CONTENT:
Lifetime (2013) was written by Lola M. Schaefer and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. This picturebook presents information about biodiversity and connects fact about animals and mathematical concepts in an entertaining way. Each double spread presents a different animal from various parts of the world. For example, the questions are: how many babies does the seahorse give birth to? How many eggs does a spider lay during its life? The aim of this picturebook is to present interesting facts about animals thus stimulating children’s curiosity and encouraging them to discover more and expand their knowledge.
WHY USING THIS PICTUREBOOK:
This picturebook functions as a springboard to develop interesting lessons about different types of animals. It also invites children to appreciate the beauty and the variety of creatures in nature. The captivating and stimulating illustrations can help children understand the new expressions and offer many possibilities for interaction during read-aloud sessions. The illustrations represent the facts mentioned in the written text, thus transforming abstract concepts into concrete images. In every double spread, quantities (e.g., the number of spider’s eggs) are presented in ascending order, thus favouring a gradual approach to numbers. The relationship between text and illustrations is generally symmetrical. The written text offers specific vocabulary, such as various terms related to the animal world; the illustrations facilitate comprehension. The repetition of the expression “In one lifetime […]” (Schaefer & Silas Neal, 2013) at the beginning of every double spread generates musicality and predictability.
