ViviLoves Science - Sink or Float review

Vivi loves science! In this STEM-themed Level 3 I Can Read! title, Vivi and her friends visit the aquarium and are introduced to the concepts of density and buoyancy.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We get to come along with Vivi and her class again on another field trip and this time to the aquarium!  She loves marine biology and has her list of questions all ready.

This is the second book in the science series and definitely worth adding to the reading library collection.  This story introduces readers to different marine animal life and answers Vivi's top question, "why do fish float"?    The class works in the lab making their own swim bladder experiments to see how they work.  These books have interactive opportunities for kids to take on their own science experiments with the instructions included.  The detailed information and illustrations together helps keep kids engaged to learn more without seeming overwhelming.  The end has a glossary and another sink or float experiment suggestion to try.  This is a wonderful book for kids who are interested in marine biology and enjoy doing science projects.  I think this is a "just right book"  for ages 6-10.~

Title:  Vivi Loves Science - Sink or Float

Author:  Kimberly Derting, Shelli Johannes 

Illustrated by: Joelle Murray

Pub. date:  February 2022

Genre:  picture book

Hardcover, 40 pgs.

 

 

Vivi Loves Science review

 

Vivi loves science! In this STEM-themed picture book, part of a series about girls who love science, Vivi and her classmates go on a field trip to the ocean to investigate tide pools. (goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vivi loves science and today she is so excited because her class is taking a field trip to the beach.  She made a wish list of all the things she is hoping to see while there.  The kids worked in groups making aquascopes and found various tide pools so they could observe under the water.  With a lab partner, they did a scavenger hunt and found many fascinating sea creatures.  They learned about a large fish and its eggs they saw in a tide pool and a jellyfish on the beach.  As the class heads back to the bus at the end of their busy day, Vivi  spies something jumping out of the water that helps make her beach day list complete.  

This is a great book series for elementary kids who have an interest in science.  This story is filled with interesting and detailed information about marine life and I felt like I was along with the class learning at the beach too.  The illustrations are bold and lively showing the children enjoying and learning about the ocean and ecosystem.  Included are a couple of activities with instructions that you can do such as; making your own aquascope or a tide pool experiment with discussion questions to ponder.  The back has a detailed glossary of terms used in the book adding to the wonderful educational value this series has to offer. I loved how the book reminds us how important it is to only look at animals and not to touch.  A wonderful message to teach while being out in nature.  This is the first book of three so far and I hope many more will follow.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 6-10.~

Title:  Vivi Loves Science

Author:  Kimberly Derting and Shelli Johannes

Illustrated by: Joelle Murray

Pub date: July 2021, Greenwillow Books

Genre:  picture book, science

Hardcover, 40 pgs.

 

What's Sweeter review

 

 
This extraordinary book focuses on the everyday moments that slow the world down for us(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

What could be sweeter than reading this charming story to your little ones at the end of the day.  This book brings appreciation to the simple and everyday moments that we may look past during our busy scheduled lives.  Touching a soft spot behind a cat's ear, a ladybug landing on our arm or what color tomorrows sunset might be are special things that we know happen but rarely take a moment to think about or to sit and observe. The illustrations are basic but colorful.  The text is short and easy to read aloud but the words are very meaningful.  Sometimes we need a simple, quiet book such as this one to remind us to be still and take in the little things in life.   It encourages thinking about your own sweet moments.  I reflected on picking a tomato from my garden last summer and just today watching eight deer walk past my patio door in the blowing snowstorm.  I  think this is a "just right book" for ages 3-8.~

Title:  What's Sweeter

Author:  June Tate

Pub. date: December 2022, Katherine Tegan Books

Genre: picture book

Hardcover, 40 pgs.

 

Sunday Fun Day review

 

Make every Sunday a fun day with an amazing activity for every weekend of the year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

No matter the season or the weather, this fabulous activity book will have something for the whole family.  Filled with 52 creative and fun things to do, there is an activity to choose from for each weekend of the year.  It has a wide variety of ideas on crafting, cooking, gardening or easy games which can all be done either indoors or outdoors.  Most activities are nature based and connected to the four seasons of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.  

