Books for Children

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for But I’m Not Sick through Jenkins Group, Inc. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 

Do you have children nervous about going to the doctor whether they are sick or not?  But I’m not sick walks children through what a well-kid check at the doctor is all about.   No needles, just a health check and people helping maintain a child’s good health. 

Details you’ll need

Title: But I’m Not Sick
Author: Andrena J. Ziegler
Illustrator: Mark Brayer
Pages: 42
Publisher:  Palmetto Publishing
Formats Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback
Intended Audience: Children
Received: Paperback
Reviewed for: Jenkins Group, Inc.

The Author and The Book

Andrena J. Zeigler, has worked as an advanced Practical Nurse specializing in pediatrics for 20 years.   She loves teaching the next generation of pediatric nurses and nurse practitioners.  Married, with children and living in South Carolina.  In her free time Ms. Zeigler enjoys being creative in cooking, decorating, designing, and writing. 

But I’m Not Sick is about a young girl going to the doctor for a healthy child check who didn’t understand why she had to go to the doctor because she wasn’t sick.  Her mom reassured it that she was just going for a check up but still, the child looked uncertain.  The story walks us through her check up. 

Looking more closely at But I’m Not Sick

Clear images and bright colours fill the pages.  Text is highlighted on a page with blue, with full colour pages opposite.  The kindness of the medical staff is evident throughout. 

The text is large enough to read easily with a group of children, yet comfortable enough for snuggling in a chair for reading.  

The doc does her best to reassure her young charge that everything is fine, even down to her rumbling tummy.  Could it be a monster below just wanting to make himself known?   For some children this fun could be fun, and others it might be alarming, so know your children first eh? 

Through images and text you can see the care the medical staff have for their patient.  Helping their charge feel comfortable despite her insistence that she’s not sick, ergo she doesn’t need to be there!

Read it?

There were a couple of things I didn’t much care for.  For instance, in my experience, tonsils don’t sway and slide.  And calling a child’s stomach a growling monster….would work for most children but not all.   So know your children.

OTHER THAN THAT… I thought But I’m not sick, a well-done book, you could see the author’s experience shine through.  From mom accompanying her daughter through the various steps of her check, to the daughter saying But I’m not sick! 

I love how the doctor explains her actions throughout. Looking in the ears, listening to her stomach, and checking her reflexes. Sometimes doctors and nurses don’t do enough explaining with children from my experiences with my lad. 

I don’t review many books concerning medical issues, but The Button Pusher deals with ADHD (for middle school) and Fighting Parkinson’s and Winning (for adults). 

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (What Does Your Daddy Do?) through News 21 AM. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated.

Consider the importance in encouraging children to see the good in a wide variety of occupations.  Joshua Page helps us consider the trade of being an electrician and hints at learning about being a plumber.  What other occupations can your youth consider?  A carpenter maybe?   Consider the value of working in the trades and help your children consider them as well. 

Basic Details

Title: What Does Your Daddy Do?
Author: Joshua Page
Formats available: Kindle, Paperback
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
Pages: 44
Intended Audience: 4-9 years old
Genre: Family Life, School issues, careers
Reviewed For: News 21 AM

About the Author:

Joshua Page is a husband, father, and entrepreneur. He is passionate about getting kids involved with the trades.   He has been featured on many podcasts, a TEDx speaker, and a motivational public speaker.   When not busy running his electrical companies and inspiring others, he loves to spend time with his family.

Synopsis: 

In his new children’s book, What Does Your Daddy Do?, Page introduces young readers to Ashton, whose fifth-grade class is having career week. Ashton isn’t sure exactly what his dad does, so he goes home and asks him. Ashton then gets to learn about all the cool work his dad does as an electrician and all the interesting tools he gets to use. As career week continues, all the students get to share stories about what their parents do.

Looking Deeper into What does your daddy do?

What does your daddy do?  alternates full-colour images with plain pages of text.  The story takes us into the curious mind of an elementary boy asking his dad what he does.  Thusly we are taken into the life of an electrician working small and large jobs.

