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Dirtmeister's Nitty Gritty Planet Earth: All About Rocks, Minerals, Fossils, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, & Even Dirt!
Come and explore the world under your feet with the Dirtmeister and friends! Part graphic novel, part fun guidebook, this very cool, rocky journey introduces both eager and reluctant readers to the basic geologic processes that shape our Earth. Clear and concise explanations of the various geologic processes reveal the comprehensive science behind each fascinating topic. Fun facts and simple DIY experiments reinforce the concepts while short biographies of important scientists inspire future geo-scientists.
- GenresNonfiction
128 pages, Library Binding
First published June 9, 2015
4 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 24, 2015
One of the things that I find myself really jealous about is how my kids have access to so much fun science. When I was a wee child the only accessible science we had was Science Weekly, a thin elementary school level magazine where the latest space craft and jets were described. It was brief but wonderful and I loved it.
Now of course there is so much more. Cool shows like HOW IT'S MADE, COSMOS, DIRTY JOBS, BILL NYE, MYTHBUSTERS and the DIRTMEISTER. Not just science and math here but edu-tainment.
What I love about edu-tainment is how easy it makes it for kids to absorb information. In videos and in print kid-friendly formats lead to kids absorbing information and wanting to know more. This is why I'm a fan of the DIRTMEISTER//National Geographic Kids combine. You get science that's presented in easy to understand and digest nuggets. And the DIRTMEISTER's NITTY GRITTY PLANET EARTH is very kid-friendly.
In this book readers will flip their way through all kids of earthly questions and answers. They'll find out about Earthquakes, Minerals, Volcanoes, Fossils and more. The format is colorful and like a sophisticated comic book with plenty of action and information. Even the paper is pleasant to touch with it's heavy slick feel.
I LOVED:: the bright colorful format and the titles of the different sections. The section on carbon dating, for example, is called 'The Clocks in the Rocks'. It's a cleverness kids and adults can appreciate.
OTHER CONDENSED NOTES
--I don't having reading numbers on this book yet. They just aren't out.
--If your reader is young you might have to sit down with them for a moment and go over the format. In places the 'dialog' and flow of the story is split on the same pages. For example, in Chapter 3 in the top half of the pages show the DirtMeister is talking to his buddy, Digger, and they are setting up probes along a fault line. The bottom half of the pages has a dialog between the Meister and a girl from Japan that wants to find out what causes earthquakes. The backgrounds of the two storylines are different so that you don't get confused, but a new reader might need to be shown this.
--the science comes in levels. To stick with our Earthquake example, kids can keep to the simple stuff, or they can learn about S-waves and P-waves. There's even an experiment to use to help lock-down understand of the differences.
--Chapter 3 is 12 pages long.
RECOMMEND. This would be a good book for the home or classroom shelves. Libraries, of course. (review copy)
Now of course there is so much more. Cool shows like HOW IT'S MADE, COSMOS, DIRTY JOBS, BILL NYE, MYTHBUSTERS and the DIRTMEISTER. Not just science and math here but edu-tainment.
What I love about edu-tainment is how easy it makes it for kids to absorb information. In videos and in print kid-friendly formats lead to kids absorbing information and wanting to know more. This is why I'm a fan of the DIRTMEISTER//National Geographic Kids combine. You get science that's presented in easy to understand and digest nuggets. And the DIRTMEISTER's NITTY GRITTY PLANET EARTH is very kid-friendly.
In this book readers will flip their way through all kids of earthly questions and answers. They'll find out about Earthquakes, Minerals, Volcanoes, Fossils and more. The format is colorful and like a sophisticated comic book with plenty of action and information. Even the paper is pleasant to touch with it's heavy slick feel.
I LOVED:: the bright colorful format and the titles of the different sections. The section on carbon dating, for example, is called 'The Clocks in the Rocks'. It's a cleverness kids and adults can appreciate.
OTHER CONDENSED NOTES
--I don't having reading numbers on this book yet. They just aren't out.
--If your reader is young you might have to sit down with them for a moment and go over the format. In places the 'dialog' and flow of the story is split on the same pages. For example, in Chapter 3 in the top half of the pages show the DirtMeister is talking to his buddy, Digger, and they are setting up probes along a fault line. The bottom half of the pages has a dialog between the Meister and a girl from Japan that wants to find out what causes earthquakes. The backgrounds of the two storylines are different so that you don't get confused, but a new reader might need to be shown this.
--the science comes in levels. To stick with our Earthquake example, kids can keep to the simple stuff, or they can learn about S-waves and P-waves. There's even an experiment to use to help lock-down understand of the differences.
--Chapter 3 is 12 pages long.
RECOMMEND. This would be a good book for the home or classroom shelves. Libraries, of course. (review copy)
February 8, 2018
Dexter (9yo) read.
July 20, 2015
I've long been a fan of National Geographic books for kids and this book is another wonderful example of why that is the case. Steve Tomecek (aka The Dirtmeister) takes readers on a wonderfully informative journey through the science of our planet. Starting with the science of the earth's development, he also covers facts about earthquakes, volcanoes, soil, rocks, weathering and erosion. Each section starts with a fun little comic followed by several pages of description, graphics, and photographs discussing each topic. The design is fresh and appealing and the information fascinating. The inclusion of various experiments demonstrating some of the different processes that are presented is an awesome touch. These could be done at home or by a teacher in a classroom to help students understand the different processes. I loved the book and plan to recommend it to young geology lovers and teachers alike.
September 3, 2015
great stuff for the science geek!
April 12, 2016
Tons of info on rocks, minerals, fossils, earthquakes, volcanoes, geologic history, dirt and more presented in an engaging format.
November 7, 2016
Middle School level. Informative and graphically appealing. The chapters connect to NGSS!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews