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The literature chosen for this unit focuses
on observation of animals, animal behavior, and animal management
and conservation. Some stories take real-life behaviors of manta
rays, wolves, and carrier pigeons, and weave captivating tales
and mysteries from a boy’s or girl’s perspective.
The role of animals in different environments is brought up through
a book on endangered species written by a sixth grader. Important
societal issues are addressed in two familiar fantasy books about
intelligent rats, and a farmyard pig and spider. Two books
of animal poems will encourage the reading of verse, especially
as a duet.
A Caribou Alphabet
Charlotte’s Web
Chipmunk Song
Eric Carle’s Animals, Animals
Fireflies in the Night
The Frog Alphabet Book
Frogs, Toads, Lizards, and Salamanders
Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon
The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
Living With Dinosaurs
Mark Twain’s Short Stories
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
My Father Doesn’t Know About the Woods and
Me
My Side of the Mountain
Nessa’s Fish
Never Cry Wolf
Nicky The Nature Detective
On the Frontier with Mr. Audubon
Once There Was a Tree
One Day in the Prairie
One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest
Out in the Night
Owl Moon
The Roadside
The Snail’s Spell
The Song in the Walnut Grove
Wild Mouse
Will We Miss Them?
A Caribou Alphabet
by Mary Beth Owens
Dog Ear Press, Brunswick, Maine. 1988
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York. 1990
Grades: K–5
An alphabet book depicting the characteristics and ways of caribou.
While at first glance, this book may seem a primary-level “A,
B, C” book, it includes a compendium of information about
caribou, including intricacies of their behavior, habitat requirements,
and physical features that is directed to an older audience.
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Charlotte’s Web
by E.B. White; illustrated by Garth Williams
Harper & Row, New York. 1952
Grades: 4–7
This classic story tells of the friendship between a wise
gray spider named Charlotte and a pig named Wilbur. Charlotte
saves Wilbur from being slaughtered, sometimes with the help of
ravenous Templeton the rat. Although the story centers around
the anthropomorphised animals, Charlotte offers many cogent observations
on web spinning and egg sacs, the natural cycle of life-death-reproduction,
and the lasting value of friendship.
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Chipmunk Song
by Joanne Ryder; illustrated by Lynne Cherry
E.P. Dutton, New York. 1987
Grades: Preschool–5
A lyrical description of a chipmunk as it goes about its activities
in late summer, prepares for winter, and settles in until spring.
You are put in the place of a chipmunk and participate in food
gathering, hiding from predators, hibernating, and more. Roots,
tunnels, stashes of acorns and other facets of the imagined environment
loom large and lifelike.
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Eric Carle’s Animals, Animals
compiled by Laura Whipple; illustrated by Eric Carle
Philomel/Putnam and Grosset, New York. 1989
Grades: K–5
Anthology of over 50 poems from many cultures on both wild
and
domestic animals. Illustrated with Carle’s joyous color collages.
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Fireflies in the Night
by Judy Hawes; illustrated by Ellen Alexander
HarperCollins, New York. 1963, 1991
Grades: K–4
A young girl visits her grandfather and tells of their investigations
of fireflies on summer nights. Describes how and why fireflies
make their light, how to catch and handle them, and several uses
for firefly light.
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The Frog Alphabet Book
by Jerry Pallotta; illustrated by Ralph Masiello
Charlesbridge Publishing, Watertown, Massachusetts. 1990
Grades: K–3
A beautifully illustrated book that shows the diversity of frogs
and other “awesome amphibians” from around the world.
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Frogs, Toads, Lizards, and Salamanders
by Nancy W. Parker and Joan R. Wright; illustrated by Nancy
W. Parker
Greenwillow/William Morrow, New York. 1990
Grades: 3–6
Physical characteristics, habits, and environment of 16 creatures
are encapsulated in rhyming couplets, text, and anatomical drawings,
plus glossaries, range maps, and a scientific classification chart.
