A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

picturebook

Good Night to your Fantastic Elastic Brain

By 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain) 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. 🙂 

Our brains run our entire bodies did you know that?   Without our brains, life for us, in particular, simply wouldn’t exist. So isn’t it a good idea to learn more about your fantastic brain?   Good Night to your fantastic Elastic Brain is an attempt by JoAnn and Terrence Deak to help children understand how our brains work.  Let me introduce you to this educational picturebook. 

Good night to your fantastic Elastic Brain

Basic Details

Neely Daggett is the illustrator for Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, and she does an excellent job showcasing an educational brain cartoon helping us to better understand her.   I received an ARC version from Raincoast Books for my review. The hardcover version was released April 2022. 

Brain experts (both have their PhD’s) JoAnn Deak and Terrence Deak want to help children understand the importance sleep has on the brain’s ability to function.  Therefore they put this growth mindset book together for children to encourage them to let their brain rest regularly. 

They do this through 40 pages of illustrations and text.  While writing in an engaging manner to clear explain to children 4-8 years old how the brain works. 

Looking deeper into Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain

You will find the main character to be “The Brain”.  A pink, eye-glass wearing teacher brain. 

Brain will help young children understand it’s general makeup, what the brain does during night and day, and even how the brain develops!  Throughout we are reminded of just how busy the brain is and how important it is to the brain to just sleep/rest. The brain helps us to remember, and how to forget.  And did you know that the brain needs a bath every night?   Amazing isn’t it?   Reviewing this book for you makes me want to read it all over again!

Don’t you just love wordy, educational picture books?  It makes them for more than just 4-8 year olds.  You use them to engage older students, and to introduce new topics to children with a wider age range.  Just reading this makes me want to go out and research a topic just to learn more.  It would be so easy to use this picture book with highschool students and say, so what do you want to learn more about?  Write me a paper on it.  🙂  An easy way to engage a reluctant readers interest to pursue further study hmm???

The movement and bright colours of the illustrations draw in the eye don’t they?  Combining the actions of our bodies with the actions the brain puts into motion.  Well done I thought. 

Now, do I like the cartoony brain?  Not really, but at the same time, I do cause I understand the need for it.  🙂  It’s an easy way to indicate to children that we’re all learning from the brain.  It also fits the style of the book.  It does!

Discovering more information throughout, regularly it’s summed up for us.  A great way to test our knowledge hmm?   The brain’s different activities also spur on the ability to remember don’t you think?

Is it the easiest book to read, particularly with young children in mind?   Not really.  Specific terminology may be difficult for some readers to pronounce.  And for the youngest, a lot of it might go over their head.  But older readers will get a better understanding of how the brain works, and not worry that the brain will just stop working while you are asleep. 

Add to your cupboards?

I would have no issues adding Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain to my book shelves.  I am, in fact, wondering if I can put together a small group study for my local homeschooling group.  Figuring out how to combine nature with how the brain works. I need to give it a bit more thought though. 

As I said earlier, wordy picture books like this are fantastic for using with older students to simply introduce a topic and get brain cells moving.  It’s an easy way to introduce new terminology in an engaging way without the stress.  Great for an elementary science unit on the human body too!

 

It’s Just a Bunnypalooza

By 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (It’s Just a Bunnypalooza) through Ascot Media Group.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂 

It's Just a bunnypalooza

The Basic Details

From the Press Release:

When the contagiously enthusiastic Lizzy tells her classmates that she’s learning jump-jivin’ moves from bunnies, the children giggle at her over-active imagination. Feeling embarrassed and self-conscious, Lizzy decides she no longer wants to be laughed at.

Lizzy becomes an avid “non-believer” and ceases any further communication with animals. Naturally, the bunnies organize an intervention. These furry little creatures will not allow Lizzy’s fandango to falter, and they sure don’t want to lose a good friend.

You will find this a delightful 40-page book written for children 4-8 years old.   I received a hardcover book with a dust cover of It’s Just a Bunnypalooza through Ascot Media Group.  This is book three in the “it’s just a….” series, written by Brenda Faatz along with Peter Trimarco.   Peter Trimarco doubles as the illustrator.