 

Starting with Spring you could make a collage from leaves, twigs, flowers or shells or put on a noisy nature concert using rocks, empty bottles or sticks.  In Summer you can inspect insects, paint a pet rock or make leaf boats that float.  Autumn has many ideas such as fairy homes, outdoor obstacle courses and a pine cone bird feeder. Winter suggests stamping fruity wrapping paper, making a wildlife tree or a pretty colored tree sweater.  Several recipes are included for cooking in the kitchen and making some yummy meals.  There is carrot cake, cheesy pasta or soothing soup.  These are just a sample of all the wonderful things your family can do over the year.  Best of all, it brings everyone together and enjoying the beauty of nature and each other.  The activities seem simple and at the end of the book there is a tools and materials needed list to help.  This is a wonderful concept with so many fun ideas to try!  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 3 and up.~

 

Title:  Sunday Fun Day

Author:  Katherine Halligan illustrated by Jesus Verona

Pub. date:  October 2021, Nosy Crow

Genre: non fiction picture book

Hardcover, 104 pgs.

  

So Much Snow review

 

Follow seven forest creatures, from a tiny mouse to a giant moose, as they hunker down in a snowstorm. As the week progresses, the snow piles up and up--even past Moose's antlers!(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The snow falls for seven straight days and from a tiny mouse to a large bear wonder how high it will go?  By Sunday, the forest and animals are blanketed in beautiful white snow all the way up to moose's antlers.  The following week, as the sun comes out and the snow begins to slowly melt, everything begins to emerge.  The grass is green, the trees are budding and birds sing.  But wait, does Bear see something falling from the sky?

 

This is a sweet and beautifully illustrated story that works well for in-between the late winter and early spring times.   I especially enjoyed the animals expression of joy and playfulness of each one in the snow. The rabbit was so cute making that one my favorite.  It may help teach the days of the week and the text is simple and short enough for a read aloud to younger ages.  It is a calming and peaceful read, perfect for showing the transition of winter to spring and how our weather changes and can be unpredictable.  Even for the forest animals.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 3-6.~

 

Title:  So Much Snow

Author: Kristen Schroeder illustrated by Sarah Jacoby

Pub. date: October 2022, Random House

genre: picture book

Hardcover, 40 pgs.

 

 

Love, Escargot review

 

Love, Escargot is the third hilarious book in the award-winning Escargot picture book series; perfect for--but not limited to--Valentine's Day!(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day!  What better way to celebrate than with this cute and funny story about a French Snail hoping to find his Snailentine while attending  a Valentine's party in the cabbage garden.  He speaks directly to the reader as he prepares them on what makes a good Snailentine or if they are feeling a bit shy.  The illustrations are large and in a soft color palette.  Text is tricky with larger vocabulary words but we do learn a few french ones.  Escargot is surprised when he arrives at the party and finds the host is a Vole and not who he thought.  He is a little nervous but when he finds that he and Vole have things in common, he happily comes out of his shell.  This story is about finding new friendships in others and is a charming book for Valentine's Day celebrating.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 4-7.~

 

Title:  Love, Escargot

Author: Dashka Slater, illustrated by Sydney Hanson

Pub. date:  November 2022, Farrar Straus

genre: picture book

Hardcover, 40 pgs.

  

 

 

 

 

 

The Pink Umbrella review

This is a charming story about the power of friendship, love and pink polka dots to turn rainy days into sunny ones and sadness into joy.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

Adele is the owner of the Polka-Dot Apron.  She loves her regular customers and her cafe is the heart of the village.  With her lively, sweet and sparkling personality, she is the heart of the cafe and the village's sun to her customers.  Adele loves the sunshine but does not like the rain.  It is dreary and gray and on those days she closes her cafe and hides herself under the covers until it is sunny again.  One day at closing time, she notices somebody left a pink pair of boots behind.  Then another day a pink raincoat was left hanging on her rack.  But one rainy afternoon, when she finds a pretty pink polka dot umbrella, she puts on the items and takes a joyful walk in the rain.

