When we mention bats what image comes to your mind? Count Dracula? Bats often get a bad rap. The little red bat in Carole Gerber’s story is a sweet young bat that doesn’t know whether to stay in the forest for winter or migrate to a warmer climate. She talks to many different animals that tell her how they survive the winter. Each one warns the little red bat about his natural enemy.
“Where will you live this winter?” asks the little red bat. “I’m wondering if I should stay or if I should go.” With a swish of his tail, the squirrel buries his last nut. “I’m staying. My winter food is all stored,” he says. If you stay, watch out for owls.”
Christina Wald offers outstanding illustrations, which add to the enjoyment and educational opportunities of this book. She even features close ups of certain animal body parts like the wing, foot, and head of a quail. Kids will see new details with every reading.
A feature of “the creative mind” section at the end of the book is a detailed, labeled illustration of a tree bat that is full of interesting facts. There’s an adaptation matching game, and a life cycle sequencing activity too. As a teacher I can say that Little Red Bat is a must for every classroom.
- Kathy Stemke
Generating sympathy for a bat isn’t always easy. Gerber pulls it off, though, thanks to some rewarding research and an engagingly repetitive structure. A little red bat hangs among the autumn leaves and wonders if she should stay in her tree or fly south. One by one, she meets a cast of woodland creatures, each of whom has their own plan: the squirrel has stored enough nuts to stay put, the deer will take shelter beneath trees, the field mouse will tunnel underground, and so on. Aside from their unusually expressive faces, Wald gives each animal a realistic look, and adds frequent circular insets to give a close-up of the animals' features. The forest is especially detailed, with a multicolored floor of intersecting fallen leaves.As each animal departs, it leaves the bat with a warning: if she stays, watch out for owls, raccoons,
oppossums, hawks, foxes, humans, and cats. It’s a lot to think about—enjoyably visualized in a spread inwhich all predators appear at once—but the little bat’s careful final decision is a wise one.
Who knew that a little Red Bat could be endearing? Thanks to award-winning children's science and textbook author Carole Gerber's exquisite account of the common Red Bat's life and the charming illustrations by Christina Wald, young Canadian children will have the opportunity to learn about the much maligned bat.
Highly Recommended.
Carole Gerber takes young readers on an educational journey through one bat's seasonal dilemma in Little Red Bat. Imaginative illustrations by Christina Wald give little red bat charm and personality, and children will be waiting and wondering what will happen next. We received this wonderful and educational book from our friends at Arbordale Publishing and enjoyed reading about Little Red Bat and her big decision. A perfect read for the Fall season! I loved the "For Creative Minds" at the end of the book. My son and I enjoyed learning how animals deal with seasonal changes and more about Red Bats.
I am really enjoying and appreciating Arbordale children's books. They take a math or science concept and turn it into a fabulous bit of children's literature. Then they provide you-the parent or teacher-with a large number of educational activities to complete with every title! Today I'll share a few more titles we've been enjoying. Entire units can be built around these books with the teaching activities provided!
>When it comes to animals, most children learn at an early age that many animals hibernate and others migrate, but did you know that red bats can may hibernate or migrate or even both? It amazes me that God designed these creatures to be able to adapt and do what they desired for the winter. Written by Carole Gerber, Little Red Bat must decide if she should stay or go as the days and nights turn cool and leaves fall to the ground. She talks to her animal friends, and they all have different advice and warnings. Eventually the little red bat realizes that she is not prepared for winter the way some of her friends are prepared, so she joins a flock of birds migrating south.
I just love these illustrations! They bring the vibrant colors of autumn to the book while maintaining a realistic look. Though the red bat has little fangs, it is not scary.
We made our own little red bats using a at outline. We colored it with red crayon and then painted it brown to give the look of a red and brown bat. Next we used a pile of leaves in a basket to camouflage the bat and played. Lots of fun! Check out the Little Red Bat teaching activities (all 70 pages)!
These titles, and all of the Arbordale titles I have read have been fabulous and I highly recommend them! Thank you, Arbordale, for providing us these fabulous books for review purposes.
- Annette Whipple
Little Red Bat allows readers to explore the various ways in which animals prepare themselves for seasonal changes as Little Red Bat interacts with other animals from her ecosystem.
Will I stay? Or will I go? That is the question that Little Red Bat repeatedly asks herself throughout the story, as she explores her habitat and observes how other animals in the ecosystem are preparing for the seasonal change ahead!
Little Red Bat, the main character of the story must decide whether "to stay" or "to go" during the long months of winter. Readers will quickly discover that red bats are among one species that can opt either to hibernate during the winter months or migrate south to warmer temperatures for survival. As Little Red Bat struggles to decide which option is best for her, she meets up with other animals from the forest ecosystem and learns about their plans for winter month, allowing children to explore all aspects of what animals do during the winter months! This book would make for the perfect addition to a thematic unit on "Animals in Winter," as it takes a significantly different approach to teaching children about this topic!
Learning/Reading Activities:
Arbordale has put out a resource packet to go along with the book. Creative Minds can be downloaded/viewed here. They have also put out a 70 page packet of teaching activities to use in collaboration with the book. That packet can be downloaded here. My personal favorite activity can be found on page 13 - the sequence sentence strips!
