World Explorer Books - Children's Books About Exploration

Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus

written and illustrated by Peter Sis; ages 5 and up

Over 500 years ago a little boy was born in the city of Genoa, Italy. His father was a weaver, but Christopher Columbus dreamed of faraway places, adventure, and discovery. He observed the ships that sailed into the harbor and listened to the sailors and merchants as they told tales of their journeys. Thus Peter Sis begins the story of Christopher Columbus. Sis has illustrated this biography with fine-lined ink laid on yellowing parchment, creating detailed drawings that resemble 15th-century maps.

Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei

written and illustrated by Peter Sis; ages 7 and up

Galileo, a son of a musician born in 1564, was a mathematician, astronomer, and physicist. One of the first scientists to use a telescope to study the skies, he discovered that the Milky Way was made up of stars and that the planet Jupiter had moons. He supported the theory that the earth revolved around the sun, a revolutionary idea at the time that caused him to be persecuted by the religious authorities. Children will enjoy searching for clues of his life in the detailed ink drawings referencing period cartography imbedded within Galileo's own notes.

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau
written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino; ages 5 and up
"It fascinated me to do something that seemed impossible." Jacques Cousteau peered into the sea and was enchanted by the underwater world. He devoted his life to exploring the flora and fauna of the seas and to share what he had learned. He invented ways to see what no one had before, including the aqualung, which allowed swimmers to breathe underwater. With his team aboard his ship, Calypso, he filmed whales, dolphins, and deep-sea creatures for TV so that all could admire and be amazed by the beauty and diversity of the ocean.

Leif Eriksson
by Jason Glaser; ages 7 and up
Leif Eriksson was a Viking, ancestors of modern-day Scandinavians. What little we know about his life came from stories called sagas. Leif's father, Erik the Red, established a Viking colony on Greenland. When Leif came of age, Greenland had become crowded, so he set forth with a crew on a longboat to find new lands. They came upon a rich land to the west and established a colony they called Vinland. According to the Greenland Saga, Eriksson arrived in North America 500 years before Columbus, and modern discovery of the settlements confirms this.

Adventures of the Treasure Fleet: China Discovers the World
by Ann Bowler, illustrated by Lak-Khee Tay-Audouard; ages 8 and up
When one thinks of an explorer, Christopher Columbus comes to mind. How many of us have heard of Zheng He, a Chinese explorer who set sail on seven great expeditions? Ninety years before Columbus, Zheng He led a fleet of 300 ships charting unknown oceans across the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, all the way to the coast of the African continent. This is a richly illustrated, fictionalized account is grounded in extensive research.

So You Want to Be an Explorer?
by Judith St. George, illustrated by David Small; ages 6 and up
The Caldecott-winning duo that created So You Want to Be the President profile a diverse group of explorers. These short biographies present familiar figures such as Columbus, Mary Kingsley, Matthew Henson, Amelia Earhart, and Yuri Gagarin, but also the unexpected explorers like test pilot Chuck Yeager, human genome mappers Francis Collins and Craig Venter, and David Kunst, who walked around the world. These thumbnail sketches are just the starting point for beginning to find out about these inspirational pioneers.

Atlas of Exploration
by Anita Ganeri, illustrated by Andrea Mills; ages 6 and up
This encyclopedia presents exploration form the earliest times to present-day space travel. We learn about the traveling traders of ancient Egypt, the Phoenicians, and the Polynesians, who as early as 2000 B.C. were sailing the Pacific Ocean. The authors provide maps with acetate overlays to demonstrate the passage of time and travel. Key figures in world travel, Drake, Magellan, and Cortés are put in context of world history and the peoples they encountered.

Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354
written and illustrated by James Rumford; ages 4 and up
Meet Ibn Battuta, an explorer who traveled an astonishing 75,000 miles on his journeys. Setting off from Tangier on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Battuta, a devout Muslim, journeyed the Islamic world for over 30 years. Using stylized maps to depict Morocco of the time, embedding the text with Arabic lettering and highlighting with gold and deep blues, partake in Battuta's adventures and feel his awe and delight at the new and strange sights of Jerusalem, Bukhara, Samarkand, Delhi, and the Maldive Islands.

The Adventures of Marco Polo
by Russell Freedman, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline; ages 10 and up
Newbery Medal winner Freedman describes Marco Polo's historic journey to China while questioning if the accounts are true. Were they exaggerations or out-and-out lies? Were Polo's accounts too fantastic to believe? Freedman gives us the compelling story of Polo's arduous travels over deserts, down the Silk Road, and over mountains to the spectacular lands of the Kublai Khan. Ibatoulline's full-color paintings elegantly support Freedman's storytelling.

