Book Review: Skunks

Skunks by Diane Swanson is a bit advanced for preschoolers but if you read it with them, everyone will learn something new. This book has lots of big photos and nice side bars with further information that is great to add when you are reading with older children too.

I like that the information is detailed but not overwhelming.

4.5/5 stars.

Book Review: Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Birds

Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Birds by Jim Arnosky is a wonderful field guide to common birds. Like all of Crinkleroot's books it really he frames well how to *be* in nature. He always talks about when to be quiet and when to be loud, when to step softly and when to run.

In this book he talks about how to make a bird count and how to use binoculars, two important skills in bird watching. He also shows some ways to attract birds to your yard.

I hesitated a long time to recommend this book for one reason, it isn't available for purchase at a reasonable price. So this is something to check out of the library and to hunt for a book sales.

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive

The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive by Joanna Cole is one of my very favorite bee books. The Magic School bus visits a bee yard and ends up inside the hive where the students learn about the different kinds of bees and how they make honey. The kids turn in to bees and have to navigate the sometimes treacherousness world in the hive.

What I really like about this book, and the whole set of books by Ms. Cole, are the extra facts along the edges of the pages. If you want to know  more about something, there it is.

As a beekeeper, this book covers everything. That's why I recommend it to adults and kids - this is all the background information you need to understand the bees. If you are interested in being a beekeeper, there are other things you need to know about beekeeping, but this covers the bee parts nicely.

While I prefer to have non-fiction books photographed rather than illustrated, this book has a foot in both camps and the illustrations are accurate when drawing the bees.

5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: The Very Lonely Firefly

The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle is the story of a firefly searching for other fireflies. Along the way he finds other lights like a lantern and a candle. Once he finds other fireflies, he's happy to be flashing right along with them.

I've always loved this book. Mine was a gift from a dear friend so it has special meaning.I would recommend finding a copy that has the lights at the end. They make for a special surprise.

4/5 stars.

Book Review: Sid the Science Kid: Why Did My Ice Pop Melt?

Sid the Science Kid: Why did my Ice Pop Melt?

This is a simple retelling of a time when Sid had his ice pop melt and how he figured out that sometimes solids can change state in become liquids again. Along with his friends and family, he also discovers that this is a reversible change and he makes ice pops again.

I always like Sid the Science Kid shows - they reinforce real science at a preschooler's level without babying them. If you like the show, this book will appeal to you. It looks just like the show but without the singing and silly jokes.

4.5/5 

Book Review: It's Science Solid, Liquid, or Gas?

There are dozens of books titled Solid, Liquid, and Gas or some variation of that. This one, Solid, Liquid, or Gas by by Sally Hewitt is available at the Millbury Public Library.

There are some really nifty parts of this book and some spots that miss their mark. First I really like the discussion of materials and their origin - man-made or natural. There are also accessible discussions of the properties of  various materials.

Where the book misses is the discussion of gases. For being a third of the title, the book spends a mere two pages on them. I think for preschoolers there are some pretty nifty things they can discover about gases and Ms. Hewitt didn't include them.

I would give it 3/5 starts.

Pop!: A Book about Bubbles 

by

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is a fun book with great photos of bubbles, ideas for playing with the science of bubble and includes a recipe for homemade bubbles. 

I do like my non fiction books to have photos and these are really pretty. Ok, now that is exactly the most scientific description but honestly bubbles fascinate scientists for many of the same reasons they fascinate preschoolers - the are fun and cool to play with - so please forgive my rather casual, and totally preschoolish, love of bubbles!

This book was good and solid but didn't transport me into joyful dancing or leave me breathless so 4 out of 5 stars. 

Go visit your library to check this book out!

Book Review: Bears!

Bears! By Emma Helbrough is a beautiful book with lots of drawings of bears doing many different things. All eight of the different species of bears are included and information on each one is well described.

My biggest concern with this book is that pandas are included as bears. Pandas are not bears. They are more closely related to raccoons.

3/5 stars.

Book Review: Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Trees

Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Trees by Jim Arnosky is an amazing field guide. This book is illustrated beautifully and while that isn't always my preference for non-fiction books, this is a perfect exception. Crinkleroot tells about trees and why they are important, shows you how to identify common trees and shares a love of the trees with kids a grown ups alike.

This isn't a story book but a can be used as a field guide. If you have a leaf you can use this book to help you find what tree it came from. The illustrations are compelling.

You might have noticed that there was no link to a book retailer on this book. It isn't available as a new book directly from a retailer, but check your local library. If they don't have it, the superhero librarians should be able to find you a copy.

5/5 stars.

Book Review: A Tree in the Ancient Forest

A Tree in the Ancient Forest by Carol Reid-Jones is a poem book where each part of the poem is repeated building not only a poem but the ecosystem that is built around the ancient tree.

I love science poetry and this is certainly a good one. The images are rich and lyrical. Things do get eaten, so if you have particularly sensitive children, read this first to yourself to see if it is appropriate for them.

4/5 stars.

Book Review: Some Smug Slub

Some Smug Slug is one of my very favorite books - ever. I cannot praise the author and illustrator, Pamela Duncan Edwards, enough. This book has amazing pictures that are accurately drawn, the words are delicious, and the suspense is great.

And what does this have to do with Bullfrogs, I hear you asking? That, my dear reader, is part of the suspense.

Look for the letter S on every page. All the animals depicted begin with the letter S except one.

