Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Ag-Related Books for Children and Young Adults Environment and Ecology Bial, Raymond, A Handful of Dirt, Walker and Co., 2000. Grades 3-6 Introduces dirt dwellers, from the tiniest protozoans through myriad invertebrates, to the mammals and reptiles whose burrows aerate the earth, all depicted in large, sharp, full-color photos. The author includes basic instructions for setting up a home compost heap. Blake, Robert J., The Perfect Spot, Philomel, 1992. (Grades preK-3) In search of the perfect spot for Dad to paint and his son to look for the sphinx caterpillar and the cricket frog, a father and son walk on trails, climb hills, and cross glens in their search. Brandenburg, Jim, An American Safari: Adventures on the North American Prairie, Walker Co., 1996. (Grades 4-7) Mingling facts with personal reflections, Brandenburg acquaints readers with the American prairie. He introduces various types of prairies, the animals that live there, what threatens their habitat, and how it can be saved. The descriptions of bison and prairie dogs are quite informative, but young readers will probably find Brandenburg's encounter with a rattlesnake the most memorable part of the book. Excellent, full-color photographs appear on nearly every page, illustrating the text clearly and sometimes stealing the show. A good resource for children studying the prairie ecosystem. Douglas, William O., Muir of the Mountains, Sierra Club, 1994. Fleming, Denise, Where Once There Was a Wood, Henry Holt, 2000. Inspired by events in her own backyard, the author creates a poignant yet hopeful portrait of our disappearing natural environment. The last pages of the book teach children how to make a more "creature friendly" backyard, including information about what types of food, trees and flowers attract different kinds of animals. Where Once There Was a Wood also suggests projects families can do together. Gill, Shelley, and Shannon Cartwright, The Last American Rainforest: Tongass, Paws IV, 1997. (K-3) Explore part of North America's rainforest, the setting for this story about Lily, a Tlingit Indian girl who searches with her aunt for a special spruce tree. In the course of their journey, Lily discovers her own family history. This fully illustrated book includes natural history information about rainforest life as well as a cultural introduction to the Northwest Coast people. Hooper, Meredith , and Christopher Coady and Chris Coady, The Pebble in My Pocket : A History of Our Earth, Viking Children's, 1996. (Grades 4-6) A girl finds a pebble on the ground and asks, "Where did you come from, pebble?" The answer unfolds through words and pictures. The first double-page spread shows volcanoes erupting 480 million years ago, bringing molten rock to the surface of the earth; the next illustrates land masses colliding and buckling into mountains 395 million years ago. Page by page, the story goes forward in time, tracing one pebble's history as the face of the earth changes, animals become more complex, and finally a little girl picks up the pebble, "a little piece of the history of our planet." The last two pages feature geological and biological timelines laying out the periods dramatized in the story. Rich with color and shading, the paintings dramatize Earth's history. Lafarge, Oliver, The Mother Ditch, Sunstone, 1983. The mother ditch, or acequia madre, is the main water line that is dug by hand and feeds many of the smaller acequias that cover the fertile land of Northern New Mexico. The acequias, water ditches, were used to irrigate the fields of crops for many farmers in the early days of settlement in New Mexico. A unique technology, the acequia, especially the mother ditch, had to be taken care of by everyone in the community that benefited from its generosity. A governing body was established to watch over the utilization and maintenance of the ditch. The acequia was truly one of the last vestiges of a life where people depended on each other for survival. The life of the community revolved around the acequia. Cooperation was essential to ensure everyone’s sustenance. (English and Spanish) ?Lamadrid, Enrique R., Arrellano, Juan Estevan and Amy Cordova, Juan the Bear and the Water of Life: La Acequia de Juan del Oso, University of New Mexico, 2008. (Grades 4-6) From the mountains of northern Spain to the Andes in South America, Spanish-speaking people have told ancient legends of Juan del Oso and his friends. In this children's tale, agriculturalist Juan Estevan Arellano and folklorist Enrique Lamadrid share a unique version of a celebrated story that has been told in northern New Mexico for centuries. (English and Spanish) Lavies, Bianca, Compost Critters, Dutton Children's, 1993. (Grades 4-7) Nature's recyclers receive a close-up look, in an informative, photographic study, at the creatures, from bacteria and fungi to worms and millipedes, that break down our garbage, returning raw materials to the earth. Locker, Thomas, Water Dance, Harcourt Brace, 1998. (Grades preK-3) "Some people say that I am one thing. / Others say that I am many. / Ever since the world began / I have been moving in an endless circle . . . I am the rain." So begins the text of this unusual introduction to the water cycle. The book features a free-verse narrative illustrated by landscape and seascape paintings that show water in various forms referred to in the text: "I am the waterfall," "I am the clouds," or "I am the thunderhead." At the end of the book each picture appears in miniature accompanied by a paragraph explaining that particular phase of the water cycle. Pfeffer, Wendy, and Robin Brickman, A Log's Life, Simon and Schuster, 1998. (Grades K-3) After an oak tree falls in the forest, it has another life as home to a variety of creatures. As it decays over time, it provides food and shelter to porcupines, ants, mushrooms, salamanders, and many others, until it eventually turns into a mound of rich black earth. Very young children love spotting the animals as they learn about the life cycle of a tree. Full color. Ray, Mary Lyn, and Lauren Stringer, Mud, Harcourt Brace, 1996. (Grades K-3) The joy of a child playing in mud is tied to the change of seasons in. Ray uses spirited language to show a child's playfulness as the mud thaws and comes alive with spring. This blithe view of one of the building blocks of life can come only from close observation; the point of view is at ground level, where readers can visually muck around in all that goo. The transformation of winter frost to mud serves as a spawning stage for the green of the new season. Rosinsky, Natalie M., Dirt: The Scoop on Soil, Picture Window, 2003 (Grades K-2). Entertaining illustrations and clear, fact-filled text explore the amazing science of soil. Suggested activities/experiments and fun facts are included. Sidman, Joyce, and Beckie Prange, Song of the Waterboatman and Other Pond Poems, Houghton-Mifflin, 2005. (Grades PreK-3) Science facts combine with vivid poems about pond life through the seasons. Focusing on one pond creature or plant per spread, Sidman employs many poetic forms. Wallace, Marianne, America's Prairies and Grasslands: Guides to Plants and Animals, Fulcrum, 2001. (Grades 4-7) Prickly Pear, needlegrass, deer mouse, roadrunner. Where can you find these fascinating plants and animals? In the vast ecosystem of North America's prairies and grasslands! In this guide you will learn about these huge, open areas and unique habitats. Find out how plants survive after wild prairie fires. Learn where to find water sources and when best to view the animals in these habitats. Identify the many different plants and animals in colorful illustrations. Each prairie or grassland region-Tallgrass Prairie, Mixed Grass Prairie, Shortgrass Prairie, Palouse Prairie, California Valley Grassland, and Semidesert Grassland-features full-color illustrations which helps you identify plants and animals. The "hard to find" sections point out unusual finds such as pocket gophers, vernal pools, and the living rock cactus. Maps, a list of common scientific names, and additional resources make America's Prairies and Grasslands a complete guide to North America's prairie habitats. Wick, Walter, A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder, Scholastic, 1998. (Grades preK-3) Filled with stop-action and close-up photography, an early scientific book features such images as a single snowflake and a falling drop of water, accompanied by introductions to such concepts as evaporation and condensation. Back to Ag-Related Books for Children and Young Adults Back to Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Recommend a book.