By far the most popular book that we've read so far during National Poetry Month festivities has been Yael Schy and David M. Schwartz's Where in the Wild?: Camouflaged Creatures Concealed... and Revealed. This engrossing book pairs poems about different animals with gorgeous photographs of each animal camouflaged in its habitat. Emerson students have loved the challenge of guessing the animal using clues from the poems, spotting the clever camouflage, and then learning neat facts about the animals. (Did you know that weasels eat half their weight daily and that crab spiders change their colors based on the flowers of the season?)
It was hard to surpass the thrill of this book, but we managed... with amazing news! David M. Schwartz will be coming to Emerson on May 16th! Want to know more?
Schwartz is the author of How Much is a Million? and almost 50 other books, including If You Made a Million, G is for Googol, Q Is for Quark, If You Hopped Like a Frog, and the “Look Once, Look Again” science series. His latest book is Where In the Wild? A popular speaker for children and educators, Schwartz emphasizes the importance of mathematics in everyone’s life, and the many connections between math, science and literacy.
“Children love numbers,” Schwartz says, “and when they see how numbers connect to their everyday lives, they can get really excited about math.” At schools, he uses amusing props to make mathematical concepts come alive as he leads his audience on a fascinating journey through a world where mathematics opens doors to understanding the world.
In his presentations, as in his books, Schwartz is both entertaining and educational. His assembly programs often leave children laughing, even screaming, with excitement. Teachers comment that students are inspired in both math and writing. With his insights on linking math and science with literature, Schwartz has often been invited to be a keynote speaker at conferences for teachers, librarians and other educators all over the United States. He has spoken at hundreds of schools around the world.
Since its publication in 1985, Schwartz’s first book, How Much Is A Million?, has become a classic of children’s mathematical literature. Illustrated by Steven Kellogg, it has won many awards and was featured on Public Television’s “Reading Rainbow.” It was a main selection of the Children’s Book of the Month Club. Inspired by Schwartz’s book, children in hundreds of schools have undertaken projects based on the number 1,000,000 (one million). At some schools and public libraries, children have attempted to read a million pages and have gained local or national fame along the way. Other schools have collected a million pennies and used the money to buy books for the school library.
A New York native and a graduate of Cornell University, Schwartz now lives in Oakland, CA.
We can't wait for Mr. Schwartz's visit!
