Review - Miracle Man: the Story of Jesus, by John Hendrix

9781419718991

$18.95

This is, to state the obvious, the story of Jesus, from the calling of Simon Peter to the resurrection. Up until the very last page, however, He is just called Miracle Man, or simply, the Man. In his author's note, Hendrix explains that he wanted to present the story free from "the trappings of religion around it", in an attempt to help readers see the story as if it was unfolding in front of them - as if they did not already know who this Miracle Man was, and what the rest of His story would be.

While I respect the idea, it didn't quite work that way for me. I think in order to bring the reader to that place, we would need to see and feel more of what the people around him were seeing and feeling, and that just didn't happen. The bare bones of the stories kept them from pulling the reader in very far before it was on to the next event.

On the other hand, I grew up knowing these stories, and there are many children (and adults) these days who did not. For a reader who is not familiar with the Gospels, using this book as an introduction might accomplish just what Hendrix is going for. Either way, it is an attractive accounting, and will find its place on our shelves.

One note about the illustrations: I chiefly liked them, and I generally like seeing changes in fonts, but some of these became confusing. For example, twice when reading it I missed the buildings saying "Rise and Walk", and the text made no sense until I went back. Maybe a younger reader would catch that more easily (or at least not miss it TWICE like I did!)

Want to give this as a gift? Do a search on Amazon for Bible story action figures to go along with it! I found these, featuring one of the stories mentioned in Miracle Man:



Most of the 'cooler' looking (i.e. not just for little kids) figures seem to be centered around the Old Testament, which can also be a lot of fun and inspire more reading.

***This book has been nominated for the Cybils Awards, and I am a first-round panelist in this category. There are many other panelists, and many MANY other great nominees, so a good or bad review here does not necessarily predict placement on the shortlist. 

Review: Wee Gallery Safari by Surya Sajnani

9781609929169

$9.95

I have to start with a comment about durability. Normally I don't even catalog books with "lift the flap" or "moveable parts" or "pop-up" anywhere in their description, even if they are donated to the library. They just don't last long enough to make the processing worth it! This, however, may actually make it to the shelves.

The moveable parts in this case are sliding puzzle pieces.

The sliders are thick, and securely fastened in their little grooves. I was able to slide my thumbnail underneath them, but it was obvious it would take some determined prying to get them out. Not indestructible, but they look like they would last as long as most other board books.

I saw a comment on one review saying the pieces were too hard for little ones to slide, but the kids I tested this on had no problem (the advantage of being a librarian - multiple age groups always on hand as guinea pigs!) The limited choices make this a great early introduction to puzzles - no turning it the wrong way or trying to force it into a place it won't fit - and no lost pieces, hooray!

Each puzzle is paired with a riddle.

It occurred to me that this series might be particularly successful with kids who are working extra hard on language and fine motor skills, and I just happen to know a few of those. I handed this copy over to my favorite preschool teacher working with students with developmental delays, and asked her to let me know what she and her students thought. After a few weeks of heavy usage, she reported that the kiddos loved it, and that the sliding pieces held up very well. She did say that the binding itself seemed to be a bit thin, and that she already needed to tape it. Overall, however, a success!

This whole series would be great as a gift, paired with some toy animals like these:


LINK

Can't go wrong with Melissa and Doug!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I had this Thanksgiving post all planned out, with photos of all the family and friends I am thankful for, and then never took a single picture. Too much fun eating and talking and laughing! We love having a variety of friends come together and watch them get to know each other, and the kids love having someone new to play with after five days 'stuck' with just each other.

I hope you all have had (are having)a wonderful day spent exactly the way you like, with food so good that all that's left is one solitary cream puff.

Which is about to be my I-finished-loading-the-dishwasher reward.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Review: Masters of Disguise, by Rebecca L. Johnson

Okay, first of all: ewwwww!

9781512400878

$31.99

See that bug on the cover? With what looks like a mound of dead ants stuck to its butt? 

That's an assassin bug. With a mound of dead ants stuck to its butt.

I'll stick to sunglasses and a hat if I want to disguise myself, thank-you very much. That isn't an option for most animals, however, and in this title Johnson explores some of the ways animals go about hiding themselves from each other - beyond the old camouflage and mimicry. 

From the butterfly larvae that makes ants think it is their queen, so that they will feed it their best - even ant larvae! - to the spider that builds a large puppet spider to scare predators away, this book left me wondering why animals haven't taken over the world yet and made us their slaves. Some of them sure do seem a lot smarter than us*! 

Then I thought about how pampered our animals are at home - both the 'domesticated' and the wild - and I realized maybe they already have. At any rate, I am glad they haven't designated me as their prey (yet), and I look forward to passing this title on to the next reluctant reader who walks into the library. Solid information presented in fascinating narratives, followed up by research from scientists in the field.