The Chimpanzees I Love: Saving Their World and Ours
by Jane Goodall, ages 9 and up
In this memoir written specifically for children, Goodall describes how her research led to her discoveries about chimpanzees. Goodall is a renowned pioneer in the observation and recording of primate behavior. She spends the majority of her autobiography portraying the chimpanzees that she has grown to love after over 40 years of studying them and encourages children to follow her example to care for animals and the environment. She encourages children to follow her example to care for animals and the environment through the Goodall Institute.





Emperors of the Ice: A True Story of Disaster and Survival in the Antarctic, 1910-13
by Richard Farr; ages 10 and up
In 1910, plans were made by an Englishman, Falcon Scott, for an expedition to the South Pole. Along for the journey was a 24-year-old biological assistant nicknamed Cherry. This is the story of this fatal exploration based on Cherry's accounts, which include parts of diaries, letters, and black and white reproductions of maps and photographs. Cherry recorded the harsh inhospitable conditions of the environment and the struggles of the group to survive.






Source:  Lisa Von Drasek, nickjr dot com

Lisa Von Drasek is the Children's Librarian of the Bank Street College of Education. She teaches pre-K through 8th grade as well as children's literature to graduate students. Lisa has served on The New York Times Best Illustrated Jury, the Newbery Committee, American Library Association's Notable Children's Books, and the Bank Street College of Education's Children's Book Committee.

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Exploration Kids Books - American Exploer Books

Who Was First? Discovering the Americas
Russell Freedman; ages 11 and up
Historian Russell Freeman explores the various claims to the "discovery" of the American continents. Every U.S. school child knows the story of Columbus, but what about the Chinese explorer, Zheng He? This lavishly illustrated volume traces explorers' journeys with archival maps, charts, and timelines. Freeman discusses the Native Americans, from the ancients to the pre-Columbian using archeological data and research. Families will enjoy discussing the competing theories.

Explorers of North America
by Christine Taylor-Butler; ages 8 and up
Europeans explored America for hundreds of years. What were they looking for? What is the Northwest Passage? This easy to read volume is good overview to think about why explorers came to the Americas. Can we figure out what their lives were like in their homelands and what compelled them to embark on these treacherous journeys into the unknown? Government structures, religion, and economics are simplified to help children develop their understanding of these complex issues.

River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River
written and illustrated by Hudson Talbott; ages 6 and up
Take a very personal look at the river that played its part in colonization of America. From Manhattan Island to the north beginning with the Indian peoples who held stewardship of the lands and waters before the arrival of Europeans like Henry Hudson. The double-page spread paintings interweaved with symbolic detail tell the story in a timeline fashion as we witness the development of the shoreline over the years.

Famous Explorers
by Garnet Jackson, illustrated by Dan Brown; ages 6 and up
This is a collection of short biographies in an easy-to-read format that centers on the continent of North America. The books recounts the stories of Christopher Columbus; the Frenchman Jacques Cartier, who, in search of a Northwest passage to Asia, arrived in what is now Canada. Also included are Henry Hudson, an Englishman who landed at the mouth of the Hudson River; Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who were commissioned by President Jefferson to explore the American West.

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
written and illustrated by Brian Floca; ages 7 and up
In detailed drawings and spare language, Floca captures the journey of the three astronauts who manned Apollo 11. The full pages give the reader a "you-are-there" feeling as we follow them through the countdown, blast-off, the cramped spacecraft interiors to the moment Neil Armstrong took that historic step on the moon. The book captures the feelings of excitement and terror as these three brave astronauts undertook their historic spaceflight.

They Call Me Sacagawea
by Joyce Badgley Hunsaker; ages 8 and up
In this fictionalized account, Lewis and Clark would have failed if not for the work of Sacagawea, their teenage Shoshone interpreter. Sacagawea had the knowledge of the land and of various Native American peoples to guide, negotiate, and support this daring expedition. With her baby strapped to a cradleboard, she faced all the hardships of the journey. This volume draws on the oral tradition of the Shoshone people as well as scholarly research to present an unforgettable profile of an underappreciated American hero.

Lewis and Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery with 21 Activities
by Janis Herbert; ages 10 and up
This comprehensive volume not only gives an overview of the adventurous journey of Lewis and William, it presents Jefferson's vision of documenting the land, the plants, and the animals that make up the diverse environments of the North American continent. The text presents 21 activities that families can do together to enhance learning by submerging children in the historic world. Children can identify and preserve plants, make Great Plains Stew or sewing up moccasins.

