A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Homeschooling

The Girl Who Heard the Music

By 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for The Girl Who Heard the Music through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

Looking for a story of hope and of one that sees the possibilities for change?  Look no further than The Girl Who Heard the Music.  One pianist, one person who firmly believed in her, one home fully longed for, one firm desire to an aid to people…. and so hope was born.  Read this with your children and perhaps they might be inspired to be part of change as well. 

The girl who heard the music

The Details for The Girl Who Heard the Music

Title: The Girl Who Heard the Music
Words by: Marni Fogelson with Mahani Teave
Pictures by: Marta Alvarez Miguens
Publisher: Soucebooks, Explore
Pages: 40
Intended Audience: Ages 4-8
Genre: musical biographies, picturebook, Art and Music, Environment, Performing arts, juvenile non-fiction, biography,
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Received: international edition, softcover picturebook

About the book and author

The Author:

Marni Fogetson worked with Mahani Teave to tell this story. Ms Teave is an award winning concert pianist and a environmental activist. 

Marni Fogelson is a children’s book author, lifestyle writer, and nonprofit professional. With a huge love of reading, she loves how books have the potential to make us better humans. Together with an affections hound, Marni shares a home with her family in Philadelphia.  

The Girl who Heard the music

Looking Deeper

Imagine if you would having a deep love for music and then discovering the piano.  But you live on a small island where pianos, and those that love them, are few and far between!  Fostering her love and ability to play the piano was a bit of a challenge…. but her talent was recognized!

She had to leave the island in order to play. 

As you can see, the text is easy to read. The beauty of the illustrations show how much Mahini is drawn back to her island.  Hear the music.  Feel the music course through your body.   See how Mahini becomes inspired to give back to her community. 

And so she does.   Finding a way to help her community help themselves through the waste they see around them.   You’ll find yourself enjoying Mahini’s love for her people and her willingness to consider unconventional methods to help them to help themselves. 

My Recommendation?

I hope my review of The Girl Who Heard the Music makes you as curious to read it as it did my cat! 

He, being a curious young cat that he is, saw me flipping through the pages of this lovely read and thought he should come join me.  🙂   He’s a fantastic cat for sitting on the couch with and reading a book together.  Perhaps one of your youngsters would love to join him over Mahini’s story?  or better yet, with your own cat!   It makes me curious if other cats might be as drawn to the pictures as my cat is!  🙂 

O is for Ocean

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for O is for Ocean through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

Alphabet books can be so much fun!  Greg Paprocki focuses on oceans as he walks us through the alphabet.  We’ll see flying fish, lagoons, and submarines.  Do you think you could walk your way alphabetically through the ocean?  What types of things might you think of?  It’s fun to look through these books to see if the author is seeing the same things in the ocean that you are! 

O is for Ocean review

The Basic Details of O is for Ocean

Title:  O is for Ocean
Author: Greg Paprocki
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Pages: 32
Format: Board Book
Genre: alphabet books, oceans, water book, oceanography, ecology,
Series: BabyLit
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Received: Boardbook

About the Author

Greg Paprocki works full-time as an illustrator and book designer.  He’s worked with the Curious George books, as well as a number of other BabyLit alphabet books. 

About O is for Oceans

An engaging collection of illustrations teaching children all about the plants, animals, and features of our beautiful oceans from A through Z. 

O is for Ocean Review

A closer look

Aren’t the illustrations in O is for Ocean engaging?  Lovely bright colours dotting the pages, with details sharply contrasting so you can clearly see everything that is going on?   Children imagining the whale swimming with the fish, and sea creatures darting in and out among the anemones?  

So many talking points on each page, engaging readers.

As you can clearly see, the font is large and very easy to read using proper terminology.  Yet, while children are taught in a non-complicated manner.  Easy words with brilliant images. 

One word for every page, gradually taking young readers through the alphabet in a nicely created, well-built board book. 

If you have a love for the ocean, and want to help your children learn the alphabet, O is for Ocean by Greg Paprocki is one that you will want to pick up.  Let your children fall in love with the ecology of the ocean and build their love for learning. 

If you are a homeschooling parent doing a unit on the oceans, what a fantastic way to include your youngest children in your studies.  🙂   A great way for your older ones to explain what they are learning to your littles as they help them learn the alphabet. 

Homeland

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Taking the time to share our memories with our children tells them where we have come from, whether it just be general stories of our childhood, or specific memories of a former homeland.   In Homeland: My father dreams of Palestine we see a dad sharing his memories of Palestine with his family.   I found it poignant that his daughter considers his memories as memories of HER homeland as well. 

homeland: my father dreams of palestine

The Basic Details for Homeland

Title: Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine
Author: Hannan Moushabek
Illustrator: Reem Madooh
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Intended Audience: 5-8 years, kindergarten to grade 3
Style: Picture book
Genre: children’s social situations, children’s parents, immigration, emigration, memories, Palestine,
Formats available: kindle, hardcover
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Received: Hardcover

About the Author

Hannah Moushabeck has given us her first ever picture book that shows you her roots.  She is a second generation Palestinian-American.  Not only is Hannah an author, who grew up in a family of booksellers, but also an editor and marketer.  She learned the value of books and literature from an early age. 

