Who Was Here?

by Mia Posada

Key Features Description What animal was here? Figure out who left each set of tracks, then turn the page to find out about animals from around the world. What animal was here? Figure out who left each set of tracks, then turn the page to find out about animals from around the world. Product Details Item #: NTS593070 9780545930703 Paperback Book 40 Informational Text 1 - 3 Lexile® 770L Guided Reading GR Level N DRA 28 - 30 ACR 4.0 Who Was Here? Paperback Book 5.21 Out Of Stock Out Of Stock Email me when back in stock Top {{#if inStock}} {{#if isSubscribe}} {{button.label}} {{else}} {{button.label}} {{/if}} {{/if}} {{#if isOutofStock}} {{oosMessage}} {{#if isTSO}}
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Genres: Animals, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Poetry, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Mia Posada grew up in Minneapolis, then studied art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduating, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she lived until 2007 when she moved back to Minneapolis with her husband and children. Mia has written and illustrated five books: Dandelions: Stars in the Grass, Ladybugs: Red, Fiery and Bright, Robins: Songbirds of Spring, Guess What is Growing Inside This Egg, and Who Was Here?: Discovering Wild Animal Tracks. She also illustrated Dazzling Dragonflies by Linda Glaser.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author/illustrator Mia Posada explores the world of animal tracks in this engaging and informative work of picture-book natural history. The book alternates between two-page spreads showing a particular animal track, with rhyming text giving clues as to the animal's identity, as well as an invitation to guess which creature it is, and two-page spreads giving the answer, with a prose text that provides more information about the animal in question. A brief afterword gives suggestions to young people, in looking for animal tracks themselves, as well as a list of further reading ideas...

Who Was Here?: Discovering Wild Animal Tracks is a well-formatted book, presenting its information in such a way that children will remain interested and engaged. The poetic hints, and the repeated question, "Who Was Here?," keep the child reader and listener involved in the reading process. The hints themselves contain information that will possibly allow the reader to guess the identity of the animal, even if they don't recognize the track in question. The accompanying artwork, done in watercolor and collage, is very appealing, and adds to the pleasure of reading the book. I was tickled, moreover, to see that Posada listed Jim Arnosky's Wild Tracks!: A Guide to Nature's Footprints in her list of further reader, as Arnosky is, of course, the master of picture-book natural history. Recommended to all the young animal and nature lovers out there.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of those books I snatched from my niece's library pile before she recognized that she even had it since I enjoy this type of knowledge to begin with. I am not quite certain what I was expecting out of the book but it didn't really hit home for me and that may have just been since it was presented more as fiction that it was presented as fact.

The animals that were presented in the book were mainstream popular types and if you weren't a beginner than you would find the book too easy with the exception of the egret that was thrown in. And since the animals were mainstream they mixed up the different ecosystems so you had a mixture of animals, including those that many children wouldn't be tracking in their normal lives.

Otherwise once I could get past the parts that caused me some problems I did end up enjoying the little rhyme that was given on each page to help young readers. Unfortunately at the same time the rhyme was too easy for those who know the animals a bit thus ended up taking away the guessing game in the end.

But along with the beautiful illustrations, the educational rhyming hints and the clear prints many young readers will enjoy this book for what it has to present. For those who may be more interested in the subject than a further study needs to be chased that expands upon the tracking method while also hopefully localizing on the species interested in.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say that while I loved this book as an adult, I would have absolutely adored this book as a young child (and my parents would have loved reading it to me).

This book introduces the tracks of each animal in a fun, rhyming manner. Once the tracks and the animal that made those tracks are introduced, there is some information about the animal that made the tracks, so that the child can learn information about each animal. While the book starts out with animals found in North America, it quickly expands to include animals from around the world, including Australia and Africa. While there are some common animals that children will know right away, there are also some rather uncommon creatures that children aren't as likely to know, such as the Egret. I really enjoyed that there were some uncommon creatures present in this book, it's a great way to expose kids to animals that they likely don't see or read about every day.

