Sunday, October 30, 2016

After A While Crocodile: Alexa's Diary by Dr. Brady Barr & Jennifer Keats Curtis, illustrated by Susan Detwiler [Review & Giveaway]

About the book: Alexa and the other children at her escuela in Costa Rica have a special project: they are raising American Crocodiles. She names her croc Jefe, which means "boss," because he seems to be in charge of all the other babies. Alexa brings him chicken and frogs to eat, and writes about his progress in her diary. Soon, her little hatchling is as big as a loaf of bread. He has grown into a juvenile and it is time for Alexa to say goodbye and for Jefe to return to the wild.

My thoughts: I found it interesting that children are raising crocodiles as a school project. Environmentalists surely think this is a good idea, but personally I think that project would be best left in the hands of adults. Children can be helpers (not necessarily hands on) and keep their own records of the progress of the project. Well, that being said.....

This is a cute book tracking Alexa's involvement in the American Crocodile project. She captures frogs and insects which she feeds to the crocodiles along with chicken. Her school has a garden, also. 

After A While Crocodile sprinkles words in Spanish throughout the text with the English word in parentheses with it. A nice opportunity to see Spanish words in context and perhaps reinforce these words as part of the Spanish curriculum in either classroom or homeschool. 

The object of the project managed by Dr. Brady Barr and team is to save and/or protect the endangered American Crocodile. They find and retrieve eggs and then allow them to hatch and be raised in a protected environment. The children, Alexa included, participate with hands on experience.

The photographs are fantastic and the information is well presented and detailed. I think this was a great project in which the children could participate and the information presented in the book will appeal to many.

A reminder that children should be taught that this was a controlled project and the crocodiles were released into the wild as soon as they were able to care for themselves.

The "For Creative Minds" back pages are chock full of interesting information for further study and investigation.
GIVEAWAY
Arbordale Publishing is graciously providing a copy
for one of Chat With Vera's readers to win!
Begins October 30
ENDS November 19 @ 12:01 a.m. ET
Open to USA addresses only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Arbordale Publishing to facilitate a review of my own opinions. I was not compensated.

10 comments:

  1. 1. Read - ABC Safari
    2. Reviewed - Baby Owl's Rescue

    ReplyDelete
  2. Learned, Brady was the first person to ever capture and study all 23 species of crocodilians in the wild. He’s a frequent contributor to National Geographic Kids Magazine. Brady serves as a scientific expert for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature

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  3. 1. Dr. Brady Barr is a reptile specialist and television personality.
    2. he’s worked with just about every animal imaginable—from crocodiles, alligators, and snakes to bears, sharks, lions, hippos, and more.
    3. The author of multiple children’s books about reptiles, Brady is also the star of the educational XBOX game Dangerous Encounters, a collaboration with Microsoft.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 1. Book for my child - Animal Legs
    2. Book I'd like to see reviewed here - Been There, Done That: Reading Animal Signs

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  5. Dr Brady Barr has ttraveled to more than 80 countries for National Geographic
    Brady was the first person to ever capture and study all 23 species of crocodilians in the wild
    The author of multiple children’s books about reptiles, Brady is also the star of the educational XBOX game Dangerous Encounters
    j1man1r66@etex.net

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would like Busy Beavers Year for my grandkids
    And I would like to see The Best Nest by Written by Doris L. Mueller
    Illustrated by Sherry Neidigh reviewed on Chat with Vera!
    j1man1r66@etex.net

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yikes! That would totally freak me out for my kids to be raising crocodiles at school!!!! Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday last week on Mommynificent.com!
    Tina

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  8. I discovered that Dr. Brady Barr is a reptile specialist, he’s traveled to more than 80 countries and if I dare say he is a bit crazy working with all those crocodiles. lol

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  9. I would like to see Sea Slime: It’s Eeuwy, Gooey and Under the Sea on your blog. I would like to read A Warm Winter Tail.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I learned that Dr. Brady Barr is a reptile specialist and television personality. Dr. Brady was the first person to ever capture and study all 23 species of crocodilians in the wild. Dr. Brady is the star of the educational XBOX game Dangerous Encounters.
    nikilsend(at)outlook(dot)com

    ReplyDelete

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