Tuesday, September 23, 2025

LET'S CELEBRATE WORLD SPACE WEEK

 World Space Week is October 4-10, 2025

Let's get the celebration started with this action song from Storybots.

Click here. 

My cat Roary has boarded his sink-rocket. He's ready for more SPACE WEEK action. 

How about you?!


If you said YES, explore space with The Friz aboard the Magic School Bus.


Click here to launch this game.

Then WATCH OUT! You could find yourself zooming away to become lost in space with the Magic School Bus.

Click Here to share the wild ride

Now, go on board the International Space Staion to visit a real astronaut Chris Hadfield.

See what he eats while in space. And why it's never bread. Click Here.

See how he goes to bed to sleep in space. 

What book do you think would be the BEST to take along to read in space?

How about my coming soon book? It's OUT OF THIS WORLD full of smiles! ORDER HERE!



Tuesday, August 26, 2025

COLOR BACK TO SCHOOL WONDERFUL!

 It's back to school time. 

Let's make this a colorful year!



For some great ideas for creating colorful crayon art and being creative with broken crayons. 
Check out these sites.

And, of course, being National Crayon Collection Month, August is the perfect time to share several of my favorite children's books that star crayons.
Of course, I have to include the story of Crayola Crayons' Invention. The Crayon Man (Natascha Biebow/HMH Books for young readers, 2019)


Red: A Crayon's Story (Michael Hall/Greenwillow Books, 2015)



Red has a bright red label, but he is, in fact, blue. His teacher tries to help him be red (let's draw strawberries!), his mother tries to help him be red by sending him out on a playdate with a yellow classmate (go draw a nice orange!), and the scissors try to help him be red by snipping his label so that he has room to breathe. But Red is miserable. He just can't be red, no matter how hard he tries! Finally, a brand-new friend offers a brand-new perspective, and Red discovers what readers have known all along. He's blue! This funny, heartwarming, colorful picture book about finding the courage to be true to your inner self can be read on multiple levels, and it offers something for everyone.

The Day The Crayons Quit (Drew Daywalt/Philomela Books, 2013)

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.

What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?



COMING SOON!
The Crayons Trick or Treat (Drew Daywalt, Philomel Books, September 6, 2022)

The Crayons want to go trick-or-treating, but they're not sure what to say! In a humorous Halloween story, Purple Crayon teaches the rest of the crayon box the magic words to say when they ring their neighbors' doorbells. (Hint: It's NOT "Boo!")

AND NOW!

1.Make up your own story about a colorful adventure. And make your favorite crayons the stars of your story.

2. Choose your very favorite crayon. Tell why you LOVE it. And convince at least 2 other people they should LOVE it too.



Sunday, April 6, 2025

LET'S READ TOGETHER!

Join me and enjoy this book with me!




I'll do it in several parts so I can tell you a little about the book and a little more about the animals as we go along.

Here we go--Part 1.



Next, Part 2.



Ready to share Part 3 with me?



Now, let's finish WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL HAIR!?



Saturday, February 22, 2025

READ WITH ME! WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL TEETH!?

 Grab your copy of 

WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL TEETH!?

Now, you're ready to read along with me.

Click Here!


Did you choose your favorite animal teeth?

If not, please go back and pick. 

It's FUN to have a favorite and imagine those animal teeth being your teeth for one day.

My favorite are ELEPHANT teeth, called tusks.

What animal teeth did you choose? 


Saturday, February 1, 2025

SANDRA MARKLE READS ON WORLD READ ALOUD DAY


Join me this February as I celebrate WORLD READ ALOUND DAY by reading my Scholastic book Could You Ever DIVE WITH DOLPHINS!? 


Ready to join me? Click HERE!

Friday, January 24, 2025

WINTER WONDERS!

 



Some animals are perfectly suited to living with ice and snow. Check out this book I wrote about camping out with Adélie penguins raising their chicks. Or READ IT HERE.



So those animals would think you're lucky to have cold winter weather. There is definitely a special kind of winter fun to enjoy. These activities will give you ideas for ways you can make the most out of living where winter is--well--wintery!

GO ON A SCAVENGER HUNT

You might find maple seeds like these.

FIND:
  • Something older than you are
  • Something younger than you are
  • A seed
  • Something rough
  • Something smooth
  • Something that will change in the spring



HELP YOUR LOCAL BIRDS




You can get a good look at birds that spend the winter in your neighborhood, if you invite them to dinner. An easy treat to make is a peanut butter pinecone. Loop a string around the top of a pine cone and tie a knot. Next, smear peanut butter on the cone and roll the cone in birdseed. Then have an adult partner hang the pinecone where birds will be able to perch and eat. 

