This beautiful and interactive 2020 book is self-published but available through Amazon. It is a must-have for forest school programs but relevant for every K-4 classroom. The book opens with Ps. 19:1-4 and a greeting to “Fellow Explorers.” In the introduction explorers are encouraged to grab some tools, step outside, stop to notice, meet new nature friends, and reflect to what Biblical truth that friend reveals. Ultimately the book is about knowing a very special Friend who created all these interesting creatures.
The structure of the book is one that students could emulate. Each two-page spread begins with the question, “What do I see when I stop to look?” There is an illustration of contemporary children searching in the natural world and an insert illustration of the animal they notice. A caption beside the insert names the animal and what it is doing. Underneath each illustration and caption is an Invitation to Faith conversation with a biblical reference. The paragraph of compelling informative text includes words in color and a different font that relate to the faith conversation verse and the animal. Eight animals are introduced as well as a set of footprints. Back matter includes an How to Identify and Troublemakers page.
About the Author
Sarah Coulter is a Seventh-day Adventist educator, writer, wife, and mom. She lives in TX and likes to explore God’s outdoor playground with her family. It is her hope that readers will be nudged into exploration of the outdoors—finding things to revel in. She believes that “noticing these things and talking about them will help each one involved in the experience to better know our Creator.” The inspiration for publishing this book came as a result of Sarah writing it as a graduate student in literacy at Southern Adventist University. Her professor and peers planted the idea that she should take it to publication. After much research, diligence, and hard work—the book is now available to the public.
About the Illustrator
The illustrator finds inspiration in nature as her family takes nature walks, harvests wild edibles, and collects beach rocks on the shores of Lake Michigan. She is an art teacher, hoping to inspire others to discover the passion of making beautiful things.
Teaching Points: STEM, Exploration, Faith Conversations, Research, Writing Workshop, Text Innovation
I would first use this book in either worship or science. The students and I would discover one new animal each day through reading, viewing, and discussing. Then we would use the How to Identify page to begin exploring and locating our own set of living things to learn about. In writing workshop, we would study the structure of the book and use a similar structure to write a collaborative book about our own discoveries (perhaps local animals, flowers, footprints, leaves, fungi). We would also study the author’s research process and learn from her that science explorers often encounter challenges and troublemakers.
Pathways Themes: Environment, Living Things, Walking with God
Reviewed by Krystal Bishop, EdD
Professor of Education
Southern Adventist University