 

I think I feel just like Adele.  The past couple of days were sunny but today we have a rain/snow mix with cold and dark gray clouds. I wish I could curl up under a warm quilt all day myself.  This charming story about Adele was so sweet and full of warmth on a day like today. The story is beautifully told and you can sense the community spirit, the happy sunshine and rainy sadness Adele feels by the soft and gentle illustrations. It was heartwarming to see how she takes care of the community but yet someone takes notice that she could use a little care on rainy days herself by bringing her the boots, raincoat and pretty umbrella.  These thoughtful gifts are just the nudge Adele needs to help cope with the rainy weather and venture out.  The story is lengthy and will take some time to read but well worth it when you get to the end and find that Adele has found joy among the raindrops.  There is even a little romance in the air.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 5-8.~

Title:  The Pink Umbrella

Author:  Amelie Callot, illustrated by Genevieve Godbout

Pub. date:  2018, Tundra Books

Genre: picture book

Hardcover, 80 pgs.

Ty's Travels review

Ty and Corey love to visit the museum. When they step through the doors, they become scientists. They study bugs and hunt for fossils. When Ty can't participate in a lab activity because of his age, he uses his big imagination at home.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

Here is a great book for the beginning reader who loves science.  Another adventure in the Ty's Travels series with simple text along with fun and bold illustrations that will keep emergent readers engaged.  When Ty and Corey see the museum lab scientists at work their eyes light up!  Ty is too young to enter the lab so they  check out all the other wonderful activities the museum has to offer instead.  When Ty gets an idea to be a scientist at home, along with mom and dad's help, the brothers let their imaginations flow.  This wonderful easy reader series is a must have for the home or classroom library. It will not only encourage reading but will spark imagination, play and learning about different things.  Reading Lab Magic together and then follow up with your own science activities is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 5-6.~ 

 

Other Ty's Travel's in the Series:

 

All Aboard

Zip! Zoom!

Beach Day

Winter Wonderland

Camp Out

Title:  Ty's Travels - Lab Magic

Author:  Kelly Starling Lyons  illustrated by Nina Mata

Pub date: March 2022, Harper Collins

Genre: easy reader, picture book

Hardcover, 32 pgs.

Fossil Hunter - How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life review

 

A fascinating, highly visual biography of Mary Anning, the Victorian fossil hunter who changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists of all time.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

In 1812, Mary Anning of Lyme Regis, England, chisels and digs for fossils hidden in the rocks for millions of years.  The previous year, her brother Joseph, found a large crocodile like fossilized skull which was four feet in length.  If  Joseph was able to find a skull, Mary was determined there must be the remains of a skeleton somewhere belonging to it.  She searched for months without success until one day a winter storm washed away part of the cliff.  She finally spotted what she had hoped to find and with many back breaking hours, unearthed a skeleton to the skull measuring seventeen feet long.  It opened up many questions from scientists about the unusual fossil and a new beginning to Mary's life.

At the age of 13, Mary had found the first completed and documented Ichthyosaur in England.  The findings puzzled scientists for years.  It had a long snout just like a crocodile but the huge saucer eyes were nothing like one.  Plus, how could a crocodile be in England?  This story is a wonderfully well-written biography about of one of the greatest but unknown woman fossil hunter.   I enjoyed learning so much about Mary's life from growing up poor and uneducated to becoming a business woman selling fossils, teaching herself about about them and making the discoveries of several types of dinosaur species, changing scientific ideas about prehistoric life and extinction.  This would be a great book for a school report or project since it is filled with so much information about Mary and her becoming a self-taught paleontologist.  Mary was never formally recognized for her extraordinary findings and this was not unusual for the time period.  She did pave the way by the example she set for women to follow in her footsteps.  The book is filled with various pictures, photographs, drawings, maps and many handwritten notes.  Many of Mary's fossils are still on display today in world museums and she is finally receiving recognition for them.  I am so happy the author decided to research Mary and write her story.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 9-11.~

Title:  Fossil Hunter - How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life

Author:  Cheryl Blackford

Pub. date:  January 2022 Clarion Books

genre: nonfiction, biography

Hardcover: 128 pgs.

The Day it Rained Hearts review

A creative and sweet story, perfect for Valentine's Day, that helps open the hearts of young readers.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

 

On the day it rained hearts, Cornelia Augusta caught as many as she could.  She thought they were perfect for making Valentines for her friends.  Each heart was special in their own unique way and she knew exactly who would receive which ones.

