For young logophiles (lovers of words): The Dictionary of Difficult Words (Solomon)

#TheDictionaryOfDifficultWords #NetGalley

This is a dictionary, but not a typical one.  It is designed for children who are intrigued by words or who could use something to help them to become more interested in words and reading.  Appealingly illustrated and wisely selected, the entries are entertaining and informative.

The author playfully suggests ways to read the book.  A few examples include back to front, front to back, by opening to a random page, etc.  The idea is that exploring words should be intriguing.  Before getting started, there are a couple of helpful sections; one describes the parts of speech and another offers hints for decoding some words (for example phile referring to loving something).

The words themselves are appealing.  Some, even if arcane, I knew while others I came across for the first time.  Often difficult to pronounce or spell, the child who learns them will feel mighty clever!

This book deserves its place in homes and schools.  It is a perfect book to browse through and enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this  informative book.  All opinions are my own.

Let your young reader give this one a chance: Chance’s Choice (Royce)

#AspcaPawPalsChancesChoice #NetGalley

Do you know a child who loves animals, especially dogs? If yes, this is a wonderful beginning chapter book for them. It is part of the ASPCA kids series.

In this entry, Meg has moved to a new town after many prior moves. She is not happy! Meg decides that she will not unpack and will not make friends since she will only have to leave them. She would love a dog but her parents say no. Again, she is not happy. What happens? Young readers will enjoy finding out as they spend time with Meg, her cousin, Blanca (a child from the neighborhood) and others . They will also find out how Chance, an abandoned pup, becomes a dog with a special talent. Let your young reader find out what he can do.

This story has short chapters, illustrations and paw prints. All of these engage the reader. The book ends with information about a dog who does what Chance does.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this fun chapter book. All opinions are my own.

Now out: Goodbye, School(Lippert)

#GoodbyeSchool #NetGalley

This is another entry in the excellent series of books published by the American Psychological Association. Goodbye, School is about Franny who is leaving her school. The reader does not know why but assumes that she is most likely moving. In any event, the reason matters less than the process.

This story is about the importance of saying goodbye, not being whisked away. Even with sadness, the ritual is important. The reader watches as Franny revisits her classroom, sees her teacher and spends time outside. She says her final goodbye when she is ready.

As always, there is a helpful section for caregivers at the end of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

This book will be a welcome resource for elementary school teachers, camp counselors, scout troops: you name it, really anywhere that kids with imagination congregate.  Some music concepts are taught but, more importantly, kids are encouraged to use their resources, be creative and make music.  There are so many ways to do this; to name a few-fill water glasses with differing amounts of water and tap on them, hum, sing, make instruments from what you find in the kitchen, conduct, sing in harmony…the ideas are plentiful.

I enjoyed this look at how to help children to develop a love of music.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

Now out: You are Never Alone (Kelsey)

I think that the author says it best:

” I want to look every kid in the eye and say, ‘No matter what is happening in your life, you are never alone.” This author would like for children to have some sense of hopefulness about their daily world and the planet that we all share. She expresses optimism about the ways in which nature replenishes the environment.

This book has truly lovely illustrations. They are charming and imaginative and suit the text perfectly. This book will be a welcome addition to young nature lovers bookshelves.

Please note: Some of the facts presented may be slightly off putting to children, as for example, noting the micro-organisms on our skin.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance read in exchange for my honest opinion

A Great Man: Little People, Big Dreams; Mahatma Gandhi (Vegara)

#MahatmaGandhi #NetGalley

TThis is a wonderful entry in a wonderful series.  With its lovely and appealing illustrations, along with a simple (yet profound) story line, this book gives young readers a chance to learn more about a most impressive man.  Even as an adult, I learned things about Gandhi that I had not known while reading this book.  Gandhi was a man who stood up (and sat down) for his beliefs in equality and self-government, always invoking peaceful protest.  He is a man to be admired.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for another entry in a most favorite series.  All opinions are my own.

How do babies work? Burp, Spit & Fart (Garstecki and Monroe)

#BurpSpitFart #NetGalley

This book will be a welcome addition to family bookshelves.  With its cartoon like illustrations, facts and humor it help young children to understand how babies develop.  The book is full of facts and in no way talks down to children.   Older siblings will most likely enjoy this look at babies and how they operate.  It reminds them that all that babies do is not perfect and that they can do things infants cannot.

A quote:

But a new baby can be kind of gross too.  They don’t do much except sleep and cry.  Then they burp and poop in public and don’t even get in any trouble….you’ll be ready to help the baby in your life grow up to be as awesome as you.

The author goes on to explain the reasons babies cry, how their sleep cycle operates and much more. Young children may especially enjoy the sections on burping, hiccuping and “the poop detectives.”

Children then see how babies become co-ordinated enough to mouth everything and even to put things in their noses (that don’t belong there).  They then see babies become more upright and engaging.

Finally, there are sections about how important older brothers and sisters are.  They are helpers and role models.  Following the end of the book, there is a helpful glossary.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this entertaining and informative look at infancy to toddlerhood.  All opinions are my own.

 

Now out: Kahlo’s Koalas (Helmer)

This is a child’s counting book that adults are sure to love too! The illustrations are bright, appealing and in the style of ten different artists including Monet, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollack, Frida Kahlo etc. At the end of the book, there is additional information on each of the artists. The picture book is an appealing addition (pun recognized) to the counting book genre.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. I truly enjoyed this one.

Thinking about religion: Holy Envy (Taylor)

Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others

I have just begun reading this book which is gently provocative and inspiring.  The author, ordained within the Episcopal Church, has left the ministry to begin teaching World Religion in a small, largely Christian college.

Written in a highly accessible, almost novelistic tone, Ms. Taylor introduces the reader to her students and their studies.  She encourages the reader to think about the role of religion in our lives.  Although I have not yet finished the book, I have the feeling that I will be savoring it right up to the end.  This is a thoughtful and highly recommended read.

From Goodreads:

The renowned and beloved New York Times bestselling author of An Altar in the World and Learning to Walk in the Dark recounts her moving discoveries of finding the sacred in unexpected places while teaching the world’s religions to undergraduates in rural Georgia, revealing how God delights in confounding our expectations.

Barbara Brown Taylor continues her spiritual journey begun in Leaving Church of finding out what the world looks like after taking off her clergy collar. In Holy Envy, she contemplates the myriad ways other people and traditions encounter the Transcendent, both by digging deeper into those traditions herself and by seeing them through her students’ eyes as she sets off with them on field trips to monasteries, temples, and mosques.

Troubled and inspired by what she learns, Taylor returns to her own tradition for guidance, finding new meaning in old teachings that have too often been used to exclude religious strangers instead of embracing the divine challenges they present. Re-imagining some central stories from the religion she knows best, she takes heart in how often God chooses outsiders to teach insiders how out-of-bounds God really is.

Throughout Holy Envy, Taylor weaves together stories from the classroom with reflections on how her own spiritual journey has been complicated and renewed by connecting with people of other traditions—even those whose truths are quite different from hers.  The one constant in her odyssey is the sense that God is the one calling her to disown her version of God—a change that ultimately enriches her faith in other human beings and in God.