Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail: What Will You Find? Book Review

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I’m not sure I can tell you how much I LOVE Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail: What Will You Find? but I’m going to try…

This book was a surprise gift from Mom. At the start of the pandemic I was a lot like the main character of a book series I also love called Scaredy Squirrel. I was super scared to leave my home. Back then, I hated wearing a mask. If I did go outside, I wouldn’t go more than a few steps before finding a reason why I needed to be back inside. Then Mom ordered this book and I wanted to go around the block right away.

I started noticing things I hadn’t noticed before. First I got into birds. I’d notice when they flew or hopped by. Then I began to realize not all birds were the same. I started spotting the orange-bellies of robins and shrieked in excitement when I saw my first-ever bright red Cardinal. Mom said we should listen to the birds too. Did you know the different birds chirp differently? Now I know my birds by how they sound and how they look. I also know different flowers, leaves, and trees. Every day I’d grab the book and go with Mom exploring. I used the little magnifying glass that came inside the book to see little ants up-close and wow did they look BIG.

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See how cool this is! I walked around my neighborhood pointing at birds and squirrels in trees, and examining leaves with the pull out magnifying glass.
Mom bought this book early into the pandemic because I was nervous to go outside. It made me want to go explore. And now I know all my birds and can identify many insects too.

We talked about trails and paths and footprints. We talked about white, puffy, Cumulus clouds and knew when rain was coming when we saw gray Stratus clouds. We talked about seeds and stones and followed the instructions on the “Music on the Trail” page to fill empty containers and make different kinds of rattles. We made a trail map using the foldout map and STICKERS that came inside the book. Mom let me put the special stickers called “patches” on the corner of each page once I found those items. It was like a real-life search and find book!

I’m not afraid to leave the house anymore, which mom says it a huge victory. She also says she knows a lot more too. She hadn’t stopped to think so specifically about the shapes of leaves or describing dandelions (our favorite make-a-wish flower) as using the wind to “sail like little parachutes.”

Buy the Book on Amazon OR Buy the Book on Bookshop

I think you will like Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail: What Will You Find? Would you please let Mom and me know what’s your favorite part of the book when you read it? Here’s where to find us:

Make sure to check out these free activities you can do. They’re all inspired by Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail: What Will You Find?

FREE PRINTABLES:

Draw an Ant by tracing the outline, then color it in!

Trace the letter E – like explorer, egg, or earwig

Connect the dots by drawing a line from one number to the next to draw a cat. Have you ever seen a cat stuck in a tree?

MAKE BINOCULARS! Follow the steps in this easy DIY craft video to make your very own make-believe binoculars from two empty toilet paper rolls, and a few other supplies you probably already have around your home.

HAVE SOME BOOK-INSPIRED FUN! ‘Read’ the instructions to practice putting rubber bands on pine cones and other items you find on your walks. You’ll boost your concentration and coordination. You’ll also work on your fine motor skills by strengthening your hand muscles, which Mom says should help us with our writing skills later.

TALKING POINTS:

  1. What was your favorite adventure in the book? What did you love about it?

  2. What did you think about the leaf shapes? Did you notice any leaves that were nibbled by insects?

  3. Did you notice any bugs on barks of trees with your magnifying glass? Did you find an “earwig” like we mentioned in the letter e tracing activity from above?

  4. Do you have a new sound of nature you like? (wind in trees, insect buzzing, leaf crunching, etc.) What is it? What do you like about it?

  5. Can you identify different clouds now? Which one is your favorite?

  6. Now that you’ve thought more about different animals and where they live, if you could be an
    animal, what animal would you want to be and why?

  7. Was there a texture that you discovered you don’t like? (something sticky, rough, wet?)

  8. What “patch” are you most excited to have received?

USEFUL INFO FOR GROWN UPS:

  • Book: Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail: What Will You Find?

  • Written by Editors of Storey Publishing

  • Age Range: 4-8

  • Board Book: 48 pages

  • Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC; Hard Cover Edition (March 20, 2018)

  • ISBN-13: 978-1612129013

    Note: We may receive a small commission from purchases made via the links on this website. If you discover a book or product of interest and use the links provided to make a purchase, you will help us get more books and curate more literary adventures. Thank you!

We think you might also like these easy DIY preschool crafts:

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