Tadpoles and Polliwogs

Tad written and illustrated by Benji Davies

Sometimes the biggest stories come from the smallest beginnings … Meet Tad. She’s the smallest tadpole in a big pond, and lives there with all her tadbrothers and tadsisters. Although something else lives there too … BIG BLUB! And when everyone else starts to disappear, Tad starts to wonder if Big Blub will get her too …

Tad and Dad by David Ezra Stein

A growing tadpole loves his frog dad so much he never gives him a moment’s peace.

999 Tadpoles by Ken Kimura

999 Tadpoles fit perfectly into a small pond, but when they grow into frogs, it’s a different story.

Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus

A tiny primordial tadpole grows into a frog, feeling just as strong and powerful as the huge tyrannosaurus rex that stomps through the mud.

Wanda and the Frogs by Barbara Azore

Worried that she’ll be forced to give up her tadpoles once they start turning into frogs, Wanda hides them in her bedroom.

The Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Jack Kent

Impressed by the proud caterpillar’s boast that she will turn into a butterfly when she grows up, a polliwog determines to watch the caterpillar very carefully and turn into a butterfly too.

Toads and Frogs by M. J. York

Explores the similarities between toads and frogs, and how to tell them apart. Discover how traits like skin texture, methods of reproduction, and winter survival methods can be used to identify these hopping amphibians. Additional features include a side-by-side comparison of the animals, an activity encouraging readers to demonstrate their knowledge, a phonetic glossary, sources for further reading, an introduction to the author, and an index.

Tadpole to Frog: animals grow up by Shira Evans

Caterpillar to butterfly, tadpole to frog – some creatures take growing up to a whole new level! Learn all about how animals grow and change in this leveled co-reader, perfect for parents and kids to read together

Nebraska Toad and Frog Identification: https://herpneb.unl.edu/frog-and-toad-identification

Lily Pad Hop Activity: https://toddlerapproved.com/2011/05/lily-pad-hop.html

Pond Sensory bin: https://fun-a-day.com/pond-sensory-play-idea-small-world

Frog Life Cycle craft with pompoms: https://www.adventure-in-a-box.com/frog-life-cycle-pom-pom-craft-for-nature-studies/

Inventions and Inventing

Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention by Pip Jones

Izzy Gizmo is invited to an inventing competition, where a greedy competitor forces her to improvise.

Chilly da Vinci written and illustrated by Jarret Rutland

When one of Chilly da Vinci’s inventions separates a chunk of ice from his home iceberg, he must invent something quickly to get himself and the other penguins back home.

Melia and Jo by Billy Aronson

Melia is scientific and loves to create things in her backyard laboratory, but something is missing. Her inventions just aren’t quite right. Enter Jo, her new friend with an artistic spirit. When you add the arts to sciences, something magical happens!

Cleonardo, the Little Inventor written and illustrated by Mary GrandPré

With the town’s annual Grand Festival of Inventions coming up, Cleonardo is determined to invent something impressive to enter, something that will impress her inventor father Geonardo.

The Fix-it Man by Susan Hood

Meet Joshua James, the fix-it man. If he can’t fix it, no one can! When a stinky problem arises, Joshua James takes matters into his own hands with a little help from his younger sister, Sophie.

The Most Magnificent Thing written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

A little girl has a wonderful idea. With the help of her canine assistant, she is going to make the most magnificent thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. But making the most magnificent thing turns out to be harder than she thinks.

The Truth about My Unbelievable School by Davide Calì

Beware of . . . this school?! Henry is taking his new classmate on a whirlwind tour of their school. Mysterious inventions lurk, the cafeteria requires ninja skills, and some teachers may be monsters! Is this fantastical school to be believed? Or is there an even more outrageous surprise in store?

Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming

In the summer of 1851, with encouragement and ideas provided by his family, an inventor builds a working submarine and takes his family for a ride. Includes notes about Lodner Phillips, the real inventor on whom the story is based.

If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen

Jack describes the kind of car he would build–one with amazing accessories and with the capability of traveling on land, in the air, and on and under the sea.

Nonfiction

The Invention Hunters Discover How Machines Work! Written and illustrated by Korwin Briggs

When the Invention Hunters, a group of globe-trotting invention collectors, visit a construction site in their flying museum, a boy helps them by explaining how simple machines like levers, pulleys, and cranks work.

Have you ever wondered who invented Lego, Mr. Potato Head, or toy trains? In Toys! are the fascinating stories behind these toy inventions and many others. Learn why the see-saw was popular with the Romans, how the Slinky was used during the Vietnam War, and the reason Raggedy Ann has a red heart on her chest that says “I love you.” From dolls and checkers to pinball and the modern video game, there’s a wide selection here for boys and girls alike.

Create an inventor supply lab: https://theeducatorsspinonit.com/create-inventor-supply-lab-with/

Tinker Box Inventor’s Kit: https://busytoddler.com/2016/04/tinker-box-inventors-kit/

Tinker tray robots: http://mericherry.com/2014/11/03/make-robots-tinker-trays/

Sun, Sand and Water!

My Ocean is Blue by Darren Lebeuf

A girl with a disability explores every facet of the ocean during a day at the beach. A girl spends an entire day exploring the seaside with her mom. A keen observer, she sees the ocean as both “big” and “small” and both “sparkly” and “dull. It’s also “dotted and spiraled and wavy and straight.” Her ocean is full of sounds — it “splashes and crashes” and “laughs and hums.” But, at times, it’s silent. She is inspired to examine and celebrate every part of her ocean and doesn’t let anything hold her back. A delightful nature companion sure to awaken the explorer in every child.

