Nature's Patchwork Quilt: Understanding Habitats

by Mary Miche, Consie Powell (Illustrator)

A beautiful book comparing the habitats of the world to a patchwork quilt. All of the squares join together to form a beautiful quilt just as the habitats of the world combine to create our beautiful planet. The artwork and the abundance of important information will have children learning to appreciate the world around us! Just imagine all of nature―mountains, prairies, oceans, and all―lying on your bed as a patchwork quilt! Take flora and fauna in their unique habitats, fold them up and you have a book, this book. Earth's major habitats are spread before you, ready to be examined. Here in this beautiful package are revealed the key concepts of natural science. This patchwork quilt of nature covers the whole Earth, your home―yours to learn about, to enjoy, to care for, and to love. A perfect book

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Nonfiction, Childrens, Science

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

Reviews

[Carolynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple explanations of nature's interdependence, executed with the metaphor of a patchwork quilt. Real patchwork patterns are used in the paintings. The simple text could be used with a second grade class. The beautiful pictures can be a little too busy but children will want to pore over the illustrations themselves, to see how many plants and animals they can identify, for example. Unfortunately, there is no key in the book: readers need to go to the website www.dawnpub.com for that, and for many other features, including a glossary, some coloring pages, and some teaching ideas and activities, which I think could be used with third or fourth grade students. The author has some nature songs available at www.marymiche.com. The book is too dependent on these websites. If some of the information on these two sites had been included in the book, I would have given it five stars. However it does have a list of some of the publisher's other books and some activities in the author's note. This is the first book I've reviewed from Dawn Publications: I'll be watching for others on their list. Lexile measure is AD890.

[Adriana Villagomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever stepped out in the open air and admired the many different types of animals and living things around you? In the Nature’s Patchwork Quilt, it will inspire you to take a look at nature through a different lens and will give you a glimpse of the many different habitats that this Earth offers. Living in Chicago my whole life, I am only exposed to certain animals and plants on a daily basis, but after reading this book, it made me realize how beautiful other habitats are and the different, yet amazing creatures that live in it. Although this book does not go into much depth, it is a children’s book after all, it does introduce some new concepts and vocabulary that children may not know that pertains to nature. It introduces new words like interdependence and deforestation, just a few, to get kids to begin to think about nature in a different way other than just furry, cute animals.The illustrations represent the different types of animals and plants that can be found in their respective habitats on each page. In this way, children will be able to interact with both the pictures and the text. The illustrations go along with the big theme of nature being like a quilt and the different species that live within it are just pieces of the quilt that make up the larger idea. Towards the end of the book, they mention environmentalists as people who speak up for nature and help to protect these habitats from being taken over by humans.
As I was reading over the book and admiring the amazing illustrations, all I could keep thinking to myself was how much I wish I was introduced to this book as a child. The text made sense but still had vocabulary that children would need to know to be able to understand the many discussions about nature. This book is a great resource for science teachers who are beginning to talk about the natural sciences with their students. Towards the end of the book, they also suggest some ways you can use the book to form activities and interact with the kids using the book.Overall, I believe this book is great way to introduce the natural sciences to children while also introducing key vocabulary and helping them understand that nature is like a quilt in that everything is interdependent.

[Jasmine Magee]

This is an informational book that shows different habitats in nature as a patchwork quilt. It helps show the different habitats that can be found on Earth. This can be used to have students research, discuss, and write about different habitats.

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great picture book to introduce the study of habitats and the interdependence found.

[Wayne Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know what a habitat is? Can you guess how a habitat is like a patchwork quilt? A habitat is an area where plants and animals live together. A patchwork quilt has many pieces that fit together, and nature has many different habitats all pieced together. With a brief, simple text, author Mary Miche discusses different kinds of habitats, such as forests, deserts, prairies, oceans, seashores, lakes and ponds, Arctic and high mountain regions, rainforests, towns and cities, and ranches and farms. As she does so, she also explains various ecology-related words like interdependence, niche, food chain, adaptations, food web, survival mechanisms, biodiversity, domestication, and extinction. What is your favorite habitat?

Illustrator Consie Powell uses folk-art style pictures of animals and plants, drawn in the fashion of patchwork quilts, to convey the beauty and diversity that are found in these habitats all over the world. The two do an excellent job of introducing environmental concepts to children in an easy-to-understand and age-appropriate way. The book has a couple of pages in the back with “Tips from the Author” on how to use it in an educational way with fun suggestions that pertain not only to science, but also to art, math, and history. In addition, at the publisher’s website there are free downloadable resources and activities for parents, teachers, and librarians. Pages 26 and 27 picture 21 famous environmentalists from the Earth Heroes book series by Dawn Publications, and students might do further research to learn more about some of them. Nature’s Patchwork Quilt would be very useful in nature studies.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book this is! (I read an electronic galley format, and would love to have a real copy for our shelves!) I actually stumbled across this looking for something with quilts, but I’m delighted to have made this discovery. Nature’s Patchwork Quilt is a book that I could easily picture being sold in museum and field trip gift shops as well as being using for a nature or ecology class. A definite jewel for homeschool or otherwise.

