Geography

How to Make a Mountain

March 23, 2022 By Annette1 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (How to Make a Mountain) 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.

You know how you can get a book that you fundamentally disagree with but can still like? How to Make a mountain is one such book. I am a firm creationist… believing that God created the world. Done story. But then you get a cleverly done book from a evolutionary standpoint and enjoy the journey of exploration and explanation.

The Basic Details

How to Make a Mountain: in Just 9 simple steps and only 100 million years by Amy Huntington. A fun 68-page picture book for 5-8 year olds. Chronicle books is the publisher, and I am reviewing a hardcover picture book with dustcover. Raincoast books provided me with this copy. Nancy Lemon illustrates.

Learning more about How to Make a Mountain

How to Make a Mountain is a fantastic earth sciences book with 9 chapters listed as steps.

Find a rock
Crash and Crumple
Rivers and Rockslides
Freeze
Melt
Soil
Plants
Animals
Care

It takes a humourous look at how someone might want to help build a mountain. It is great to be walked through the process from start to finish. In the process, learning how long it takes for a mountain to form, if you follow conventional science.. that’s a 100 million years!

The font is an easy to read size, and reads well quietly or outloud. You will find good use of white space, and these full-colour illustrations filling the rest of the page. I just love the fun illustrator Nancy Lemon had. Drawing a little girl pushing hard on a rock with the font changing in size….isn’t it precious?!?! Can’t you just children giggling over it? 🙂

Don’t you just love informative picture books? You get to learn so much. Have you ever really stopped to think about what all makes up a mountain…from their creation to all the life they support? Just imagine the conversations you could engage your children in.

At the close of the book you’ll find a section with definitions and a short summation.

Add it to your shelf?

Are you doing a unit on earth science or geology? Perhaps you are interested in understanding what a rock has to do with building a mountain? This book will help you see the steps in creating a mountain, and what all a mountain contains. How to Make a Mountain is such an interesting and fun look into all that makes a mountain a mountain.

Will youth 5-8 years old like it? I think so. It’s a good, informative read, but not only that it’s a fun book! They get to watch a little girl pushing rocks, and canoeing in a river, and planting trees. Older students will like it just to read with younger siblings, or as a primer before doing a deeper study. Look into the biome of a mountain, of how mountains are created, and all the different aspects/regions of a mountain scape. You’ll be surprised, perhaps, at just how much there is!

Other books that might help:

Under the Stars

July 12, 2021 By Annette1 4 Comments

This past summer I had the opportunity to head down to Pinery at night a few times to watch the sun go down and let the stars come out. Did you know that my lad thoroughly enjoys the quiet of watching a night sky? It’s just a nice time to sit, talk, or even just sit in silence observing. Then peeking at the moon at it starts to shine? Oh, it’s marvellous to be out under the stars.

The other day we were out later than expected and we were able sit out under the stars and watch the fireflies flitting around under the night sky. We grabbed out the lawn chairs and then sat together watching and laughing together. It was a lovely time together that too often we don’t take. Computers and household chores too often get in the way don’tcha know?

Over the years we’ve had opportunities to learn more about the night sky. Two years ago he went with his Cadet Corp to the London Observatory. Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory is located at Western University, if offers classes in Exploring the Stars as well as allowing the public to book private viewing times. Canada has a number of observatories that are well worth checking out.

Understanding the vocabulary

Just as with any field of study, astronomy has its own specific language. As you observe the night sky you’ll be introduced to such words as zenith, meridan, eclipse and more. This video gives you a bit of an introduction. You’ll also find a large list through vocabulary lists.

Books and Resources to Help in Explorations

Ooh.. talking books! This is always fun!

50 things to see in the sky is a helpful book with simple drawings introducing you to 50 different elements to look for in the night sky. From things you can see with the naked eye, to items you’ll need a telescope or an observatory.

Did you know there are places around the world that are tourist attractions just because of their unique perspectives on the night sky? You can see things there that are specific to an area. I found Dark Skies to be fascinating. So many phenomena I had not known about.

I’ve looked at a lot of books about the moon, exploring the moon, going to the moon, rockets and what not. I’ve made a list of many of them.

Crafts and Activities

In my geography area on my pinterest board you’ll find a number of solar system/moon/outer space ideas to explore. From making solar system project, to using marshmallows to make constellations, or learning about women in space. These is just so much to learn about our expanding universe it’s so interesting to learn about.

In my science board you’ll discover a number solar based science activities and experiments. Doing the moon phases, solar activities, or learning about sun sneezing. 🙂 It’s amazing all you’ll discover under the stars. Stars, galaxies, constellations, black holes, and more. So much to see as we stand here looking up at the beauty above us.

One of the things my son really enjoyed making and led to an impromptu study of the night skys, constellations etc, was when we made this light planetarium from Kiwi Crates. This was such a good project for us to do and he asked so many questions and we learned so much about how planetariums work and the fun of looking for stars and constellations in the night sky. This book is a Planetarium came in very handy.

