Going Home: A Rhyming Science Book About Animal Migration

by Marianne Berkes, Jennifer DiRubbio (Illustrator)

Teach young readers and students about how and why animals migrate in this beautifully illustrated picture book. A winning combination of easy verse, factual language, and realistic illustrations will fascinate and educate young minds. Perfect for your Pre-K, Kindergarten, first grade or second grade classroom, or homeschool. Learn about animal migration across the animal kingdom in Going Home , featuring loggerhead turtles, monarch butterflies, manatees, ruby-throated hummingbirds, Pacific salmon, emperor penguins, and more! Each page includes a rhyming verse and facts about the animal(s) that are featured. Backmatter

Genres: Animals, Picture Books, Science, Nonfiction, Nature, Geography

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done! Great choice to share when teaching children about migration, particularly if you have multiple ages from K through early elementary. The illustrations are very nice and the poems convey a bit of information about each animal, while a note at the bottom of the page explains a little more. You'll want to go deeper than the book proper if you're teaching elementary-aged kids about migration and, fortunately, the back matter is very good and quite extensive and includes further information about each animal, books and websites for further exploration, and a "Tips from the Author" section that includes suggestions for extended activities.
I appreciate that the book includes a variety of creatures, some obvious, some less so, when one thinks of animal migration:
Arctic tern
California gray whale
Canada goose
Caribou
Emperor penguin
Loggerhead turtle
Manatee
Monarch butterfly
Pacific salmon
Ruby-throated hummingbird

[Grayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going home is a book about how animals migrate to there spawning place or because of the climate.This illustrations of this book are really good in detail and the text is simple yet Informative for readers of all ages. Going home is good book for people who do not know what migration is and people who want to know about migration patterns of well known animals. Going home is a nice informational book that is not boring for learning the book gives the information with a touch of interest it gives you. It gives you a index in the back of the book so if you want to know more about the animals and there migration.

I think Going home is a good book to read and learn about how when and why animals migrate to these places. This book is really informative for me it help me with my questions like where do the hummingbirds go for the winter and were the geese go for the winter. The book I think needs more information on the pages with the pictures even thou there is a lot the end of the book but I do not want to read all that. This book would be good for people who like nature,animals and how they survive. This book I think it is a four out of five because; It is awesome all rounfd beside the fact of so little text on the pages.

[Nevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main idea of the story is more about migration. And how far/where they go to migrate and it says that they go where they were birthed from. They also mentioned what they did when they were at their destination. As said it says that they have their children just where they were born from. It also says that they find food as they take care of their children.

I think it was a good book and it was informational with migration. Id suggest it to people who like short books for like small children that like to have their imagination go free. It would also be good for a biologist for migrations and those animals and how they live. Id rate this for a 6.5/10 for the way that it was a small book but it would be better for people that would have trouble reading. So overall its a good book with a good bit of info about migration for studies.

[Taylor]

In this informational text, Marianne Berkes talks about when and where different kinds of animals migrate. Not only does he talk about migration, he gives us two or more facts about each animal. What I think makes this book even better is that he makes the facts into a rhyme. For example, "Going home, going home. Moving on our way. Heading home for icy seas. From a nice warm bay." I think he did that to make it easier for younger kids to understand the concept of migration. Also it's just more fun!

I would recommend this book to children of all ages! This book isn't too complex, to where kids under 5-6 would'nt understand, because there is a rhyme that makes it fun! I would also recommend this book to those who are interested in animals and learning all about there habitats and instincts.

[Andrew T · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the book "The Mystery of Animal Migration" you learn about what animals migrate and why they migrate. Some of the animals mentioned in the book were manatees, Canadian geese, loggerhead turtles, and many more. The book says that the main reasons for migration is to get food, find a mate, or to be safe from the cold weather.

My opinion on this book is that there is not much detail when describing the ways the animals migrate from place to place. The details about the animals themselves are very good and the illustrations give the reader a very good idea about the book. The way the poem is styled makes for an easy but interesting read.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

We loved this book. We loved learning about migration and more about animals. But most of all we love the concept that permeates the book of the importance of home and how home is always a place we want to go to. Just the phrase "Going home" seems to feel one with joy and peace

**Talking points - Which animals in the book did you like best and why? If you had two homes (two places that pull on your heartstrings) like many of these animals do, which two places would they be and why? If you could make your home in any place, where would it be and why?

[Madeline Knauff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I also enjoyed this book even though it was a lot alike my previous book. The pictures in this book were good and also helped the audience understand the content better. I would recommend this book to kids who want to know more about animals and the reason they migrate. Or any young kid who wonders why birds fly away at a certain part of the year.

[Zoey]

This book is about animals migrating for food//mating//weather.

[Wildan Fauzia Rahman]

interesting

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

TED 8650 Children's Literature

Twin Text: Calvin Can't Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie by Jennifer Berne, 2010

Rationale: These two books go together because they are both about migration. Going Home briefly covers the migration patterns of ten different animals, describing where they go and why they go there. Calvin Can't Fly is about a bird who loves to read, and when his family migrates, he is able to tell them that bad weather is approaching and where to hide for safety.

Text Structure: Going Home has description and comparison and contrast. Each spread describes the reasoning for migration of one type of animal. The back of the book has a wealth of extra information, such as a factual paragraph on each animal, other books and websites to check out, and lesson ideas to expand knowledge. This book features descriptions of ten animals, so those animals and be compared and contrasted to each other.

Strategy Application: Students could activate prior knowledge and brainstorm a list of animals that migrate, before they read Going Home. After reading, they can see what animals they had right and what new animals they can add to their lists. I would read Calvin Can't Fly as the final activity of the migration unit, and students can brainstorm what they think will happen in the story and find out if their predictions were correct.

Book review citation for Non-Fiction Book:
(2010, March 1). Booklist. http://www.booksinprint2.com.leo.lib....#

[Luanne Hatcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides rhyming verses for the animals, telling the reader about their adventures and migration routes. Eight different animals are showcased. Nonfiction info. is provided for each animal, as well as more info. at the back of the book. Their routes are on a map and explained at the book's end.

[Sue Poduska · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going Home is told in pleasing rhyme. Readers may want to read aloud each page to get the full effect. This is listed as “A Share Nature With Children Book.” Berkes includes information about animals from loggerhead turtles to monarch butterflies to manatees.

[Bee Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative book for any child-well illustrated

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect for an animal migration unit. Lesson ideas in the back.

[Terry]

The rhyme is soothing and has a lullaby feel to it. The illustrations are lovely, and each animal is painted in enough detail to capture your reader's eye while you read the two short stanzas about each one. Each spread also includes a paragraph about the animal's migration, which depending on your audience you may or may not read. Keep reading ....