Thursday, April 28, 2016

Learning from Picture Books – PINK IS FOR BLOBFISH

I don’t often feature non-fiction, but this is such a fun collection of creatures, I couldn’t resist! Who knew there were so many pink animals?


Some people think pink is a pretty color. A fluffy, sparkly, princess-y color. But it's so much more.

Sure, pink is the color of princesses and bubblegum, but it's also the color of monster slugs and poisonous insects. Not to mention ultra-intelligent dolphins, naked mole rats and bizarre, bloated blobfish.

Isn't it about time to rethink pink?

Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World's Perfectly Pink Animals was written by Jess Keating with illustrations by David DeGrand. It was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2016.

My thoughts as a writer:

I liked the way this book was structured: each page is another unusual pink creature with a descriptive paragraph and a fun fact bubble and illustration. I love how, on the right side of the spread, there’s a list of all the key information—size, diet, habitat, predators & threats—it’s so easy to read.

The descriptions highlight interesting details that are likely to draw in a curious reader.

My Thoughts as a Teacher:

If I was a school librarian, this one would definitely be on my to-buy list. It would also be a great addition to a classroom non-fiction book collection. I'd use this one to discuss features of non-fiction texts. I can also imagine kids at reading time, pouring over the pages, intrigued by the idea of so many odd pink creatures! 

Ages: 4 – 8

Grades: K - 3

Themes: unusual animals

Activities:

As a class, vote on another animal color. Research creatures of that color and have each student write their own page for a class book!

Choose one of the creatures in this book and make it the main character in a fictional story. Use its habitat as your setting!

Get out some pink paint and have students draw and paint their favorite creature from the book. Add a bubble with a striking fact about the animal and then create a gallery walk.

Watch some of Jess Keating's Animals for Smart People videos on Youtube. Here's one about the nudibranch, an animal featured in Pink is for Blobfish.



5 comments:

  1. This is certainly a new look on pink. I learnt something new. The cover is certainly eye catching. Excellent choice for kids and teachers. Thanks Andrea.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This could be the first pink-themed book boys will want to read! What a great find. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The only reason I was disappointed in this book was that I thought it was going to be all about the blobfish! Ha!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for this one!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looks like an interesting book. Love your activity ideas.

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear your responses and thoughts! Your comments will appear after moderation (I’ve decided to enable moderation due to excessive spam).