About the book

Homeland is about a dad’s remembrance of his homeland of Palestine, retelling stories to his family of the food, smells, music , and activities.  He was surrounded by poets, musicians, historians, story-tellers and pigeon keepers!   Read his stories, and be inspired to tell your own. 

homeland: my father dreams of palestine

Taking a deeper look

There is so much that I enjoy about Homeland: My Father dreams of Palestine.  I love the dad taking the time to tell his stories to his family.  I love how his family claims his homeland as their own as well, even as they know they might never see it themselves.  Dad must make those stories so real for them.  🙂  Can you imagine having your stories make your children long to live your childhood? 

The font is easy to read, perhaps not quite large enough to read easily with a group of children, but easy enough to read with children sitting right next to you.   The illustrations draw the eye in and help tell the story so well. 

I love how you can see how music infused his childhood, and it makes me wonder, if music infuses the life of his children.  The guitar and drum I see in their family home hints at this truth.   So many talking points on each of the pages.  Can you imagine how you can follow up the pigeon keeper with perhaps finding a pigeon keeper in real life?  Seeing how homing pigeons always stay at home? 

In my family, my mom will talk about the food they had growing up, the difficulties during the war and how their parents helped.  My mom will speak to the faithfulness of God in so many of her life decisions.  But seeing the food and the memories it elicits for the dad, makes me wonder, what dishes from my childhood can I share with my boy?   What might you share with your children? 

At the close of this tale you will see arabic words and their definitions, in case you missed the meaning throughout reading.   Did you know what a fez was? 

If you were doing a study on Palestine and wanted to see what life might be like for a boy living there, you’ll find Homeland to be a useful primer.  It can definitely add a deeper element to your homeschooling studies into this war-torn land (without the scenes of battle). 

The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed through Harbour Publishing. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

You might remember I recently reviewed A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest.  You will find The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed to be just as excellently done. I can’t wait to tell you all about this fantastic resource, I learned so much!  You will too and your children will have fun with the variety of activities included within! 

The Science & Superpowers of seaweed

The Basic Details for The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed

Title: The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed
Author: Amanda Swinimer
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
Formats available: paperback
Pages: 168 pages
Intended Audience: 6-12 years, grades 3-4,
Genre: Seaweed, Kid’s activity books, Education resource, flower and plant book, environment and ecology book,
Reviewed for: Harbour Publishing
Format received: paperback

The Author

Amanda Swinimer moved to British Columbia where she opened her business Dakini Tidal Wilds. She holds a bachelor of science degree from Dalhousie University with an advanced major in Marine Biology. For two decades, Amanda has been sustainably harvesting, by hand, wild, edible seaweeds.  She is passionate about preserving the diversity of our coastlands and the health of our oceans.  An international speaker who eagerly shares her love of seaweed. 

About The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed

This colourful, activity-packed book explores the science of seaweed from the Atlantic and Pacific coastlands.  As you learn about the different types of seaweed, you’ll be shown how to sustainably harvest and use it.  You will be provided with many fun facts about marine plants and animals. Expand your nature studies with a unique focus as you comb the beaches around you.

The science & Superpowers of seaweed

Taking a closer look

Did you know just how many different types of seaweed there are?   Brown, red and green varieties.  Amanda Swinimer takes her time in introducing us to seaweed from Pacific and Atlantic coastlands.  Seven chapters round out the 168 pages. 

I don’t know why I found this amusing to learn about the dead man’s fingers seaweed.  What a unique name, and I can see why they chose the name.  What would you call them if you saw these bloated seaweed on the coast?   As she goes through the different types of seaweed you’ll find drawings, pictorial images, the latin name, and basic information on them. 

Discovering, as you learn about seaweed, a variety of activities to do, from making a sea weed soak to using seaweed in recipes, learn about cleaning up the coastlands, and the importance of reducing the amount of plastic you use.  Did you know you can use Turkish seaweed as a dishcloth? 

Tons of images dot the pages.   Every page has images or drawings.  From seeing the size of brown kelp next to orcas to making boas out of feather kelp. 

The sheer amount of information shared, you can just see how passionate Ms. Swinimer is about seaweed and the coastlands. 

Would I recommend?

I absolutely adore books that provide excellent resources to supplement learning about a topic.  Can’t you just see the delight on your children’s faces if they find a detached dead man’s finger and squirt you with water?   Or made use of Turkish seaweed to wash the dishes when you go for a picnic lunch at the beach?   

