ABC Universe by the American Museum of Natural History and Lazy Cats

I'm back! Did you miss me?

I just got the book shown below, ABC Universe, last week, and I love it so I figured this is a good book to review for starters.

The first thing you need to know about ABC Universe is that it's a board book. The second thing is that it's BIG, about 10" x 10" closed.

Open it up and you can use it as a blanket for your cats.

As you can see, ABC Universe is an alphabet book in which the letters relate to a science word: D is for Dwarf Planet, E is for Earth (sorry about the flash obscuring part of the Earth definition), F is for Flare. It's a sturdy board book and a science lesson all rolled into one! I'd particularly recommend ABC Universe for little ones who are at the shredding stage but old enough to tolerate a slightly longer book. You could start pointing out the letters long before a child is old enough to sit patiently through more than the alphabet, though, so the book would make an excellent baby shower gift and it's big enough for classroom use.

As to the definitions, I thought most of them were well-written, with one exception: quark. The definition of a quark was so confusing that I went online to look it up. Otherwise, I thought the book was great.

Highly recommended - It's never too early to start your child learning about science; and, ABC Universe is definitely a unique and beautiful way to grasp the alphabet, as well. A wonderful, educational board book with bold colors that's built to last.

©2015 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

We Go Together by Todd Dunn & Miki Sakamoto

We Go Together by Todd Dunn
Illustrated by Miki Sakamoto
Copyright 2013
Sterling Children's Books - Board Book
20 pp.

We Go Together is a cute board book with bright, vibrant illustrations and rhythmic verse, nicely sized at about 6" x 6".  I still am unable to load photos, so I asked the Sterling rep who sent me a copy to send some interior photos.  You should be able to click on each image to enlarge, but in case the text is difficult to read, this spread says:

We go together like socks and shoes,
We go together like cow and moo.

The items that go together are highlighted in bold print.

The entire book is written in this same lovely, rhyme and the illustrations are absolutely adorable.

We go together like ice cream and cone,
We go together like dog and bone.

As I was reading the book, the first time, it occurred to me that We Go Together is not necessarily limited to a young, page-tearing audience.  We Go Together would be great for teachers to use as a starting point for a lesson on things that go together.  

The only thing I dislike about the book is the ending:

We go together, that's what we do,
because you love me and . . . 
I love you!

The final spread is an illustration of a mother hugging what appears to be a daughter on the left-hand page (although it's actually not clear whether the youngster is a girl or boy, the hair is very similar to the mother's and my first thought was "mother and daughter").  The background is lavender and there are hearts on the right-hand page, along with the text.  As a mother of two boys, I found that illustration somewhat off-putting.  There are plenty of humans in the book, as you can see from the illustrations above.  But, I think it would have somehow been more fitting to show a couple of animals hugging (parent and child) to keep the gender generic.  That is, of course, a minor complaint.  

In general, I loved this little book and wouldn't avoid buying it for a little one merely because of the final illustration. If I still had small children, I would use the book as a jumping-off point for looking around the house and garden for things that go together.  I love a book that encourages exploration.

Recommended - Especially for those who want to read about or create a lesson regarding things that go together (whether teachers or parents).  Although the mother-daughter ending threw me a bit, the fact that the book works as such a terrific starting point for observation of things that "go together" combined with the book's eye-catching illustrations both add up to make We Go Together a winner.  The addition of that last rhyme about love would make the book fitting for seasonal use, as a Valentine's Day read, although the story is not so focused on the concept of love that it's self-limiting.  

I received a copy of We Go Together from Sterling Children's Books in return for an unbiased review.  
©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Time for a Hug by P. Gershator & M. Green, illus. by D. Walker - #2 for Children's Day

I reviewed the 24-page version of Time for a Hug, last year, and liked it a lot but for some reason I like the board book version even better.  You can read the opening text from the book by following the link to my earlier review.  I give away most of the children's books I review, but I can't recall whether or not I kept Time for a Hug.  If I did, it's still packed so I'm unable to compare the original book with the board book.  However, just from looking at last year's review and the board book, it appears that the text is exactly the same.  The only difference is that the Time for a Hug board book is smaller (looks like about 6" x 6") and the pages are, of course, very sturdy.  

