Thomas and Friends Character Encyclopedia - DK Canada

Little Guy is a huge fan of Thomas the Tank Engine - dvds, television shows, magazines - and books. But the newly released Thomas and Friends Character Encyclopedia from DK Canada had him literally jumping up and down in excitement!

There's lots to see before even cracking the covers. See that little Thomas engine on the top of the book? Well, it's not a picture - it's real and rides back and forth on a little enclosed track! There are characters/engines portrayed on both the front and back cover, labeled with their names. We had to stop and look at each engine to see if we knew him/her. (I'm actually not surprised that he pretty much knew every one!) There are over 100 characters detailed within the book.

That detail includes a description of the character, a fun fact, an image of the real engine that was the basis for the toy train, a quote, a fact box, their home base, likes, dislikes and interesting things to note about each engine. All in full colour! The layout is what I've come to expect and love from DK - bright, appealing and easy to read.

Little Guy is a stickler for order, so we did start off reading from front to back. Subsequent readings though had us looking at the table of contents (a newly discovered item for him) and picking the page number he wanted to go to. There's also a glossary and index at the back.

Now Gramma has become fairly well versed in who's who in Thomas land, but I was quite surprised to discover how many trains there actually were. The encyclopedia includes railway friends like Harold the Helicopter and a few others.

The book held his attention for long periods of time - we read many a page at a sitting. Thomas and Friends Character Encyclopedia is a wonderful addition to his 'collection' and will be read again and again. Five stars and a big thumbs up from Gramma and Little Guy.

If you too have a little Thomas fan, you're going to want to pick up the Thomas and Friends Character Encyclopedia. Check out the excerpt below.

Birds - with DK Canada

Little Guy likes to take walks and find 'interesting things'. That curiosity for the natural world has focused on birds lately as he has just helped put up a bird feeder in his backyard.

Birds: Explore Nature with Fun Facts and Activities from DK Canada seemed like a good fit!

He's started noticing more about birds with the birdfeeder able to be easily seen from the backdoor. Different songs, colours and behaviour. Birds provides detailed drawings, actual photos and clear text boxes exploring and explaining feet, beaks, wings, flying - physical things that can be viewed. Using some binoculars brought things even closer or clearer. Bird talks about making a bird journal - drawing birds, noting when and where you've sighted, collecting feathers and other notations.

Nests, eggs, cleaning, hatchlings and different types of birds (city, tropical,shore, freshwater, sea, woodland, night etc are each covered on a two page spread.

The facts provided are interesting and many caught Little Guy's interest. The pictures are detailed and in colour, a must for younger ones. The activities mentioned are fairly basic and there are only five or six, with some of them only being suggestions with no directions. We do plan on making the feeding bell on a rope that was detailed.

Birds did feed Little Guy's thirst for 'interesting facts'. At 60 pages, it's a nice little introductory bird book. Check out the images below.

Nothing Happens in This Book - Judy Ann Sadler

Today, Gramma and Little Guy are reviewing Judy Ann Sadler's newest picture book - Nothing Happens in This Book.

We always start with 'What's the name of the book Gramma?' (And although we've talked about the word 'title', I much prefer the book having a 'name' as well.) We look at the cover and I ask him what he thinks might happen in the book. Well, when I say "Nothing Happens in This Book", he of course thinks I've made a mistake with the name and what might occur. After some back and forth, he 'gets' it and thinks this is an absolutely wonderful joke.

The front cover is eye catching with bold colours and a large font that has movement, for the title. The turned back page at the bottom corner invites the reader inside. And who could that little character be? (The title page inside is quite clever as well)

The initial pages are black with a hint of colour peeking through. A dialogue bubble engages the reader right away, asking a question. Subsequent pages introduce the little character who assures us that nothing is going to happen, but he also hints at what be on the next page. Well, of course Little Guy could not wait to see what was on the next page! Was it nothing? As items begin to appear on the pages, we began guessing as to what they might mean and who they could belong to. And wondered what might be at the end of the book?

There's a lovely large fold out page at the end that was unexpected and gives the reader the final answer about what is happening in this book.

Subsequent readings had us matching up the objects with who was going to need them and examining that last fold out page in greater detail. (We also found a little surprise on the back cover.) Spoiler - the end of the book brings us to a circus. The circus was not something Little Guy had been to or had knowledge of, so some discussion was needed to provide context. Some of the matches are not obvious - such as a dinosaur and the teddy bear.