The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed is a fantastic resource to expand your studies of life on the coastland of Canada or the USA.  Observe, learn, and create!  Use this excellent kid’s guide to help your children better understand the importance of seaweed in the world’s ecology. 

A Kids Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for A Kids Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest through Harbour Publishing. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

I ADORE books that seek to teach in practical ways as well as educate.   A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest is a fantastic book, complete with teacher’s guide filled with cool facts, activities and recipes to delight the reader.  Reading through this paperback makes me wish they had one called “Plants of Ontario!”  Although, observing the layout and activities I’m sure it could be adapted!  🙂 

a kids guide to Plants of the pacific Northwest

The Basic Details for A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest

Title: A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest
Author: Philippa Joly
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
Pages: 192
Intended Audience: 6-12 years, grades 3-4
Formats Available: Paperback
Genre: Pacific Northwest, Plants, Flower and Plants book, Children’s plant books, Environment and ecology, children’s activity books,
Reviewed for: Harbour Publishing
Copy Received: Paperback

Author

Running an outdoor school for children, and leader of workshops, Philippa Joly uses her education and a clinical and community herbalist, paramedic and outdoor educator to open up nature to children.  She lives in British Columbia with her plant-savvy daughter and cat.  Ms. Joly delights in helping people understand the healing properties of the plants around us while teaching about ethical wildcrafting.  You will see her knowledge brought out in A kid’s guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest

This Resource

Encourage your children to get outside and enjoy the weather and nature as they take in the world around them in the Pacific Northwest. 

Plants surround us wherever we are, and using them we can boost our children’s self-confidence, increase their attention spans and their physical well-being.  This book helps our children appreciate the world in which they are growing up in. 

a kids guide to Plants of the pacific Northwest

Looking More Closely

I have enjoyed walking the trail near my house, figuring a berry I would eat regularly were some type of raspberry.  In reading through A Kid’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest I learned these berries are blackcap raspberries.   Fantastic to learn eh? 

Discover within, recipes, games, mysteries, personal anecdotes, crafts and so much more.   You can even learn how to make your own salves!  Plantain grows all around where I live so this would be rather cool to try don’t you think? 

The font is easy to read. The copious use of images and photos makes it so easy to follow instructions or to learn what the plants are you are learning about.  Latin names, pictures of leaves and berries, wildlife you might see around, and so much more. 

a kids guide to Plants of the pacific Northwest

Personal anecdotes add such a nice touch, drawing out stories from the reader itself.  Drew to mind a time when I was out walking in the bush and came across a youngish possum hiding in a stump.  The sheer amount of noise coming from such a small critter.  You would have thought it was a small bear!  🙂  I thought for sure it would play dead but it chose to hiss and hiss at me.   

Plant profiles are divided into seasons, spring is probably the biggest section.  You’ll also find chapters dedicated to the indigenous peoples of the area, the regions covered, the dos and don’ts of wildcrafting, plant families and guilds, poisonous plants and invasive plants.   

At the close you’ll find a glossary, a plant quiz, suggested readings and comprehensive index. 

What do I think of a Kids guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest?

A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest is a fantastic resource for teachers, or parents, wanting to ensure their charges/children learn more about plants in this area.  With interesting facts, a variety of activities and yummy recipes, this book is sure to please!  With all the work done for you it makes it easy to review, gather supplies, and let your children learn. 

Don’t think this book isn’t helpful if you don’t live in the Pacific Northwest.  Many of these plants grow in a wider area.  I live in Ontario, not in British Columbia through to California.  And just think of the ideas you will get!  And the fun you will have with your children learning the value in the plants around you.  🙂   Add this resource into your bookbag as you conduct your nature studies. 

Pinocchio

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Pinocchio through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Aren’t we all familiar with the story of Pinocchio?  A little wooden toy, a living puppet who wants to be a real boy.  I don’t know about you, but I’m only familiar with the short storybook, not the original story.  And wow, if you have not read the original text of Pinocchio… I urge you to do so!  AND if you must read any copy, grab up Carlo Collodi’s version with illustrations by Gris Grimly.  They fit the original text so well, you will be delighted.  🙂  Come, let me show you what you have been missing.  

Pinocchio

The Basic Details of Pinocchio

Title: Pinocchio
Author: Carlo Collodi
Illustrator: Gris Grimly
Introduction: Guillermo Del Toro
Pages: 224
Series: Tor Classics
Intended Audience: 10-12 years, grades 3-7
Genre: Classic Literature, Fantasy, Growing Up, Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult
Formats Available: Kindle, Paperback
Reviewed For: Raincoast Books.

