Animal Planet - Ocean Animals and Polar Animals

Titles: Animal Planet - Ocean Animals and Animal Planet - Polar Animals  
Publisher: Animal Planet 
Publication Date: February, 16, 2016
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary - Ocean Animals: With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of sharks, whales, clown fish, jelly fish, dolphins, and others, Animal Planet Ocean Animals is a fun, habitat-by-habitat guide that provides kids in the first years of schooling with the perfect bite-sized view of their favorite ocean-dwelling animals. Arranged thematically with focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about animal bodies, baby animals, food, play time, conservation and more. Special book features designed for this age group include Quick Bites sidebars with cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of Earth's watery environments.
GoodReads Summary - Polar Animals: With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of penguins, polar bears, sea lions, walruses, reindeer and others, Animal Planet Polar Animals is a fun, habitat-by-habitat guide that provides kids in the first years of schooling with the perfect bite-sized view of their favorite animals living in both polar climates. Arranged thematically with focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about animal bodies, baby animals, food, play time, conservation, and more. Special book features designed for this age group include Quick Bites sidebars with cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of the coldest places on Earth.
What I Think: Non-fiction is so cool these days! Both Ocean Animals and Polar Animals are great additions to the amazing non-fiction available to kids these days. Both of these books are full of wonderful, colorful photographs that draw readers in. Several different topics as they relate to ocean and polar animals are covered. I really enjoyed how both of these books didn't focus on the animals, the focus instead is on a particular topic or idea related to these animals and then pictures and text on the pages support the topic. It's a neat way of approaching the ideas and building a bigger picture for readers. 
     In my experience, kids love books like Guinness World Record books and these are similar but based on science topics. As we see more and more choice and curiosity being celebrated in schools - especially with experiences like Genius Hour - I could see using these books as starting points for kids who are interested in a science topic but are looking for a topic to research more about. You can also send them to the Animal Planet blog for ideas too!
     As a mentor text, use these books to look at how to write clear an concise information that focuses on the key ideas. A powerful writing skills, particularly when it comes to non-fiction! 
Read Together: Grades K - 3 
Read Alone: Grades K - 3 
Read With: What If You Had Animal Teeth? by Sandra Markle, Non-Fiction books by Nic Bishop, Non-Fiction books by Seymour Simon, The Beetle Book and others by Steven Jenkins  
Snatch of Text:  

Ocean Animals

"Caring for our oceans

More than 96 percent of Earth's water can be found in the oceans. They affect the air we breatehe, our climate, and the weather. The oceans are an important source of food for animals and people, too."

Polar Animals

"Family face time

Walruses lie on the rocks in heaps that look almost like piles of rocks themselves. They're very sociable and spend time in groups. There's always at least one old guy who spits when he talks, and there is a lot of bellowing. Sound like your family?" 

Writing Prompts: Read about the different animals and choose one to research more about. Write your own non-fiction piece that brings your animal to life for readers. 
Topics Covered: Integration - Science 

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