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Under the Night Sky
Amy Lundebrek
Illustrated by Anna Rich
Available: May 2008
Hardcover, $16.95
ISBN 978-0-88448-297-0
9 x 10, 32 pages, color illustrations
Children / Nature
Bookcover, "Under the Night Sky", by Amy Lundebrek, illustrations by Anna Rich.

CHILDREN'S BOOKS:

AMADI'S SNOWMAN—New

GIVE A GOAT—New

UNDER THE NIGHT SKY—New

CARPET BOY'S GIFT, THE

EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S LUNCH

GIFT FOR GITA, A

GOAT LADY, THE

HEALTHY FOODS FROM HEALTHY SOILS

JUST FOR ELEPHANTS

KEEP YOUR EAR ON THE BALL

LIFE UNDER ICE

LIGHTS FOR GITA

LUCY'S FAMILY TREE

MUSHROOM MAN, THE

MUSKRAT WILL BE SWIMMING

OPENING DAY

OUR FRIENDSHIP RULES

PLAYING WAR

PROJECT PUFFIN

ROSES FOR GITA

SARAH'S BOAT

SAVING BIRDS

SAY SOMETHING

SEA SOUP: PHYTOPLANKTON

SEA SOUP: ZOOPLANKTON

SHELTERWOOD

SHY MAMA'S HALLOWEEN

SPIRT THAT MOVES US, THE (VOL.I)

SPIRT THAT MOVES US, THE (VOL.II)

SPIRT THAT MOVES US, THE (VOL.III)

STONE WALL SECRETS

TALKING WALLS

TALKING WALLS: THE STORIES CONTINUE

THANKS TO THE ANIMALS

TRAVELS WITH TARRA

VERY BEST BED, THE

WELCOMING BABIES

WHEN THE BEES FLY HOME

WHO BELONGS HERE

  • "This exquisite picture book captures the magic that happens when people of any age suspend their ordinary routines and open their eyes to the joy and wonder of the natural world. The book invites us—whoever we are, wherever we live—to experience the health, healing, and hope that nature offers us as individuals, families, and communities. So snuggle up with a child you love, read this heartwarming story, then go outside and see what you can discover together." —Martha Davis Erickson, founding board member of the Children & Nature Network, a group dedicated to reconnecting children and nature
Winter has a special beauty for those living in northern climates—even for those who live in cities. And winter nights can provide the most spectacular sights of all! To her son’s great surprise, a working, single mom breaks her routine one night and rushes her son downstairs to join their neighbors as they spontaneously celebrate the beauty of the northern lights—the aurora borealis. Nature is the central character in this story, and the spell it weaves provides this mother and son with a special moment they can look back on with great happiness.
       Author Amy Lundebrek lives in Champlin, Minnesota, with her husband Ryan. She has a degree in biology and works as a research associate in a cell culture lab. She enjoys hiking and camping, canoeing and kayaking, painting and sculpture. This is her first children's book.
       Anna Rich says her career as an illustrator began in kindergarten, where she much preferred coloring and drawing to her other classwork. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and has illustrated many picture books, including From My Window by Olive Wong, Just Right Stew by Karen English, Annie's Gifts by Angela Medaris, Cleveland Lee's Beale Street Band by Arthur Flowers, and Saturday at the New You by Barbara Barber. She lives in Elmwood, New York, with her son and her husband.

TEACHERS TAKE NOTE
Under The Night Sky can be used as part of a curriculum that encourages children and families to spend time outdoors experiencing nature and discovering its mysteries. In addition, Under The Night Sky can be used as a part of a curriculum that seeks to promote discussion about communities and the different experiences that can help bring people together.

Under The Night Sky will help inspire classroom conversations about:
  • The sky, the aurora borealis;
  • The importance of the natural environment in children's daily lives;
  • Different types of family traditions and celebrations;
  • Neighborhood gathering spots;
  • Storytelling traditions in families;
  • Changes in daily routines, experiencing excitement and confusion; and
  • Single-parent families.
Teaching Resources: Going the Extra Mile!

Internet Resources

Children and Nature Network.
The motto of this group is: Leave No Child Inside. The vision and mission of the Children & Nature Network is to give every child in every community a wide range of opportunities to experience nature directly, reconnecting our children with nature's joys and lessons, its profound physical and mental bounty. The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working to reconnect children with nature. C&NN provides access to the latest news and research in the field and a peer-to-peer network of researchers and individuals, educators, and organizations dedicated to children's health and well-being. http://www.cnaturenet.org

The Milky Way Galaxy
This website for kids shows that everything in our solar system is on the move, even the Sun—it's just one of over 100 billion stars swirling around our Milky Way galaxy. Tour this spinning pinwheel in space. http://www.amnh.org/ology/astronomy/milkyway/index.htm

Auroras: Paintings in the Sky
Self-guided color-illustrated tutorial for older kids that shows what an aurora looks like from the earth and from space, what makes them happen, where you can see them, and why they are different colors http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/auroras/selfguide1.html

Aurora's: The Mysterious Lights in the Sky
A website for young kids that explores where northern lights can be seen. This is a good site for younger children. http://ds9.ssl.berkeley.edu/auroras/story.html

The Green Hour
The goal of this group is to give parents and caregivers the information, tools, and inspiration to get their kids—and themselves—outside. The National Wildlife Federation has created GREENHOUR.ORG, a website rich in family friendly content. It hosts a supportive virtual community where families can learn, explore, and share their outdoor experiences and backyard adventures. http://www.greenhour.org

National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation inspires Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. They also have a selection of award-winning nature magazines for children: Ranger Rick™, Your Big Backyard™, and Wild Animal Baby™ http://www.nwf.org

Additional Books
I Got Community by Melrose Cooper (Henry Holt, 1995).
A young girl describes, in rhyming verse, how members of her community make her feel loved.

Abuela by Arthur Dorros (Dutton, 1991).
While riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City. (Reading Rainbow)

My House Has Stars by Megan McDonald (Orchard Books, 1996).
Young people describe the different kinds of homes they live in around the world and how they see the stars.

Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails by Michael Kusugak (Annik Press, 1993).
The grieving Inuit girl named Kataujaq finds some happiness when she and her grandmother watch the northern lights.

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost (Dutton Juvenile, 1978).
Robert Frost's well-known poem evokes the beauty of winter in a forest. This story is a thoughtful book to read in contrast to Under the Night Sky.

Activity: Weather Collage Exploration
Make a collage depicting different kinds of weather. Magazine stories and pictures of dramatic weather are commonplace.
Why do this activity? Discussing weather events can build awareness of the natural environment, and invite discussions about climate change and it’s causes.
  1. Ask students to bring in magazines and newspapers and have each student cut out the images, words, advertisements, and titles that have weather themes.
  2. Have the kids create collages combining both the winter weather events and the summer weather events.
  3. Encourage questions, thoughts, and feelings about different types of weather, and discuss the impact of weather on their lives.

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