Every page is fascinating to look at with absolutely gorgeous artwork illustrations. I could very well picture a kiddo pouring over this for hours just staring at all the pictures and seeing how things work together in their kingdoms. There are bold words for vocabulary emphasis and at the end of the book there is a few pages of activities and suggestions for further learning. While I haven’t heard of these author/illustrator team or this publisher before I’m quite impressed with the digital galley and I think that the actual physical book must be just as impressive if not more so depending on the materials they used to publish it. I’m going to have to look for this one, and right now would not hesitate to recommend it.

*Thanks to the Independent Book Publishers Association for loaning an eCopy for review through NetGalley.*

posted: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the world seems to be shrinking everyday and society may seem to be growing more global with each passing minute, there is still biodiversity left to learn about and preserve. In a children's book about science concepts, the author and illustrator take on the job of explaining some of the world's various habitats. It may seem like a difficult task, but "Nature's Patchwork Quilt: Understanding Habitats" does an excellent job of educating readers about the beautiful and mysterious places humans, plants and animals call home.

Although this is a book meant to educate and inspire children of all ages to learn and care for the world they live in, it is also an appropriate book for children who may not be reading yet. There are lots of pictures to look at that include a wide variety of animals and plants in their respective habitats. Preschoolers can look at pictures with adults or older children and talk about the animals that live in different regions of the world. Each page is designed like a traditional pieced quilt such as a Wedding Ring quilt, Log Cabin quilt, Pinwheel quilt or Chimneys and Cornerstones.

Read this entire review:

http://www.examiner.com/review/review...

[Mattie Weck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal reaction – I love the way this book uses the metaphor of a quilt to describe nature’s interdependence. I also liked how the idea of a quilt is also shown in the folk-style illustrations. The way the book’s format spreads out the habitats so that they can be easily examined by the reader kept me engaged while looking at this book.

Purpose(s)/Use in the classroom-

• Read aloud to make a curricular connection: This book would be a great choice to share with a class when learning about habitat’s in their science lessons. The author does a great job of introducing many environmental concepts in a way that is easy for children to understand. However, the pages in this book may be too busy for a read aloud.



• Independent reading- The brief simple text allows for an easy independent read. Although it has a large amount of new vocabulary, it is presented to readers in an easy to understand way. Students who enjoying observing in science, will find this book especially engaging with the format of the illustrations. In addition, students who are animal lovers will enjoy reading about a variety of animals and their ecosystems.
• For nonfiction: -
-Bold words are used for vocabulary emphasis.
-List of famous environmentalist at the back of the book.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted at http://www.perogiesandgyoza.com/2012/...

This is a great little book for introducing a variety of animals and their ecosystems. Every page has a variety of familiar and new animals for children to wonder over. There are many different areas and climates within, from oceans and deserts to forests and towns.

The author introduces a great deal of new vocabulary, from niche to phytoplankton, in easy-to-understand terms. All of the animals on the page are related to the new vocabulary words.

The illustrations are very unique in that they are pieced together to look like different quilts, so in addition to scientific information there is a soft introduction to various shapes as well as crafts. The pages are, like many quilts, quite busy, so this is more suited to sitting down and reading rather than reading aloud to a number of children.

The back of the book has a supplemental section with illustrations of famous environmentalists like Wangari Maathai and David Suzuki. Teachers and parents will especially like the game suggestion for role-playing the animal food chain.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important natural science concepts such as habitats, biodiversity, and adaptation are covered in simple language in this intriguing book. Because the text and illustrations are linked to different patchwork quilt patterns with their own unique but interlocking designs, readers will quickly recognize how the effects of one species or habitat affects another and another. Particularly appealing is how the essential science fact being introduced is in the center of the page with the rest of the design and life forms surrounding it. This is an excellent reminder of how much is lost as humans intrude on the habitat of other species.

[Lauren Barone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most children will love to read this book and learn new things about different habitats all around the world! The illustrations are beautifully done and flow so well with this book. Children will love getting to know the environment around them as well as the different environments around the Earth.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about animal habitats. This would make a good read aloud if you could share the detailed illustrations too as an ebook or by using some type of projection system. The tips from the Author section in the back of the book has suggestions for some science activities to go along with the book.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great book for fifth graders, it teaches them the meaning of important scientific words. Children can really learn from this book, about habitats. The author was really creative and made children think of habitats like patchwork quilt. This is an awesome book.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow - having a mini read-a-thon of children's books trying to get Mt TBR down and clear out my iPad kindle box

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated introduction to habitats, ecosystems, the food web, and biodiversity.

[Rachel Otting]

A book relating habitats and quilts. Explains all the different types of habitats and what makes them unique and different from the other.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book. I love all the science content and science vocabulary it contains. This is a great way to open up ecology units. Next year I want to do a quilt project with my students using this book as it's basis.