A Net in Time

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Books for Children

Art Book Series: Claude Monet:Sunshine and Waterlilies

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The small book on Claude Monet is written as though a young person was writing a report for school, complete with what she likes and doesn’t like about Monet’s painting and some of the food he liked it eat.   It covers from his early years til the end of his life.

It’s a rather neat little book just packed full of pictures and text about Monet.  Did you know that Monet had a temper and if he didn’t like his work he’d rip it up or throw it into the river (if out in a boat mind you).

One of the nice touches I thought the comparison of Renoit and Monet doing the same scene.  Each artist had his own touch.    Both I think are great.  Two friends who often painted together. Neighbours, Friends, Rivals, both Impressionists.

I love the multitude of images and the easy read font.  I found it fascinating seeing Monet’s early work and how much it changed the longer he was an artist.   

For instance this early one : La Pointe De La Heve at Low Tide
As Opposed this later one: San Giorgio Maggorie by Twilight.

Monet was well known for liking to paint the same scene at different times of the day. He loved to be outdoors painting rather than indoors doing portraits or still-life images.  It took a long time for his style of art work to be accepted, but when they did, it enabled him to build an awning to sit under when he painted, it meant he didn’t need to live with friends or only eat beans for months on end.

This was a very interesting book that piqued my (and my son’s) interest in Monet.

 Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies
Author: Steven Packard
Illustrator: True Kelley
Published by Grosset & Dunlop
Series: Smart about Art
32 pages

Where to find it:
Amazon.ca: Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies

Amazon.com: Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies (Smart About Art)

Here’s a neat series of videos about Monet:

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Review: John Deere That’s Who

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Today I have a great book for you called John Deere, That’s Who.Written by Tracy Nelson Maurer we are brought into the early days of the American west.   John Deere changed farming for the better, this is his story.

 I have to tell you… I liked this book.  Watching a man at work trying to find a way to help his neighbours.  Working it out, trying different methods, until he discovered what would work. 
Great pictures provided by Tim Zeltner.  

The illustrations showed clearly the farmland and the difficulty of the work.  Carefully drawn, and in a style that made me think of days gone past.

The text was clearly written, with good information.   I enjoyed the meaty text, I learned how so many men left their families at home while they went out west to get a good start before sending for their families to join them.  John Deere was one of these men going out west to make a new start.  I learned about the need that was presented to him… farmers working hard in a gummy soil where the old plows didn’t work well in.  The farmers wanting to leave because the work was too difficult, Mr. Deere couldn’t afford to have his customers leave so determined to find a new way when he couldn’t afford to ship out what he needed. So he recycled other materials to make what was needed.    Making plows, giving them away, so farmers could test them and discover how much better they were.  His plows were so good he was debt free in five years.

 John Deere That’s Who
Author: Tracy Nelson Maurer
Illustrator: Tim Zeltner
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 40
Style: Children’s Picture Book
Ages: 4-8 years old
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

Where can you find it?
 Amazon.ca: John Deere, Thats Who

 Amazon.com: John Deere, Thats Who

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Review: One Upon A Time Storybook Bible

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 This book is gorgeous, filled with lovely images and text that flows easily from the tongue.   Once Upon a Time Storybook Bible is a book filled with bible stories from the Old and New Testaments, biblical references, and points to take home.

Book Synopsis:
The Once Upon a Time Storybook Bible highlights powerful and
inspiring stories from the Bible.   It is beautifully illustrated with wonderful artwork by Omar Aranda. Some of the stories include: Adam and Eve, Ruth and Naomi, The battle of Jericho, The Blind Man, Lazarus, Wake up and Jesus in Jerusalem. Each  story is told in a way to encourage children to get excited about reading the tales of real heroes of the Bible.   33 chapters, most from the Old Testament, a few from the New.  Each story is about 3 pages long.

My Thoughts: 
What I liked:
Once Upon A Time Storybook Bible is a GORGEOUS book, I kid you not.  The pictures are superb!  They have so much detail and colour in them. They don’t look babyish, they look like something you’d see in a book of quality that you like to have around for a while.

Each story starts with a bible verse, and closes with the biblical reference.  Good things that eh?

The happily ever after section.  I liked this part.  Pulling out a moral for children to apply to their lives or to think about.  That’s a good thing don’t you think?

Concerns:
Frequently the bible verse at the start of each story had no connection to the story that I could readily discern. 

I dislike the “once upon a time” aspect of this book.   The stories, even though they aren’t complete, (how many stories in bible story books are?) are still based on the bible. The bible is reality and not just about telling a story to teach a moral. Putting bible stories on the same level as fairytales is encouraging children to just see them as another story with a simple truth to take from it and not God in action. If using this book, I was suggest care in how you explain that God’s word is reality, and perhaps even read the full story directly from the Bible to them to help them understand that bible story books only give a shortened version of the whole story.

Once Upon A Time Storybook Bible
Illustrator: Omar Aranda
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Age: 5 to 8
Style: Hardcover, storybook
Size: Oversized a bit bigger than 11 x 8
33 chapters.
Pages: 144 
Reviewed for: BookLookBloggers.

