A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Kindergarten

Little Juniper makes it BIG

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Aidan Cassie writes a lovely story about little Juniper.  She is so small in her family and she feels she misses so much.  Do you know any children like that?   If so, they may find a companion spirit in Little Juniper.    Little Juniper makes it BIG allows us to watch Juniper’s perspective change.

little juniper makes it big

What I am Reviewing

Little Juniper makes it BIG.
Aidan Cassie (author, illustrator)
Farrar Straus Giroux
4-8 years, 40 pages, hardcover with fly leaf
Reviewed for Raincoast Books.

Picture book, Size, Preschool, Kindergarten, self-esteem, humour, animals

What Juniper lacks in size, she makes up for in heart. And her heart is dead-set on growing up and getting taller. She’s tired of having to reach for the cookie jar or use a stepping stool for the toilet. Everything in Juniper’s world seems to be made for adults. Ugh!
Juniper is industrious, however, and builds several silly contraptions to help reach her goals. But it isn’t until she makes a fun new friend at school, Clove, who is even smaller than Juniper, that she is able to see her world from a new perspective – and appreciate all sizes, big or small.

Little Juniper makes it BIG

Details on Little Juniper makes it BIG

Little Juniper makes it BIG is a fun book that made you see Juniper’s immense frustration with being the smallest in her family.  She tried so hard to accommodate, and to work around her size, but nothing really worked.  She was getting into such a funk.   What is a little coon to do?

Little Juniper makes it BIG

Comparing herself to her classmates helps but, it really isn’t enough.  Little Juniper only sees the difficulties she has.  How must it be for Clove?  Friendship and fun help see her way through to a different perspective.

Little Juniper makes it BIG

Thoughts/Recommendations

Between the fantastic images and the lovely (and fun) story line, Little Juniper makes it BIG is sure to please your little ones.  Laugh with Clove and delight in her antics.  Be delighted when Juniper learns to look at life from a different perspective… it’s a wonderful thing!  🙂   

There is so much colour and life in the images, different things to point out and talk about.  Items such as size difference, colour, home styles and how little Juniper would feel about taking a bath.  I love detail rich picture books.  Then the book becomes about more than just the story, but about the details of life as well.

One thing I did wish it had was more involvement by the parents in Juniper’s struggles.  Helping her to see and realize her place in the world even if she was smaller than all the grown-ups in her life. 

disclaimer

Review: The Boy and His Whale

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Sometimes it is very hard when nature collides with human activity, hard decisions need to be made. What can a boy do? Obey his dad, or….follow his instincts? We see this struggle in “The Boy and The Whale”.

This carefully illustrated book brings to life the struggle this boy had. What should he do about the whale?  And this review is SO hard to write because I don’t want to give the story away… cause you know.. that spoils the fun of a good book to read.

My thoughts:

I think it would be a delight to sit down with a younger child and just enjoy looking at the pictures as we read the story together.   Sharing a boy’s need to breathe,  a whale’s need to breathe and for a father to connect with his boy when a boy makes a difficult choice. 

This would make an excellent book to show the push and pull about human influence on the world and some of the difficult decisions that need to be made.

 
The Boy and the Whale
Mordicai Gerstein
Roaring Brook Press
40 pages, 4-7 years old
Hardcover, science, human impact, decisions
Picture Book
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books. 

Where can you find it?   
Amazon link.

Review: I’m Not a Scaredy-Cat

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I have loved the writing of Max Lucado for a very long time now.  At one point I had all his books, but alas, I can’t keep up.  🙂   I admittedly was somewhat skeptical when he branched out into picture books, but have found them all to be very lovely.  Therefore, when given an opportunity to review “I’m Not A Scaredy-Cat” I lept at the chance.

Book Description

From New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado comes I’m Not
a Scaredy-Cat, a silly, fun, and faith-building picture book to help
kids manage their fear or anxiety. To avoid introducing new fears to
children, this whimsical story depicts a cute cat character facing fears
that are fanciful or exaggerated. These silly scenarios will create
talking points for parents to help their children understand what to do
when they feel afraid. Kids will learn that God is good, God is near,
God is here with them, and, most important, God loves them.

My Thoughts: 
This book has a simple but profound premised: when you are scared, turn to God in prayer.   Simple… States the goodness of God, his promises of being with us and near us all the time, and that he loves us.  A prayer of acknowledgement of who God is.

I love the simpleness of the prayer, so easy for children to remember.  I do wish it had gone a touch farther to acknowledge our need for him and asking God to help us with our fears, instead of just closing with “and then you’ll feel better”. 