Vigg's illustrations have a retro, fanciful feel to them, with a muted colour scheme that is easy on the eyes. Facial expressions can make or break a book for Little Guy. Vigg's illustrations are quirky, but Little Guy decided that the mouse (our narrator) was nice. Indeed, each character is smiling. (They are all very polite as well!)

The publisher has recommended this book for ages 4-7. Some words may need explanation such as contraption, marshal, unicycle and baton.

Nothing Happens in This Book brings the reader into the story, asking them to participate by 'talking' to them directly. This style of story telling really engages Little Guy. He was able to 'read' me the story after a few tellings by using the pictures. Here's an excerpt of Nothing Happens in This Book.

Cooking Step by Step with DK

Little Guy has recently expressed interest in the kitchen - helping to make supper and bake desserts.

Cooking Step by Step from DK Canada seemed like the perfect starting place for Gramma and Little Guy to cook together. (Check out the other great book suggestions in the 'Maker March' boutique.) #DKMakerMarch

There are fifty recipes included under the headings Light Bites, Main Dishes, Sweet Treats and Baked Goods.

Musts for a children's cookbook - colour photographs and lots of easy to understand instructions. Check. Cooking Step by Step has a simplified ingredients list that employs pictures of the ingredient and a plus symbol. Perfect for little ones. Basics such as hygiene and safety etc are covered and are good beginner foundations. Measurements are given in both imperial and metric.

Little Guy is at the younger end of the recommended age range (6-8), so we stuck to some simpler recipes. Ones he was interested in eating! Pancakes, Spaghetti and Meatballs. And then the baking section - his favourite. The Lemon Muffins were really good. (Little Guy decided to leave out the poppy seeds though) The favourite of all though, was the Clever Cookies recipe. The dough is a good basic recipe - and the fun comes in adding different bits. We divided the dough into four portions, then added chocolate chips, dried cranberries, raisins and blueberries. Tada! Four different cookies.

There are more recipe choices that would appeal to a more experienced palate and an older child such as Gazpacho, Falafels, Salmon Parcels and a few others. I actually liked some of them for myself - there's a quick and easy Fried Rice, a Quiche recipe and super simple flatbread I'll most likely make for myself.

STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) is a focus in learning in school systems today. Cooking is a great way to explore many STEM principles. So much can be learned and experienced in the kitchen. Measuring, techniques, tasting, new foods and the satisfaction that comes with creativity and sharing. And spending time together! Cooking Step by Step is a book that will grow with Little Guy. Thumbs up.

Elmore - Holly Hobbie

Holly Hobbie has just released a new picture book called Elmore.

Elmore is a porcupine, looking to make some friends. But when his quills fly off, the other animals don't want to be close to him. Elmore feels rejected, but the animals figure out a way to work around the quills and friends are made by the final pages.

This was the perfect time for Little Guy and Gramma to read this book. There are lots of discussion points that are quite pertinent to his age in Elmore, as he has just started nursery school. It is sometimes hard to make friends - how can we do that? How do you feel when someone doesn't want to be friends? Elmore has those quills which is a great way to illustrate 'differences'. Working together with others to find answers. Kindness and love.

The illustrations are sweet and so appealing. The facial expressions and body language of Elmore are relatable and 'readable', mirroring the words on the page. The colors and tones of the illustrations are warm, soft and inviting.

Little Guy enjoys reading the same story many times. With each telling, the opportunity arose to ask one of those questions and talk about his thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences.

Elmore is a wonderful picture book, lovely to look at and a joy to read. Thumbs up from Gramma and Little Guy. Read an excerpt of Elmore.

My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals - DK Canada

Little Guy loves visiting the zoo, farms, pet stores and more. DK Canada has a great selection of books in their All Creatures Great and Small Boutique that seemed like it would cover a wide variety of animals. And it did!

The cover was colourful with a mixture of real and drawn picture of various animals. It invited opening up to see what was inside. The boarding used for the covers was slightly padded, making it nicer for holding. The contents are divided between four categories: All About Animals, Amazing Animals, Animal Antics and More Very Important Animals. Now, while Gramma is a front to back reader, Little Guy is not. There is an attached bookmark to keep your place if you do manage to read front to back!

