December 11, 2017
This is one of the excellent photos in my new book WATER. But this photo is something special. It’s a photo taken by Liz Nealon, my wife and partner in research. Liz is an award-winning producer of children’s TV programs such as The Famous Jett Jackson and Ghostwriter. She was also Creative Director of Sesame Street. Now she is a literary agent specializing in digital children’s books as well as my photo research partner in finding the best photos for my new books as well as revisions of my older books. But this photo was chosen just because she loved the design and then used for my book because it fit the text perfectly.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
December 10, 2017
All about the water cycle, precipitation, why we need water, and more!
My brand new book Water was published on October 31, 2017. Water is all around us. It is the most common liquid on our Planet Earth. It is in the air and in the clouds, in oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds and streams, in ice, in plants and animals, in soil and below Earth’s surface in the top few miles of the crust. Yet water cannot and should not be taken for granted. A person may be able to survive several weeks without food but only several days without water.
Water is the one substance that we are always looking for on other planets and exoplanets. A "Goldilocks Planet" is a planet on which water can exist In liquid form, is is not too hot nor too cold, it is "just right" for the possibility of life. Without water there would be no life.
On a personal note, I thought that water would be a simple subject to write about. But no, water turned out to be both challenging and fascinating. I hope you and your students and children find this book to be a be a captivating introduction to what is the most important substance for living things, water!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
July 20, 2017
Seymour Simon’s striking new book, ROCKS AND MINERALS, is being published on August 15th (available for pre-order now on Amazon). Here’s an interview with Kirkus about his connection to rock-hounding, the process of making this book, his views on teaching nonfiction, and more.
Posted by: Liz Nealon
July 5, 2016
Happy Publication Day to @Seymour Simon for his new book, INSECTS!
The photographs are amazing, and you will learn some fascinating things in this book:
All bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs.
There are at least four times more kinds of insects than all other animals combined.
The number of insects alive at any given moment is approximately 10 quintillion (that is 10 followed by 18 zeros!)
Posted by: Liz Nealon
April 22, 2016
Happy Earth Day to all my readers. I’ve just come back from a long walk outdoors, and I hope you will get out and enjoy nature today, too.
I have written many entries in this blog about Earth Day over the years. There are activities, reader input, suggestions for reducing your carbon footprint, and even recipes to help you contribute to improving our environment. You can read all of these earlier articles by typing "Earth Day" into the search box at the top of this page. Enjoy!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
January 28, 2016
Did you see the recent announcement from NASA (America’s space agency) about finding evidence of water on Mars? Scientists have long thought that there may have been water on this desert planet in the past, but these latest images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are extraordinary because they show evidence of water flowing today.
Do you see the dark streaks in this image? These streaks are from the minerals left behind when briny (salty) water flows down the slopes in the Martian "summer."
Why is this important for us? If there is liquid water on Mars, then it makes it much more possible that we can travel there to explore Mars ourselves. The rocket needed to carry astronauts on the year-long trip to Mars will be much lighter if it doesn’t have to carry water. There is currently no Mars mission planned…but I bet there will be soon.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona
Posted by: Seymour Simon
January 27, 2016
Did you see the video that the Smithsonian’s National Zoo captured after last weekend’s blizzard? When male giant panda Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN) woke up to a lot of snow, he was pretty excited about it.
Unlike you and me, Tian Tian did not need to bundle up to be comfortable in the snow. Giant pandas have thick woolly coats that keep them warm in the snowy mountains of China.
Since it is Writing Wednesday, let’s take this opportunity to do some descriptive writing. Watch this video of Tian Tian in the snow, and imagine all the sensations he is feeling. Describe what he was smelling, seeing, feeling, tasting…..all the things that made him want to roll over and over in the big white stuff!
Be patient while the video loads below. If you are using a tablet you may not be able to see this video. Try viewing it on a desktop computer.
When you are finished writing, click on the yellow "Comments" button at the bottom of this post to share your work with others. Happy Writing!
"Tian Tian in the Snow," from Smithsonian's National Zoo
Posted by: Seymour Simon
January 5, 2016
As anyone who has read my PAPER AIRPLANE BOOK knows, I love folding and flying paper airplanes. I’ve been doing it since the days when I was teaching middle school science and teaching about the properties of air.
This video captures one of the best paper airplane flights I have ever seen. Look how the plane rides the air currents, slowly, slowly down to the ground.
Enjoy the video, but remember, you should never try this at home (nor should you ever go near an open window).
Be patient while the video loads below. If you are using a tablet you may not be able to see this video. Try it on a desktop computer.
"New York Paper Airplane Flight," by Sam Fuller
Posted by: Seymour Simon
October 30, 2015
I know that I have many cat lovers among the readers of my blog, so I’ve been saving this adorable photograph to share today!
If you and your friends are planning to trick or treat tomorrow, please remember these simple rules:
1. Wear bright costumes and put reflective tape on your costume or trick or treat bag, so that it is easy for drivers to see you if you are out at dusk or after dark.
2. Only trick or treat at houses that have their porch lights on, signalling that they are welcoming trick or treaters.
3. Never go into a stranger’s house - stay on the front porch.
4. Travel in a group - there is safety in numbers.
5. Don’t eat any candy or treats that are not wrapped and sealed.
6. Be a helper for younger children who might be scared of the dark or the scary costumes. Little kids might be feeling shy or nervous and you can help them make their way up to the door and let them know that you are kind, not scary, no matter what your big kid’s costume looks like!
That’s it - simple rules that make the evening fun for everyone. Happy Halloween to all my readers!
- Seymour
Posted by: Seymour Simon
October 29, 2015
Are you as fascinated by bats as I am? I love to watch them come out just after the sun sets and begin to feed on insects on summer nights. I have not seen as many in recent years because we have a fungus called "white nose syndrome" endangering the Brown Bat here in North America. Scientists are still trying to find a way to protect our native bats.
A different species, a large fruit bat known as the Spectacled Flying Fox, is facing its own challenges in Queensland, Australia.
It turns out that the problem for these bats is ticks, which dig into the bats’ skin and inject a paralyzing poison. Once their feet are paralyzed, they can no longer hang upside down from tree branches to sleep, and they die.
The time of year when the ticks are most plentiful is also the time when most baby flying foxes are born, so rescuers realized a number of years ago that they needed to come up with a plan to save these orphaned baby bats.
Veterinarians in Queensland set up the Tolga Bat Hospital, and hundreds of orphaned baby fruit bats are being rescued each year and raised at the hospital until they can be released into the wild.
Isn’t is good to see these magnificent wild animals being cared for by humans?
Photo: Jurgen Freund / naturepl.com
Posted by: Seymour Simon
