It Can't Be True! Animals! - DK Canada

When my kids were younger, they adored the annuals that gave you lists of the biggest, the most and so on. DK Canada has a series called It Can't Be True! And the one that caught Little Guy and Gramma's attention was It Can't Be True! Animals! Unbelievable Facts About Amazing Animals.

Little Guy always has to peruse the cover before opening a book. And he was hooked by this one. Was that dog real and almost as small as a tennis ball!?

It Can't Be True Animals has divided the entries up into five categories: Skills and Senses, Unbelievable Bodies, Strength and Speed, Homes and Hideaway and lastly Growing and Breeding. The question and it's page number are listed under the headings. And guess what - yes, we had to find the smallest dog entry first. The listings made it easy to find. What we found was a color, enlarged picture of Milly the wee dog compared to the feet and forelegs of the tallest dog. A fast facts sidebar box gives more smallest and largest comparisons - cat and horse. The layout is attractive, not too busy but with lots to look at and talk about. The font size is varied with bold and colored text giving emphasis to the facts being presented.

Well, from that one entry, Little Guy really had the idea of the book and just started flipping through pages and stopping when a photo caught his eye. The photos were more attractive than the drawings for him - "it's real".

There's much to talk about as we stopped and looked at the ones that caught his eye. Take those comparisons and make a conversation out of the information given. I learned many things along the way as well. Little Guy loves to share snippets of information and this gave him a wealth of "Did you know..." pieces. What is the loudest animal? (A sperm whale) Many of the entries are more in depth than I would have supposed from the cover shot.

The books is printed on good quality paper, the photos are sharp and clear, the layout is attractive and engaging and the information is interesting and well presented. The format allows the reader to pick a page at whim and learn something new each time.

Gramm and Little Guy both both enjoyed It Can't Be True! Animals! (As did many of the adults who picked it up off the coffee table to have a 'quick look'.) Check out the page below for a closer look.

Forest Life and Woodland Creatures - DK Canada

Earth Day was officially April 22nd - but truly, we should celebrate every day. Little Guy likes to go on walks to find and look at 'interesting things." Now that spring is finally here, there's lots to see!

Recently, we perused Forest Life and Woodland Creatures from DK Canada before starting off on one of those walks.

The cover is inviting for little ones with lots of colours and pictures. Little Guy always likes to guess what's inside a book by looking at the cover.

The first few pages played right into our walk - the two main types of trees, who might live in trees, new seedlings just poking through, what animals might eat, insects, bugs and more.We were able to identify many of these on our stroll. And here's something Gramma didn't know! A squirrel's nest is called a drey.

There are nature crafts interspersed throughout the book. Leafy bugs using modeling clay and found nature pieces. Making a 'nest' with a paper plate and found nature material. An owl using pine cones and a few more. A recipe for berry ice pops is one we'll try closer to summer.

As always with DK books, the colours are bright, the layout is good with facts concisely presented. Pictures accompany the facts, giving a small one a starting point for what is being discussed. I found the pages to be a little thicker than normal - a good idea for a children's book, especially for one that might be taken outside.

Forest Life is an great introductory STEM book for the 3-5 crowd. Have a look at the excerpt below.  And check out the other titles in DK's 'Earth Love' list.

Eat Drink Read with DK Canada

The holiday season is fast approaching. And if you're looking for some books to help plan or some great gift ideas, DK Canada has some great suggestions in their Eat Drink Read Boutique.

The one that caught Gramma and Little Guy's attention? Children's Cookbook: Delicious step- by-step recipes by Katharine Ibbs, edited by Catherine Saunders. The cover is colourful, appealing and the pictures caught his attention. Notably the muffin. Little Guy loves muffins.

Inside you'll find over 50 recipes covering Breakfast, Light Meals, Main Meals, Desserts and Baking. An introduction covers how to use the book and there's a nice illustrated 'tool' page as well as a glossary of cooking terms.

The recipe pages are well laid out, with lots of colour, actual pictures and white space. Each is coded 1, 2 or 3 for difficulty with pictures of the ingredients needed, length of prep and cooking time, a tool checklist, techniques used, ideas for variations and a caution when adult help is required. And yes, step by step photos of  the 'how to'.

We had a good look at every page, picture and recipe the first time through, making a list of what we thought we would like to make from this book. And no surprise, Little Guy is all about the desserts and baking. Although he thought he might like the breakfast smoothie and frozen yogurt as well.

