Going Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration

by Marianne Berkes, Jennifer DiRubbio (Illustrator)

Overview

Teach young readers and students about how and why animals migrate in this beautifully illustrated picture book. A winning combination of easy verse, factual language, and realistic illustrations will fascinate and educate young minds.

Perfect for your Pre-K, Kindergarten, first grade or second grade classroom, or homeschool.

Learn about animal migration across the animal kingdom in Going Home, featuring loggerhead turtles, monarch butterflies, manatees, ruby-throated hummingbirds, Pacific salmon, emperor penguins, and more! Each page includes a rhyming verse and facts about the animal(s) that are featured.

Backmatter Includes:

• The Mystery of Migration: a brief explanation of migration and questions to young readers of how the would feel if they migrated
• Animal Facts: learn the locations, migration patterns and fun facts about all the animals featured in the book
• Activities: activity ideas such as drawing a migration map, constructing an animal attribute chart, and writing a short story
• Additional Resources: books, websites and movies on animal migration for further learning

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781584691273
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	03/01/2010
Series:	Sharing Nature with Children Books
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	513,133
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	AD790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Marianne Berkes has spent much of her life as a teacher, children's theater director and children's librarian. She knows how much children enjoy "interactive" stories and is the author of many entertaining and educational picture books that make a child's learning relevant. Reading, music, theater, gardening, and cooking have been a constant in Marianne's life. Her books are inspired by her love of nature. Marianne hopes to open kids' eyes to the magic found in our natural world. She now writes full time. An energetic presenter at schools and conferences, Marianne believes that "hands on" learning is fun. Her website is www.MarianneBerkes.com.

Jennifer DiRubbio is both a passionate artist and an avid environmentalist. She has been active as an artist for several organizations that promote nature and a healthy planet. Jennifer graduated with a BFA from Pratt Institute in 1992. She keeps her home and studio in Merrick, New York, as "green" and environmentally sound as possible, where her husband and two young children also work and play.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3–4—Teachers especially will welcome this poetic look at animal migration patterns. Ten critters, ranging from Canada geese to caribou and loggerhead turtles, celebrate their "going home" with a rhyme, a small paragraph of information, and a colorful, realistic illustration spreading across facing pages. A large map helps readers follow migratory patterns, and a closing section contains a look at the "mystery" of migration, further data on the creatures in focus, and a handy-dandy passel of suggestions, such as to "Write Your Own Story" about an animal not included in this book. Similar in scope to Berkes's Over in the Arctic (2008) and Over in the Jungle (2007, both Dawn), the book is a pleasant way to tie creative writing and natural history in a simple package.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

A creative-nonfiction look at animal migration. Each spread focuses on one animal, describing both its journey and the reason behind it-the change of season, to give birth or to search for food and water. An additional paragraph rounds out the information presented in the rhyming verses-a good thing, as the poetry is weak, to say the least. The animals include a good mix of fauna from land, sea and air, and many will be familiar to readers. A final spread combines the migration routes of all the animals on a map focused on North America. DiRubbio's realistic artwork places each animal in its own environment, complete with the surrounding colors and flora. While highlighting the individual animal "speaking" in the verses, she also depicts whether the animal is usually a part of a herd or solitary. Extensive backmatter features more facts about migration, a paragraph of further information about each animal, some activity ideas from the author including another example of creative-nonfiction writing and a list of resources for learning more about the animals presented. A solid introductory look at animal migration in a form that the youngest readers will appreciate. (Illustrated picture book. 4-10)

Kirkus Reviews