Trucks, trucks, trucks: Dylan the Dump Truck #WhizzyWheelsAcademyDylanTheDumpTruck #NetGalley

This book is aimed at toddlers and preschoolers.  Young listeners will learn about Dylan’s adventures on the work site.  Dylan is eager and enthusiastic but…he does not always pay attention and sometimes hears something other than what is said.  Will he be able to find his place on the work crew?  Young listeners will find out in this story!  The illustrations bring the vehicles to life and will undoubtedly appeal to children who like Thomas the Tank Engine.

A note…I had wondered when reading this book if there would be something explicit about Dylan having a learning disability but there really was not.  Nonetheless adults could use the book as a jumping off point for discussion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the book in exchange for an honest review.

 

From the Publisher

Seek and find: Catch Cat (Grace) #CatchCat #NetGalley

This book combines learning about theT continents with a search and find, I Spy concept. Each continent has an intricate picture with things to locate. The illustration for each continent is in the shape of the countries therein. The sought objects are described before each two page illustration. In addition, the challenge is to find the cat on each continent. There are many fun facts in this book; happily at the end there is an answer page so the searcher can find any thing that they ay have missed.

The resolution in the illustrations was not always clear. This is most likely not an issue in the hard copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest review.

From the publisher:

AFRICA

NELSON MANDELA STATUE

Nelson Mandela was a civil rights leader who fought against the apartheid system – which meant that people were kept separate because of the colour of their skin. His protests meant that he spent a lot of his life in prison, but he would eventually become the president of South Africa. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and over 250 other awards for his bravery and courage. Many statues have been put up around the world to honour him.

THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA

Pyramids are huge stone structures that were built as burial tombs for ancient Egyptian pharaohs. The largest pyramid was built by Pharaoh Khufu around 2550 BC. It measures 147 metres tall and it’s thought that 2.3 million blocks were used to build it!

VICTORIA FALLS

Victoria Falls is the world’s largest waterfall and measures roughly 1,700 metres wide and 108 metres tall. It has been named one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and tourists travel from all around to see it. At night it’s possible to see a ‘moonbow’, which is formed by the reflection of the moonlight on the water.

AFRICAN GOLDEN CAT

These wild cats are reddish-brown in colour and some have spots on their fur. They are agile climbers but spend most of their life on the ground, tracking their prey and pouncing on them at just the right moment.

 

Now out: Little Peope, Big Dreams-Bruce Lee (Sanchez Vegara)

I always enjoy reading books in this series. This one is about Bruce Lee. I had known that he was a kung fu hero and that was it. I learned much more about him after reading this title. Young readers will learn that Bruce was not perfect but he found his way. He lived in both Hong Kong and the U.S. He had talents, including being a child actor, a great dancer and a master of the martial arts but…he was also involved in a gang. Sent back to the U.S. by his parents, Bruce went to school and college and began teaching his style of martial arts. He went on to become famous for his movie, Enter the Dragon. The book concludes:

And by having faith in himself and never giving up, little Bruce became a hero for everyone, and the person he always dreamed he would be.

What a perfect message that is.

Of note are the illustrations in this book. They have a cartoon like quality and fit the text perfectly.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto for this book in exchange for an honest review

What makes a dragon happy? We are Happy, Dear Dragon (Conn) #WeAreHappyDearDragon #NetGalley

This is another in the Dear Dragon series for the most beginning readers.  Young learners will be delighted to be able to read this book with its repetition and simple vocabulary.  There are activities suggested at the end of the book for reinforcement of the learning and for fun.

Early readers will read about what makes Dear Dragon and his friends happy.  The pictures will also help them in decoding the text.

This series is recommended for the emerging reader.  Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

House hunting: Americana (Marshall) #Americana #NetGalley

Are you a person who likes to visit historic homes?  Do you go inside and imagine what it might have been like to live there?  Do you ever see a house and daydream about it being yours?  If, like me, you answer yes to these questions, you may well enjoy Americana.  This book showcases the farmhouses and manors of Long Island, New York.  Homes have been on Long Island since the 1600s when early emigrants settled there.  This book shows the evolution of a number of these homes both their outsides and interiors; in addition, one sees the landscapes that these homes enjoyed.  There are essays to accompany the photos.

Some reviewers have noted faults and inconsistencies in this book.  That is true but, nonetheless, it is a wonderful volume to look at and imagine where a person might live.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

At the Farm with Dear Dragon-a beginning reader (Conn) #AtTheFarmWithDearDragon #NetGalley

This is a book for children who are just starting to read independently. The beginning of the book shows all of the vocabulary words that are to follow. The text has repetition to reinforce learning. Around this, there are all of the farm animals. Children will enjoy meeting these critters with Dear Dragon. They will take pride in being able to read this book independently.

At the end of book there is a section called Word Work that reinforces the learning. There is also a suggested activity of drawing a farm.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let’s learn the Alphabet: Little Concepts-A is for Alphabet (Gatti) #LittleConceptsAisForApricat #NetGalley

ABC books for toddlers often have a sameness to them; they teach but do not always engage. A is for Apricat changes that. This is an original, funny, whimsical alphabet book that combines foods and animals to make unique critters. For example, there is the Flamango (flamingo and mango) or the moushroom (mouse and mushroom) and many more…26 in all. At the end of the book there is a section on Food Facts that talks about the nutrition involved in the foods. I can’t end without a shout out for the engaging and imaginative illustrations. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a book that makes the alphabet fun.

All opinions are my own.

From the Publisher

This sea jelly may be sweet to taste, but watch out for her sting!

Be separate, be together: Red Yellow Blue (Mullady) #RedYellowBlue #NetGalley

Red Yellow Blue is part of the book series published by the American Psychological Association.  These titles are designed to both entertain and teach children about their worlds.  Each has a helpful section for adults at the end of the book.

In this one, Red is very busy being red.  He is quite possessive of all of the red things that surround him.  When Yellow approaches and talks about what they could do together (think orange…pumpkins, etc.), Red is not interested and wants to preserve his territory.  Yellow proceeds to enjoy spending time with Blue and, yes, they make lovely green things together including, broccoli, leaves and frogs.  By the end of the book, Red no longer wants to be alone and the three colors together create a beautiful sunset.

As you can see, this book can be read and understood on different levels.  Children can learn about primary and secondary colors.  They can also think about spending time with those who are not like themselves and how this is enriching.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest review.

Editorial Reviews

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