Insects, Bugs, & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). Steve Parker and Polly Goodman. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1137-4 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1109-9 (RLB). Subject Headings: Insects-Juvenile literature. Invertebrates-Juvenile literature. Insects-Study and teaching (Elementary)-Activity programs. Invertebrates-Study and teaching (Elementary)-Activity programs. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Animals & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). Janet Sacks, Polly Goodman and Steve Parker. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1136-6 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1108-0 (RLB). Subject Headings: Handicraft-Juvenile literature. Animals in art-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Oceans & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). Janet Sacks and Polly Goodman. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1115-3 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1143-9 (RLB). Subject Headings: Marine ecology-Juvenile literature. Ocean-Juvenile literature. Marine ecology-Study and teaching (Elementary)-Activity programs. Ocean-Study and teaching (Elementary)-Activity programs. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Machines, Transportation & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). John Stringer. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1144-7 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1116-1 (RLB). Subject Headings: Transportation-Juvenile literature. Transportation-Study and teaching (Elementary)-Activity programs. Machinery-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Structures, Materials & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). Barbara Taylor. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1141-2 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1113-7 (RLB). Subject Headings: Handicraft-Juvenile literature. Architecture-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Space & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). Polly Goodman. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1140-4 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1112-9 (RLB). Subject Heading: Astronomy-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Planet Earth & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). John Cooper. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1139-0 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1111-0 (RLB). Subject Headings: Handicraft-Juvenile literature. Geology in art-Juvenile literature. Geology-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Plants & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). Rosie McCormick. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1138-2 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1110-2 (RLB). Subject Headings: Plants-Juvenile literature. Plants-Study and teaching (Elementary)-Activity programs. Handicraft. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Light, Color & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). Barbara Taylor. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1142-0 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1114-5 (RLB). Subject Headings: Color in art-Juvenile literature. Light-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Communication & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). John Stringer. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1147-1 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1119-6 (RLB). Subject Heading: Communication-Juvenile literature. Handicraft-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Weather & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). Janet Sacks. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1146-3 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1118-8 (RLB). Subject Headings: Meteorology-Juvenile literature. Weather-Juvenile literature. Weather-Experiments-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Our Bodies & Art Activities. (Arty Facts). Rosie McCormick. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2002. 48 pp., pbk. & cl., $10.95 (pbk), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-1145-5 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-1117-X (RLB). Subject Headings: Human anatomy-Juvenile literature. Body, Human-Juvenile literature. Creative activities and seat work-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4

excerpt:

Most monkeys spend their lives in the treetops. They find plenty of food there - fruit, nuts, and insects. Monkeys’ bodies are ideal for living in and moving through the trees. They are slim and strong, with long arms, muscled legs, and long, curling fingers and toes. Monkeys have thumbs, so they can grip and hold things. They can even hang from a branch by their tails! When two monkeys rest together, they often hold tails to show they are friends. [The accompanying art activity is “Jungle Monkeys.” Students make monkeys out of poster board to hang from a real houseplant.] (From Animals & Art Activities.)

Teachers who are looking for suitable art activities to complement their science units will find plenty of great ideas in the “Arty Facts” series. The books are identical in format. All of them include a table of contents listing 21 different projects, a glossary, an index and a materials guide (the guide has the same entries in all volumes). The color on each spine matches the color of all the headings within the book. A double-page spread is devoted to each art project. An explanation of the featured scientific concept appears on the left-facing page. Several paragraphs, along with excellent color photographs, highlight the main ideas. The text is very straightforward and easy to comprehend. On the right-facing page is the description of the art activity. There is a list of required materials (with accompanying photos) and clear and simple step-by-step instructions for the project along with diagrams, and a large photo of the finished product. The majority of the projects require inexpensive, easily obtained materials, such as plasticine, paper towel rolls, egg cartons, balloons, poster paint, buttons, and toothpicks. Projects are also varied, ranging from two-dimensional prints to 3-D masks and models. Though all of the projects are very creative, some of them are better at reinforcing the corresponding scientific concepts while others are related to the theme but are mostly for fun.

     Fourth grade teachers will find particularly useful the titles on animals, insects and bugs. Physical adaptations, such as spines, marsupial pouches and coloration and patterns for camouflage, lend themselves to interesting art projects. Masks, sponge prints, dioramas, necklaces, picture frames, paperweights and games are just some of the activities that are featured.

     Students will enjoy making bark prints, leaf rubbings and handmade paper found in Plants & Art Activities. Planet Earth & Art Activities fits in nicely with the grade four rocks and minerals unit in science. Sand and rock pictures, grid art (dovetails with social studies mapping unit), jigsaw puzzles and pebble carvings are highlighted.

     Space & Art Activities includes instructions for smudge art, an asteroid belt and models of alien life forms. The activities in this title are well suited to the sixth grade science curriculum.

     Structures, Materials & Art Activities offers a variety of activities including a totem pole, a canyon bridge, and building a house on stilts, bridges and arches, a castle and a model of a futuristic city. This book is perfect for third graders.

     Our Bodies & Art Activities features several projects designed to create an awareness of the five senses, the skeletal, muscular and respiratory systems and DNA. Fifth grade teachers will find these activities helpful.

     Banners, calligraphy, magnetic billboards, stroboscopes, codes and drums are just some of the activities in Communication & Art Activities.

     Light, Color & Art Activities features kaleidoscopes, a shadow puppet theater, bubble prints, a prism sculpture and Chinese lanterns, to name a few. Students in grade four will especially enjoy these.

     Machines, Transportation & Art Activities will have readers building mini modes of transportation- a hot air balloon, a submarine, a scooter and a skateboard.

     Activities found in Oceans & Art Activities are quite varied. A three-dimensional jellyfish, a pirate treasure map and diatom art are just three of the choices.

     Once again, fifth graders will benefit from Weather & Art Activities. Making cloud or halo pictures, a weathervane, a rainbow spinner or a mini greenhouse will reinforce some of the concepts in the science curriculum.

     Colorful, attractive and highly appealing, this series is sure to be a hit with teachers and students alike.

Highly Recommended.

Gail Hamilton is a teacher-librarian at Bird’s Hill School in East St. Paul, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

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