There's
something about "yucky stuff" that lures boys - and reluctant
readers.
Pa
catching rattlers, and Gran's determination to cook them up into
jam, instead of the pies and fritters Pa craves, has instant appeal.
That barfey green jam, full of gross lumpa and bumps, hooks most
boys - and lots of girls.
What boy doesn't want to have a sack full of wiggly snakes handy,
ready to scare sisters, girl cousins, and wimpy friends.
Now
for a reality check!
YES,
there are many websites dedicated to the stomach churning art of
actually cooking and eating rattlesnakes. Check out my Gran's
Kitchen for a few samples.
Frillneck
Lizards, Prairie Dogs and Koalas:
These are just three animals that global warming could push into
extinction.
Global Warming
is affecting everything on our Planet Earth. Forces that change
how, where, and if trees and plants will grow, the temperature of
rivers and oceans, and the state of the ice at both poles, has a
ripple effect, that if not stopped, will spread far beyond what
we imagine today.
The powerful,
fragile and delightful animals in my series of books might not be
around when the children you are teaching reach middle age. Fun
lessons can show children how not to repeat the ecological mistakes
of their parents and grandparents.
The
links below offer helpful information you can include in lessons about
what makes Planet Earth keep spinning, and what needs to be done to
keep our wonderfully diverse flora and fauna thriving for centuries
to come - not to mention future generations of our children.
Kangaroo
Clues
How a smart Old Man Roo escapes a pack of wild dogs (dingoes), and
teaches them a lesson they won't forget in a hurry. Other Aussie critters
run and hide.
Never
Say BOO to a Frilly
- Fun tales about
3 weird and wonderful Aussie critters.
1 - "Never Say BOO"
....Tells you the secret of the Frillneck
Lizard.
2
- "Rainbow Birds"
....Takes you flying with the wild parrots,
cockatoos and parakeets of Australia.
3
- "Tasmanian Devil Dance"
.....Stalk the bad tempered T.D. in all
his nastiness!
Don't
Eat Platypus Stew -
A
meddley of 3 cool Aussie bush rhymes.
1 - "Platypus Stew"
. . . .Tempts you to think hard about
Australia's most mixed-up looking creature.
2
- "Koala Capers"
. . . Climb up into the gum trees with
baby K. and his mom.
3
- "Kooky Kookaburra"
. . . How this
loud bird became Australia's alarm clock.
Meet
U.S. Critters the Fun Way -
in My Books!
Mama
Grizzly Bear
Spend a year with Mama Grizzly and her two cubs.
Humdinger
Hummers
Dance
and flit through your garden with these feisty and colorful flyers.
Prairie
Dog's Play Day -
3 cool tales about U.S critters.
1 - "Prairie Dogs"
. . . .Visit
the hot prairie wilderness to discover how prairie dogs survive.
2
- "Bald
Eagle Rules"
. . . .Surf the
wind currents, and peek at chicks in the eagle's nest.
3
- "The
Stinker"
(skunk)
. . . Don't let
him get close. . . Hold your nose and RUN!
"
Squirrels Can't Help Being Nuts" 3 fun rhyming
stories about Squirrels,
Kitty Kats, and Bumblebees.