Connecting Children and Nature
The book that stated it all for Dawn Publications was the publication of Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Cornell in 1979. Based on his deep, personal connection with the natural world, Cornell’s book of “nature games” spurred a global revolution in environmental education. The original book has been expanded and revised over the years, helping children of all ages to experience the wonder, beauty, and joy of nature. Through workshops, books, and resources, Cornell’s international teaching program, Sharing Nature Worldwide, is movement dedicated to helping people deepen their relationship with nature.
“Because Sharing Nature activities are captivating and engage us directly with nature, players of all ages can happily enjoy the games together.” –Joseph Cornell
Dawn expanded into children’s picture books with A Walk in the Rainforest (1992) and A Swim through the Sea (1994) , both by Kristin Joy Pratt.
Over the ensuing decades Dawn has published scores of titles, comprising a unique line of nature appreciation books for young people. We pursue quality rather than quantity, limiting ourselves to only a half dozen or so titles a year. When selecting our new projects we look for inspirational content and quality art, as well as solid information. We aim to reach the hearts as well as minds of children.
Each of our books is a unique window into the web of life that, grounded in nature, weaves us all together. We aspire to awaken children to the discovery that they are part of something magnificent.
Teachers love our books because they serve a dual purpose—meeting both literacy and science standards. “Explore More” sections, for both kids and adults, extend the learning with nonfiction information, literacy suggestions, and STEM lesson ideas. Whether they’re used as read alouds or independent readers, our award-winning books fit into reading collections in categories and modules such as the water cycle, animals, habitats, birds, oceans, pollination, seed dispersal, life cycles, earth and space, food webs, plants and gardening, and biographies.
Artist of the Month
Congratulations to Laurie Angus for having her book, Paddle Perch Climb: Bird Feet Are Neat, chosen as an Outstanding Science Trade Book by the Children’s Book Council and the National Science Teachers Association. Laurie’s backyard is a playground for many wild creatures, as well as a diverse assortment of birds, including hawks, hummingbirds, and egrets.
Nature Books for Kids
Flow Learning was originally designed for outdoor nature games by Sharing Nature author Joseph Bharat Cornell as a way to capture student’s attention regardless of their age, mood, or culture. But did you know you can use it in the classroom too?
Carol Malnor, editor at Dawn, has tips from her own experience of adapting Flow Learning for the academic classroom. Here are her suggestions for using it to teach math, science, social studies, language, and even art classes…
