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Step Gently Out (2012)

by Helen Frost(Favorite Author)

4.05 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0763656011 (ISBN13: 9780763656010)

languge

English

genre

Poetry

publisher

Candlewick

review 1: Rick Lieder’s awe-inspiring, close-up photographic illustrations of a variety of insects in their natural habitats provide the perfect background to the gentle words of Helen Frost as she invites the reader to “step gently out” and bask in the whimsical wonders of nature, and to quietly observe and appreciate the oft-overlooked creatures with which we share our world. Young children will be fascinated by the image of a honeybee suspended in mid-flight with pollen covering its tiny underbody, and the close-up view of the intricately detailed Jewelwing Damselfly is simply captivating! The typeface is large, and easy to see. The text of the poem is broken up into short, bite-sized bits, and well-placed so as to enhance, rather than distract from the amazing images of th... moree insects in their natural settings. Young insect enthusiasts will delight in the wonderful illustrated guide at the back of the book, which provides smaller photographs along with more information and details about each insect featured in the book. When sharing this book, I would gently emphasize the rhythm of the poem and remind children to listen for some great rhyming words. For an easy and fun extension idea, have several plastic bugs available for imaginative play and sorting games after storytime. If weather permits, provide each child with a magnifying glass and head outside to look for insects to observe. Be careful to instruct the children to follow the words of Helen Frost and to “step gently out” leaving the insects undisturbed as you observe. If unable to do this activity at the library, suggest it as a possibility for a backyard activity for home. Or provide each child with a list featuring pictures of some of the insects included in the book and encourage families to do a “nature walk” during which younger children might simply check off the insects as they find them and older children might use a small notebook to record scientific observations. An additional idea, if it is too cold for an actual nature walk observation out-of-doors, do one inside the library! Hide photocopied/printed images of insects (or use insect puppets!) throughout the library space and have the families “step gently out” into the library and try to spot the insects with their “binocular eyes.” Same rules apply, they must practice the art of “stepping gently” quietly observing and leaving the “insects” undisturbed.
review 2: Step Gently Out by Helen Frost is a rhyming tale of the small creatures that share the world with us. I chose this book because I enjoy nature, and the cover is a photograph of an ant in it's natural environment. Before beginning the story, I looked at the end pages. The beginning end page showed a daytime photograph while the end end page showed a nighttime photograph. The differences provided insight that the story of this book goes from the start of the day to the end of the day. While reading, I enjoyed the fact that every image is a photograph of the small bugs in the world we live in (ants, bees, crickets, etc.) and that they both coincide with what the text says and in some cases add to it (i.e. one of the pages mentions only a blade of grass, the photo is of a blade of grass with a tiny bug on it). I really enjoyed the book because it doesn't show the bugs as just disgusting, obnoxious bugs. Instead, it showed the beauty of their existence, something we far too often overlook. less

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