Now, keep watch. Use bird books and search on-line to help you identify the birds visiting your bird diner. Also, answer these questions:
1. What time of day do the birds come to eat? 
2. Do the birds come more on stormy or sunny days?
3. Do the birds take turns and feed one at a time? Or do they compete to eat?
4. Which birds usually chase other birds away?

Create a colorful bar graph to share the data you collect about your dinner guests.

Remember, to replace your pinecone with a fresh treat from time-to-time to keep the dinners coming back for more.

IMAGINE!

While you stay snug and toasty warm inside, think what fun it could be to take a trip to Antarctica. And while there stay and play with Adélie penguins. READ ABOUT THE FUN HERE!



Sunday, November 3, 2024

THE STORY BEHIND MY BOOK SNOW SCHOOL

 


Dr. Tom McCarthy with snow leopard cub
(courtesy of Panthera Snow Leopard Trust)
When I can, I love to investigate firsthand. But, when that isn't possible, I track down experts who have been able to study animals in amazing wild places.  Then I can share the stories talking to those experts inspire--like Snow School (Charlesbridge).  I discovered that story about snow leopard cubs growing up from interviewing Dr. Tom McCarthy who has spent many years climbing the high, rugged mountains of Pakistan in order to learn about the life and behavior of snow leopards.  That's it--shown in red on this globe.





The setting for story is the Hindu Kush Mountains in that country.  That high mountain habitat is one of the harshest on Earth. It requires the cats to be able to chase fast prey downhill over very rocky terrain.



















Even during his many years studying snow leopards Dr. McCarthy shared that he only had a chance to watch a few downhill chases as snow leopards caught prey.  He said, “Once, I was lucky enough to see a mother have two cubs with her while she hunted.”  

Dr. McCarthy guessed the cubs were in training.  Snow leopard cubs spend two years with their mothers learning to survive on their own.  That inspired me to wonder what lessons snow leopard cubs need to learn in order to be successful in the extreme conditions of their home habitat.  

For one thing, as soon as they’re big enough, snow leopard cubs travel with their mother. That way they get a close look at the features of their environment.  And they learn the shortest, safest routes to take. 


The snow leopard’s habitat is really a high desert with very steep terrain.  When these cats hunt, they have to chase down prey animals, like ibex, capable of running down steep, rocky slopes without falling.  And they have to pounce at just the right moment to stop their prey without going over a cliff.



Snow leopards do have some natural built-in advantages. One is a very long tail.  Dr. McCarthy reports that a snow leopard’s tail is all muscle and that it’s heavy. He said, “It must even be heavy for the snow leopard.  In snow, I’d see a mark where  a cat would start to drag its tail after every two or three steps.  So holding up its long tail must be tiring.”


Having such a long tail is worth the effort, though, when the snow leopard starts to run.  It swings its tail back and forth and that helps it stay balance while twisting and turning.  To get a feel for how its tail helps a snow leopard stay balanced, try this.  Stand on one foot with your hands at your sides.  Then repeat standing on one foot but this time stretch out your arms and move them forward and backward.  

Snow leopards also have big feet that act like snowshoes, helping them walk on top of fluffy snow.  In fact, Dr. McCarthy reported a snow leopard’s feet leave very round footprints because their feet are about as wide as they are long (about four to five inches in both directions.) 


These cats also have a lot of fur around their toes and the pads of their feet to shield them from the ice and snow.  Like housecats, snow leopards have retractable claws.  They put these out to help them climb and to stop themselves from skidding.

Dr. McCarthy reported that once a snow leopard catches prey it needs a safe place to eat—safer than on a steep mountainside.  Dr. McCarthy said, “I’ve watched a snow leopard drag a big goat that weighs as much, if not slightly more, than the cat does.  And it drags this prey uphill.”   

Imagine pulling something that weighs as much as you do.  Now, imagine doing it the way a snow leopard does.  This cat bites to grab its prey.  Then it drags this weight between its legs.  This is another behavior snow leopard cubs learn by being copycats, doing what their mother does.


You might be surprised to learn that snow leopards usually only get a chance to catch big prey about once a week.  So when it does, the cat is likely to stay by its prey and eat as much as 25 pounds of meat a day for two to three days.  


Can you guess what snow leopards do after such big meals?  You’re right!  They sleep.  Like lions, tigers, and housecats, snow leopards sleep most of the day to save their energy for hunting.  

Now let me read you SNOW SCHOOL (Charlesbridge)  Click here to start.





LET'S CELEBRATE WORLD SPACE WEEK

  World Space Week is October 4-10, 2025 Let's get the celebration started with this action song from Storybots. Click here.   My cat Ro...