The first few passes through, he just picked pages at random, looking at pictures and stopping at what caught his eye. Subsequent readings slowed down. We would finish looking at each double paged entry. He happily pointed out those he recognized. The entries are a mixture of actual photos and drawings. The majority are photos, which Gramma preferred. The drawing are well done though and not 'cartoonish'. Little Guy loves 'interesting things.' (Yes he actually calls it that) It can be something he finds outside or something he learns. There are many interesting things to be learned in the entries of this book. Gramma learned too - did you know that Dalmatian puppies are born white and only acquire their spots as they grow? And a few new names for groups of animals....a flamboyance of flamingos, a prickle of porcupines.

The publisher recommends for ages 4-8. Best suited for the younger end of that I think. Thumbs up from both Little Guy and Gramma. Gramma's only dither is the title. I'm not sure about the VIP, but have no alternatives suggestions. Still, it was what was inside that counted. Read an excerpt of My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals. 

Back to School with DK Canada

It's hard to believe that summer has sped by and that back to school is right around the corner. DK Canada (always!) has some great books to help with any project or subject.

Little Guy and Gramma thought that the Children's Illustrated Dictionary(Canadian edition) looked like a book we would like to explore further. The pictures on the cover immediately caught his eye, but he didn't know what the knight was. Perfect - let's go find out.

There are many ways to 'read' this book. You could start at the beginning and go page by page. Or pick a letter to explore fully - it's easy to choose as the letters are on the cut edge and the current one is highlighted. But Little Guy has no interest in being methodical. Instead he just started in the middle and stopped whenever a picture caught his eye. At first it was the ones he recognized and we would talk about it, with Gramma taking a quick peek at the text accompanying the picture to see if there was any additional facts I could mention. Now, not every entry has a picture, but as an example, a page with eighteen entries had thirteen images. The images are a mixture of actual and drawn. I do think having all actual images would be more 'real'. The drawn images are accurate, but not as appealing to view.

The words chosen are of course not what you would find in an adult discretionary, but they are words that would be appropriate for learning and confirming for a variety of ages. The recommended age says 5-9. I do think that some nine year olds may find this a bit juvenile. The explanations are short and sweet, but do convey the meanings well. Little Guy will be able to grow with this book. Right now, some of the words are above and beyond his vocabulary, but the sheer volume of pictures and things he does recognize and can name greatly appeals to him.

As always, the book is printed on good quality paper, with full colour images and easy to read type, well spaced and inviting to look at. Appendices included are abbreviations, spelling guide, word building, facts and figures and countries of the world - these are most definitely for older readers.

This was a good introduction to a reference book. And it's one that keeps him interested while Mom is making supper.

Back to School with DK Canada - My First Encyclopedia

Labour Day weekend is around the corner - and you know what that means - so is school! DK Canada has a great selection of children's reference books - perfect for homework help or just exploring!

Little guy isn't quite ready for school, but he loves to look and learn. My First Encyclopedia is perfect for him. It's targeted for the pre-school crowd and those just starting school.

Little guy loves to look at pictures and DK books always have great colour visuals. My First Encyclopedia contains both actual photos and detailed drawings.

So first reading, we looked at pictures he recognized and pointed to and repeated the words for them. Gramma would read some of the facts associated with the entry aloud. We skipped through many pages and sections as he got a feel for the book.

Second and subsequent readings were not as frantic - he knew what the book was like. Basic life info about food, clothing, jobs, going to the dentist/doctor, pets, gardening and more are all part of this first encyclopedia. When reading the section on houses and homes, we had to travel to the different rooms in his house as we looked at them in the book. The book then travels farther afield, exploring science, the living planet , transportation and more. Little guy regularly visits the zoo in his home town and loved seeing pictures of animals that he recognized - camels, lions and zebras.

There's lots of room to grow with My First Encyclopedia - from looking at pictures, taking in the information read to him, pointing out what grabs his attention, to looking at the book alone - and eventually reading by himself. The language used is clear and tailored to young ones.

The layout is clean - with lots of space around each entry, ensuring it isn't overwhelming. Reading a reference book is a different experience than story books.

My First Encyclopedia gets a thumbs up from Gramma and little guy.

Reaching - Judy Ann Sadler

Every so often, I have to make some hard decisions - what books to donate or giveaway- as my bookshelves can only hold so many.  But the ones I don't 'cull' are the shelves with the children's books. And in fact, I add to it every so often. Yes, my kids are grown and gone - but one day I'll  be a grandmother. I can't wait to read to and share books with someone small again.