Little Guy's mom had a look at the book as well and mentioned that she found a number of recipes she would absolutely make for family meals. (As did Gramma) Easy, quick and yes, nutritious.

What did Gramma and Little Guy tackle first? You got it - the muffins. Cooking or baking with a child is a fantastic learning opportunity. Even if they can't read, there are so many teachable moments. Looking at the pictures - what do we need? Ingredients and equipment. Measuring, mixing and more. The step by step instructions in Children's Cookbook really do illustrate the process to a finished product. As adults, we've most likely done these steps so many times, we don't really think about them. With a little one, it's all new again.

He had such a sense of accomplishment when they came out of the oven. And was so proud sharing them with others. (and accepting the compliments!) And for Gramma? The time spent with Little Guy is priceless.

Children's Cookbook would be an excellent addition to any family's cookbook collection or make a great gift for the small person in your life.

Play With Art - DK Canada

Who doesn't love being creative? I've always enjoyed creating and making. And so does Little Guy!

I thought Play with Art from DK Canada would be a title he would enjoy exploring. Check out the other titles in DK's Celebrate the Arts boutique.

Little Guy always likes looking at the cover before he opens a book. The cover of Play With Art is colourful and inviting. The inner flyleaf is covered in fingerprints with faces drawn on. I quite liked this one - I can see framing a set for Gramma. So, he wanted to know how to do that one right away.

We made it to the table of contents. He loves tables of contents, so we had to read out the name of every craft within before looking at pictures. The crafts are broken down into: Painting and Printing, Paper Craft, Drawing and Coloring, Make and Create.

I know I used some of these techniques and crafts with my own children when they were little, but I had forgotten many of them until I saw them again in Play With Art.

Make dinosaur tracks by dipping a plastic toy in the paint, use nature items - flowers, leaves, fruits and veggies as your brush. (But we'll hold off on the 'use your feet' until we can do it outside!) There's many more ideas in this chapter.

Cutting paper is fun when you've mastered the art of scissors. Paper chains, free form scuptures, tracers, shadow puppets and more in the Paper Craft chapter. Do you remember wetting down crepe paper for a watercolour picture?

Drawing and colouring. I'm always fascinated by what Little Guy chooses to portray in his drawings. Remember scratch art? Colouring, then covering it with black paint, then scratching in a picture.

Make and create. Save those empty rolls and cardboard boxes - staple elements of 'making things'.

Play With Art has some good, basic ideas (50) for creating for the 3-5 year old crowd. It also fits nicely into the STEAM educational approach to learning. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) There's no right and no wrong in creating and imagination is a wonderful thing. As is the satisfaction of making something. This one's going to wait on Gramma's bookshelf for Little Guy's next visit. See below for a peek inside.

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.

Drawn Together - Minh Lê and Dan Santat

Drawn Together is a new children's picture book from author Minh Lê and illustrator Dan Santat.

Before Little Guy and Gramma turned the first page we talked about the images on the cover - what would we find inside. As well as the dual meaning of 'drawn'.

Who do you think the two people on the cover could be?  What about the  'elf' with the wand be? And the 'scary' black and white character? The flyleaf has some crayon scribble illustrations that are so real, Little Guy thought someone had colored inside!

There is very little text in Drawn Together, asking the reader to tell much of the story through observing, imagining and wondering about the illustrations. What a great idea! The Grandpa and grandson have differences - food, language, interests etc. Little Guy is quite intuitive when it comes to facial expressions and really focused on these. We kept turning pages asking each other - what do you think?

They discover they can communicate through drawing. "All the things we could never say come pouring out....and we build a new world that words can't describe." Heroes and mythical creatures illustrate the connection and divide between the two. Little Guy is quite literal and was a bit frightened by the dragon. But subsequent pages have the dragon defeated and the distance between the two conquered.

Gramma thought the concept of Drawn Together was excellent - one that can be used in so many life situations. Caldecott Medalist Santat's illustrations are detailed and very beautiful - a perfect accompaniment.

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.

The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig - Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter and Caprice Crane

I first wrote about Esther the Wonder Pig back in 2016 when Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter inadvertently ended up living with a full sized pig instead of the mini-pig they thought they were raising. Esther changed their lives - and the lives of many others. (my review)

The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig, written by Steve and Derek with Caprice Crane, is a retelling of Esther's story in a children's picture book format. It was perfect for Gramma and Little Guy storytime.

