Anita Sanchez, author of A Sky That Sings, joins The Open Book Blog in this guest post to discuss the importance of encouraging young people to explore nature and all that it has to offer.
by Anita Sanchez & George Steele, illustrated by Emily Mendoza
"Ideal for any educator teaching listening skills or the science of birding, this book is also an inclusive tool perfect for a variety of content connections, including science and ELA." —School Library Journal
When I first started writing my books about science and nature for kids, I didn’t begin the writing process on a computer, a tablet, or even a notebook. I started writing books outdoors, out loud, on a nature trail.
I’ve spent many years as an educator at a nature center. Every spring, school buses chug into the parking lot and disgorge hordes of kids for their annual spring field trip. Oftentimes, the students are more than a little hesitant about getting off the bus. They huddle on the blacktop, gazing nervously at the looming forest. To a lot of young people, nature is unfamiliar territory, so it can be a scary place. I’m often besieged with questions at the start of the nature walk: Are there bears? Are there snakes? Bugs? Germs? What about poison ivy?
But as the students enter the forest, they begin to relax, and eventually the magic happens. They hear birdsong, feel the cool breeze on their faces, and rub their hands over velvety moss. By encountering nature first-hand—by literally putting their hands on it—they become intrigued and start asking different questions: What’s this? Why is this growing here? What’s that sound? And that, of course, is the beginning of science.
When I became a writer, I realized that many young readers need some help to get off the pavement and venture into the wild. So, I basically started writing down what I’d been saying on those nature walks and turned it into book form.
In my picture book, A Sky that Sings, the main character Mia leads her aunt on a nature walk. The fact that Mia is blind and uses a cane makes no difference in her enthusiasm for wild places. Her reluctant aunt, who eventually learns to appreciate the beauty of birdsong, represents all those young people who have to be lured off the pavement and onto the trail.
Some of my other books come from experiences on the trail. Leaflets Three, Let It Be: The Story of Poison Ivy teaches young readers to identify poison ivy, but it also shows them all the amazing array of wildlife — from moose to mice that eat poison ivy (and no, their mouths don’t get itchy)! Hello, Puddle! shows young readers a new way to look at an ordinary backyard puddle as a rich habitat: a source of food, water, and nest-building material for wildlife like robins, barn swallows, frogs, snails, and butterflies. And Rotten! Vultures, Beetles, and Slime: Nature’s Decomposers shows the quiet miracle of decomposition and how nature is the ultimate recycler.
I hope that my writing will help readers confront their fears of the unknown. It’s okay, I want to say to all those anxious kids standing on the blacktop. The spider won’t hurt you. This is what poison ivy looks like. Let’s explore! My books are set close to home to create possibilities for outdoor exploration in every child’s backyard.
Click here to listen to author Anita Sanchez chat more about A Sky That Sings on WBUR’s Here and Now with Deepa Fernandes!
Anita Sanchez is a writer who lives in the wilds of upstate New York, where she listens for red-tailed hawks in the backyard. Many years of teaching outdoor classes have equipped her with how to introduce students of different abilities to the wonders of nature. She is the author of Hello, Puddle! and Leaflets Three, Let It Be!: The Story of Poison Ivy. Visit her online at anitasanchez.com.