Where can you get it?
Amazon.ca: Once Upon a Time Storybook Bible

Amazon.com: Once Upon a Time Storybook Bible

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Art Book Series: 1-2-3 Draw

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 Today I have a book from my own collection. 1-2-3 Draw, a  neat coil bound book that teaches the student how to draw a variety of objects. 

One of the things I like about this book is how it LIES FLAT.  Oh heavens, too many art books don’t which means you need to weight down the book in order to use it effectively.   Having a coil ring art book makes it easy to display if showing a classroom or to lie flat as you learn.

Five sections to choose from including: wild animals, dinosaurs, farm animals, knights/castles and vehicles.

It’s a book of simple line drawings, walking the student through a series of circles and lines to help them accomplish their drawings.  Learning the technique for one animal, object or person will help them learn how to do it for others.

Followed by inspiration on how to put it all together.   Each section ended with a picture of how you might put it all together.  

Not only that, as you learned to draw an animal, object or item, you were given a brief spot of information about it.

 All in all a good book to learn how to draw different things.  The only thing my son and I dislike is that some of the animals are a bit disproportionate (legs being too long for the body), but that is easy enough to fix eh?  🙂

 1-2-3 Draw: Super Fun Stuff
 Author: Freddie Levin
Publisher: Peel Productions, Inc.

Five books in one

 
 
Where to Find it?
Amazon.ca: 1-2-3 Draw Super Fun Stuff: 5 Books in One

Amazon.com: 1-2-3 Draw Super Fun Stuff: 5 Books in One

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time

Review: God’s Easter Miracles

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Amazon.com: God’s Easter Miracles: Adventures Of The Sea Kids is a cute picture book written by Lee Ann Mancini.   A school of sealife learn some important lessons about how we live our lives in the light of Jesus giving up his life for us.

About those who put the book together:
Author Lee Ann Mancini is an adjunct professor at South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary,she’s a mom of two, and has devoted her life as a servant for Christ Jesus.

Illustrator Dan Sharp has over 30 years of illustrating for children.  He attends church services in Michigan and works for a variety of companies in designing artwork.

Book Synopsis: 
We find the sea kids in Sunday School with Miss Linda their teacher, one of her students has autism.  Today Miss Linda has a surprise for them… and Easter Egg hunt with three special eggs to find.   Paul (the autistic child) was VERY eager to find one of the special eggs.  The children rushed around finding eggs, One boy found two special eggs, as well as another student, but Paul did not.   Young boy who found two was asked to give up one egg for Paul…We also learned of a child who was badly hurt in an accident.   Through these experiences the children learn the power of prayer and how to give of themselves.

My Thoughts:
There is much in this book that I had a thorough appreciation for:

The bright colourful pictures. 

The biblical base and the focus on prayer.

The easy to read font.

I have to admit, I struggled with the teacher asking Jimmy (who won the two special eggs) to give up one of them to a student having a temper tantrum over not getting his own way.  She claimed he should do it because “it wasn’t fair for Jesus to die for us”.  It didn’t set right for me. It might be my own depravity showing through…Love helps us do things we don’t want to do. Perhaps it was a way to show love…but I query if it is truly loving to reward temper tantrums.  I LOVED the answer his father gave to Jimmy.  He didn’t HAVE to show his love..but he could CHOOSE to do so.  Jesus submitted his will to God the Father, Jimmy submitted his will to what was right to help his friend work through his disappointment. 

God’s Easter Miracles
Author: Lee Ann Mancini
Illustrator: Dan Sharp
Publisher: GLM Publishing
Series: Adventures of the Sea Kids
Pages: 32
Type: Children’s Picture book
Cover: Hardcover
Reviewed for: Bookcrash

Where can you find it?
Amazon.ca: God’s Easter Miracles: Adventures of the Sea Kids

Amazon.com: God’s Easter Miracles: Adventures Of The Sea Kids

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Books Read in March

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The
Homeschool Review Crew does word prompts for Instagram fun, I think
it’s great to have these words prompts for doing quick posts.  🙂   I
find them fun as sometimes it surprises me where my brain goes.  🙂   The word for today is Books. 

Since I haven’t done my books read for the month I thought I’d do that up today.    I know I know, hardly innovative eh?  You’ll cope I think?

Books that I read just for me.

 Fledgling

I loved this book so much I went out and got the second book in the series before I even finished the first one.  

A great series about a lad who crosses two cultures and is not accepted in either one.  He meets a dragon and his life is forever changed.

The second book Avian is just as good.  🙂  Now to read Traitor and then Immortal…  I have to know how it all ends  .. I just have to know!!!!

Hubby and I just finished listening to  Balanced on the Blade’s Edge. 

I love the story aspect…it’s actually quite fascinating.  I’d rather not have the romance aspect to it as I find that I dislike that aspect in books now, but the story behind the romance has me hooked.  I want to know how the crisis will be worked through.    

Her second book I am liking more as the romance part isn’t quite as in my face.  “Deathmaker” It is called.   Definitely a fantasy type series of books, with powers of magic, dragons of old, and fear of magic rampant.