The moon comes out,
The stars shine, too.
The clock says eight.
What shall we do?

Bathe, brush, floss,
say goodnight,
hop into bed,
turn out the light.

Pull up the covers
warm and snug--

What time is it?

Time for a hug!

A big bear hug
and a little hug, too.
Every hug says 
I LOVE YOU!

Awww.  What a sweet little book.  Time for a Hug is one of those children's books that makes me long for the early mommy days.  I'm tempted to hang onto the board book, just in case of future grandchildren. 

Highly recommended, 'cause who doesn't love any excuse to get a hug from a little one?

This is post #2 for Children's Day.  Two more to go.

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Pigs in Love by Teddy Slater, illus. by Aaron Boyd - #1 for Children's Day

Pigs in Love by Slater and Boyd is a board book that was sent to me by Sterling Kids.  I planned to have a "Children's Day" well before Valentine's Day, but then life went all blooey on me.  Anyway, sorry this one is late.  You can tell from the cover alone that this one would be a great little book to read to kids on or near Valentine's Day, but here's a peek at some of the text:

Pretty pink pigs on Valentine's Day,
All dressed up, with something to say.
They say it with flowers.
They say it with hearts.
They say it with candy and strawberry tarts.

Each line is either a page or page spread's worth.  So, Pigs in Love is a great book to read to very wiggly little ones or to let little ones going through a book-tearing phase flip through on their own.

Great things about Pigs in Love:  It's sweet, a little funny, tough, big (about 8" x 8", eyeball measurement) and colorful with a metallic sheen to the illustrations that is pretty much impossible to photograph.  Trust me, though; if you like all the shiny things or your kid does, you'll love the look.   

Recommended with a reminder that the book is seasonal.  I'd particularly recommend Pigs in Love to people who don't mind reading about Valentine's Day any old time of the year (because otherwise you'll feel limited to a very short time in which the book will feel right to read) and teachers of preschoolers who want something quick and sweet to read for circle time.  It's a good one to hang onto if you have good reason to keep a book for preschoolers to read year after year or to toss in a box for the little ones to "read" on their own.

This is post #1 for Children's Day.  3 more reviews forthcoming.


©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Two board books I love: Spot the Animals and 1-2-3 Dinosaurs Bite, both illus. by Steve Jenkins

The following books are both board books that would make excellent last-minute gifts or stocking stuffers, if you're in need of ideas for a baby, toddler or preschooler. 

Spot the Animals is a "lift-the-flap" book in which an animal is hidden behind a beautifully illustrated flap, cut to fit the shape of whatever the animal is hiding behind (leaves, coral, rocks).  I couldn't find any decent images online, so I snapped my own.  I think it's best just to show you a little from the inside.  You should be able to click on each image to enlarge.

There are six animals and colors in Spot the Animals.  In the final page spread, there are six stripes -- one of each of the colors of the animals that have hidden -- and each of the colors is labeled.  On the right-hand side, the 6 animals are shown and labeled by name.  The wonderful thing about Spot the Animals is that it's so simple and short that you could easily read the book to a small baby (I read to mine while they were still in the crib and later would prop them in a seated position and read to them while rocking) but Spot the Animals is also educational, so preschoolers and even early readers can get something out of it.  

1-2-3 Dinosaurs Bite is similar in that it's educational and has a special feature, in this case bites chopped out of each page.  You actually count the chunks missing from the book.  How cool is that?  By the time you arrive at 6-7-8-9-10, there's a page that is so bitten there's only about a third left.

The last page spread incorporates counting with other learning tools, for example: 2 horns, 3 sharp claws, 6 footprints, 8 letters in the word dinosaur.  The final words are "Guard all 10 of your fingers -- these DINOSAURS BITE!"

Both books are highly recommended.  Perfect illustrations that are colorful, balanced and interesting with a unique twist (bites cut from the pages; die-cut shapes the animals are hidden behind) and plenty of educational material crammed into a few short pages make can't-miss fun for children and will satisfy a parent's urge to teach.  I absolutely love these books.  Since they're board books, they're also quite sturdy, even with folding pages and chunks missing.