I expected to have the story written at a bit higher level as these are upper elementary children having this discussion, but I found the writing geared to younger children.  None-the-less the story told the basic work of an electrician.   I would have loved to have some discussion about the exact type of work that an electrician does.  For instance, how running pipes and wires can help a water slide work, or fixing a light switch can prevent fires, or just help someone read a book.   Just so more of the practical hands-on of the trade of an electrician. 

The brightness of the illustrated pages is attractive don’t you think?  The consistency in the colour palette and the clarity in the illustrations help bring the story to life. 

Add to your shelves?

I have to admit, I’m not sure what I think.  He talks about this being with a fifth-grade class, but I don’t find that it’s written with fifth-graders in mind.  It’s written more for younger children.  So that incongruity threw me off. 

But he does a good overview of describing some of what an electrician does, helping people with their wiring and other electrical issues. I could easily see this becoming a series as Sofia needed to learn what a plumber does.  The sheer number of trades you could cover would be fantastic. 

I really liked how Ashton’s dad explained what an electrician did to Ashton, and then Ashton had to take the knowledge back to his classroom.  That continuation of learning in What Does your Daddy Do? is part of what intrigues me about this title. 

Personally, I think it’s fantastic to bring the trades to life for our children.  Helping them to see the possibilities of what they might wish to do as they mature.  I do hope that Mr. Page continues this series, considering a whole range of occupations from Hair stylists, carpenters, daycare workers, as well as tool and die makers.  It’s fantastic to expose children to a wide range of occupations to help keep their options open. 

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (The Rowdy Randy Wild West Show) through Smith Publicity. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated.

The Rowdy Randy Wild West Show invites us into Rowdy Randy’s world and the fun of a wild west show.  Take a light look at the animals of events of this historical period. Watch a strong female character organize her own Wild West Show.

The Basic Details of The Rowdy Randy Wild West Show

From the author: “The wildlife of the West inspired the Rowdy Randy series,” says Rislov. “Many people travel to Yellowstone and other National Parks to see these magnificent creatures. Rowdy Randy, the cowgirl horsefly, came about as the main character … We continued this second story with creating her own Wild West Show that is based off U.S. Western History. She is still the strong character that she was in the first book. In this book she is also a leader of many- and that all girls can be leaders too. I hope this series sparks a love of nature for children and brings more families outdoors to create their own brave adventures.”

You’ll find The Rowdy Randy Wild West Show to be a fast-moving story told over 32 pages in a hardcover book with dustcover.   Filled with full-colour images and a story suitable for children 5-7 years of age.  Animals are featured from all over the wild west with glimpses into US history.  

Seeing the Specifics

Striking full-colour images fill the pages.  The bright greens of a mallard,  bright blues of berries, and muted grey of mice are just some of the colours that will grab your attention.   Some of the animals are attired in human garments such as hard hats and postal bags. 

Not all the animals featured are real such as the jackalope, but in a book for children, I kinda expect some pretend to occur.  

You’ll find Rowdy Randy hard at work throughout, delegating people when she needs to, and encouraging people to be involved.   Before you know it, you see animals travelling by stagecoach, covered wagon, and on animal back.   You’ll find some references to US history in how people travelled, the pony express, and at the close of the book, to another, more well-known wild west show. 

Most of the time the language used suits the vocabulary of younger children, but more advanced language was used as well.   This occasionally made it harder to read out loud as these words didn’t flow as easily off the tongue.  I also wonder if the intended audience would understand them. 

Acrobatics, marksmanship, climbing events and more were the attractions of the Wild West Show hosted by Rowdy Randy.  I actually found this part of the story to be the weakest.  The writing occasionally left me confused as to which characters were involved. 

Add it to your repertoire?

I don’t know.  I loved the full-colour images.  But the lack of ease of reading aloud, some of the more difficult words, and the minimal referencing of US history.  It just didn’t feel like enough… do you know what I mean?   

It’s not like The Rowdy Randy Wild West Show is an unacceptable book, but I wanted more. I wanted a touch more depth to the story as well as more definition of animals seen in the wild west.   This could have been mitigated by adding a glossary of animals. Additionally having a teacher’s section where one connects the US history to events in the book.   As is, it could be used at the close of a schooling unit to see if children could pick out the wild west elements.