We're Sailing to Galapagos: A Week in the Pacific

Laurie Krebs - author

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Barefoot Books (February 28, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1841489026
ISBN-13: 978-1841489025
Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.8 x 0.5 inches

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal (PreSchool-Grade 3)

A colorfully garbed couple take readers on a jaunty journey to the Galapagos Islands. For each day of the week, the rhymed text introduces one of the islands' unique animals. The repetition of the chorus "We're sailing to Galapagos. I wonder who we'll see" encourages audience participation. The bright collages create striking vistas that will also enhance group sharing. The youngest listeners will enjoy the visit to giant tortoises, black iguanas, and blue-footed boobies before they sail home. Older readers can learn more about the animals and Charles Darwin's famous exploration by perusing the informative entries following the rhyming section. Krebs offers an excellent introduction to a unique set of islands and some of its rare inhabitants. For a complementary choice that considers a single species, consider Francine Jacobs's Lonesome George, the Giant Tortoise (Walker, 2003).–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Tour the Galapagos Islands in a red-sailed boat and encounter many exotic land and sea animals, like giant tortoises, albatrosses, iguanas, lava crabs and booby birds! This rhyming story, which also teaches the days of the week, also includes fascinating facts on Charles Darwin, the Islands and the animals that live there.

About the Author

Laurie Krebs is a seasoned traveller and former teacher from Connecticut, USA. A mother of four grown children, she seeks to expose young people to a variety of different cultures and environments through her writing. Laurie's previous title with Barefoot books was the very successful We All Went on Safari, which was selected as one of Scholastic's "Best Books" for 2003, and was a Practical Pre-School Gold Award Winner (2003). Grazia Restelli was born in the province of Milan, and studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Brera. She graduated in sceneography, and in 1992 took a course in illustration at the Academy of Communication Studies in Milan. Her works have been shown in exhibitions all over Italy, and she has illustrated several books for Italian publishers. We're Sailing to Galapagos is her first title for Barefoot Books.

Lesson Plan ideas

1. Using a map or globe, show children where these islands are located and how they were formed. Some students can hold photographs of real animals that live on the islands. A verse between stanzas allows all the children to sing along as you read the book.

2. I purchased some museum quality Galapagos animal figurines from Safari Ltd. http://www.safariltd.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc? and used them with the book. We discussed each animal as they appear in the book. It allows for the child to be actively involved.

3. It introduces Galapagos animal vocabulary. You can play a game to practice this vocabulary. Find real images of the animals online and print them out into cards. Play what's missing with child by covering all cards with a towel or large non-transparent paper/card after child has looked at them for awhile. Then remove one card and ask "What's missing?". This encourages child to name the missing animal. Do the same with the remaining cards till you're done. You can do the same with the animal figurines in (2).

4. This book also introduces the days of the week. You could ask questions like, "What day do you think comes next?", etc.