The Discovery of the Americas
by Betsy Maestro, illustrated by Giulio Maestro; ages 8 and up
The Maestros begin this extensively illustrated overview with the theory of the land bridge between Asia and North America, when thousands of years ago small groups of nomadic peoples walked across the "bridge." These Stone Age hunters were the first settlers of the New World. The Maestros depict the life of the early settlers with drawings of archeological finds to show the similarity between the peoples of the old world and new. A useful table of dates is included.

Cultures Collide: Native Americans and Europeans 1492-1700
by Ann Rossi; ages 10 and up
This slim volume describes the differing cultures of the native peoples that European explorers and conquerors experienced. The Taino grew tobacco, corn, and yams and lived in a hot climate and wore very few clothes. Columbus and his men had never seen the crops and they wore layer upon layer of clothes. Rossi provides short sketches of the clashes in values between the Aztecs and the Spanish conquistadors, the Pilgrims and the Indians who lived in Massachusetts, and how the introduction of horses by the Spaniards changed the way of life for the Cree.

Amelia Earhart: Free in the Skies
by Robert Burliegh, illustrated by Bill Wylie; ages 7 and up
In the early 1900s, woman of a certain class in the United States were expected to stay in the home and take care of the house and children. They certainly did not entertain thoughts of piloting an airplane. When Amelia Earhart was young she was fascinated by flying machines and longed to be up in the air. In this graphic-format biography we see how Amelia was able to overcome the prejudices of the time by piloting experimental aircraft, flying long distances, and even flying solo across the Atlantic Ocean becoming in the process a genuine American hero.

Keep On! The Story of Mathew Henson, Co-Discoverer of the North Pole
by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn; ages 8 and up
In lyrical language we read the true story of the African American who traveled side by side with Robert E. Peary to explore the North Pole. Henson traveled to Greenland and became part of the Inuit community. They taught him their language, how to build and run a dogsled, and how to survive in the unrelenting dark and cold. It was Henson and his Inuit mentors who made it possible for Peary to reach the North Pole.

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Reading Readiness Books: ages 3-4

Get your 3 to 4 year old ready to read and learn with these age-appropriate story recommendations.

How can we help our children as they are learning to read?  One of the building blocks of reading competency is phonetic awareness. What are the sounds that make up a written word?

Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to hear and tell the difference between words, sounds, and syllables in speech. These are four elements of phonemic awareness: rhyme, hearing syllables, blending and segmentation. When we read aloud to children it is a terrific time to hone these skills. Here is a selection of classic titles that demonstrate these essential parts of beginning reading. 

Great books for this age children reflect their everyday life. Books with early learning concepts like up and down, colors, numbers, and the alphabet will help children begin to connect the words and pictures on the page with their physical world. Begin interacting with the page and the child: "Do you see the cat? Where is the cat? Yes, the cat is up on the table." Practice inferring from the words and pictures. Ask the child before we turn the page what they think what happens next.

Owl Babies
by Martin Waddell
Three baby owls awake to learn their mother has gone on her nightly flight. They're worried, and a little bit afraid of the scary things around them, but have one another to look after and comfort. Not surprisingly, she returns to three joyous, flapping, bouncing babies. This reassuring book simply and beautifully explores the common childhood fear of separation.

Mail Harry to the Moon!
by Robie Harris

This older brother didn't know that having a new, little brother meant big changes. And he's ready to mail Harry to the moon! Even though he's fed up with Harry's crying and having to share Grandpa's lap, the older brother learns that a little brother can also mean adventure and friendship. This humorous story book wonderfully captures a very common childhood experience.

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens
by Denise Fleming

Skinny, Fluffy, and Boris follow their mother's lead for a day. Well, Skinny and Fluffy tag along--Boris naps. While he sleeps, the other kittens chase leaves and sharpen their claws. But when Mama Cat and the two kittens snuggle up for a nap, Boris is ready to play! As the pages turn, ask your children what they think will happen next and be prepared for, "Boris naps."

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault

The building blocks of written English, the alphabet are animated in this rhyming romp. A told B and B told C, "I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree." Children will soon be chiming in "Chicka, chicka, boom boom, will there be enough room?" Illustrators Lois Ehlert's bright bold graphics are sure to make letter recognition, capitol letters and small case, easy and fun.