- Katie Harvey
The author takes the reader through conversations with animals in the forest. They give little red bat advice and attempt to help with her decision, at the same time telling her why they choose to stay in the forest or leave. A deer, a rabbit, a chipmunk, a field mouse, a wild turkey, and a sparrow speak of their decisions, while advising little red bat on who or what to watch out for if she decides to stay.
Award-winning author Carole Gerber has written over 100 science and reading textbooks, including multicultural folktale series, adult nonfiction books, chapter books, and picture books. Christina Wald's illustrations are splendid in their depiction of the autumn colors of the forest and up-close-and-personal drawings of forest animals. Little Red Bat and her forest friends welcome young readers to read or be read-to about decision-making and helpfulness.
I always look forward to this great set of new books!
Arbordale has sent me these five new titles that will really "beef up" your science and math curriculum. In case you don't know - Arbordale's website is just FULL of wonderful teaching activities, related websites, and "For Creative Minds" a wonderful educational section for each book.
Little Red Bat by Carole Gerber and illustrated by Christina Wald is a rare find. It is a book on red bats - and how they can hibernate or migrate - great information and such wonderful illustrations that enhance this story.
The last two pages contain a two-page spread with facts about bats in general and little red bats in particular. There's a smattering of evolutionary reference ("adaptations") but it's easy enough, if you're design oriented, to talk about the unique design of various bat features.
The story is told in a simple, repetitive style attractive to children, with beautiful, realistic color illustrations.
There is a wonderful series of books from Arbordale Publishing that mixes animal stories with science and math. The books have nice bright illustrations (some better than others), and include interesting facts, questions and tests for readers, even help for teachers who want to incorportate the books into lesson plans.And they recommend related Web sites.
"Litte Red Bat" by Carole Gerber, illustrated by Christina Wald. Animal friends offer their advice as a little bat decides whether to stay where he is for the winter or to migrate to a warmer climate.
I can't recommend these enough; they're all great. Also, check out some of the previous books in this series.
- Carol Bicak, Omaha World-Herald Book Reviwer
Rating: 5 stars (EXCELLENT)
Did you know that red bats can either migrate or hibernate to protect themselves from the cold winter? Rather than living in caves, red bats hang out in trees. Winter is coming, and Little Red Bat is trying to decide whether to stay and hibernate or to migrate. As she considers her options, she learns how many of the other animals, such as squirrels, deer, rabbits, chipmunks, field mice, wild turkeys, and sparrows prepare for the winter. The sparrow invites her to fly to a warmer climate with his flock, and the others warn her about the dangers of owls, raccoons, opossums, hawks, foxes, humans, and cats if she stays. So, what would you do? And, what will Little Red Bat do?
Author Carole Gerber, who has written over one hundred science and reading textbooks, allows youngsters to take an educational journey as they follow Little Red Bat’s seasonal dilemma. They will also enjoy Christina Wald’s charming illustrations that give the animals personality and warmth. The “For Creative Minds” educational section provides further information about bats and how various animals deal with seasonal changes, and contains two activities of matching the bat adaptations and sequencing the bat’s life cycle. Also at Arbordale’s website can be found related websites, interactive quizzes, and other teaching activities pertaining to reading, language arts, science, math, and geography for use by parents or teachers. If you are “batty” about bats, this book is for you!
- Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker
This was a charming tale that will teach children not only about how the red bat deals with change of season from autumn to winter, but will also teach them about how several other animals survive the change. Children will also learn about squirrels, deer, rabbits, chipmunks, mice, the wild turkey and sparrows. Through the gentle dialogue the reader will find out what the red bat eats, what they do during the winter months and will learn about the predators the red bat must be on the lookout for.
Presented in storybook form, the conversations between assorted animals and the little red bat make it easy to absorb a lot of factual information, a set up that I liked a lot. The artwork was exceptionally well done and the two-page spread of all the animals, including the human ones, was very appealing. In the back of the book there are additional facts about the red bat, including an illustration of the bat and an adaptations quiz, a section on how animals “deal with seasonal changes,” and the life cycle of the red bat in activity form. Additional activities can be accessed on the publishers website.
Quill says: This little red bat has a big wonderful story to tell you about her life and the life of many other animals in the forest!
Carole Gerber captures the beauty and intelligence of bats in this book. She follows an adorable red bat as she decides if she will go and migrate for the winter or if she will stay where she is. Along the way the bat goes through trials and tribulations that demonstrate the complexity of their decision making while showing the softer lovable side of the wonderful animals. We need bats more than ever and we need children to learn the importance of bats. Carole was able to do all these things in her wonderfully illustrated book. It is for kids and adults alike. I highly recommend it!
- Dr. June Kasminoff, Director
Little Red Bat by Carole Gerber is a tale of uncertainty and making informed decisions. The illustrations by Christina Wald allow the readers to experience the story from the perspective of Little Red Bat. See all of the other animals up close in their habitats...Taking into account all of the advice and warnings Little Red Bat receives from the others, she makes her decision—find out what Little Red Bat decides to do! Little Red Bat is a great way to introduce young readers to animal habitats, migration, and relationships.