So what about you? Do you get stilled to silence at the beauty above us? Do you find it fun to see what constellations you can find? Have you taken the time to study the solar system with your children? What is the most amazing thing that you have discovered about what’s out there?

Me and The World

January 27, 2021 By Annette1 2 Comments

I don’t know about you but I like looking at well-done infographics. They can convey so much information in an engaging format. Me and the World is filled with really good infographic that tell kids all about this wonderful world we live in. Bright colours and facts that interest children fill the pages. Come on, let me tell you all about it. Amazon Affiliate links will be used in this review.

Reviewing Me and The World

Put together by Mireia Trius, Me and The World: and infographic exploration, is published by Chronicle Kids. Raincoast Books sent me a lovely hardcover book which is oversized quite needfully so since it’s jam-packed with information.

Hosted by Lucia from Spain, we are walked through 25 infographic areas highlighting different aspects of the world we live in. You’ll discover the most popular pets, favourite names, bestselling books, traffic patterns and so much more.

Each page contains lots of colour and illustrations which are done by Joana Casals. I loved the broad use of hue and shade and valued the scope the images covered. There is so much to look for and be inspired by on most of the pages. Other pages were more statistical in nature, containing rows of people or different shaded circles. The statistics given in the infographic style are enlightening and help us see the world more completely.

I was admittedly surprised by some of the topics covered such as the most visited museums and playground games. I expected topics such as, and received, popular sports, most famous cities, food and traffic. So the variety of topics was excellent.

The font is perfect for sitting down and reading. The style is consistent throughout. Sometimes for my old eyes, the font was a bit small, but for the middle schoolers this is intended for, it’s just fine. 🙂

How to Use Me and the World

Me and the World would be an excellent resource in a homeschool room. For use as conversation starters, story starters, writing prompts, as an addition to learning about the world, cultural studies and so much more.

I can well see a family using it as.. see all the options for studying the world’s people, what area would you want to know about?

Should you get it?

YES! Me and the World: An infographic exploration shows us how we as people are the same and yet different, within our cultural differences. Seeing who can eat pork, and who can’t. Learning how many other people play your favourite sport or speak your language. It’s so fascinating to see our similarities as well as our differences.

If you come to Earth

December 16, 2020 By Annette1 2 Comments

Oh my what fun! Learn about the world and everything in it with “If you Come to Earth” by Sophie Blackall. If you were an alien coming to earth…. you’ll get a whirl-wind tour of what to expect in this wonderful hardcover picture book. Let me tell you all about it in this review (affiliate links used)

If you Come to Earth, the details

Chronicle Books, along with Sophie Blackall, take visitors on a fast-paced tour of the world. Teaching the world’s guests through our cities, people groups, events, and much much more. Children in Kindergarten through grade three will delight in the colourful illustrations, and learning about the world we live in.

The reader will discover 80 pages of discovery and exploration about planet earth. Learning about the environment and events that help shape us.

My review is on behalf of Raincoast Books.

What you’ll get

You’ll learn about our solar system, people groups, buildings, transportation, wildlife, jobs, clothing, family styles, and much more. Children will be delighted with the colourful illustrations that bring the social studies of earth to life.

Just check out all those families you can talk with your Kindergarten to grade 3 children with. Children, parents, grandparents, activities, blankets and so much more. The depth you could get into if you wanted to. Ms. Blackall did an excellent job of using more than words.

The illustrations more than make up for the smaller text size. I rejoiced in the friendly portrayal of how people can help each other, and how we need each other at different stages of our lives. This is very much a sit together and read book. The excellent illustrations make it also a great book for children to simply sit and look through on their own. They can still learn a great deal about the world even if they can’t read on their own yet.

We get to not only see the good things of the people and animals of this work but very lightly we were shown how sometimes people hurt people. Sensitive youngsters might need to avoid those two pages.

Should you get it?

Is Sophia Blackall’s book If you come to Earth worth getting? For sure!

I love the sheer number of talking points found within the pages. my appreciation is great for how not everything is spelled out but shown in pictorial form. So we can point out the different modes of transportation and learn what they are. We can see the houses, apartments and castles. People showing the different jobs they do. Making this picture book very interactive.

If you come to earth is simply a fantastic book that you can use in your social studies, geography, or people studies. Help your children learn to ask good questions about what happens on our earth. Well done.

Iceland: The Puffin Explorers Series

February 15, 2020 By Annette1 2 Comments

Imagine visiting a country that gets more than 2.3 million visitors a year, more than the whole country has as it’s population, and falling in love with a “flying football”. Put those two loves together and you get an engaging series entitled Iceland: The Puffin Explorers by RA Anderson. Three books thus far in this series extolling the virtues of puffins and the land they live in. Join me in this review, won’t you?

What I am Reviewing

Ascot Media was kind enough to send me the entire series of Iceland: the Puffin Explories Series. The three books in the series are

Written by RA Anderson, who also wrote the “if pets could talk” series, she gears this series to children up to grade two. My Favourite Books Publishing Company put together these three books that average 70 pages each.

