Why Do Elephants Need the Sun?

by Robert E. Wells, Robert E. Wells (Illustrator)

Overview

There are trillions of stars in the universe, but we rely on our sun to provide (or contribute to) most of what we need to survive and thrive: heat, light, plants, animals, wind, and water. Complete with fun, cartoon illustrations, this book give kids plenty of information about our sun in an easy-to-read and digest format. By focusing on the needs of an elephant, Wells makes clear just how important the sun is to life on Earth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807590812
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	09/01/2010
Series:	Robert E. Wells Science Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.70(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	900L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

About the Author

Robert E. Wells is the author and illustrator of many intriguing and award-winning science books for children, including Can You Count to a Googol? and What's So Special about Planet Earth? He lives with his wife in Wenatchee, Washington. Robert E. Wells is the author and illustrator of many intriguing and award-winning science books for children, including Can You Count to a Googol? and What's So Special about Planet Earth? He lives with his wife in Wenatchee, Washington.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 2?5—Wells presents such concepts as photosynthesis, gravity, nuclear fusion, and the sun's effect on weather conditions in an appealing, easy-to-understand format. Pen and acrylic cartoon illustrations and simple diagrams strongly support and enhance the text. Information is factual and up-to-date (Pluto is not included with the solar system diagram) and covers the purposes and uses of the sun over the years, from telling time to generating electricity. By using the elephant to relate the level of importance the sun plays in the lives of all living things, Wells has found a unique way to teach some otherwise difficult concepts. Some readers might stumble over science terms such as "nuclear fusion," "electromagnetic energy," "photosphere," etc., although they are explained in both text and illustrations. The book concludes with 10 comic-strip-style panels of "Did You Know?" interesting facts. Overall, this is an excellent resource for budding young scientists.—Cathie Bashaw Morton, Millbrook Central School District, NY

School Library Journal

Simple explanations of photosynthesis, the water cycle, gravity, nuclear fusion and sun energy are linked together by the answer to the title question: Elephants need the sun for food, water, oxygen and their earth-bound place in space. In Wells's latest exploration (What's So Special About Planet Earth?, 2009, etc.) of the natural world, he makes his complicated topic appealing with ink-and-acrylic illustrations showing both elephants and baboons among plants and trees, looking sadly at a dried-up water hole, cavorting in the rain, standing on a seesaw, even investigating a wind turbine. Large type and the definition of many key terms in context will help emergent readers. Three spreads require turning the book sideways, emphasizing the distance from sky to ground. A series of fast-fact panels at the end offer more about the sun, including some familiar statistics. A final "Thank You Note to the World's Scientists" mentions many branches of science that relate to this topic, but the author cites no specific sources. Less demanding and less informative than Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm's Living Sunlight (2009), this is an easy, solid introduction. (Informational picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews

"This title offers an appealing introduction to the sun, as well as a solid stepping-stone toward scientific theory." Starred Review, Booklist

"This is an easy, solid introduction." Kirkus Reviews

"Overall, this is an excellent resource for budding young scientists." School Library Journal

From the Publisher