A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Kindergarten

Rain Boy

By Leave a Comment

raincoast FTC

You know how some kindness books are syrupy sweet and you just want to toss them out the window?   Rain Boy is not one such book.  Rain Boy was such an unloved youngster, no one wanted him around UNTIL…. But you’ll have to read the book to find out the until. Rest assured in this review, I won’t give away the secret!  

Rain Boy

What I am Reviewing

Debut author came out with a picture book helping young children learn empathy and how to demonstrate kindness to others in Rain Boy. 

Published by Chronicle Kids, this hardcover tome runs 40 pages and is geared to the preschool to kindergarten crowd. I am reviewing it on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

Wherever he goes, Rain Boy brings wet-which means he’s not very popular. Sun Kidd brings sunshine everywhere she goes, so everyone loves her. Only Sun Kidd sees what’s special about Rain Boy. But when she invites him to her birthday party, disaster strikes, and Rain Boy storms. Now the world is nothing but rain. Will the other kids ever love Rain Boy for being himself? And. more importantly, can Rain Boy learn to love his rain?

Details of Rain Boy

This is actually a hard book to talk about as the words I want to use to describe aren’t quite accurate.  So let’s dive in.

This picture book is predominately about kindness and learning to expand what you thought was possible.  Learning empathy is a big part as well.

Rain Boy

All the children, including the Sun Kidd and Rain Boy had lessons to learn and Bylan Glynn leads us through them.  With oodles of colour and expressive artwork, the designer Jay Marvel brought the story to life. 

Rain Boy

The large, clear font makes it an easy read for parents and teachers.  The well designed illustrations bring out lots of talking points with young children. The fun of a playground, the joy of a party, or the sadness of a dark day.

Rain Boy

Recommendation?

This is a very sweet book.  I loved how Glynn showed growth in all the children.  The reality of how the children learned was so on point.  It all fit.

If you are hoping to help your children see others more clearly, to look beyond themselves, Rain Boy just might be what you need.  With the variety in illustrations (water colour, cut paper, pastels and pencil crayons) the colours and images are sure to delight. 

Emily Writes

By 2 Comments

Who doesn’t know Emily Dickinson?  A beloved poet born in Massachusetts in the 1800’s, she pushed the boundaries of poetry. She has been loved ever since.   A new generation of children are waiting to meet her in Emily Writes.  Jane Yolen shows us a delightful young Emily Dickinson.  Let’s dig into this review shall we?

Emily Writes

What I am Reviewing

Emily Writes: Emily Dickinson and her poetic beginnings by Jane Yolen is a walk into the early years of Emily Dickinson. 40 pages of engaging art work were provided by Christine Davenier. These delight the senses as we wander through Emily’s early days. Children aged 4-8 are invited to follow Emily as she discovers her own love of poetry.

Step into United States history as you read this biography of an important American Poet.  Emily Writes was published by Henry Holt & Co.  I am reviewing this advance readers edition on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

Emily Writes book cover

The Details for Emily Writes

Emily Writes is an imagined story of Emily Dickinson’s early life.  Elements from different stages of her life were included in this one day of her life. Was her first poem really what it was?   I don’t know.  🙂  But it does showcase her love for poetry from an early age. 

And as the author explains at the close of the book, her envelope poem as captured above wasn’t actually written until some 40 years later.   

Emily Writes - author explanation page

Every page is filled with colour, with ample white space so as to not overload the senses or crowd out the words. Her yellow dress dotes the face of almost every page.  This is Emily’s day. 

emily writes - sample page

We catch glimpses of how it was to live in her family.  An older brother Austin who also loved poetry, a hard-working, not particularly attentive father, a sickly mama and a younger sister. 

Emily Writes - sample page

Recommendation

I love how the illustrations by Christine Davenier really help to make this story.  This is an imagined walk through one day in Emily’s life. We see her wandering through the pages in her yellow dress.  She enjoys life, visits with her family, and more. We get to see everything she does. It inspires conversation between adult and child.

They help us see Emily’s fascination with making her first poem.  The joy she had in walking through the garden. It was easy to see the fun she had with the housekeeper. There is so much in this book to make for a nice story.  Images to expand the story line and the joy in words Emily shared.

This is a good first book to introduce children to Emily Dickinson.  Enjoy Emily Writes!

Emily Writes

Little Juniper makes it BIG

By 2 Comments

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

By 2 Comments

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

By 2 Comments

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.

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 . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Art Series: The Painting-In Book

By 4 Comments

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

By Leave a Comment

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