A cute Valentine's story for the upcoming day.  It is a short and simple read that will spark some creativity and would work nicely alongside a Valentine's Day craft project.  Having various paper hearts in colors and sizes will give kids plenty of room for imagination and not just limiting them to making a card.  It encourages thinking and being thoughtful to others by a special gesture.  This sweet story helps teach the importance of making others feel good and in return you will feel good too. I think this is a "just right book" for ages 3-6.~

Title:  The Day it Rained Hearts

Author: Felicia Bond

Pub: Laura Geringer Books 

genre: picture/board book

Hardcover

Snow Much Fun review

 

A celebration of friendship and winter wonder, this is a cozy treat for young readers.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Berry and Ginger are looking forward to the snow coming.  They can go sledding, ice skating and build a snowman! But Willow is not so sure.  

 

A sweet and simple book better for the preschool ages about three friends enjoying winter.  Berry and Ginger like the snow and being outdoors but Willow likes staying inside making warm treats.  Willow gives it a try doing things her friends like and it was sweet to see Berry and Ginger give her a hand when she tumbled or stumbled.  It shows true friendship helping her enjoy things she may not.  The best thing about the book are the illustrations.  The cute animal characters are made from various hand sewn fabric materials and photographed with handmade props making it fun to look at the details of each page.  Willow likes indoor activities like baking and making popcorn and apple garlands until she decides there is something she's been wanting to try.   It is fun trying new things and Willow has found a favorite outdoor activity in doing so.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 2-4.~

 

Title:  Snow Much Fun! 

Author: Nancy Siscoe, illustrated by Sabina Gibson

Pub. date: October 2019, Balzer & Bray

Genre:  picture book

Hardcover, 32 pgs.  

 

Making a Friend review

 

Beaver is good at making just about everything...but not friends. One winter day, Beaver sees some snowflakes in the sky and gets a great idea: he’ll make a friend. Yes! A snowman will be a great friend!(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

The adorable Beaver in this story is good at making things. But unfortunately, he seems to struggle with making friends.  He decides to build a new friend out of snow, when along comes a little Racoon, who wants to help build a friend too.  But after finding the snowman is a bit cold in the friendship area, the two realize that they had so much fun being together that each one has made a new friend after all.

This cute and heartwarming tale about making friends when you least expect it has a wonderful theme for kids who are having troubles with friendships.  Beaver and Racoon are building a friendship between themselves naturally which are depicted well by the large and colorful illustrations.  You can see it growing while they work and interact with each other.  The expressions are joyful and cute with excitement when the two discover they each made a new friend without trying.  The story is simple and flows easily to read aloud and might open up conversation about difficulties children might be having meeting friends themselves.   I think this is a "just right book" for ages 3-7.~

Title:  Making a Friend

Author:  Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Alison Friend

Pub. date: November 2018, Harper Collins Children's Books

genre: picture book 

Hardcover, 32 pgs.

 

Ballet kids

In a gentle introduction to ballet, a little boy and his friends gather for their dance class to learn some moves—and get excited about their debut performance.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas loves being a ballet kid.  As he walks to ballet school, he greets the other kids from his class, who are all on their way to ballet practice for the upcoming winter performance.  As soon as they arrive, they wiggle into their ballet shoes and get into a circle for warm up.  After a good stretch, the group begins the practice with various ballet moves.  Then it is time for picking out costumes for the Nutcracker performance but Thomas does not know where to begin.  He is happy though when he finds the sparkly purple sugar plum fairy one.  The most wonderful costume he has ever seen!

 A sweet, charming story about a group of boys and girls learning ballet and enjoying every moment of it.  The text is simple and the illustrations are large and colorful. You can't help but smile seeing the happy faces of the children during class.  Various ballet moves and positions are explained during the children's practice time which are informative.  Finding costumes brings more joy to everyone, especially Thomas when he finds the sparkly purple one of the sugar plum fairy.  I loved the reassurance from his ballet teacher when he expresses his feelings of butterflies in his tummy.  His comforting words to Thomas about listening and moving to the music and the magic will come from within is uplifting.  Great connections for kids already in ballet or for kids trying to find a place in dance.  Anybody can be a ballet kid!  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 3-7.~

Title:  Ballet Kids

Author:  Holly Sterling

Pub. date:  December 2022, Candlewick Press

genre:  picture book'Hardcover, 32 pgs.