*Srsly. Does this video remind anyone of a certain Indiana Jones scene? They are smarter than us, and they cooperate a whole lot better!

Give this as a gift to that kid who thinks he doesn't like to read. Pair it with an ant farm (preferably not filled with those giant ants that eat people from the aforementioned movie), or a magnifying glass to go check out what the tiny critters in your own yard are up to!

Review: Baby Loves Quarks and Aerospace Engineering by Ruth Spiro and Irene Chan

9781580895415

$8.95

9781580895408

$8.95

This board book duo sets out to introduce the youngest readers to science vocabulary and concepts that you don't see very often in children's literature. As the publisher's description says, "Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two, as well!"

Generally speaking, the board book audience is considered to be 0-2 years old. The illustrations are perfectly suited to this age group, with bright colors and cheery faces, not too much going on in a page. The text, however, is a bit too high. I'm all for introducing vocabulary early on, but both the concepts and sentence structure were more suited for ages 3 and up. I read them with my kids (ages 2, 3, 5, 6 and 10), and they all enjoyed the aerospace title. I asked them afterwards to re-explain what the book said, and the 6 and 10 showed that they had a pretty clear understanding. 

Nobody got the second title, though. The 5 and 6-year-olds kept asking, "But what IS a quark?", and the book didn't really explain that. They couldn't get past that frustration to really let the rest of it sink in. They did all laugh when the baby smashed his tower to pieces, however!

I think this is a good concept that just needs a little tweaking - either moving to a picture book format, or simplifying the information (and I don't know how you could simplify quarks and atoms and molecules more than this - some topics just may not work.) 

That's not to say don't buy these two. I can't imagine a better gift for the baby of a couple science geeks, for a start! You can pair them with a toy airplane or a set of building blocks, and people will think you are a genius yourself! If you are in a school or classroom where the 5-7 crowd is comfortable reading board books, the information is solid, and accessible to that age group. I'll be watching to see if Spiro and Chan come out with more titles.

***This book has been nominated for the Cybils Awards, and I am a first-round panelist in this category. There are many other panelists, and many MANY other great nominees, so a good or bad review here does not necessarily predict placement on the shortlist. 

Review: I Didn't Do It, by Tony Ross

9781512405989

$17.99

The Little Princess has long been putting into words (and pictures) feelings many children can identify with. Perhaps nothing is so frustrating for a little one (or a bigger one for that matter), than being accused of something you didn't do! In this case, it seems everyone is upset with her, and nobody believes her. Her parents even take each other's side, which is just SO unfair. What can she do? Find a friend to talk to, of course! And perhaps the mystery of who is really to blame will be solved along the way...

Parents will figure the answer out immediately, and whether children are surprised by the ending or not, they will certainly commiserate with the Little Princess. The illustrations, always expressive, seem to be particularly silly in this title, and add to the fun. Note: parents who want to see bad behavior punished should skip this one and go find something a bit more moralistic, and probably less enjoyable.

Toddler STEM - Rainbows!

This month's theme for Toddler STEM was Rainbows! As with Pumpkins, the hardest part was narrowing down the activities.

Ever since we started doing Toddler STEM, I have wanted to make Rainbow Spaghetti

2lbs of each color, cooked al dente and tossed around with a little bit of oil (so it doesn't stick) and a lot of food coloring. Once the food coloring is in the spaghetti, it doesn't come off. During the mixing, however...I walked around with blood red hands all day Saturday, which is when I made it all! It stored in the refrigerator nicely all week.

Monday's group was small, and not at all sure about making a mess.

Then my kids showed up.

The goals here were using our senses and building vocabulary:

By the end of the week, this chart included words like "squishy", "blue", "weird", and..."like poop."

I didn't take pictures Wednesday, but THOSE kids had no problem taking shoes and socks off and climbing right in!

Rainbow Ball Pit

We had containers to toss them into, or to fill and dump.

Mostly kids just liked diving into the pool and sending them scattering!

Rainbow Fluff Treasure Hunt

Can you guess what the rainbow fluff is?

Unused, of course! And pretty easy to clean up, although there is still a small trail on the carpet...

Rainbow Soap Foam

Squirt of soap and a little water in a blender, quick pulse, and you are done. I sprinkled liquid watercolors on the top so we could try mixing.

I Spy Bags

These were a dud. Even Monday's group wanted messy activities, whether they would go all in or not! Colored rice is also great for sifting and pouring. Next time.

Puffy Rainbow Clouds

Have you ever put Ivory soap in the microwave? Two minutes and you have a puffy, soft cloud! We talked about how Ivory soap is made, with air bubbles whipped in, which is why it floats. Then we added more liquid watercolors and mushed it around.

If you want to, you can then reshape it however you want and let it solidify. My kids like to use it in the bathtub then, which is always a bonus.

Speaking of my kids, I heard water running and turned around to see this:

He washed all the dishes, all by himself! I see a new chore list in our household's future...