 
The cat.. oh my.. does he get himself into situations… I smiled much.  Fears such as squeaky toys, loud clocks, caterpillars, big slides and so much more.  Many that I’ve run into and some unexpected, but you know what… sometimes unexpected things can be frightening.  The lesson always is.. turn to God in acknowledgement.
 And oh, the brightly coloured pictures, and the well done designs.  Don’t they just show off a scared cat so well?   Those round eyes, arched back and bushy tail!  Children can so relate that that you know?

It’s a very sweet book with great illustrations with tons of talking points to engage your youngsters reading along.  A nice hardback book with a dustcover that will make for an excellent book to share with young ones in your life.  Just remind them.. asking God for help is part of getting over your fear.

 I’m Not A Scaredy-Cat: A prayer for when you wish you were brave.
Max Lucado
illustrator: Shirley Ng-Benitez
Tommy Nelson Publisher
Picture book, faith based
Age 4-10
32 pages
 Reviewed For: BookLookBloggers.
 
Where Do I Find It? 
Amazon.ca: I’m not a Scaredy-Cat. 
Amazon.com: I’m Not A Scaredy-Cat.

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Art Series: The Painting-In Book

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Today I have a NEAT book.  It’s  one of those use it up type books, but could easily, be adapted for a classroom setting.

It’s called the Painting-In Book, it’s written by Anna Rumsby, and it is just a fun book… meant to teach young children about paint and how to use it.

Book Synopsis: 
Can you give the gorilla a jungle to hide in? Can you create some
honeycomb for the bees? And can you mix up some delicious flavors of ice
cream?

Create paint masterpieces with nothing more than your
poster paints and Anna Rumsby’s entertaining activity pages. A great big
book of painting fun!

Also contains an introduction to mixing colors and simple, easy-to-copy painting techniques. 

My thoughts:
This is such a neat little book.  64 pages filled with one sided sheets to help young children express themselves with paint, learning to mix colours, and use differing paint techniques.

Can you give a dog some long hair?

Can you help this boy have fun with the elephant?

The instructions on each page are written clearly and simply.
I am not sure if it is the copy that I received, but the pages pull out very easily.  This makes it easy to pull individual pages out in order to let your little artist create, and later display.

Recommendation:
If you have young children, and want to let them show their artistic side and learn a few things while doing so, this book will work for you.   If you KNOW someone with young children this would make a great gift, along with some washable paints.

The Painting-In Book: 30 Paint and Play Activities
By: Anna Rumsby
Pages: 64
Geared for ages 3-5
Published by: Laurence King
Size: 14.56 x 10.29
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

Amazon.ca: The Painting-In Book: 30 Paint and Play Activities

Amazon.com: The Painting-In Book: 30 Paint and Play Activities

I Linked up at the Virtual Fridge this week. Good place to go to for Art Inspiration!

Love is the air… Love is found in picture books

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Ah…just think… February 14 is JUST around the corner.
People planning ways to have a special time with their loved ones.

It’s also a time of year when it is SO much fun to grab up a new picture book and share them with your littles…and if they are seasonal…..so much more the fun!  🙂

Today I would like to introduce you two delightful little books, given to me by Raincoast Books, for you to introduce to your littlest ones.

Love Is…
This delightful picture book by Diane Adams walks us through what love looks….using a young girl and her duckling.

The text is clear and simple, the illustrations so fitting.  It would be so much fun to sit with a young one and point out all the things that happen, to look for the duck, to see how this young one find a way to care for her charge.

Love is … all the ways that we care for each other… even to the point of missing our loved ones when they are gone, and the joy we have at their return.  Love is messiness and maturity, snuggles and loneliness.  Love is just so very much.  🙂

Love is all around Canada.
Ah…but love is INDEED found in Canada!!!   🙂

It is found in national parks, and provinces, caught sidling up to families having picnics, in bears held tight, and in listening to lonely friends.  Love is found in the smiles and helps that others offer.  Love is found everywhere you look in Canada… and as you know…. you can never have too much love.

An easy reading rhyme flows from beginning to end with many Canada attractions mentioned.

I love how this book points out all the ways and places love can be found.   The work that the illustrator did is simply marvellous, so many things to point out to a wondering, learning child.

Recommendation:

I would happily recommend both of these books.
Love is… it’s a cute story of a girl with her duck, and it parallels so well the love of a family for their child. 
Love is all around Canada: the delightful rhyme, the pictures, the Canadian content… it works.

The illustrators have done a fabulous job with both books, the writers in showing the importance of love and family.   It is what Valentine’s Day is all about right?   The love shown in families that broadens to the community around us.

