Author/Illustrator: Amy Hevron
Publisher: Beach Lane Books, 2024
Pages: 48
Grade Level: Pre - 3
ISBN: 978-1665934985
I admit it. I do not care much for the illustrations in this book. However, I had never heard the term “nurselog” before and was interested. I knew that in national parks they leave fallen trees to decompose. Now I know why. A fallen log doesn’t just fall and get in the way of things; it supports the new life growing around and on it. Mushrooms, insects, and plants use the nutrients from the nurse log to live and grow. Birds and other animals use the log for homes and hiding places. Years go by until the log eventually decomposes. It is a tiny ecosystem or habitat.
I read this to our first and second graders who really enjoyed it. It could also be a starting place for older students to learn about tiny habitats and then research for more information.
Reviewed by Audrey Campbell, MED
Reading Specialist and Library Media Center Director
Valley Adventist Schools, Rogers Campus
Author: Pete Nelson, with a preface by Hunter Scott (the 11-year-old who inspired the book and whose research informs the book)