On a side note, because I had trouble finding any images of these books and had to take my own, I got to see a large number of other illustrations by Steve Jenkins.  It looks like he's the kind of artist I would seek out if I still had small children.  I don't, but I'm hoping there are grandchildren in my future.  I'm hanging onto these two board books, just in case.


©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Stable in Bethlehem: A Countdown to Christmas by Hulme & Andreasen, a new arrival, and The 13 Clocks by James Thurber

Stable in Bethlehem: A Countdown to Christmas, written by Joy N. Hulme and illustrated by Dan Andreasen is a board book in with a countdown from the number 12 down.  Obviously, I'm getting to my last little stockpile of Christmas books a bit late but if you have a little one who is in need of a Christmas book and still at the tearing stage, Stable in Bethlehem is a good one.

Over a stable in Bethlehem, 12 drowsy doves are cooing,
Snuggling in the fragrant hay, 11 cows are mooing.
Weary and resting in their stalls, 10 donkeys nod their heads.
Scurrying over the stable floor, 9 mice run from their beds.

That's three page spreads' worth that I just quoted, the donkeys and mice sharing one layout.  The next page made me laugh:

8 shepherds wrapped in woolen robes watch over their flocks by night.

The illustration is a tiny bit funny because there are 8 shepherds watching a mere 7 sheep.  But, Stable in Bethlehem is a counting book, not a logic book.  On the next page, you count the 7 sheep.  As the mother of a little one, I probably would have already counted the sheep along with my child.

When I received this book from Sterling Children's, I didn't think it looked all that attractive, cover-wise, but I really liked it a lot when I opened the book and read.  The illustrations inside are much prettier than I expected, brightly colored but they have a nice, "soft" look that's lovely.  And, the book fit my most important requirement for a children's book:  a comfortably rhythmic text that's pleasant to read aloud.  Beginning readers will need a lot of help with words like "frankincense" if you keep the book around long enough, but I like the fact that the author didn't avoid adding a difficult word that's relevant.

Highly recommended, particularly if you'd like to share the Christmas story with a very young child in a way that's educational and factual without being in any way religiously dubious or emphatic.

More Christmas reviews will be forthcoming.  I spent a good portion of yesterday in the car, so that makes 5 days during which I spent a major portion of my day driving.  I am very happy to be at home and going nowhere, just cleaning and writing, today!

Arrived in the mail, yesterday:  

Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver!

This was one of those cases of "Buy a book for someone, buy one for yourself."  At least I bought a used copy instead of spending the big bucks.  I'm on page 76 or so and absolutely loving the reading.  I need inspiration desperately.  Now that we've finally got a decent kitchen, I want to get back to cooking!  But, it's been so long that I've been hoping to find something basic.  Well, Jamie's Food Revolution is fairly basic.  There are a few things I'll have to ask the spouse to explain, but not many.  I gushed so much I actually inspired Huzzybuns, last night.  We had a terrific supper.

The only problem I've found with this cookbook, so far (and most others by well-known chefs) is that cookbooks by popular chefs tend to ignore the fact that not everyone lives in a big city and has access to unusual ingredients.  And, in fact, some ingredients that don't seem unusual may even be hard to locate.  I noticed Jamie Oliver uses a lot of red chiles.  We were unable to find any at all -- fresh or dried -- last night.  Still.  I'm inspired. I've already got a recipe picked out for experimentation, tonight.

I finished The 13 Clocks by James Thurber, last night.  A children's book written in 1950, it's a quick read that would make an excellent RIP challenge book.  It has a seriously creepy villain (a duke who is so cold he claims to have frozen the 13 clocks in his home and who regularly feeds suitors of his niece to the geese), a prince who decides to take on the challenge and a hilarious sidekick with an "indescribable" hat who admits that he may not ever remember anything accurately -- but he's cheerful and anxious to help.

The 13 Clocks is typical Thurber -- funny, extremely witty, full of brilliant wordplay.  If you have a youngster you read to, it's well worth hunting down a copy.  Or, if you just like a clever story, read it for yourself as I did.  I got my copy (used) for $1 at Off-Square Books in Oxford, MS, this weekend.  It's obviously been around the block and back, a few times . . . 'tis pretty beat-up.  The illustrations are every bit as terrific and funny/creepy as the story, so it's another highly recommended book.  Definitely add this to your list if you're a regular Readers Imbibing Peril challenge participant.