Books Reading with my Lad (in progress or finished)

We have been working through story of the world for quite a while.   I expect we’ll be done this book by the end of the month as we are in the last 1/5th of it.

We’ve learned a whole lot reading through this series.

The Natural World.

We’ve learned about all sorts of animals and natural phenomena.   
Trees, rainforests, critters of all sorts.

Currently we are in the midst of learning all sorts of fascinating facts about birds.

It will be a spell before we are done this book though.

A Wind in the Door
I loved this book as a child and it stuck with me forever.  

I could hardly wait for my lad to get old enough to share it with him.

He LOVED it.  And often begged me to keep reading through it.  

He was as sad as I was at the end when Progo died. “BUT MOM!!!  HE can’t die!!!”   What love will do eh?

Canada’s Natives Long Ago.

This book contains stories from early Canadians…both natives and early explorers.   We’re learning lots and being amazed often.   

We just finished reading a section about a young explorer trying to cross a river where the current was so strong it bent a tree FOUR FEET in diameter in half!   Can you imagine it?   They gave up trying to cross the river.

We continue to read through “Getting to Know Nature’s Children”.  This month we are learning about the grouse, last month we learned about otters and the red fox.   There are two animals in each book.

The lad continues to enjoy this series and as long as he does, we’ll keep reading through them.   

 

Irish Chain

I can’t say what a great book this is that we are reading.  I would call this a living book about a disaster in Canadian history.. devastated the town and harbor.  Killed 1000’s of people.   The lad and I are captivated by the story of Rose and her strength that she didn’t even know she had.   She lost so much…and yet..her family and her memories remained strong.

If you can…read this book.  It’s a good one.

Books Read for the Purpose of Reviewing Them.

Amazing Animal Adventure.   This was a GREAT seek and find book on biomes located throughout the world.

War Plan Red.    This was simply a fun review to do and I learned so much about the history between Canada and the United States. 

Found – Psalm 23.   A book for young children, a simple, gentle look at Psalm 23 and how the good shepherd cares for us. 

Let’s Explore…Mountain.   Want to learn about different mountains throughout the world?   Text plus activities to educate and entertain.  

 

The Kid from Diamond Street.   A story of women’s baseball, which focuses on Edith Houghton.   A very interesting book.   A meaty picture book that I enjoyed. 

A Dog in a Cave.   This was a somewhat different book that I enjoyed none the less.  Less about evolution and more about how two species can influence the development of the other. 

Really Woolly Easter Blessings.  A board board for the youngest children, to teach about Easter with Verse and prayer.

Three Middle School Books: I love you Michael Collins (Learning about the forgotten astronaut through the eyes of a young girl struggling with growing up and family issues), Ten: A soccer Story (a young soccer fan who works to make her dreams come true) and The Journey to Dragon Island (a light fantasy).  

 

 Books in process.

My son continues to read through the Erin Hunter “warrior cats” series, last I heard he was on the fourth series.   He has also started Shepherd, Potter, Spy…and Star Namer. 

I am currently reading: “Voyage to the Magical North” and “Head First”.   Also will be finishing book two, and hopefully book three of the Dragonrider Chronicles.  🙂

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This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Art Series: Darth Vadar and Family, coloring book

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Most of the colouring books I do on this blog are for adults, but today I have a book geared at the younger set…. particularly those youngsters who like Darth Vadar and the different characters from Star Wars.    Jeffrey Brown has put together a colouring book called Darth Vadar and Family.

Do you like Star Wars?   Are you children lovers of this long-running series?
I have to admit, I like watching the movies though I am not a die-hard fanatic.  🙂

Both my son and husband have a firm fondness for this series and frequently rewatch the movies.   I am just delighted they have a movie interest to share in common.

In this colouring book, Jeffrey Brown combines normal family life with the characters and life of the Star Wars movies.

What do you think?    Would it be fun to go sledding with Star Wars Characters, or share a hot cocoa with Darth Vadar himself?

Or go
engage in a spot of friendly fishing…who knows who will catch the
biggest one…as long as they don’t use the light saber on the poor
fish.

Each page is one sided, which prevents bleed through, and if carefully done, would tear out to make for great refrigerator art.  (if the pages were perforated it would make tear out easier).

I appreciate that this book has simpler drawings that children can colour in, they can imagine (and laugh about) the idea of Darth Vadar playing the role of dad.  Or Chewbacca being one of the kids or heading up into a tree fort with one the Ewoks.

It’s a fun, fanciful approach to using Star Wars Characters.   It will appeal to some or … if they are like my lad .. “BUT MOM!!!   Chewbacca would never do anything with Darth Vadar!!!!!”   So depending on what your child(ren) are like, this may or may not be the colouring book for you.

One of the small gems of this book is on the inside front cover when Mr. Brown gives the reader a “Darth Vadar drawing lesson”.

Darth Vadar and Family, a coloring book.
Author/cartoonist: Jeffrey Brown
Pages: 96
Age range – 5 and up

Reviewed for: Raincoast books

Amazon.com: Darth Vader and Family Coloring Book

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!