95 Shopping Days Left! Review: Rainy, Sunny, Blowy, Snowy by Jane Brocket

9781467702317

This summer I reviewed one of Brocket's first books in this series. Lerner graciously sent me that title to review, and I loved it so much, we immediately ordered the rest of the series. I was very happy to see more in the offering this quarter, including the above.

You guys, these pictures are GORGEOUS! 

My photographs of the photographs just don't do them justice. They are so vivid! And, the colors! Heck, even when there aren't colors:

seriously, these should be in a gallery somewhere. I could spend hours just looking at them.

The text hits my happy spot, too. Instead of something banal like, "Plants start to turn green in the Spring," Brocket writes, "Spring colors are clean and fresh." Is that awesome imagery, or what? I can't wait to see more of this series and will definitely use as many as I can in story times.

My mind jumped in a million different directions for gift-giving ideas. Christopher has turned out to have quite the knack for photography, so maybe a new digital camera? Sheridan will ooh over the flower pictures, so perhaps a set of bulbs and seeds for the Spring? Or, maybe this manipulative board for our 'school' area?

If you were REALLY super-organized, and not as liable to lose them as I am, you could teach some delayed gratification with surprise packages to be opened on the official first day of each season - rain gear for Spring, squirt guns for summer, and so on.

I'm sure you can figure it out. Me, I'm going to go back and look at these pictures some more!

Book Review: Cold, Crunchy, Colorful - Using Our Senses, by Jane Brocket

9781467702331

I think every elementary science curriculum has a unit on the five senses, and we've done our share of story times with the theme, as well. Why not? So many fun projects you can do! Reading the same books over and over can get old, however. Fortunately, Brocket offers a fresh title to add to the mix. 

While the text follows the basic formula of looking at each of the senses individually, it goes into more detail with them. "Our eyes tell us about colors, patterns, and shapes," for example. The sense of touch is not just limited to hands (one of my pet peeves), but "Our feet also tell us how things feel. If the water is cold. If grass is springy. If socks are cozy." A great springboard for a lesson on adjectives or descriptive writing, as well!

Beautiful, bright photographs complement the text exactly, and make you feel as if you could reach through and touch or taste them for yourself. A great addition to a school or classroom library.