We had to stop at the forward for awhile as there is an actual photograph of Esther in a bathtub that fascinated him. I had to promise that we would go on the computer after we read the book to look at more pictures of Esther.

The first read through had us guessing how big the pig was going to get. And where would she sleep as she keeps outgrowing her beds? What will they do next? There are many themes and ideas to explore with subsequent readings. Love, animal rescue, pets and families of all shapes and sizes. Having read the adult version, I wondered if the picture would touch on veganism, but did not - that's a much heavier topic for a young one.

Cori Doerrfeld's illustrations are playful. She gives Esther expressions that can be 'read' by a child - most of then being happy. Steve and Derek's expressions are also easy to interpret. The colour palette used is bright and appealing, as are the illustrations. Doerrfeld has captured Esther's story with her illustrations.

Little Guy was quite taken with Esther and I am sure this is one book we'll be reading again. And the burning question that we had to investigate after reading? Can a pig really smile? What do you think!?

You can keep up with Esther, Steve and Derek and learn more on : || Website || Esther the Wonder Pig's Facebook Page || Esther's Community Kitchen Facebook Page || Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary || Twitter || Instagram || Fan Club ||

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. 

The Littlest Train - Eric Gall

Ahh trains - Little Guy loves his trains. So Gramma thought that The Littlest Train by Chris Gall might appeal to him....and it did!

He first noticed the 'nice' face (no scary faces for Little Guy) on the larger train and then spied the little train riding atop. He was definitely interested, so we turned the cover and started to read.

The Littlest Train lives on a train table until he is knocked off one day. He then goes exploring and is helped along the way by other, bigger trains to find his way back home.

The illustrations are quite lovely, done in muted, soothing colours. The introduction of lines and cross hatching throughout each item give the illustrations depth and texture. Those friendly faces extend to all the toys, trains and characters that populate the story. The little boy who owns the train table is named Mr. Fingers. Which makes sense from the train's point of view I suppose. But perhaps a name like Bobby would have been easier for a little one, with no explanation needed as to why he was called Mr. Fingers. We enjoyed looking at the pictures and places that the Littlest Train got to visit outside of his train table home. This did spark Little Guy to show his trains some new places in his home. Gramma quite liked the mouse's home. (The Borrowers came to mind!) The trains that help him find his way back are all different. (A description of each is included on the last page.) They have names that match their build - Farley Freighter, Sara Speedster etc.

I did like that some pages did not have dialogue. Instead, Little Guy was able to tell that part of the story himself by deducing what was happening from the illustrations. Discussions around exploring, helping and missing something or someone could be started from this story.

The setting, characters and plot will be somewhat familiar to those who have read or played with another well known train and his friends. And after closing the book, Gramma and Little Guy had to go play trains of course!



"Chris Gall is the award-winning author and illustrator of Dinotrux, a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book which inspired a Netflix original TV series, and the other books in the series, including Dinotrux Dig the Beach and Revenge of the Dinotrux. His other picture books include Nanobots, Dog vs. Cat, Awesome Dawson, Substitute Creacher, and America the Beautiful, another Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Book. He lives in Tucson, Arizona."

Zip! Zoom! On a Broom - Teri Sloat, Illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet

Zip! Zoom! On a Broom by Teri Sloat is the latest in the Gramma and Little Guy reads.

Little Guy knows what Hallowe'en is and immediately labeled the book as a Hallowe'en read from the witches on the cover. We had to look at the witches's faces before opening the book and he found some of them to be 'mean.' Onward to the inside.....

Zip! Zoom! On a Broom is specifically a Hallowe'en themed counting book. Ten witches end up packed onto a broom - we count up as they appear and down as they leave the broom.

The prose are in rhymes that allows the reader to achieve a nice rhythm. But there are a few that seem somewhat stilted and forced and just not quite 'there'. "Seven spiral through a cloud. One witch whirls off, shrieks out loud!" Some of the words used are perhaps a bit above the reading level of those who would pick up this book - incant and plummet definitely are. Those that would perhaps understand those words are beyond counting to ten.

Rosalinde Bonnet's illustrations are quite unique, distinctive and detailed. However I found some of the pages to be just too dark, both physically and in tone. Little Guy found the witches and creatures that populate the pages to be just too mean and scary, especially the wolf that catches the last witch.

We'll try this one again later, but both Gramma and Little Guy can only give it a middle of the road rating - *** - right now.