Ten Puppies
by Lynn Reise

Woof! Introduce your young reader to basic arithmetic and vocabulary in the most endearing way possible: with Mother Dog's ten new puppies! As you read along, have your child keep tally of the puppies by noting their unique physical features--"eight had pointed noses. Two had flat noses. / Seven had floppy ears. Three had perky ears."

Source: nickjr dot com

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Best Music Books For Children

Teach your child all about instruments, melody, and more with these recommended music books for preschoolers

Kids Go!

by They Might Be Giants; illustrated by Pascal Campion
Hipster rock group They Might Be Giants return after their Grammy-winning CD for kids, Here Come the 123s, with a book and song combination to get kids off the couch and get moving. The song was originally created in 2008 for a PBS Kids campaign that encourages an active lifestyle and is packaged here with a DVD. The splashy, frenetic pace of the cool retro art adds to the energy of the song. It's a great book to start the day or break up rainy Sunday doldrums.

Children's Songbag 

by Paul DuBois Jacobs and Jennifer Swender

The authors have gathered the music and lyrics of 50 classic folk songs for singing together. This perfect compendium for families contains favorites like "I've Been Working on the Railroad," "Oh!Susanna," and "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain." The authors provide other versions for singing along with related activities, such as a muffin recipe for "Do You Know the Muffin Man?" This is a wonderful resource for families.

The Wheels on the Bus
by Paul O. Zelinsky

Zelinsky has created a rollicking pop-up, lift-the-flap edition of this favorite preschool song, The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round all through the town. The many movable parts will keep young children engaged as the wheels really do go round and round, while the bus doors open and the wipers go 'swish, swish' as children pull the tabs and lift the flaps. The pictures contain visual clues including the bus arriving at the public library where a singer is singing the title song.

The Seals on the Bus
by Lenny Hort; illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Here is the Lenny Hort version of the ever popular "The Wheels on the Bus." Children will delight as they play the seals who go "errp, errp, errp" and the tiger on the bus who "roar, roar, roars." A literal zoo comes on board for a ride until the skunks cause a mass exit. Kara's silly drawings pair perfectly with the absurdity of this perfect read-aloud.

Down by the Bay (Raffi Songs to Read)
by Raffi; illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott

Raffi's version of this traditional rhyming song is a delightful sing-along. Parents: try singing along a few re-readings and then ask children to make up their own verses. Did you ever see a bear comb his hair? Did you ever see a moose kiss a goose? Did you ever see a cat pet a ______?

If You're Happy and You Know It!
Illustrated by Jane Cabrera

Brightly colored animals help us know what movements to make as we sing along together. This board book edition is a perfect first book. We clap our hands with the monkey, flap our arms with the bird, roar with a lion, and stamp our feet with the elephant.

Dog Train: A Wild Ride on the Rock-and-Roll Side (Book & CD)
by Sandra Boynton

For families ready for some original material, this book is for you. Boyton, the rock star of the board book set with the best-selling Moo Baa La La La has turned her talents to songwriting. In this book and CD set she has teamed up with diverse bands to create a collection of rock and roll songs. Read the book, then turn up the volume and dance!

Let it Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals
by Ashley Bryan

A 2005 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner for Beautiful Blackbird, Bryan creates joyous celebrations of three powerful songs. His bold cut-paper collages explode in beams of radiance for "This Little Light of Mine" and the joy of joining with your community for "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In" and sweeping visions of diversity in "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands."

 Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf: With a Fully-Orchestrated and Narrated CD
adapted by Janet Schulman; illustrated by Peter Malone

Generations of children have been introduced to instruments in the orchestra through the story of Peter and the Wolf. This classical piece was originally commissioned for that purpose. As we listen, we hear the strings sing Peter's theme, the flute as the Bird, the duck as the oboe, the clarinet as the sound of the Cat, and grumbling Grandfather as the bassoon. Watch out for the French horns, it's the Wolf!

Story of the Orchestra : Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music!
by Robert Levine

This is music writer Robert Levine's lighthearted survey of composers of classical music and the instruments of the orchestra. He begins with the Baroque period, with Vivaldi and Bach suggesting we play track two on the accompanying CD that contains a snippet of The Four Seasons. The 37 excerpts will give children a taste of classical music as well as a preliminary introduction to the sounds of the strings, woodwinds, and percussion.

Source: Lisa Von Drasek, nickjr dot com

Lisa Von Drasek is the Children's Librarian of the Bank Street College of Education. She teaches pre-K through 8th grade as well as children's literature to graduate students. Lisa has served as a juror on the New York Times Best Illustrated, the Newbery Committee, American Library Association's Notable Children's Books, and the Bank Street College of Education's Children's Book Committee.