More later!  Gotta check the dryer and finish emptying the dishwasher.  Fun times.


©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Puff the Magic Dragon - board book by P. Yarrow, L. Lipton & E. Puybaret

Puff the Magic Dragon is 50 years old!  Wow, that makes me feel kind of ancient and creaky.  Somewhere around here, I probably still have my album (as in "vinyl") of children's music and "Puff the Magic Dragon" was one of my childhood favorites.  

Oh.  Ahem.  Yes, in fact, I do have that album.  Anyway, you know how I love children's books.  Puff the Magic Dragon, published by Sterling Children's Books is basically a board book with the words from the song.  Since I haven't heard it in eons, I can't tell you if all of the lyrics are there, but the illustrations in this board book are freaking gorgeous and Puff looks very friendly, which I think is important in illustrations directed at small children.  

My favorite board books are usually the ones that have a nice rhythm and, of course, if you know the song you'll want to sing the story rather than just reading it aloud.  That Puff began as a song makes it perfect for reading to little ones.  I'd forgotten Puff the Magic Dragon is a sad story, though.  Poor Puff can't live without little Jackie when Jackie grows up and goes away.  I guess it's such an upbeat song that I never noticed.  I still love the story, love board books, adore the rhyme and rhythm and definitely highly recommend this little book.  It's a beauty.

It's also important to note that Puff the Magic Dragon has earned the Fiona Kitty Seal of Approval.  Well . . . what are you waiting for?  :)

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren and Fiona Friday pic

God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

Copyright 2011

Waterbrook Press - Children's Board Book/Christian

22 pages

The God Gave Us children's series has been around since 2000 and there are 6 different titles. God Gave Us You is the first to be made in the form of a board book and the content is just what it sounds like. A little polar bear asks his mother where he came from. She tells her little one that she and the little bear's father were lonely and wanted a baby . . . and God gave them one.

This is one very human polar bear family, so you're basically reading about a human pregnancy and birth but with bears as the parents and child. They create a nursery, go to the doctor, wait and wait, then rush to the hospital to deliver and bring their baby polar bear home. Little ones won't know the difference, but the very-human polar bear pregnancy did surprise me a bit!

The story is sweet and repetitive, but in a good way. One note, though -- God Gave Us You is geared to traditional, 2-parent families. Single parents and even adoptive families will have to adapt the words a bit. "God gave us you" is repeated on nearly every page, so it's also definitely a book for those who believe in God.

I would not call this book a personal favorite because of its bias toward traditional, 2-parent families, but there was a time I wouldn't have noticed that and I occasionally altered the words in books to suit me, when my children were small -- at least till they were older and I started to get caught.

You can see a sneak peek inside God Gave Us You, here. My thanks to Waterbrook Press and FirstWild for the review copy, which will be passed on to a family with a little one.

And, now for Fiona Friday!

I love this picture! Look at that look of genuine admiration in Isabel's eyes. She really looks up to her big sister! Just after I snapped this shot, Fiona began to groom Isabel and Izzy just lolled around looking blissful. They are so, so cute together.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook by Robin Currie (review)

The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook
By Robin Currie
Copyright 2010
David C. Cook - Children's Board Book

The title makes it obvious that this book tells the Christmas story, but The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook is the Christmas story for very young children and it's "interactive" in that it actually tells the adult reader what motions to make while reading (hold arms out and rock, as if rocking a baby, etc.). When I first opened the book, I thought that was kind of silly. I never felt as if I needed guidance when it came to making reading fun.

But, as usual, I squelched my skepticism and gave it a try. I actually read the book aloud and made the motions with my husband sitting nearby. I am so fortunate to have a spouse who thinks my eccentricities are amusing. He sat there smiling and I found myself convinced that The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook is a pretty bright idea, although I consider the illustrations commonplace. I'd particularly recommend this book for teachers who want to get a group of preschoolers excited, but mothers will appreciate it, too. And, after the fun or reading and acting out the book is over, then you can hand your little one the book and they'll likely play-read it many, many times.

Recommended for moms and teachers of babies and preschoolers.

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.