Is This Panama? A Migration Story

Yes, the book fosters the development of process by describing different forms of migrations that occur among various animals during the winter time.

• Author: Jan Thornhill
• Illustrator: Soyeon Kim
• Year Published: 2013
• ISBN: 978-1-926973-88-3

Science Topics

• Life Science

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

• 2nd Grade

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

• 5th Grade

Summary

Is This Panama? Is a migration story about a young Wilson's warbler named Sammy. As he is about to embark on his first migration south for the winter, he realizes that all of the other Wilson's warblers have already left. Now, Sammy is left to migrate to Panama for the first time, alone. Along the way he finds many other animals that are also migrating, none of them are migrating to Panama. With some help along the way, Sammy must figure out how to get to his migration destination for the winter, and find the rest of the Wilson's warblers.

Evaluation

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

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

Yes, the book fosters the development of process by describing different forms of migrations that occur among various animals during the winter time.

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

Yes, the book provides plenty of opportunities for students to ask and answer their own questions throughout the book. Many questions about migration may arise while reading the book, and as the story is read most of those questions will be answered. For example some children might ask, "how do the animals know where they are going?" The book answers this question with several examples from different animals, one being that the animals look for landmarks and special places that are recognized along the way, another being that they follow the stars by looking for patters that match the 'star maps' they have in their heads.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

This book includes a lot of information about the topic of migration relating to each animal mentioned, therefore small opportunities for unanswered questions and independent thinking are left. However, the story does leave out certain information that the children might wonder about. In these instances, the children have the chance to make their own educated guesses to answer their questions, to make predictions, and to think for themselves. One big question that is unanswered in the book and that the children will wonder about is the reasoning behind why the little Wilson's warbler bird was left behind to migrate alone by the rest of the warblers. Given the story nature of the book, this should have been a question with a solidified answer by the end of the story.

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

Yes, the topic is addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson.

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

The content is based on sound specific examples given that it uses terms associated with migration, the types of animals, and the lands that they habitat. Although the book is written in story form using the authors own ideas and words, it includes accurate and correct information. The author ensures that specific information for the varying animal migrations are included in the book. The one discrepancy that I found in the book was that the book depicted monarch butterflies as living in the northern part of the country, when really they predominantly reside in the south, in states such as Texas.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

The story is realistic-fiction. Which means that although Sammy is a fictional character, the situations depicted in the story could potentially occur. The story not only talks about migration of Wilson's warblers, but also about the migration of other animals. Since fact and fiction blend a lot throughout the book, I think for young readers it would be a little difficult to distinguish between the two.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

Yes, the illustrations were created using real-world materials, sketching, and painting to produce three-dimensional pieces that really stand out while reading the book. The vibrant colors and details that are depicted in the illustrations help young children stay engaged while being able to see real world examples in the story being read.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

The book might be a little too high of a reading level for the younger grades, because it is very word heavy. However the content of the book I think is very appropriate, given that at second grade the students begin to learn about migration. The book being used as a read aloud would be very appropriate to use in younger grades, and for the higher grades the book can be used for independent reading by the students.

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

This book does not posses a multicultural component, as it is strictly talking about animals. It is free from stereotyping because there are no humans depicted in the book.

Is the book free from gender bias?

The main character in the book is a male Wilson's warbler, so the main gender depicted in the book is male. However, one other minor character is assigned a gender in the book and its a humpback whale who is given a female gender. Since the main character is shown throughout the entire book, and the female character only makes an appearance once in the book, I would say that the book does posses gender bias.

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

The book does not show close association between science and other disciplines. It mainly talks about different kinds of animals and their migration. However, it does include other aspects of science which include weather, and land.

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

Yes, the book does maintain a positive attitude towards science as it talks about the naturalistic instinct of animals when it comes to migration and it positively highlights their adaption techniques to new climates. The book does not mention anything about technology.