. Together the kids set out on a hike and encounter plenty of animal signs along the way. Through observation and her knowledge of animal behavior, Helena helps Cole learn what each of the signs means: something had been there; something had done that. This fictional story includes a 4-page For Creative Minds section in the back of the book and a 37-page cross-curricular Teaching Activity Guide online. Been There, Done That is vetted by experts and designed to encourage parental engagement. Its extensive back matter helps teachers with time-saving lesson ideas, provides extensions for science, math, and social studies units, and uses inquiry-based learning to help build critical thinking skills in young readers. The Spanish translation supports ELL and dual-language programs. The enhanced ebook reads aloud in both English and Spanish with word highlighting and audio speed control to promote oral language skills, fluency, pronunciation, text engagement, and reading comprehension.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781628557480
Publisher:	Arbordale Publishing
Publication date:	02/10/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	4 - 9 Years

About the Author

Jen Funk Weber began writing professionally while working as a winter caretaker for remote lodges in Alaska, often passing six months or more with no electricity, running water, or human neighbors. Jen has written numerous puzzle and activity books, including Nancy Drew: Hollywood Head Scratchers, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Wild About Alaska: A Children's Puzzle Book, Wild About Sudoku, and Alaska's Puzzle Bears. Been There, Done That: Reading Animal Signs is Jen's debut picture book. Jen lives with her husband in a house they built overlooking the Matanuska Glacier in Alaska. They see their moose and bird neighbors often, their human and porcupine neighbors sometimes, and occasionally catch a glimpse of a coyote or lynx. Visit her website at www.jenfunkweber.com.

Award-winning artist Andrea Gabriel has worked as a professional illustrator for the past fifteen years. In addition to Magnetic Magic, Been There, Done That: Reading Animal Signs and Little Gray's Great Migration for Arbordale, some of Andrea's other illustrated works include Where Do I Sleep? and Eaglet's World. Andrea is the author and illustrator of Wandering Woolly and My Favorite Bear. Andrea lives in Bellingham, Washington with her family of two-and four-legged creatures. Visit her website at bigbearillustration.com.

Editorial Reviews

"This book would work best in conjunction with examples of local wildlife and animal signs. Back matter includes additional facts, games, and animal statistics. VERDICT This nonfiction picture book would supplement elementary nature and animal lessons well.–Lindsay Jensen, Nashville Public Library for School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/01/2016
K-Gr 2—Cole is disappointed that he has not seen any wild creatures while visiting his friend Helena, but she shows him that although the animals may not be visible, traces of wildlife can be found all around them. While there is little actual story line (the location of the forest and the reason why Cole is going home tomorrow are not revealed), the reprise "Something had been there. Something had done that" appears with each example, giving the story a running thread and demonstrating that just because one hasn't spotted the animal, that doesn't mean it is not nearby. For instance, bark stripped from trees is evidence that snowshoe hares have made their mark and large ovals of matted grass mark the place where a moose has napped. Bright illustrations of the children's hike accompany the text and offer readers an idea of what the tracks look like. This book would work best in conjunction with examples of local wildlife and animal signs. Back matter includes additional facts, games, and animal statistics. VERDICT This nonfiction picture book would supplement elementary nature and animal lessons well.—Lindsay Jensen, Nashville Public Library

School Library Journal