 Amazon.ca: Love Is
Amazon.com: Love Is 
 Love Is
by Diane Adams
Illustrator: Claire Keane
Chronicle Books

9.58 x 7.67
32 pages
Ages 3-5

Amazon.ca: Love Is All Around Canada
Amazon.com: Love Is All Around Canada
Love is all around Canada
By Wendi Silvano
Illustrator: Joanna Czernichowska
Sourcebooks
11.08 x 8.75 
32 pages
Ages 4-10

Today… a good day

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My mom needed a day away so I went up with the lad to watch over my dad. He’s not good left alone for long periods of time since his walking isn’t very good, neither is his memory. So.. we did our homeschooling there today.

First we played Skipbo. Dad played too. He won. The lad got a good chance to count his numbers and to remember what they looked like. And even got to finish a hand or two. 🙂

Then we had fun playing dominos. Not so much playing the game, but constructing buildings to keep the “angry birds” safe from the not nice birds who would knock on the door and pretend to be good birds. 🙂

We had a hot meal for lunch. Dad peeled the potatoes. 🙂

After lunch we did some book work. I’ll have to add the books we did later. 🙂
and the lad made up a game for his stuffie rabbit to do involving memory work from Gilligan’s island, his newly favouritiest show. 🙂 The lad had lots of opportunities to exercise a servant’s heart today and he did so willingly which pleased this mother’s heart. 🙂

Stopped at a gardening centre on the way home and picked up some flowers. The lad really wanted to plant them and was disappointed to learn that we need to wait a couple days before planting them as they need to harden off a bit first. So we planted some other plants instead. He helped cut up potatoes and plant some tomatoes. He even ran over the potato bed to tampen them down for good growing. He’d helped me last week with planting some pea seeds and is disappointed they aren’t coming up yet.

He had a great deal of fun playing with Blossom (a young rabbit who lives with a guinea pig in an outdoor cage). Sam (the guinea pig) can be a bit of a spaz so the lad never succeeded in catching him. BUT the other guinea pigs are in a much bigger cage and he had a hoot rounding them up and making them sit in their hidey-holes. Since no harm was done, I called it good exercise for all concerned…plus the lad is gentle in his handling of them. But encouraging critters to run and play hide and seek is a favourite pass-time.

then in for supper and some Gilligan’s Island watching and off to bed. Tonight our bed-time reader took us into the world of Heidi which intrigued the lad NOT AT ALL. He was much more interested in the one-room schoolhouse story than in anything else…though Jesus feeding 5000 people using only five bread and two fish… that elicted a “wow mommy, that’s a lot of people with just my supper, how did he do it?”

All in all a good homeschool day. 🙂

Tuesday – book work today

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Since we are going out this afternoon, we decided to do some book work this morning.
I asked the lad to pick a number between 3 and 8 and that’s how many pages we would do in each book. He waffled between 4 and 5 and settled on four. 🙂

These are the books that we did

Capital and lowercase letters.

After this book we read two poems, one of those poems mentioned wind and weather maps which we want to look up sometime.

Letter Play

After this book we read a story.

Number Fun

We read a poem called “wagons west”. It was a fairly long poem, and lad asked questions which I always like.

Then we did Fisher Price, preschool book, I can learn. This book had number and letter sound concepts in it. He had a great deal of fun teaching one of his baby(correction little child) stuffies about matching and letter sounds. On one page he made up stories about why different stuffies didn’t like different shapes.

Then we read a poem about Indian children. Can’t say it went over very well. 🙂

The complete book of numbers and counting

Once again doing this book the stuffies played an important role in helping him count and to teach. We had a lot of fun using his stuffies to reinforce learning. 🙂

We followed this book by reading the Little Red Hen where the lad helped read the “not I” and the “I will” parts. by the end of the story he was also filling in the animal parts.

My Heavenly Helper, k-2

This book has lots of dot to dots in it. It’s interesting seeing him learning well his letters and numbers even though I don’t focus on this information a lot in our schooling. But through reading and copywork he’s doing good at picking it up. After this book we read a story about a tiger called “Kattor”. He was a rather silly young tiger who had to learn a lot growing up.

This afternoon we need to take dad to the eye doctor so we’re going to go see a movie called “African Cats”.
African Cat
Documentary

An epic true story set against the backdrop of one of the wildest places on Earth, “African Cats” captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. The story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a once banished lion. Disneynature brings “The Lion King” to life on the big screen in this True Life Adventure directed by Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill (“Earth”). An awe-inspiring adventure blending family bonds with the power and cunning of the wild, “African Cats” leaps into theatres on Earth Day, April 22, 2011.

Director: Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey

Here’s the official site.