Educational Activities: Ocean Soup by Meeg Pincus

On April 19, 2021April 19, 2021 By Only Picture BooksIn Educational Activities

Ocean Soup: A Recipe for You, Me, and a Cleaner Sea
Author: Meeg Pincus
Illustrator: Lucy Semple
15 March 2021
Sleeping Bear Press
40 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “From the shore, the ocean looks like clear, sparkling blue but look closely at a small scoop and you’ll find the ocean looks more like soup! Our oceans are filled with plastics, from water bottles and take-out containers to the teeny tiny plastic particles you need a microscope to see. But who exactly cooked up this stinky soup? And, more importantly, what is the recipe for getting (and keeping) our oceans clean? This bouncing, rhyming story pulls no punches about how we ended up in this sticky mess but also offers hope and help for cleaning up this ocean soup.”

Need some reviews of Ocean Soup?

As a bonus, here’s a mini-interview with the author from the website First Draft to Final Book.

Educational Activities inspired by Meeg Pincus’ Ocean Soup: A Recipe for You, Me, and a Cleaner Sea:

Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover:
- Where and when do you think this story takes place?
- What does the title–Ocean Soup–make you think of?
- What are the kids doing?
- Does this beach seem like a happy place?
  - If not, why not?
After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story:
- How big of a problem is ocean pollution?
- What are some of the main causes of ocean pollution?
- How did you feel when the story mentioned that YOU eat fish that are eating the ocean “soup”?
- What does the author suggest can be done about ocean pollution?
Art–Use your art skills to let others know what Ocean Soup told you about water pollution. Make a poster that alerts people to the danger. Will you use words? Images? Both? Perhaps ask an adult to help you hang it somewhere where others will see your message.
Conservation–Here are simple ways to help our ocean. Which of these will you do?
- Use refillable water bottles
- Skip balloons at parties or events
- Ask local ice cream shops not to use plastic spoons and straws
- Only wear clothes that are made without pesticides
- Ask adults to use natural fertilizer for gardens instead of chemicals
Crafting–Try your hand at one or more of the following crafts (use recyclable materials when you can!). Get an art- or ocean-loving adult to help:
- Cupcake Liner Fish–These are positively adorable.
- Egg Carton Ocean Diorama–Perfect for imaginative play or as a way to display beach treasures.
- Ocean Animal Coffee Filter Suncatcher–Get out the paints and make awesome animal silhouettes to hang.
- Paper Plate Octopus–Super easy to make and almost too cute to resist.
- Turtle-Shaped Pasta Salad–Yes, you can eat this craft. Yum!
Further Reading–Which of these other picture books about oceans have you read? (Click on any book cover for more information on these titles!)

Educational Activities: Winged Wonders by Meeg Pincus

On April 20, 2020April 19, 2020 By Only Picture BooksIn Educational Activities

Winged Wonders: Solving the Monarch Migration Mystery
Author: Meeg Pincus
Illustrator: Yas Imamura
Sleeping Bear Press
14 March 2020
40 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “For decades, as the monarch butterflies swooped through every year like clockwork, people from Canada to the United States to Mexico wondered, ‘Where do they go?’ In 1976, the world learned the answer: after migrating thousands of miles, the monarchs roost by the millions in an oyamel grove in Central Mexico’s mountains.

But who solved this mystery? Was it the scientist or the American adventurer? The citizen scientists or the teacher or his students? Winged Wonders shows that the mystery could only be solved when they all worked as a team–and reminds readers that there’s another monarch mystery today, one that we all must work together to solve.”

Need some reviews of Winged Wonders?

And here’s the cover reveal and an author Q&A with Meeg Pincus at Celebrate Picture Books.

Educational Activities inspired by Meeg Pincus’ Winged Wonders:

Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover:
- What do you already know about butterflies?
- What do you think the monarch migration mystery is?
- Why might butterflies be called “winged wonders”?
- If you could ask the author any question before you read the book, what would it be?
After Reading–Now that you’ve read the book:
- Where did the people–scientists, citizen scientists, and regular folk–discover that the butterflies went?
- What were the most important things you learned about butterflies?
- What other story does Winged Wonders remind you of?
- What is a citizen scientist?
- How can YOU help the monarch butterflies?
Science–While Winged Wonders has lots of information about monarch butterflies within the main story and the back matter, there’s so much more to learn about these amazing creatures! Consider watching the following short informational videos to learn more:
Activities–With an adult’s help, try the following butterfly-themed crafts:
- Bow Tie Pasta Butterfly–Super easy and cute as can be!
- Coffee Filter Butterfly–Suitable for the youngest of readers.
- Sponge Painted Butterfly–Kids will have a blast with sponge painting.
- Stained Glass Butterfly–This easy-to-make tissue-paper craft does look like stained class. It’s inexpensive, too!
- Washi Tape Butterfly–The only hiccup is you really do need the washi tape. But after you’ve got that, you’re set to go.
Further Reading–Which of these other picture books about butterflies have you read? (Click on the book cover for more information on any of these titles!)