Marshes & Swamps

This book was fantastic. The author shows marshes (salt and fresh water), swamps, and defines wetlands. She shows the types of plants and animals that live there and a little about how they live and what they eat. She also talks about where wetlands are located. We really enjoyed it and learned a lot of new stuff. The illustrations are good, but you'd want to pair it with actual pictures. Everywhere we drive now I hear "there's a marsh", "I think that's a marsh too". They are identifying all sorts of plants and animals just from reading the book one time. One of my sons wants to move to Alaska now since they have the most wetlands in the US. Who knew? *taken from my review at goodreads

Once again, Gail Gibbons has done a wonderful job introducing 4 to 8 year olds to another natural realm. In Marshes and Swamps, Ms. Gibbons writes and shows through her illustrations where both freshwater and saltwater wetlands are found, how they developed and are maintained, the plants, animals, invertebrates, plants and insects who live there, and why they are threatened by humans. The book explains a bit about freshwater marshes, saltwater marshes, freshwater swamps, and mangrove swamps. Marshes and Swamps can launch a great classroom unit on the importance of wetlands to migratory birds, on food chains, on pollution and its impact on the environment, on the different adaptations of plants and animals to wet/brackish/salty environs. I am using this book with my third grade classroom and it is so full of information that we will use it for a month. Wading Into Wetlands, by the National Wildlife Federation is a great companion book of hands on activities that enhance the Gail Gibbons Marshes and Swamps book.