I had a book growing up called Who Pooped in the Park? Yellowstone National Park: Scat and Tracks for Kids, but I honestly think I enjoyed this book a little more (although identifying scat is also important when identifying animals). Who Was Here? is definitely a book that can be read to a young audience, while still retaining the message, unlike Who Pooped in the Park?.

The pictures in Who Was Here? are also absolutely gorgeous. The images of the animals and their tracks are done in gorgeous watercolors, making this book a pleasure just to look at.

This is definitely a book that I will be buying for any outdoorsy friends who have kids and a book that I will certainly be buying for myself at some point in the future. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great introduction on the tracks animals make, or just a fantastic and educational picture book about animals.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Animals leave their tracks in snow, sand, and mud, and the reader must guess: who was here?

Though the cover is forgettable, the inside of this book is very attractive and eye-catching, and it captures the feeling of being out in nature, following animal tracks through the woods. The repeated question of "Who was here?" always appears as part of the setting, rather than in the block of text, which contributes further to the earthy feeling of the entire work. The book is set up as a guessing game, so one page shows the tracks of an animal, and the next shows to whom the footprints belong. The animals are completely realistic and reminiscent of illustrations by Steve Jenkins.

I wish this book had been available two summers ago when I did my nature detectives program! It's just right for early elementary audiences, who tend to enjoying guessing games. This would make a great addition to class visits, and it could easily be paired with KizClub's flannel board for Quick as a Cricket for an animal-themed story time. It's also a less wordy alternative to How To Be a Nature Detective by Millicent Ellis Selsam, which is not the best read-aloud.

Readers who have enjoyed other science-themed guessing game books such as Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?, Guess What I'll Be, and Birdsongs will like this one as well. It offers a good balance of fun rhyming text and more serious informational text, so it would be especially good for kindergarten and first grade classrooms.

Read at Summer Camp Story Time on 7/10/15: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[Sunah Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

This informational picture book contains life-sized animal tracks and let readers figure out the animals who left these tracks. Nine animals’ foot prints could be learned with descriptions of functions related to the shape of the foot. Illustrators use watercolor and collage techniques to illustrate the animals and their tracks. Texts are elaborated in verse, so readers could enjoy the poetic rhythms when reading this book in addition to facts on the topics. Websites and reading materials for further information are also provided at the end of the book.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The water color and collage illustrations are breathtaking. The text invites the reader to engage with the story. The reader is shown wild animal tracks, and given a four line rhyme "clue" and asked to guess who was here? My story time audience loved this book, although it was a bit long for the youngest in attendance. There is information about each animal and so this is a great addition to story time fir anyone wanting to incorporate informational texts in support of common core.

[Ronda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is sure to ignite a puzzle-solving frenzy even for those students who seem to be in the not-interested-in-anything-unless-it's-Pokemon camp. Richly textured simple illustrations of an imprint paired with a brief set of rhyming clues lead the intrepid reader on a journey through woodland, rainforest, and desert habitats as each new puzzle is presented with a call to identify "who was here.". Readers may be surprised at some of the answers and may well be led to learn more about some of.tjese animals. End note provide a list of clues to help the young explorer begin to catalog districting between types of tracks, as well as a list of website links and books for further reading.

[Cristina Olivares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discussion questions
- what animal tracks have you seen?
- where did you see such tracks?
- what type of ground do we see tracks in? (cement, sand, grass, snow?)
- is there animals who don't leave tracks behind?
Book connections
- What forest knows, what animals are similar?
- how is the text similar/different? (lyrical v informational)

[Abby Anuchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This informational text includes details about different wild animals and their tracks. I liked this book for its beautiful illustrations and short riddles about each animal. I would use this book to read aloud to 1st-3rd graders, as they listen to each riddle and guess the animal being described. This is also a wonderful book to include in a teacher's classroom library.
copyright: 2014

[Timothy Farring · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this would fit well in a science unit about the ecosystem around the school, and discovering the animals that live around the school. I liked the art in this book I think that it was cute and added to the story. I feel that this would be a great addition to any science teachers library

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read 2 of Mia Posada's read this time: "Who Was Here?" and "Guess What Is Growing Inside This Egg" both are so fun. great illustrations. very cool. i enjoy learning as well as reading ... put them together and that is even more FUN!! very cool.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite of some of my littlest patrons. Such a fun, educational picture book. One page talks about the track, the next talks about the animal that made it!

