Beatrix the beaver fails at necessary tasks that her siblings Beverly and Bevan master (e.g., dam building); when all three get caught in cages, she finds that she excels at staying calm. They're soon released into the wild in an improbably happy ending to this highly anthropomorphized story. An appended section with bland beaver facts, questions, and activities concludes the book.
Beatrix, Beverly and Bevan are three sibling beavers in this lovely story about seeing how we all have gifts to share. Beatrix seems to think that she cannot do anything to help her family in the wild, while her brother and sister have special talents like building and swimming. When they become trapped in man-made beaver traps, she realizes that she, too, has a gift. The author and illustrator have gone to great extents to research beavers’ habitat and characteristics and have used that in the colorful and detailed illustrations and educational features provided in the book. Interactive quizzes and learning activities available online in English and Spanish support creative writing, math, science and geography. This would be a wonderful addition to a unit on animal adaptations as well as one to use to remind students that we all have unique gifts. - Suzanne Snead, Library Media Specialist, Nancy Strickland Intermediate, Farmers Branch, Texas
The author wrote a truly uplifting story about how everyone has a gift. Just because your siblings may be able to do things better or quicker than you, doesn’t mean you can’t do something better than them. It just takes a little time to find out what you’re best at. And the ‘fun’ extras in the back of the book teach everything from beaver facts to building dams with your hands!
Quill Says: Another 'star' that shines in the Arbordale catalog. A great story that will help kids tremendously while having a fun time!
...Three Little Beavers is a wonderful book that children will enjoy with its full color and life-like illustrations and fast moving storyline about something they can relate to – being special in their own way
Everyone is good at something, but occasionally it takes a little time to figure out just what that something is. Beatrix the beaver learns and shares this lesson with young readers in Jean Heilprin Diehl’s delightful new children’s book, Three Little Beavers. Diehl has written an engaging short story about three sibling beavers named Bevan, Beverly and Beatrix. Beatrix quickly recognizes her brother Bevan’s awesome building skills, and her sister Beverly’s underwater acrobatic talent, yet fails to realize that she too possesses a few special qualities of her own. It isn’t until the three fall into traps that Beatrix’s talents come into focus and enable the siblings to get through their ordeal unharmed.
The book overflows with artist Cathy Morrison’s exquisite illustrations that seem to leap off the page in an almost 3-D like appearance. Young readers are sure to be captivated by the beautiful color and rich detail that these illustrations showcase. Also included is a four page section titled For Creative Minds which is filled with intriguing facts about beavers, their habitat and ecological impact on the environment. This inclusion is sure to satisfy inquisitive young readers who are interested in learning more about beavers.
Beatrix, Beverly and Bevan the beavers end up in traps, but with Beatrix's special talent, they end up very well off
Wonderful illustrations enhance this delightful story about a beaver family. it is full of facts and projects to keep children busy. A great purchase for a young child
I would give this book ten stars! This book is about three little beavers that eat wood – they get trapped in cages! I think this is a story. There are some facts about beavers in this book that are interesting to read. It’s an exciting book! The girl beaver doesn’t think she’s good at anything, so she swims away and pretends to be a floating log to get by a boat with people in it. She learns to be useful and helps save her family, at the end when they have a sort of adventure.
I liked it so much because it was about beavers, and had cute pictures of beavers. It would be interesting to kids because I’m sure all little kids like beavers because they’re cute! I think other people should read the book. You could save beavers by learning about them in this book, like the people in the book learned about beavers to help them. It’s important to save beavers cause they’re cool I guess. Beavers are an important part of nature and help with the food chain.
- Karissa Age 7
There is much to be learned about dam-building creatures in Three Little Beavers. Along with all the knowledge for little ones to pick up on, children are likely to quickly pick up on the "moral" of the story - everyone has a special gift/talent of some sort - you just have to be persistent in finding it and not give up looking just because it's taking you longer than someone else!
Arbordale Publishing is known for their motto, "Science and Math through Literature;" however, author Jean Heilprin Diehl takes the motto further to include a theme so important for a child's social-emotional intelligence. Three Little Beavers highlights differences and the strengths found within them. Combine this lesson with the fun facts about nature's architects, and you have a winner on multiple levels.
This charmingly detailed book is a special favorite of ours because we encounter beavers so often where we live. We live near two lakes, with a creek side nature trail in our neighborhood.
Teachers can discuss this issue with kids and reinforce the idea that we should care for nature and show respect and kindness for all living things.
The Creative Minds section at the end of the book provides additional resources for extending the learning of the story, with activities about adaptations, beaver anatomy, lodges and dams, and environmental engineering. The Arbordale website also contains a 39 page resource guide with activities for language arts, science, math, and geography. This book is a great example of cross-curricular learning, and it makes a nice bedtime reader as well. Kids might even like to use the pictures in the book as models for their own nature journal drawings. Highly recommended!
Author Jean Heilprin Diehl’s cute story, accompanied by Cathy Morrison’s lovable illustrations, will not only acquaint children with the habits of beavers but also encourage them to discover their own special talents. Four pages of “For Creative Minds” learning activities include fun facts about beavers and their adaptations, a hands-on craft making lodges and dams, and thought questions concerning whether beavers are pests or environmental engineers. After reading Three Little Beavers, youngsters will be “as eager as a beaver” to know more about nature’s dam-builders.
You'll not only discover how the beavers and humans end up co-existing without problems in this picture book, but at the end of the story there is also a special section for Creative Minds. Here you'll discover Beaver Fun Facts and Adaptations and some hands-on activities on constructing beaver lodges and dams. There' also a page discussing whether beavers are pests or helpful environmental engineers.
There's lots of informative material and plenty of fun activities in this book that will teach children four years of age and older why beavers are an important part of the forest ecosystem.
This is a great book for ages 4-8. My son and I really liked the story and also the For Creative Minds section at the back of the book. It was interesting to learn the Beaver Fun Facts and Adaptations!
This is a lovely little story. The pictures are bright and beautiful, and little tidbits of beaver facts are sprinkled throughout. Children will enjoy this simple story but learn some important truths as well. I especially appreciated how the story reminds readers that removing animals is not the only option when animals are perceived as pesky. Sometimes a little creativity is all it takes to allow animals and people to live together successfully.
This book is prefect for children teaching them that it is okay to be an individual.
Three Little Beavers has two clear story lines. One is that your talents can be used for good, no matter what they are, even if those talents aren't outwardly superb. The other storyline tells of how beavers find a way to have a peaceful co-existence with humans. The Creative Minds section of the book is fun for furthering education on Beaver Fun Facts and Adaptations, information on Lodges and Dams, and a detailed explanation on the debate of beavers being pests or environmental engineers.
Our thoughts – First I want to tell you how much we adore the Arbordale Publishing books. Not only do they have awesome stories but they are VERY educational. I even learn things!
These are fun books! Make sure you check out the links that will take you to each title’s page to find activities and helps and stuffed animals to purchase.
"Once there were three little beavers who lived with their parents in a spacious lodge on Beaver Creek." Thus starts the story the "Three Little Beavers." The young reader has probably already heard the expression "busy beavers" - well, here they are - in action! Besides being "engineers," beavers are excellent swimmers. The reader will soon learn that beavers are also "great pretenders." In addition, the young reader will also learn about: Beaver Fun Facts and Adaptations; Hands on: Lodges and Dams; and Busy Beaver: Pests or Environmental Engineers? This is not only a delightful book for children to read but it is also full of important information about the lives of beavers.