Smug Seagull by Maddie Frost

A smug seagull that loves swiping beach-goers’ snacks gets a taste of his own medicine from a patient crab.

Friends written and illustrated by Geraldo Valério

When a girl and a frog go to the beach to fish, they are frustrated to find that the fish aren’t biting. Instead, they stare into the water and make faces at their reflections. Then, something spectacular happens. The reflections take on lives of their own, transforming into a mermaid with her own pet frog. Surprise gives way to delight as they invite the girl and the frog to enter a stunning underwater world. The new friends swim and play amongst colorful sea creatures until they discover a pair of glowing pearls and turn them into matching necklaces.

Hum and Swish written and illustrated by Matt Myers

Jamie wants to quietly work on an art project near her friend, the sea, but people keep disturbing her by asking questions.

Poppleton and Friends by Cynthia Rylant

Poppleton the pig goes to the beach, solves a dry skin mystery, and learns that friends are the secret to a long life.

Sandy feet! Whose feet? Footprints at the Shore by Susan Wood

When a family spends a day at the beach, the children investigate various footprints to see what type of creatures live along the shoreline. Rhyming text turns a sandy beach into an outdoor classroom. The tracks and habits of local wildlife, including hopping sandpipers, scuttling crabs, and burrowing turtles, are identified and explained for young ecology detectives. Even Daddy’s feet make an appearance! And at day’s end, it’s time for tired feet to make their way home. STEM-based back matter includes information on how clues like footprints can identify the type of wildlife inhabiting any given habitat.

This Beach is Loud! Written and illustrated by Samantha Cotterill

A sensitive boy gets overwhelmed by all the sights, sounds, and sensations at the beach, but his dad has a trick to help his son face these unexpected obstacles.

A Lullaby of Summer Things by Natalie Reif Ziarnik        

Sights and sounds of a summer twilight mingle with recollections of a lovely day at the beach as a household settles in for the night.

Day at the Beach written and illustrated by Tom Booth

When Gideon decides that he is going to build the most spectacular sandcastle anyone has ever seen without the help of his little sister Audrey, his day at the beach becomes a lesson in sibling bonding.

Non fiction

At the Beach by Shira Evans

Take a stroll along the beach. What do you see? Young readers will learn all about the beach and the animals that call it home in this fun pre-reader. Through text features such as the vocabulary tree and the wrap-up activity, kids will be introduced to new words and concepts — helping them expand their understanding of the world.

Toddler-Safe Play Sand: https://fun-a-day.com/toddler-safe-play-sand/

Icy ocean sensory bin: https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/icy-ocean-sensory-play-ice-melt/

Fun At the Beach Sand Slime: https://www.steamsational.com/beach-sand-slime-recipe/

Beach erosion experiment: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-beach-erosion/

Imagine Your Story: Imagination!

When You Need Wings written and illustrated by Lita Judge

 Illustrations and easy-to-read text advise the reader to seek self-confidence on the wings of imagination.

Story Boat by Kyo Maclear

When a little girl and her younger brother are forced along with their family to flee the home they’ve always known, they must learn to make a new home for themselves–wherever they are. And sometimes the smallest things– a cup, a blanket, a lamp, a flower, a story–can become a port of hope in a terrible storm.

Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino

Violet Shrink doesn’t like parties. Or bashes, or gatherings. Lots of people and lots of noise make Violet’s tummy ache and her hands sweat. She would much rather spend time on her own, watching the birds in her backyard, reading comics or listening to music through her purple headphones. The problem is that the whole Shrink family loves parties with loud music and games and dancing. At cousin Char’s birthday party, Violet hides under a table and imagines she is a shark gliding effortlessly through the water, looking for food. And at Auntie Marlene and Uncle Leli’s anniversary bash, Violet sits alone at the top of the stairs, imagining she is a slithering snake way up in the branches.

The Imaginaries: little scraps of larger stories by: Emily Winfield Martin

A collection of illustrated scenes with corresponding stories set in the worlds of Emily Winfield Martin

Nola’s scribbles save the day written and illustrated by Cristina Lalli

Nola loves her scribbles. They go with her wherever she goes. But she can’t seem to share her scribbles with others: no one seems to understand the imaginative world she’s created for herself.

The Button Book by Sally Nicholls

Follow a group of animal friends as they discover a collection of mysterious buttons, all of which do different things! From a blue singing button to a purple tickle button, from a rude sound button to a mysterious white button, there’s only one way to find out what they do: press them all!

Ivy Bird by Tani McCartney

Ivy Bird is a celebration of the natural world and the joy found in imaginative play. Perfect for reading aloud, this book will delight children with its search-and-find elements, bright illustrations, and exuberant story. A nonfiction element, two pages bursting with colorful bird illustrations, encourages readers to seek out birds in their own neighborhoods.

Wordless

Window written and illustrated by Marion Arbona

In this one-of-a-kind, wordless picture book, a child is making her way home from school, imagining what’s behind the windows of the houses and other buildings she passes. And that’s where the fun begins.

Imaginative car wash tunnel at home: https://www.learning4kids.net/2012/05/13/kids-car-wash-tunnel/

Super hero cuffs imaginative play: http://www.readingconfetti.com/2013/08/tp-roll-super-hero-cuffs.html