Alicia Van Hecke

How Do Bees Make Honey?

Book cover: 'How Do Bees Make Honey?'
Author(s): 
Anna Claybourne

A small, inexpensive book filled with pictures and lots of other information picture about bees and other insects. You'll learn how to tell bees apart from other insects, how bees live together in colonies and all about their beehives, how bees communicate with each other (my children have really enjoyed trying to re-enact the bee's dances) and of course how bees make honey. The one thing I didn't like is that the material is so disjointed because it jumps around between different kinds of insects.

Lyrical Life Science

Book cover: 'Lyrical Life Science'
Author(s): 
Doug and Dorry Eldon
Illustrator(s): 
Eric Altendorf

"A Singing Science Text for Understanding the Concepts of Life Science Using Traditional, Patriotic and Camp Tunes of Long Ago"

This clever learning set teaches basic concepts in Life Science through cleverly written songs (to tunes like Battle Hymn of the Republic and Dixie). There are eleven songs in all, with a chapter in the text and three pages in the workbook corresponding to each song. These are the song titles:

How do Apples Grow?

Book cover: 'How do Apples Grow?'
Author(s): 
Betsy Maestro

The development of apples is presented, from leaf and flower buds in the winter, thru blossoms in the spring, pollination and the actual growth of the apple. In addition to beautiful scenic pictures of trees in blossom and bees pollinating the trees, there are more technical drawings which illustrate the parts of a flower, show flowers in the different stages of development and show the connections between the original blossom and the ripe apple. The text also introduces some important terminology that will be useful in later science studies (pollen, stamen, pistil, etc.).

How a Seed Grows

Book cover: 'How a Seed Grows'
Author(s): 
Helene J. Jordan

A very simple, charming book that explains to young children what seeds are and takes them through the development of some bean seeds. The growth present each day is illustrated in the book and the child is invited to try grow the beans themselves and watch the progress in real life. The book also introduces children to different kinds of seeds (for trees, flowers, vegetables, etc.), and how each seed will grow into the same kind of plant that it came from, and the basic things necessary to make a plant grow.

Wild Animals Coloring Book

Book cover: 'Wild Animals Coloring Book'
Author(s): 
John Green

A very nice, detailed and academic-oriented coloring book for learning about wild animals. In addition to beautiful drawings of each animal, the text provides common and scientific names and details about appearance, location, habits, size, etc. The index covers common and scientific names as well. Illustrations are copyright free (within certain conditions) and may be copied for use within your family.

Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs

Book cover: 'Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs'
Author(s): 
Patricia Lauber

This book explores the notion of various plants and animals that are linked together based on "who eats what." Children will learn about some simple food chains such as - leaf, caterpillar, wren and hawk. They also see how one plant or animal can belong to several food chains and that members or these related food chains (food webs) have a certain amount of dependence on each other. The text goes on to explain, through an example of a problem with over-hunted otters around the turn of the century, that when part of a food chain is disturbed, the other members will also be affected.

Egg: A Photographic Story of Hatching

Book cover: 'Egg: A Photographic Story of Hatching'
Author(s): 
Robert Burton

When you think of eggs hatching, do you tend to think of birds and chicks? Think again! Reptiles, fish and insects can hatch from eggs as well. This book provides the photo stories of the hatching of 27 different animals including Ostrich, Moorhen, Japanese Quail, Starling, Leopard Tortoise, Cornsnake, Leopard Gecko, Ladybug, Common Frog, Great Crested Newt, Goldfish and Kerry Slug. Each hatching includes numerous photos with detailed descriptions of the process and how long it takes. A final photo generally shows the creature a day or two later.

Dead Log Alive!

Book cover: 'Dead Log Alive!'
Author(s): 
Jo S. Kittinger

This book provides an interesting and detailed look at what comes to live in and around a dead log - woodpeckers, squirrels, mushrooms, fungi, moss, molds, porcupines, foxes, snakes, scorpions, millipedes, centipedes, pill bugs, salamanders, ants, termites, and beetles. Includes many interesting color photos and details about each species, how to tell them apart and much more. The book also includes an index, a glossary and suggestions for further reading.