About the Author and Illustration

Carlos Collodi is the pen name of Carlo Lorenzini who lived 1826 – 1890.  The Adventures of Pinocchio was originally published as a series of weekly adventures.  He was an author, humourist, and journalist.  An Italian who was educated at a theological seminary, but he withdrew when he knew he didn’t want to become a priest.  He started working in a book store where he was an assistant to a prominent Italian manuscript specialist.  

About the Book

This edition has the full text of the original Pinocchio with a mixture of full-page and spot illustrations in black and white integrated in the text, in pen-and-ink style. The ink is sepia brown.

Pinocchio is the story of a wooden puppet, made by a lonely woodcarver looking for boy to call his own.  When the puppet comes to life, he needs to learn how to be a boy, but he has so much to learn about being a good boy.  This is his story. A tale of whimsy and magic, of mistakes and growth. 

Looking Deeper

One of the biggest draws for me in reading the original text of Pinocchio, are the illustrations by Gris Grimly.  They are SO true to the story!  Check them out eh?   You will find not only full page drawings… 

but also illustrations that fit within the text.  The quirkiness of the images suits the language and style of the original text.  Like any good illustration, they help put a face to the characters found within. 

You’ll find the text easy to read, but mind… it’s not all easy reading.  Pinocchio is sometimes, really not a nice puppet.  He has his moments of being good and right, but mostly… he’s just a self-centred little boog.  (there’s really no nice way of putting it).  🙂  Throughout you can see how the Pinocchio story that we know and love came into being. 

Recommendation

Read a classic!  Enjoy illustrations that fit the story so very well.  Pinocchio the classic, is much like the Pinocchio, the shortened version, but more intense, better suited to an older crowd.  🙂   I think many middle school students would enjoy this story. 

As a homeschooling parent I could see asking my child to read it and then point out the differences and similarities between the modern and the classic versions. 

The Bee Without Wings

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for The Bee Without Wings through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

Imagine you are a handicapped bee with no way of getting around.  You are lost and alone until a friend comes along.  Can you see what joy that will bring to your heart?  The Bee Without Wings brings together Sasha, Molly and Bea into a delightful and fun friendship that will warm your heart.  Learn about bees and discover how to recover from loss. 

The Bee without wings, amberlea williams

The Basic Details for The Bee Without Wings

Title: The Bee Without Wings
Author: Amberlea Williams
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Pages: 40
Intended Audience: 4-8 year olds
Available Formats: Kindle, Hardcover
Type: Picture Book
Genre: Bees, Insects, Friendship, Death/Dying, Helping Bees, Bugs
Received: Hardcover
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Author

Amberlea Williams lives in Ottawa with her husband, son and cat.  She loves to illustrate, do freelance design and teach yoga.    Her parents encouraged her to go to art school when she was young.

About The Bee Without Wings

Finding a bumble bee without wings in her garden, Sasha is determined to help it survive.  This unexpected friendship leads to a summer of fun between Sasha, Molly the cat, and Bea the bee.  Bea evens learns you don’t need wings to fly! Bees don’t live long though, so Sasha discovers a meaningful way to honour her friend.   Beautifully illustrated, the tale includes an activity for creating a bee pollinator garden, along with information on how to care for early spring bees.

Looking Deeper

Tales of friendship between unlikely allies intrigue all sorts of people, and finding a bee without wings that a young girl doesn’t want to immediately just squash is fantastic. Sasha is a sweet, soft-hearted young girl who takes excellent care of her young bee friend.  

You’ll find the text easy to read as you follow along the adventures of these three young friends.  From learning how to care for this weak young bee, to finally helping her find her final resting place.  

Sasha needed to develop her problem-solving skills.  She takes time to observe and then figures out how to help.  

I just love the illustrations.  They are clear, easy to follow, with a brightness to them that encourages the reader to stay involved.   

And before you can blink an eye she had Bea up and flying!  Even if it was only a short time before Bea started to fail.   The proportions aren’t exactly to scale, but if one kept them true to size it would have been difficult to show Bea’s emotions. 

At the close of the book you’ll learn how to care for spring bees, even as we watch Sasha and Molly plant a bee garden.  Don’t you just love it when a picture book not only tells a good story, but teaches as well?

Recommendation?

Sasha is a lovely, soft-hearted girl, with excellent problem-solving skills.  Can she keep Bea alive and give her a good quality of life?  For sure?  Can she find a good way to honour her little friend?  Definitely.

What do we observe: Sasha has empathy for the bee, Sasha observes her little bee and then uses problem-solving skills to help Bea, accommodates Bea’s failing health, and then figures out how to help other bees. 

Can we learn how to help the bees through this story?  For sure!  This is an great primer for learning how to care for early spring bees.   Building a bee garden, providing safe places to get a drink, creating living quarters and much more.  An excellent start.  I only wish she had provided links or building instructions for making a bee house.   

This would be a nice companion book to actually learning about bees as this one focuses more on how we can help our bee companions.Â