My Great Outdoors Book

June 25, 2018
Jeffery offers a wide selection of outdoor activities organized by weather, time of day, and location (including in the yard, the park, woods, and near water). Activities range from observing and identifying plants and animal tracks to more hands-on projects. On a windy day, Jeffery suggests crafting a dragon windsock from an old shirt; seashore schemes include making driftwood decorations, and urban plans involve planting window boxes and launching seed bombs. Lickens warmly invites outdoor investigation and discovery through her photo-and-art collages. Ages 7–10.

May 15, 2018
Grades 3-5 Full of ideas for enjoying outdoor fun and learning about nature, this useful book offers illustrated instructions to guide readers along the way. The many interesting hands-on projects include a movable sundial created with strategically positioned flower pots, cloud-themed note cards made from colored paper and a mixture of shaving cream and white glue, and a raindrop orchestra made up of kids beating on pots and pans set outdoors to collect water on a rainy day. The activities vary from very simple (choosing the fastest raindrops as they race down a window pane during a storm) to those requiring adult assistance (making brownie cakes by placing the batter inside scooped-out oranges that are then baked in the embers of a campfire). The instructions are relatively clear, and the simplified pictures that accompany each step are helpful as well. The large, colorful illustrations combine stylized digital images with occasional photographic elements. Intended for year-round use, this large-format paperback is a treasure trove of ideas for kids with free time and a space to play outdoors.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)