Each book centres around young puffin Arni and his friend Birta. As they look for various things they also learn a lot about Iceland.

The Details

You will find every page filled with brightly coloured images and good clear text. The text is great size for reading to singles or a group. Please note these adorable puffin footy-prints running throughout the pages.

Most pages that Arni, Birta or puffin parents talking about things they see, the concerns they have, etc. These words are always italicized and in rhyme.

The author adds tidbits of learning with cutouts borded in orange. You will learn facts such as statistics, puffin details, green power in Iceland, and cultural information. They even brought in Icelandic words such as lopi, tog, thel, and tolt.

The Individual Books

Puffins Take Flight

Puffins take flight introduces us to Pabbi (Arni’s dad), Arni, Birta and Arni’s mother. Arni is up for an exploration but his best pal Birta is missing! In this first book we predominately learn all about puffins, from how they walk, fledge, nest, their predators and more.

Did you know there were four types of puffins? It was news to me as well. These books are definitely not just for youth up to grade two, if you are interested in puffins and/or Iceland these books are a treasure trove of information for one and all.

Puffins off the Beaten Path

In Puffins off the beaten path, Arni and his best friend Birta are looking for two lost sheep. These twins need to get back to their mama and these two puffins are determined to help!

Along the way we learn more about puffins, and a lot about Iceland. Learning about farming and sheep, horses, swans, foxes, turf homes and more. You’ll pick up some Icelandic language along the way.

Puffins Encounter Fire & Ice

Puffins Encounter Fire & Ice is the last book in the series. Arni and Birta are off for one last land adventure before they head off to sea for the next four years.

Arni and Birta will discover glaciers, volcanoes and natural energy. They will learn about some of the Iceland’s legendary folk. You’ll see beautiful pictures of waterfalls, lighthouses, and wildlife.

Puffins Encounter Fire & Ice sample page

Recommendation

I found these books to be simply fantastic. Most of the pictures are unique to each book but I did find some puffins duplicates. The full colour images, the interesting and varied facts about both puffins and Iceland, make for a compelling read.

The large font size makes it easier for adult and child alike to read. I could easily see letting the child read the puffin conversation while the adult reads the factual bits.

The author mentioned that the pictures in the book were of adult puffins, not immature ones like Arni and Birta would have been.

The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth

November 30, 2019 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Oh my! This is a great book if you are studying earth in your homeschool, or just want to supplement an interest your child has. With pull-outs and other interactive elements, The Ultimate book for Planet Earth is a real winner. It is my pleasure to present this review book to you.

What I am Reviewing.

Today I am reviewing The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth. This book was written by Anne-Sophie Baumann and Pierrick Graviou. Didier Balicevic beautifully illustrated it. Published by Twirl it has 18 pages filled with interactive elements. This book is oversized about 10 inches wide by 13 inches tall. I received a ready to use book. This book is being reviewed on behalf of Raincoast books. It is geared to children aged 8-13.

Earth, Planet earth, Geography, Earth Sciences, Earthquakes and Volcanoes, interactive,

The internationally successful Ultimate Book series expands its scope to embrace-very appropriately-the whole world! The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth offers lots of opportunity for hands-on interaction using flaps, pop-ups, and more! Pull a tab to see how magma erupts from a volcano, turn a page for a pop-up of a mountain range, or rotate a wheel to move the blades of a wind turbine! Planet Earth explores not only the geology of the Earth-oceans, continents, and the formation of mountains and volcanoes-but also its geo graphy, atmosphere, and weather. A valuable reference book for any child!

The Details of The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth

Opening The Ultimate book of Planet Earth draws you in an interactive world where you can discover the layers of the earth, the beauty of a volcano, the tremors of the earth, the marvels of the past and much more more. 18 pages with more than 45 elements allow you to play as you learn.

You will enjoy the full colour pages, the vibrant colour delighting the eye. Seeing the burning interior of the earth, the white of clouds, and the deep blue of the ocean.

The interactive elements include such things as pull tabs, lift out pages, fold-outs, pop-ups, lift-the-flaps and rotating elements. They are placed on sturdy pages for longevity.

The pages included are

The earth, our planet
Movements of the earth
Volcanoes
From Past to Present
The changing landscape
Sky, Clouds and Weather
Earth’s Climate

Recommendations

This book is great! The interactive elements are fun and easy to manipulate. The visually appealing pages and easy-to-read text make it an excellent book for your children to enjoy on their own. Children younger than 8 could enjoy The Ultimate book of Planet Earth with adult supervision.

Others in this series

Into the Blizzard

September 5, 2019 By Annette1 4 Comments

Wow! I read this book yesterday afternoon, and wow. I’m still trying to imagine a storm as fierce as this storm of 1978. Into the Blizzard drove me to youtube to learn more.

Can you imagine snow deep enough to cover houses? Waves high enough to wash houses away? This was just a MASSIVE storm. Into the Blizzard is the storm of men who aimed to help, heroes doing what they do, at threat to their own lives. This is indeed their story.