Thursday, April 17, 2014

"Beneath the Sun" by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Constance Bergum (Review and Giveaway)

ISBN: 978-1-56145-733-5
Hardcover $16.95
About the book:  This lyrical tour of a variety of habitats offers young readers vivid glimpses of animals as they live out the hot season under the blazing sun.

Journey from your neighborhood to a field where an earthworm loops its long body into a ball underground, and to a desert where a jackrabbit loses heat through its oversized ears. Beneath the Sun shows readers how animals survive the hottest time of the year.

My thoughts:  Illustrated with soft water colors and soft, yet definitive lines, Beneath the Sun captures the essence of life underneath the hot summer sun for life on Planet Earth. Whether it is the spittlebug staying safe from enemies and the sizzling rays of the sun underneath it's milky white goo of bubbly froth or animals hiding in the shadows or dens where it is cooler during the heat of the day only to emerge in the cooler night air, survival Beneath the Sun is innate in all creatures.

The heat of the sun encompasses dessert, sea shore, and forest; and survival and coping skills abound amongst the creatures.  Even in the sea, the sea anemones pull in their tentacles and the sea stars hide in the shade of a dense seaweed mat.

Living creatures all - animals, insects, sea life, mankind, cope with the heat of the sun and revel and relax in the cool of the summer's night air.

I thoroughly enjoyed the lovely illustrations created by Constance Bergum. Though softly drawn and not photographic like, they still were pretty true to life. The artwork and text by author Melissa Stewart were well coordinated. This is a book designed for the young child ages 4-8 and does a good job for this age group.

a Rafflecopter giveaway GIVEAWAY:  One of Chat With Vera's readers will be randomly chosen using the Rafflecopter entry form to receive a copy of Beneath the Sun provided by Peachtree Publishers. Giveaway ENDS May 8 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT and is open to USA-addresses only.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy of Beneath the Sun by Peachtree Publishers in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own and I received no compensation for this review. Giveaway copy is also provided directly to the winner by Peachtree Publishers.

17 comments:

  1. I love swimming when it's really hot during the summer! last summer i swam every day, for hours at a time.

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  2. We like to swim in the community pool to stay cool.

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  3. After this long winter I look forward to the heat of summer! But to cope I like to go deep in the woods & enjoy the shade the trees provide.

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  4. Summer sounds mighty nice right about now. I think I would like to take a long road trip!

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  5. Wear shorts, flip flops, and hang out in our family room which is much cooler!

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  6. We like to swim - we have our own pool but also go to different community pools and amusement parks for water features.

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  7. We love to go to the swimming pool to cool off for the summer.
    thanks for hosting the fabulous giveaway. Join us again next time on the Kidlit Bloghop!
    -Reshama @ Stackingbooks

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  8. I like the illustration style of this book! Thanks for sharing it at Booknificent Thursday!
    Tina

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  9. Always enjoy books that teach children something fun and interesting. The illustrations are stunning. Thanks for sharing this great pick!

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  10. Summertime is my most enjoyable season and perfect for healthy summer smoothies!

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  11. I need water preferably a pool or an ocean. To say that my 5-year-old grandson would love this book is a huge understatement! Anything with bugs! Thanks for sharing on the Kid Lit Blog Hop.

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  12. I like to swim or sit in the shade with a cool drink in the summer sun
    marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
    Merry

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  13. I say inside, in the AC! Iced tea, especially peppermint herbal tea, is always good too!

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  14. I cope with the heat of the summer sun by staying inside in the air conditioning and drinking lots of water.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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