A great deal of information is presented, the rhymes are engaging
and humorous, and the visual presentation terrific. “A slimy
Two-toed Amphiuma/terrified Grant’s aunt from Yuma”
(she was picking flowers from a drainage ditch).
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Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon
by Dhan Gopal Mukerji; illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff
E.P. Dutton, New York. 1927
Grades: 6–12
A carrier pigeon is sent from India to serve as a messenger
in World War I. There is a great deal of detail about bird behavior
as a boy observes an eagle’s eyrie and describes his bird’s
mating and offspring. Gay-Neck tells part of the story describing
the predator-prey relationship between swifts, owls, and other
species; and gives a unique account of war and the “machine-eagles”
(airplanes) he saw. The healing by a lama of “the fear and
hate caught on the battlefields” makes a nice ending to the
book. Newbery Medal winner.
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The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars
adapted by Jean Merrill; illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Philomel Books/Putnam & Grosset, New York. 1992
Grades: 2–6
Based on a twelfth century Japanese story, this book is a
wonderful and early portrait of a highly independent and free-spirited
girl, Izumi, who loves caterpillars. Although a famous and highly
refined noblewoman who loves butterflies lives next door, Izumi
says, “Why do people make such a fuss about butterflies and
pay no attention to the creatures from which butterflies come?
It is caterpillars that are really interesting!” (She also
likes toads, worms, insects, and many other creatures that she
keeps in her room, spending hours observing their movements and
watching them grow.) Izumi is interested in the “original
nature of things,” and in doing things naturally. Clever
poetry is interspersed as part of the plot. Great connection to
the observation activities in Animals in Action. An excellent
and relevant portrayal of an independent-thinking female role
model.
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Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
by Paul Fleischman; illustrated by Eric Beddows
Harper & Row, New York. 1988
Grades: K–Adult
This series of poems celebrating insects are meant to be read
aloud by two readers at once, sometimes merging into a duet. It
includes grasshoppers, water striders, mayflies, fireflies, book
lice, moths, water boatmen, digger wasps, cicadas, honeybees,
beetles, crickets, and metamorphosis. The combination of rich
and fascinating scientific detail with poetry, humor, and a sense
of the ironic contrasts and divisions of labor in the lives and
life changes of insects is powerful and involving. Kids in upper
grades might love performing these for the class. (Two of his
poems are included in this handbook: “Honeybees,” is
on page 56, and “Book Lice” is on page 240.) Newbery
medal winner.
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Living With Dinosaurs
by Patricia Lauber; illustrated by Douglas Henderson
Bradbury Press/Macmillan, New York. 1991
Grades: 3–6
The time is 75 million years ago. The place is prehistoric
Montana. Still alive are the giant reptiles and fishes of the
sea; the birds and pterosaurs in the sky; the dinosaurs, tiny
mammals, crocodiles and plants of the lowlands; and the predators
of dinosaur nesting grounds in the dry uplands. There is a great
deal of detail on their habits, measurements, reproduction, feeding
requirements, and a clear and elementary description of how a
fossil forms and evolves. The colorful paintings are dynamic and
involving.
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Mark Twain’s Short Stories
by Mark Twain
Penguin Books USA, New York. 1985
Grades: 5–Adult
The famous short story “The Notorious Jumping Frog of
Calaveras County” is the tale of a frog jumping contest that
gets rigged. A bet that one frog can jump farther than another
leads to the belly of one frog being weighed down with buckshot
so the frog cannot leap at all. (The buckshot is later poured
out of the frog, so the frog is not harmed in the story.) The
frogs are prodded to make them jump, which ties in with the stimulus
and response activities in this guide. Of course, Mark Twain’s
sense of humor is always an added bonus. This story is a wonderful
introduction to a great American writer.
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Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
by Robert C. O’Brien; illustrated by Zena Bernstein
Atheneum, New York. 1971
Grades: 4–12
A mother mouse learns that the rat colony near her home is
actually a group of escapees from a NIMH research institute. These
rats, injected with DNA and other substances, have acquired great
intelligence, learned to read and write, and are planning to develop
their own civilization. In addition to offering a great plot,
the book helps us to visualize nature from the scale of a small
animal, to imagine communications between birds and rodents, to
consider the impact of animal experimentation, and to comment
on the technological top-heaviness of modern day human society.
Newbery award winner.
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My Father Doesn’t Know About the Woods and Me
by Dennis Haseley; illustrated by Michael Hays
Atheneum/Macmillan, New York. 1988
Grades: 2–5
A young boy walks in the woods with his father and secretly
fantasizes about being a fish, a wolf, and a hawk. At the end,
he sees that his father may share some of the qualities of a deer.
Peaceful, sun-dappled illustrations and a mystical quality of
wondering what it would be like to be an animal flying, swimming,
running, etc., balance the intense observations. Could use with
older students to stimulate creative writing about such experiences.
Return to titles list.
My Side of the Mountain
by Jean C. George
E.P. Dutton, New York. 1959
Penguin Books, New York. 1991
Grades: 5–12
Classic story of a boy who runs away and spends a year living
alone in the Catskill mountains, recording his experiences in
a diary. He struggles for survival and is supported by animal
friends. Ultimately he realizes he needs human companionship.
In his diary, he makes many notes about specific animal behaviors,
such as his weasel friend, the Baron, who “chews with his
back molars, and chews with a ferocity I have not seen in him
before. His eyes gleam, his lips curl back from his white pointed
teeth...” The highly detailed observations and his growing
understanding of the intricacies and interconnected web of nature
make this book an outstanding literature connection to any of
the GEMS animals activities. Winner: Newbery Honor Book, ALA Notable
Book, Hans Christian Andersen International Award.
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Nessa’s Fish
by Nancy Luenn; illustrated by Neil Waldman
Atheneum, New York. 1990
Grades: 3–5
Nessa and her grandmother walk half a day from their Arctic
village to go fishing in a lake. When the grandmother becomes
ill, Nessa has to use all her ingenuity and bravery to protect
their catch from animal poachers—a fox, wolves, and a bear.
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Never Cry Wolf
by Farley Mowat
Atlantic Monthly/Little, Brown & Co., New York. 1963
Bantam Books, New York. 1984
Grades: 6–Adult
Wolves are killing too many of the Arctic Caribou, so the
Wildlife Service assigns a naturalist to investigate. Farley Mowat
is dropped alone onto the frozen tundra of Canada’s Keewatin
Barrens to live among the wolf packs to study their ways. His
interactions with the packs, and his growing respect and understanding
for the wild wolf will captivate all readers.
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Nicky The Nature Detective
by Ulf Svedberg; illustrated by Lena Anderson
R&S Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York. 1983
Grades: 3–8
Nicky loves to explore the changes in nature. She watches
a red maple tree and all the creatures and plants that live on
or near the tree through the seasons of the year. Her discoveries
lead her to look carefully at the structure of a nesting place,
why birds migrate, who left tracks in the snow, where butterflies
go in the winter, and many many more things. This book is packed
with information.
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On the Frontier with Mr. Audubon
by Barbara Brenner
Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, New York. 1977
Grades: 6–9
Based on an unedited diary of 1820-26, this fictionalized
journal tells of Joseph Mason, a 13-year-old assistant who really
traveled with John J. Audubon for 18 months. The work gives a
detailed account of their daily life, hunting, drawing birds and
their habitats, a stay at a plantation, and travel by flatboat,
keelboat, and steamer. Black and white illustrations include reproductions
of paintings and drawings by Audubon and other artists of
his day.
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Once There Was a Tree
by Natalia Romanova; illustrations by Gennady Spirin
Dial Books/Penguin, New York. 1983
Grades: Preschool–5
Rich and detailed color illustrations trace the evolution
of a tree which was struck by lightning, cut down, and reduced
to a stump. The stump is visited, inhabited, or used by a succession
of beetles, birds, ants, bears, frogs, earwigs, and humans who
consider it theirs. As a new tree grows from the old stump, the
question remains: “Whose tree is it?”
