In My Backyard

by Margriet Ruurs, Ron Broda (Illustrator)

Overview

From the singing of little wrens in spring to paper wasps building their nests in summer; from baby bats drinking mother’s milk in fall to baby possums climbing into mother’s pouch in winter, In My Backyard celebrates nature and backyard animals through the seasons. Wildlife artist Ron Broda’s detailed paper-sculpture art beautifully complements Margriet Ruurs’ lyrical text, and young readers will discover a captivating variety of animals and insects.

Find the ladybug in each illustration, along with a hidden animal, which becomes featured on the next page. A detailed legend and helpful hints on how to turn your own backyard into an inviting place for animals to live make this book a must-have for wildlife and nature lovers alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780887767753
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	03/13/2007
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.41(w) x 8.29(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Margriet Ruurs is the author of many books for children, including Wild Babies and A Mountain Alphabet. She has a Masters Degree in Education and has spent her adult life both writing books for children and teaching children about books. She has spent a great deal of time hiking and camping in the mountains and traveling. Margriet Ruurs has lived across North America and now makes her home in Oregon.

Ron Broda is a renowned children’s book illustrator and paper sculptor. With over fifteen years in advertising, art directing, and commercial illustration, Ron combines techniques in paper sculpture and watercolor to create vivid illustrations with great detail and realism. He has created unique ad campaigns and art pieces for clients like Coca Cola, Chrysler, and Xerox. He has been named one of the “top 5 Canadian Illustrators.” His award-winning children’s books are sold worldwide. Ron Broda lives in Sarnia with his wife Joanne and their children. When not in his studio, Ron makes time to tour various libraries and schools.

Editorial Reviews

In brief text and lavishly colorful illustrations, Ruurs and Broda demonstrate the diverse abundance of wildlife that frequents our backyards…Ruurs’ new book reflects her admirable desire to help children learn to appreciate the majesty of their natural surrounds…Recommended.”
—CM Magazine

From the Publisher

K-Gr 4
Ruurs introduces youngsters to some animals that they might see in their own yards. Among the featured creatures are a snail, wasp, mouse, and wren. Broda's skillful paper sculptures enliven the pages with a colorful depiction of the animal in its surroundings; each one faces a gray-and-white silhouette above the text. In many cases, the monochromatic picture features the young, such as tadpoles and spiderlings, but this relationship does not always hold true. Notes at the end provide additional information as well as clues to encourage observers to find the creature in one picture that will be featured on the following pages. Finding an elusive ladybug on each spread poses an additional visual challenge. Ruurs also suggests ways to make backyards more inviting for wildlife. The size and type of illustrations limit the book's use with groups and might require some hand-selling to move it off the shelves. One-on-one sharing with an adult or individual reading by older children could encourage outdoor observation and involvement. Nic Bishop offers photos of over 100 creatures in the oversize Backyard Detectives (Scholastic, 2002). Those in search of a portable book for outdoor identification might consider Catherine Howell's Backyard Wilderness (National Geographic, 2003).
—Kathy PiehlCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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