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect non-fiction picture book for my 3 year old granddaughter...Guessing games are always fun!

[Viviana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art 4-5 stars

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about identifying animal tracks.

[Tate Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hidden Review

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
There are so many possibilities with this book. This is definitely a book that can be reread over and over again but it could also be a fun book in which you ask your animal loving children facts about the animals they read about and see if they can recall which animal fits the definition. I love these types of books as the possibilities are endless if your child likes the subject matter. This book covers wild animals and it begins by showing an animal’s foot track in the snow, mud or sand. With this footprint, there is a four stance poem that helps the child figure out the animal. Sometimes there are two animals’ footprints but then you are also given two different poems so no confusion on your part and the poems are pretty easy to figure out except for a few that I was debating and that just might be because I am not up-to-date on my animals and their prints. I liked the big, watercolor illustrations of the animals and the footprints of the animals were large enough too. After the animals were revealed, the author gives a short paragraph of interesting information about the animals including weight, height, food it might eat or where it might live or other facts your children might find fascinating. Close to the end of the book, there is one page on how to be an animal track detective. This page lists things to look for when outside looking for animal prints such as spacing of the tracks, distinct markings, size, depth and a whole lot of other ideas for your child to start creating their own book of the world around them.
I received a complimentary e-book from NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The riddle of animal tracks is deciphered here in a fun guessing game. The tracks of each animal are displayed along with information about the tracks and the animal that left them. Readers then turn the page to see whether they guessed right about what animal left those tracks. The pages with the animal have scientific information about the animal, their size, weight and their tracks. Tracks are left in mud, snow, sand and more. These too are hints about the animals, making the book speak to habitat too. This interactive book will have children embracing science and learning about animals without even realizing it.
Posada encourages children to learn more in the final pages of her book. She gives hints to decode animal tracks, offering ideas of what to look for in unknown tracks to help identify them. The book ends with links to websites and recommended books to read. Posada uses the page turn to great effect in this book, allowing the reveal to be a big part of the delight of reading this book. The guessing game element will be popular in story times but also for single readers.
Done in watercolor and collage, the illustrations have dimension and texture. The animals pop on the page and their tracks are clear and beautiful. When Posada has two creatures from the same habitat, their tracks are well defined and clearly different from one another. This adds to the fun of the read.
A nonfiction picture book that children will enjoy, this readable and accessible book will be a hit at any story time. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

[Heather]

Curricular Tie: Science and Language Arts

How it can be used to enhance instruction:
It is more text heavy than some of the other books, so I would read it in small chunks. I would also have students discuss the lack of text features and what they might have added if they were the author so that it would be accessible to a wider audience. That being said, the book is full of wonderful illustrations and each page is full of information about a different animal. Each animal is introduced as a footprint/track, clues are given about the animal’s identity, and readers are asked to guess which animal made the track. Readers can continue to practice identifying main idea and details, generating questions, and creating graphic organizers to sort and organize the information.

Rationale:
This book presents information that is still accessible, yet challenging. It might serve as a great bridge between K-3 and 4-6 books. Students will be excited by trying to guess which animal will be shown based on its tracks and the clues presented. It would also make a great springboard into research.

[Amy Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book in verse, juxtaposed with easy-to-understand facts, this book acts as several different books in one. First, you have a picture book with beautiful watercolor and collage illustrations. Each spread features an animal's footprints and a short, four-line riddle verse to help kids answer, "Who was here?" Next, you have an interesting non-fiction book, with a paragraph of fun and readable facts about each animal. Finally, you have an accurate and life-size picture of just how big these animals' prints are.
I think this would work great in a classroom, in a storytime, or in a reference-learning session. I would recommend adding this book to any collection.