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One Day in the Prairie
by Jean C. George; illustrated by Bob Marstall
Thomas Y. Crowell, New York. 1986
Grades: 4–7
An approaching tornado threatens a prairie wildlife refuge.
The prairie dogs and other animals in the community sense and
react to the danger. Delicate black and white drawings help capture
the tension.
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One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest
by Jean C. George; illustrated by Gary Allen
HarperCollins, New York. 1990
Grades: 4–7
When a section of rain forest in Venezuela is scheduled to
be bulldozed, a young boy and a scientist seek a new species of
butterfly for a wealthy industrialist who might preserve the forest.
As they travel through the ecosystem rich with plant, insect,
and animal life, everything they see on this one day is logged,
beginning with sunrise at 6:29 a.m. They finally arrive at the
top of the largest tree in the forest and fortuitously capture
a specimen of an unknown butterfly.
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Out in the Night
by Karen Liptak; illustrated by Sandy F. Fuller
Harbinger House, Tucson. 1989
Grades: 4–6
Nocturnal animals are shown in their habitats in 14 locations
all over the world. Their habits are portrayed, including the
sounds they make. The illustrations are especially good for botanical
detail on the habitats ranging from a suburb of London to a desert
in the Sahara.
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Owl Moon
by Jane Yolen; illustrated by John Schoenherr
Philomel/Putnam, New York. 1987
Grades: Preschool–5
On a moonlit winter night, a father and daughter go on a search
to see the elusive Great Horned Owl. The suspense of the hunt,
along with the lyrical language and stunning illustrations of
a rural scene at night make one feel a part of the journey. They
seek the owl in its habitat, observe its behavior, and imitate
it.
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The Roadside
by David Bellamy; illustrated by Jill Dow
Clarkson N. Potter, New York. 1988
Grades: 3–5
Construction of a six-lane highway in a wilderness area disrupts
the balance of nature and forces animals there to struggle for
existence.
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The Snail’s Spell
by Joanne Ryder; illustrated by Lynne Cherry
Penguin, New York. 1988
Grades: Preschool–5
You become a snail and in the process learn about the anatomy
and locomotion of a snail. Though the picture-book format is excellent
for younger students, older students will also enjoy imagining
their life as a snail. Winner of the New York Academy of Science’s
Outstanding Science Book for Young Children Award.
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The Song in the Walnut Grove
by David Kherdian; illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 1982
Grades: 4–6
A curious cricket meets a grasshopper. Together they learn
of each other’s daytime and nighttime habits while living
in an herb garden. The friendship between them grows when the
cricket rescues grasshopper from being buried in a pail of grain
and they learn to appreciate each other’s differences. This
story weaves together very accurate accounts of insect behavior
and their contributions to the ecology of Walnut Grove.
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Wild Mouse
by Irene Brady
Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York. 1976
Out of print
Grades: K–6
This precisely written diary describes the behavior of a white-footed
mouse who has babies. The entry for the day of the birthing begins:
“He is a she! I pulled out the drawer of the coffee mill
because I heard scratching inside and I’m watching a small
miracle.” The closely detailed observation, and lovely precise
drawings, make this an excellent connection to this guide.
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Will We Miss Them?
by Alexandra Wright; illustrated by Marshall Peck
Charlesbridge Books, Watertown, Massachusetts. 1992
Grades: 2–5
A sixth grader writes about “some amazing animals that
are disappearing from the earth.” Each double-paged spread
in the book asks the question: “Will we miss...?” and
gives basic information on 13 animal species and how their habitats
may be threatened. The illustrations are strong, a simple map
shows approximate locations of threatened species, and the book
presents the hopeful message that we don’t have to miss these
animals.
Return to titles list.
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