Picky Peggy

June 1, 2004
Gr 1-2-Two desirable choices for early independent reading and for group science lessons. Picky Peggy introduces a fussy eater who is equally inattentive to her own nutritional needs and to those of her new pet duckling. When Fluff fails to thrive on a steady diet of bread crumbs, Peggy switches him to a vitamin-rich regimen and improves her own eating habits as well. Careful observation enables the girl to draw her conclusions. In the second title, two cousins frighten their younger siblings by showing them a monster bug on the basement wall. Kyle and Jenna are unaware that the insect is actually a shadow. The next day, all of the youngsters visit the beach and Kyle notices that the length of shadows on the sand is altered throughout the day by the proximity of the sun. That evening, he and Jenna apply their new knowledge and surprise the big kids with an especially scary silhouette. Both stories are enhanced by colorful artwork, supplemented by numerous text boxes with additional information, and end with a "Think Like a Scientist" section that emphasizes the use of visual clues to make inferences. These offerings confirm that fiction is a good vehicle for conveying science concepts to children.-Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2004
Reviewed with Haskins' " Buttlerfly Fever.\i0

Gr. 1-3. These titles from the Science Solves It series tell entertaining tales and include scientific information both in sidebars and within the stories themselves. " Picky Peggy " features a girl who not only refuses to eat a variety of food but also prides herself on being a picky eater. Sympathetic to her pet duckling Fluff's preference for bread crumbs, she feeds him nothing else. Only when she compares Fluff with the other, healthier ducklings does she realize the importance of a balanced diet. An engaging character, Peggy is a strong-willed child who makes her own decisions, a quality that will resonate with other picky eaters. In " Butterfly " Fever, Ellie discovers that her new town, Melville, California, is a migratory destination for monarch butterflies. As her fourth-grade class tracks the monarchs' migration, Ellie (along with the reader) learns about the butterflies' bodies, habits, and life cycle. Both books feature attractive watercolors and each ends with a page called "Think Like a Scientist," suggesting ideas and activities that are abbreviated and sometimes only loosely related to the texts. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)