I received an electronic advanced review copy of this book.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life-size animal tracks from around the world coupled with rhyming verse ask kids the question 'who was here?' After the animal is revealed, there is information about the animal including it's size, diet and why it tracks look the way they do.

Kids ages 6-9 enjoyed guessing which animals made the tracks, some were challenging since animals from around the world were included; but, this made for a great opportunity to learn about something different.

I especially liked when two footprints of animals that have relationships were combined, such as predator-prey or mutualism. In the back of the book there are tips for finding and identifying your own animal tracks.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book blends an easy picture book on tracks with a nonfiction book giving lots of great facts and details on tracks. Though the book isn't habitat specific, for our students, who go out to the local wildlife refuge, this will be an interesting read to give them an understand of both tracks they might find and the special qualities of the animals behind them. I would love to see more books in a series specific to different regions and countries. The resources at the back - including both questions to ask when tracking animals and books and websites to go to for further reading are awesome too. This will be a great addition to classrooms that study animal science and to libraries!

[Swalenagriffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids will enjoy answering the question, “Who was here?” Rhyming couplets are used to give the reader clues to animals that may have left tracks on the ground, snow or sand. The rhymes flow easily without any awkwardness. When the reader turns the page, they see a two-page layout of the mystery animal(s). Additional information is given on each animal for readers to explore. It is noted on the copyright page that the animal tracks are life-sized. At the end of the book, there is a section for websites and further reading. This book definitely works for one-on-one sharing or as a group read aloud.

Review copy received from NetGalley.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Who Was Here?, Mia Posada pairs wonderful watercolor and collage illustrations with rhyming phrases to give children enough clues to figure out each set of animal tracks for themselves. Then, on the following page, the track-making animal is revealed, along with an informative description of the animal.

Kids will have fun guessing "Who was here?", and they'll feel good about themselves when they get the answer correct. They may even be inspired to go on some animal tracking adventures of their own!

Note: I received a digital copy of this book through NetGalley.

[Rachel Bayly]

This nonfiction book is all about discovering animal tracks.

While reading this book kids are making discoveries and learning so much. This book has great back matter, and resources for continued research and activity with animal tracks. I think it is written in a really cool way, and would definitely prompt curiosity and discovery.

Illustrations: collage, watercolor

Posada, M. (2014). Who was here?: Discovering wild animal tracks. Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook Press.

Tags: animals, science, discovery

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

My students ABSOLUTE favorite thing to do is animal research. Pets, farm animals, zoo animals, wild animals...they love them all. This book about animal tracks and its accompanying illustrations is sure to spark the interest of inquisitive young readers. The clues provided are informative enough that children should be able to identify many of the tracks before the answer is revealed. An accompanying paragraph with more thought-provoking facts about each animal make this a must-have book.

[Cariadne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smartly done! This book is appropriate for youngsters and even kids who don't need to sit in your lap for story time. It's fun to read and play detective and learn about the animal the tracks belong. Wonderful job combing education and entertainment. The addition of URLs to learn more is a wonderful touch. The team here did a great job putting this book together for kids and their adults to enjoy and use over and over again.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhyming text paired with close-ups of animal tracks in a variety of climates challenges readers to identify what animal has recently passed by based on the tracks they left. The answer appears on the following spread and gives a paragraph of information about the animal(s).

Back matter includes a checklist of clues to look for when examining tracks to identify animals, websites with photos of animal tracks, and a further reading list.

Highly recommended for sharing with PreK-2+.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nicely illustrated picture book plays a "guess who" game with the reader. Footprints are shown and described along with a location description, then the reader is asked, "Who was here?" When you turn the page you find out if you were correct when you see a lovely illustration of the animal that left the track. There is also an informative paragraph about the animal to further teach the reader.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover misleads the reader into thinking it is a winter animal tracking book, so when the page of the desert animal appears, it feels awkward. Some of the animals would be very easy to guess for most children, and the descriptions give interesting information without overwhelming the audience. Great for inference, and prompting children to explore for tracks and trying to describe them!