A humorous exploration of a northern river ecosystem with an intrepid young boatsman is paired with an extended author’s note about its ecology and key species.
Young Ben sets out to explore the river equipped with a sturdy boat, some sample collection gear, and his scientific curiosity. Along the way he meets a black bear taking a swim, a moose all wobbly and slim, a goose with a gorgeous grin, and a heron all proper and prim…but things really start happening after the owl HOOs loudly on a whim.
With fresh, easygoing verse from author Jenn Lynn Bailey and art full of movement and light from illustrator Maggie Zeng, This is the Boat That Ben Built is a compelling entry point for conversations about ecology, food webs, and species diversity. Ben’s excursion―watched from the shore by his mother and faithful dog―is an outdoor adventure pitched perfectly for kids who dream of independence and exploration, parents who value safety and loving supervision, and educators who seek engaging fiction enriched with information.
-Goodreads
Listen
Visit Tumblebook Library
-Log in to the Tumblebook database
-Click TumbleSearch
-Search by Title: Trout Are Made of Trees
-Listen, watch, and read along with the narrator about ways plants and animals are connected in the food web
Learn
Visit Britannica School
-Click the Elementary Tree arrow
-Search Search ‘Ecology’
-Learn more about living things use air, land and water to stay alive
Share
Discussion
-Share facts about the animals Ben meets throughout the story and the ways in which they are all connected.
-Take a walk and count how many plants and animals you can find that were in the book.
-Discover food chains and play the online Food Fight game found on BrianPOP https://www.brainpop.com/games/foodfight/