Go. Now. Get this book.

5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Birds, Nests, and Eggs

Birds, Nests, and Eggs by Mel Boring is a good introductory field guide for young children. I have reviewed another book, Feathers For Lunch by Lois Elhert, that I love.

This one I like a lot. The illustrations are clear and the text is easy to understand. It does go that extra step to show what bird eggs and nests look like for the different species of bird. That being said, it is really hard to see most bird nest and eggs. Birds are naturally secretive about their nests so the best time to see them is in the fall when they are abandoned and the leaves have fallen.

I would start with Feathers for Lunch and if you child is super interested in birds, then this is a good next step.

3/5 stars.

Book Review: Roll, Slope and Slide

Roll, Slope and Slide - A book about ramps by Michael Dahl is great. I LOVE his books. He has a whole series of books on simple machines and they are all beautiful and clear in their language and illustrations (which he did not do - that was Denis Shea).

The book clearly explains ramps and how they make work easier - and that is job of any simple machine.

4.5/5 stars.

Oh, and Dahl lives in a haunted house.

Book Review: Air is All Around You

Air is All Around You by Franklyn Branley is another addition in the Let's Read and Find Out Science series.

The book explores all the ways we know air is around us and why we need air. In addition to the lovely text, Branley includes some activities and observations about air that you can do with your kids.

The illustrations are cute but I prefer photographs for non fiction books.

4/5 stars.

Book Review: The Easter Egg

The Easter Egg by Jan Brett - image from JanBrett.com

My daughter brought this home from the school library recently and it was such a sweet book, that I thought I would share.

Hoppi wants to have the most special egg to share with the Easter bunny but he ends up getting side tracked when a mother Robin needs his help. I really loved the illustrations. Jan Brett always does an excellent job of accurately representing the animals she draws. Aside from the clothes, she is very accurate in her drawings.

Which egg turns out to be the most wonderful egg is a beautiful choice and the egg rides in a place of honor with the Easter bunny.

4/5 stars.

Ms. Brett does have a book about chickens called Daisy Comes Home where a chicken is the heroine. I haven't read the book yet, but the pictures I've seen make it sound like a fun book to read as well.

She has a paper chicken chain activity on her website here.

Book Review: From Tadpole to Frog

From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer.

This is part of the Let's Read and Find Out Science series and Level 1 books are designed for preschool and kindergarten aged kids. They are great books in general and this is no exception. The vocabulary might be a bit tricky for most beginning readers, but we all need a little help from time to time with big science words.

This book has illustrations rather than photos. I do prefer photos for non-fiction but these pictures are well-done and accurate.

4/5 stars.

Book Review: The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars

The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars by Jean Merrill.

This book had me at the title! This is a pretty advanced book for preschoolers to read, but worth reading to your kids. In this story, the girl really does love caterpillars and all sorts of creepy crawly things much to her parent's dismay.

What I loved about the book is that she remains true to herself, even though it was the ideal image of what a girl should be like in Japan at that time. Reminded me of myself as a girl, hunting for rocks and looking under logs.

The other thing that was quite wonderful about this story is that it doesn't end. The scroll that it was taken from didn't have the next chapter so we are free to make up our own story. What if... and what could happen next... are powerful questions to get everyone thinking and imagining.

4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Tuatara and the Skink

Ok, finding books about the rarest of reptiles, the Tuatara, was tricky, but TA DA~ here it is. The Tuatara and the Skink, is a New Zealand themed retelling of the Tortoise and the Hare. Here are a few facts about the Tuatara so you can guess whether it is the Tortoise or the Hare.

Tuataras are only found in New Zealand and their name means peaks on their backs. They are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. Their eyes move independently (how cool is that!) and they have a very slow metabolism. They thrive in low temperatures that send most other reptiles into brumation.

Soo, have you guessed yet?

They are similar to the slow moving Tortoise!

Book Review: Feathers for Lunch

Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert is one of my very favorite field guides - trust me I not only have a lot of field guides, I've read even more. This is a story about a house cat who escapes in to the yard and encounters a dozen common backyard birds. Each bird is illustrated in detail that will allow identification of the bird.

The back of the book has a traditional field guide layout for each bird but in a streamlined form showing the most basic of information.

There are a few ways to use this book with your preschooler. First you can just read it and talk about how the cat is a predator and the birds are prey. The cat isn't effective as a predator since he has a bell. Why did his owners put a bell on the cat?

Another fun way to use the book is as a field guide. You can check out the birds at your feeder and see what birds you have. The book can help you identify the birds you have and since there are on a few, and the most common birds, you won't get lost wondering what bird you have.

Lois Ehlert uses paper to make her pictures. Can you cut out different shaped pieces of paper and create pictures of the birds you see?

5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Dinosaurs Big and Small

I am a huge fan of Kathleen Zoehfeld - I really love all her books. She takes very complex topics and makes the very accessible with out talking down to me.

Dinosaurs Big and Small demonstrates how long and tall dinosaurs were and more importantly to me, she talks about how we know this information. The next question most kids, and adults might have is how heavy dinosaurs were. Kathleen handles this extremely well. Scientists don't actually know how heavy dinosaurs were and can only make some well educated guesses.

The best part of this book is how they measure things. While using standard measurements of feet and pounds for everything, she also puts the measurements in context for kids by measuring in kid units. She also measures in elephants for weight which is a way scientists do to.

I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.