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Artist and naturalist Jim Arnosky has been honored for his overall contribution to literature for children by the Eva L. Gordon Award and the Washington Post/Children’s Book Guild Award for nonfiction. His latest book is "Frozen Wild."

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1. That floppy protrusion on a turkey's head is called the caruncle. An agitated turkey's caruncle will grow longer and hang over its beak. The fleshy skin under its chin is called the wattles. 2. Male turkeys gobble to show they are dominant. The sound can be heard a mile away. 3. Male turkeys have spurs on their legs that they use to fight other toms and to fend off predators. 4. Turkeys prefer to run from danger. But they can fly, sometimes as fast as 50 mph. 5. Domesticated turkeys usually have white feathers and are much too heavy to get off the ground. 6. To stay safe from predators turkeys roost in trees at night. 7. A turkey has binocular, or 3-D, vision. It can spot movement a hundred yards away. 8. Although turkeys don't have external ears, their hearing is sharp. 9. Female turkeys lay between 8 to 18 tan eggs. The hatchlings are called poults. 10. While wild turkeys have the capacity to live to about 12, most don't make it past two. And for domesticated turkeys it's half that.  

I found most of these facts in All About Turkeys, written and illustrated by Jim Arnosky. Published in 1998,  Arnosky's book remains a good introduction to the bird that was Ben Franklin's choice for the United States national bird. Wild Turkeys by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and illustrated by William Munoz provides additional information for kids to chew on.


Today's host for Nonfiction Monday is Practically Paradise.

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By Phoebe Vreeland, The Children’s Book Review
Published: September 16, 2010

MAN GAVE NAMES TO ALL THE ANIMALS

By Bob Dylan (Author), Jim Arnosky (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Sterling; Har/Com edition (September 7, 2010)

Source: Publisher

I had been trying to introduce Bob Dylan to my four-year-old daughter with entirely the wrong song.  Clearly, dancing around the house together to Dylan’s “Everything is Broken” was a crazy idea.  Recently, Bianca Schulze handed me the new children’s book Man Gave Names To All The Animals—a beautifully illustrated picture book by Jim Arnosky with Bob Dylan’s lyrics as text.  The book includes a CD of the original recording with its jumpy island beat and soft female background vocals.  With the right groove and stunning pictures, a new Dylan fan is born.

Few adult Dylan fans rave about this song from the 1979 release Slow Train Coming, but the song actually lends itself well to a sing-a-long with its simple chorus and predictable rhymes.  While repetitive, it won’t become an annoying ear bug like so many kids songs can. Those new to the song may appreciate the book’s text since Dylan’s signature gruff, nasal vocals are at times hard to understand.  It’s a playful song and children will delight while calling out the animals’ names.

However, the true reason why I am happy to have discovered this book is it brought Jim Arnosky to my awareness.  As a mother of a four-year old daughter I read a lot about pink princesses and cuddly creatures. It’s refreshing to have discovered someone who is passionately committed to connecting children with the natural world. Arnosky has written and/or illustrated over a hundred books about nature—books with titles like Slither and Crawl, Crocodile Safari, and Every Autumn Comes the Bear.

Using nature as the underlying theme, his books are as varied as they are plentiful and appropriately adapted to all ages.  He has reached the very youngest with his “Mouse” series of picture books and the adorable Rabbits and Raindrops and Otters Underwater.  Arnosky writes books for the older child that draw him out into the natural world while engaging in it—teaching outdoor skills, identification, sketching or merely observing—inviting them to “see as an artist would and observe as a naturalist would.” He has been praised for not romanticizing or humanizing animals. Influenced by the great nature writers John Burroughs and Ernest Thomas Seaton, Arnosky has said that their writings enticed him out into the natural world and he hopes his books will do the same for others.

Living and working in a rural Vermo

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Bob Dylan’s “All the Animals” Turns Into New Children’s Book

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I love, love, love Thanksgiving! I love getting together with the families, making and eating lots of food, and taking a day to really thank God for all the blessings we have been given.
Hopefully, if you like any of my choices this week, you can run out to the library and find them in time for the big day. Enjoy the turkey!

Thanksgiving Rules, written by Laurie Friedman and illustrated by Teresa Murfin is a great choice for a read aloud in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Funny, but with a sweet message at the end.

Percy Isaac Gifford wants to make sure we all make the most out of our Thanksgiving experience, so he's come up with a list of rules for us to follow. From how to keep the greeting of the relatives short and sweet, to how to build up your plate, and ending with a sweet surprise for everyone.

The rhyming makes this a fun story (though sometimes the rhymes are a bit off) and your kids will definitely be giggling through a lot of Percy's rules. The message at the end is of thankfulness and love, a nice touch.

Thanksgiving Rules
Laurie Friedman
32 pages
Picture book
Carolrhoda Books
9780822579830
September 2009
Review copy received from publisher

Duck for  Turkey Day, written by the very nice Jacqueline Jules (yep, I've had the pleasure of meeting her) and illustrated by Kathryn Mitter, is an awesome way to bring some diversity into this wonderful holiday. 

Tuyet, a Vietnamese-American girl, is incredibly disappointed...and more than a bit worried...that her family will not be having turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, but traditional duck instead. She insists that it simply cannot be Thanksgiving without a turkey! 


After learning what some of her friends ate for Thanksgiving, including roast beef, enchiladas, and even a tofu turkey, Tuyet starts feeling much better and begins to realize that what is eaten on Thanksgiving Day matters a whole lot less than spending time with friends and family. 

I really, really liked the message of Duck for Turkey Day and feel it's an ever-important one to attempt to get across to kids in today's time of extreme diversity in our schools, cities, and towns. Not everyone eats turkey on Thanksgiving (like me!) and I think this is a great tool for teaching that.  

Duck for Turkey Day
Jacqueline Jules
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