Hot Hot Hot

No, this book does not overtly foster development of processes, however, children will observe the difference in the look of the wooly mammoths and other animals. It’s about two wooly mammoths who get too hot during summer and give each other and the other animals haircuts, so they can be cooler.

• Author: Neal Layton
• Illustrator: Neal Layton
• Year Published: 2003
• ISBN: 076362148

Science Topics

• Earth Science

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

• 1st Grade

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

• 3rd Grade

Summary

Oscar and Arabella are woolly mammoths who love playing in the snowy winters of the Ice Age. But when summer comes and the ice and snow melt away, it is just too hot! How will Oscar and Arabella find a way to cool off in the hottest summer ever?

Evaluation

• Appropriateness: Medium
• Authority: Low
• Accuracy: Low
• Liteary Artistry: Medium
• Appearance: Medium

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

No, this book does not overtly foster development of processes, however, children will observe the difference in the look of the wooly mammoths and other animals. It’s about two wooly mammoths who get too hot during summer and give each other and the other animals haircuts, so they can be cooler.

Does the book provide an opportunity for children to ask and answer their own questions?

No, I don’t think there are many opportunities for children to ask and answer their own questions. There is some information, called “Ice Age Facts” on the last page of the book. The information seems factual, and children might find some answers there, if they did have questions.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

No, the book does not really encourage children to think for themselves. It’s a story about animals who get too hot during the summer time of an age ice. Children might wonder why it’s summer when it’s called “the ice age”, but I don’t know that it would really encourage children to think for themselves.

Is the science topic addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson?

I think the science topic of the ice age is addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson. I think the story might be engaging to children because the animals are cute and they do interesting things, and it is factual, in some things. There were wooly mammoths, there were ice ages.

Is the content based on sound scientific principles? Is it accurate?

The content is about the ice age and I think the information included about the ice age is accurate. The book also mention the reason that the summer is hot and winter is not. “So as the world turned on its axis, winter began to set in once more”. There is also a drawing of the earth shown rotating around the sun.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

There are places where the book distinguishes between fact and fiction. On the last page, the author notes that “There probably weren’t any combs, mirrors, or scissors in the ice age. I made that up.”

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

The illustrations are interesting and I think children might enjoy them. I don’t know how “accurate” they might be considered because they are cartoon representations of animals and humans and insects. I enjoyed the simplistic way in which they are drawn. I’ve seen much worse in children’s picture books.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

The book is probably at the level of 1^st or 2^nd grade.

Is there a multicultural component? Is it free from stereotyping?

There is no multicultural component in this book, unless you consider mammoths a different culture from insects and from other animals. I did not notice any stereotyping in this book, although the wooly mammoths are, in fact, wooly for most of the book

Is the book free from gender bias?

Yes, this book is free from gender bias. It’s about personified animals, but I did not notice any gender bias. Actually, the male mammoth tries to cool down the female one by fanning her with a leaf. If it were gender biased, the female would be serving the male, I think.

Does the book show the close association between science and other disciplines?

Nope, I did not notice anything about other disciplines being mentioned, although a person might stretch it a bit and say that since the wooly mammoths seemed to be allergic to flowers and plants that bloom in the summer, the discipline of medicine and allergens has been introduced.

Does the book present a positive attitude toward science and technology?

I think this book was interesting and would be engaging to children. It might offer a positive attitude towards science, without overtly mentioning “science”. It certainly does not offer a negative attitude toward science and technology.