Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs & Other Ughs

Reviewed by Cayden Aures (age 6) and Mom for Reader Views (10/10) Cayden's comments: "This book is kind of like the other one that we read, `On One Flower.' In that book they all lived on a flower but in this book all of the things live under a rock! In the beginning of this book there is a letter written by a spider. There is a big rock in the grass and a boy lifts it up and sees what is under it. He found worms, a spider, beetles, and some other bugs too. There were a lot of things that lived underneath that rock. I liked the part in the back of the book where it tells more things about the bugs in the book. It said that some slugs have more than 20,000 teeth! That is a lot of teeth! I want to go outside and peek under some rocks to see if I can find some of these things." Parent's comments: Like, "On One Flower," "Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs and other Ughs" is a great educational book for a young child. My son loved seeing what different types of creatures lived underneath the rock and learning more about them. He is definitely excited to do some exploring of his own and I am sure there will be no rock left unturned in our yard!

REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker, reviewer with Stories for Children Magazine Did your mother ever tell you, when you came into the house all dirty, that you looked as if you had crawled out from under a rock? What does live under a rock anyway? The fact is that underneath a rock in your backyard there is a habitat for all kinds of interesting creatures, such as earthworms, ants, spiders, beetles, crickets, millipedes, and slugs, all of which play a very important part in nature's cycle of life. Be honest--haven't you ever peeked under a rock to see what was there? Author Anthony D. Fredericks is a former classroom teacher and a nature explorer from way back who has written over twenty children's books, including several in a series on animal communities for Dawn Publications. The rhythmic text, reminiscent of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" and "This Is the House that Jack Built," has just enough repetition to make the story fun for children to read. In addition to the text, Jennifer DiRubbio's engaging illustrations from a close-up perspective will send kids outdoors to start looking under rocks and exploring nature. In addition, the back of the book contains two pages of "Field Notes" with further information and a fantastic fact about each of the species mentioned in the story. There is also page of "How to Learn More" with resources for digging deeper into ecology. Under One Rock has won several awards, including the Izaac Walton League Book of the Year. Any child who enjoys studying nature will really like this book.

Under One Rock is a cumulative informational book that details a small child's findings when he lifts a rock. This is an interesting book with a great deal of information included on the insects and worms found in nature. The cumulative nature of the text draws children into the story and allows predictability for early readers. The author's notes, glossary, and publisher information in the back of the book provides a fantastic classroom or parent resource. As a nature lover and a mother who believes children today are suffering from nature deficit disorder, I am so thankful to have added this book to my library. It is a wonderful example of the science that occurs around us at any given moment. If we just slow down for a moment, we may witness some of the wonders of the natural world. As a classroom extension, consider placing a large rock on the playground then observing the changes under the rock for several months. The grass will die, insects may inhabit the sheltered space, earthworms may be observed, etc. In addition, a nature walk may reveal many other small ecosystems in unexpected locations. If you are looking for a naturalist title or a book to inspire the exploration of nature, this is a good start!

This book is beautifully illustrated and well written. I like the rhyming that builds in each vignette and is repeated throughout the book. I read all the children's books I give as gifts. This one is delightful