Reaching by Judy Ann Sadler is a wonderful picture book that I've recently added to that bookcase.

Judy Ann Sadler's story is presented in rhyming couplets easily flow off the tongue. When I read them out loud, I found myself using a sing song cadence that would make it easy for a small one to remember and join in with on subsequent readings.

The story is perfect for a family experiencing the addition of a baby to their family. And it's one that can be read over and over to that new baby as he or she grows. I really like that Sadler included everyone from grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and pets in the story of Baby. And that all of them are reaching out.

The words themselves are not set straight in straight lines on the page, rather they're set in an arch, lending movement to the words. The rhymes are full of action words as well - hugs, kisses, tickling, dancing and of course reaching, that can be incorporated into an interactive reading of the book.

Susan Mitchell's illustrations are lovely. The colours are soft, warm and appealing. The faces of the characters are friendly and engaging. The backgrounds provide lots of other 'things to see' that children will recognize from their own lives.

I've just finished hiding Easter treats for my baby. And yes, he's in his twenties now. I'll watch as he easily reaches to find some in the high spots (he's six feet tall) and remember when I had to make sure they were all in low hiding spots where he could easily see them. And when he kisses me good-bye, he'll be the one reaching down.

Reaching is a beautiful picture book with a sweet story and charming pictures. It's one that will be waiting on my bookshelf.....

Age range 1-3 years. 32 pages.

Giveaway - Oh The Things My Mom Will Do... - Marianne Richmond

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Sourcebooks I have a wonderful giveaway to offer you today!

Author/Artist Marianne Richmond has just released her newest book - Oh the things my mom will do.....

"From the publisher:

"What a child sees as everyday routine is anything but for a mom! Oh, the Things My Mom Will Do is a celebration of the unpredictable adventure that is motherhood with its sometimes silly, always heartfelt, and wonderfully important moments—all rooted in love. This sweet and amusing book will have book moms and kids smiling with recognition while spotlighting all the different ways a mom shows her devotion."

 

And that's not all - I also have a copy of Marianne's board book - If I Could Keep You Little to giveaway as well.

"Beloved author and illustrator Marianne Richmond has touched the lives of millions for nearly two decades through her award-winning books, greeting cards, and other gift products that offer people the most heartfelt way to connect." Check out some of Marianne's Mother's Day craft ideas - a pillowcase or a journal.

 

One lucky reader will win a copy of both books. Open to US and Canada - simply leave a comment to be entered. Ends Saturday May 18/13.
Happy Mother's Day!

 

The Book of Nonsense - David Michael Slater

~~Sacred Books - Volume One~~

Hmm, you're saying to yourself - that looks like a kid's book. And you'd be right - the first one I've reviewed.

The Book of Nonsense is newly released from CBAY Books /Blooming Tree Press and is the first in what is planned to be a five book series. David Michael Slater has written many children's books and has plans for quite a few more.

Daphna and her twin brother Dexter are about to turn thirteen. They live with their older father Milton, who is a book scout - hunting down old and valuable books. Daphna is very excited when a huge bookstore - the Antiquarian Book Centre (ABC) opens up. The funny thing is that it only stocks magic books.

When their father sells a very old book that seems to be filled with nonsense words to the ancient, blind man who runs the ABC, their lives take a decided turn for the strange. The red eyed giant boy who is the store assistant is after Dexter and their Dad is acting funny - he has promised that Daphna will help the old man. Daphna is frightened of the old man and rightly so. It all seems to centre around this mysterious book. Instead of fighting with each other Daphna and Dex will have to join forces to find out what is going on.

This tale has all the necessary elements to capture and hold a child's attention. A battle between good and evil, danger, mysteries and lots of questions to keep them guessing until the end.

The only thing I took exception to was the reference to God in regards to a mysterious book detailing a language called the First Tongue. This language "moves people's minds." One character tells how there is a myth "that God himself read from a book containing this language when he created the world." This is a fantasy book and I think it would have been just as effective to delete the God reference. I think this may offend some readers and their parents.

This book is listed as for ages 10+. I wondered about some of the words - unprecedented, formidable and incensed to name a few and wondered if they were age appropriate. As Slater is a middle school teacher I will assume he knows the level he's writing for.

The Book of Nonsense was a finalist for the Association of Booksellers for Children's Best Books 2008 and was a Cybil Award nominee.