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NSTA Recommends
Next Time You See a Sunset
by Emily Morgan
Price at time of review: $9.95
32 pp.
NSTA Kids
Arlington, VA
2013
ISBN: 9781936959167
Grade Level: K-6
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Reviewed by Shannon Cde Baca
Lead Teacher/science
Some parents are quite good when talking about and showing their children the wonders of nature. “Next Time You See a Sunset” feels like a conversation one of those parents would have with their child. That relaxed tone and the stunning photographs would put this book on my shelf.
The print is large but the concepts extend beyond the primary grades. Still, the conversation about observing sunrises and sunsets is appropriate for that age range. This book would be a guide to any teacher beginning a unit on the sun or observing light and shadows. The book would also be an appropriate read aloud for any lower elementary grades.
This book begins with some interesting questions about what colors you see and how the air feels at sunset. It prompts the reader to tell what words they would use to describe a sunset. From there the author explains in plain language, without much detail, that the Earth is turning and moving and not the Sun. This could be a big mismatch with grade level understanding but the author just touches on the idea and does not write with the expectation of a deeper conceptual grasp. That rarely happens in books for this level, and makes this one stand out as exceptional.
The author guides the reader through shadows, tracking where the Sun appears throughout the day and even the changing view of the stars in the night sky. The last page is a list of simple and effective activities to encourage a sense of wonder about sunsets. Reading the book to a class would be the start and that last page is where the wonder begins.
Review posted on 1/4/2013
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