Best Music Books

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Top 10 Kids Math Web Sites

Funbrain A math arcade and interactive math games are only two of the many features of this site, which offers games in a wide variety of topics. Classic games on this site include math car racing. Check out the teacher's resource page and the curriculum guide.

Time4Learning Complete online curriculum for preschool through the eighth grade. Interactive lessons keep children engaged in the learning process. Students earn time while working on lessons, which can be spent on the playground where the child plays additional, educational games.

	Cool Math 4 Kids Describing itself as an "amusement park of math", this site offers online games, brain benders, flash cards, and a game zone. Parents and teachers will appreciate the printable flash cards. One of the more unique games is Lemonade Stand, where kids get to run their own virtual lemonade stand.				Rhymes Tables Learn the times tables faster! System uses rhymes and word association to help kids master the multiplication grid. Test results prove this system works and students retain the information they've learned.
	Math Worksheet Site Print worksheets for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, and telling time. Option to print an answer key with each worksheet. Many worksheets are free or try the subscription area, which offers 175 additional worksheets for as low as $2.50 a month.				Math Wrap-Ups Learning Wrap-Ups are offered in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, and pre-algebra. Purchase the Wrap-Up Rap audio CD to use with the hands-on learning palettes. The company also offers 10-day mastery kits for each wrap-up set.
	Houghton Mifflin Kids' Place Math Publisher of math curriculum, Houghton Mifflin's online Math-a-rama offers test prep, weekly connections, additional worksheets, and eGames. Choose child's grade level to access age-appropriate help.				Amazon: Math Software A wide variety of math software. Preschoolers or kids needing to become more familiar with numbers will benefit from Mia's Math Adventure. Elementary students, check out Math Missions: The Amazing Arcade Adventure Grades 3-5.
	Wikipedia: Junior Achievement A non-profit organization that offers a hands-on learning environment to help youth understand business and economics.  Find the nearest office. The online student center offers opportunities to plan finances, or design a business plan.				Yahoo Shopping: Math Curriculum Excellent selection of math products for supplemental learning or home schooling. Check out the Intermediate Teacher's Math Activities Kit. Unique curriculum includes Math Ties, learning about man through activities with neckties; Turbo Twist math; and Integrating Technology into Math.
	Math Word Problems Offers practice for those tricky word problems. Free access for parents whose schools sign up. Lines up with state standards.  Presents both interactive online lessons and printable worksheet problems. Word problems are available in both English and Spanish.				K12 Learning Virtual academy works in conjunction with state charter schools to offer distance education courses, which combine online, book work, and correspondence studies. Each student is assigned a teacher, who meets periodically with the student in person or on the telephone. Also available for a fee to those whose states do not offer as a charter school option.
	Math Cats Kids who love cats will enjoy exploring this site. Learn exactly how old you are in days, minutes and even seconds. Games include multiplication grids, using money, and guessing how many people there are in What a Crowd!.				A to Z's Cool Homeschooling Curriculum: Math Shop Easily broken down into categories such as software, courses for teens, curriculum, and books. The site also offers in-depth reviews of popular math books and products. Products work as stand alone curriculum or for supplemental or summer work.
	Ask Dr. Math Dr. Math offers advice and tips from elementary school all the way up through college. A handy math FAQ offers dictionary style definitions of math terms with easy cross-referencing. Search for the answer to a math problem or question. Can't find the answer? Ask Dr. Math!				First in Math Visitors can browse the site and learn more about what is available to students, parents, and teachers. Games create math skill for various grade levels from simple addition to algebra. Special features include a workout gym where students can flex their mathematical muscle.
	Kids Bank Teaches about banking, saving money, deposits, and writing checks. Start with "Penny", a cartoon character who takes kids on a journey through the history of money. Look for the professor who lurks throughout the bank, offering tips and help as kids explore the program.				Enchanted Learning Math topics from early math to brain twisters and everything in between. Lessons and worksheets. A few are free. To access the complete range of math lessons, check out the site membership.
	LavaMind Interactive games help kids understand what it is to be a Gazillionaire. Figure out business strategy in Zapitalism. Profitania is a game where kids become a manufacturer. Try the free version of each game and check out the SAT test prep center for high school students.				Sylvan Learning Centers Need a math tutor? The learning is grouped by elementary, middle school or high school math. Academic camps keep kids brushed up on basic math facts over the summer months.  The tutoring FAQ covers many questions parents might have about whether or not a tutor is right for an individual child.

Source: lovetoknow dot com

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