Learning more about It’s Just a Bunnypalooza

What’s not to love in a book with full colour images and a delightful young lady exploring her love of animals?  She wants a talent to make her own and calls upon her animal friends for help.  Chirpy Bird, Moose, Owl, hummingbird, squirrel, and opossums too.  Everything was a bust, until… bunnies!  Bunnies and their love of dance ignite a spark in Miss Lizzy’s heart! 

Bunnies, just so you know, in THIS girls heart (me), always make everything right!  🙂 

Throughout the lyrical text, you’ll discover all kinds of highlighted words.  The rhyming, large print text makes it easy to read and share with a group of children.   This book is so easy to read, and I love the heart shown.  It’s a fun read, really!

Those highlighted words are explained in the bunny dance glossary.  These terms come from all over the world, all related to the world of dance!  It’s made me want to look up the Bharathanatyam dance of India.  I’m trying to imagine a dance that looks like fire….

Using this picture book could be a fun introduction to learning about dance from around the world.  What a great way to explore the cultures of other lands through the love of dance! 

The colourful illustrations by Peter Trimarco bring the poignancy of this moment into full clarity.  Such a sad young girl, but trust me…  the bunnies find a way to work it out!  How you might ask? You’ll have to read the story to find out!  🙂 

Add it to your shelves?

It’s Just a Bunnypalooza is a fun book for children.  A young lass having fun with bunnies, learning to dance, as the reader learns dance terms from around the world.  The world around her seeks to change her outlook on life, and kinda succeeds, until.. the bunnies take action!  Seeing those bunnies in action made my heart smile, and I can well imagine children smiling as well.   In fact, I wish I had a child that I could share this heart-warming story with!  🙂  

Other bunny related picture books

Others in the series are:

Our World is a Family

By 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Our World Is A Family) 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. 🙂 

Our World is a Family in someways feels like a very Canadian book, one that warmly welcomes people who have come from away into our land.  A land that recognizes the pain of having to leave your own land and come into a new one that can be bewildering.  In this full-colour picturebook, let’s learn how we can help our new neighbours, truly become a part of our global family. 

our world is a family

What I am Looking at Today

Published by Sourcebooks Explore, this lovely picture book of 32 pages is an encouraging read for your youngest readers.  Our World Is a Family: Our Community Can Change the World came to me by way of Raincoast books as an ARC copy. You’ll find it at your local store or on amazon in hardcover form.  Authored by Miry Whitehill and Jennifer Jackson with pictures by Nomar Perez.  Geared for children who are 3-8 years old. 

Our World Is a Family, the details

People immigrate for a whole variety of reasons, but the reasons focused on in Our World is a Family are the sad ones.  Perhaps there’s war, natural disasters, or has become dangerous in other ways.  They need to leave their home and start a new home.  And new homes can be scary.  How can we help them feel less scared?  That’s the point of this lovely picture book. 

But even if the reason for leaving is a challenge, it’s still hard to leave, to miss friends, or maybe special belongings. How can we make them feel welcome?  How can we help to fill that hole in their heart?  Come and get some ideas won’t you? 

While you are doing so, take in the vibrant colours, and the wide variety of people seen. From skin colour to clothing styles, and even to language spoken.  We are given a front door to people from all over the world and it’s just so fun.  Really.  Don’t you find it interesting to observe other cultures up close?  And here we have a chance to do so right in our own neighbourhoods! 

The text is straightforward and encouraging.  A good amount of white space showcases the text, written with the sole purpose of opening eyes to the new people around us.  Don’t you find it so easy to not really understand? 

I know I don’t think about the refuge children missing their toys, or their parents struggling to find new work, or even the difference in bird calls.  So much is different for new immigrants, it’s hard to comprehend just how much they need to grieve the loss while celebrating their safety.  So why not do the small things, invite over for a cup of tea, or to have fun at the playground,

Add to your shelves?

Oh, I do like this book.  I like that children are helped to understand that sometimes people come here from difficult situations.  I would have loved to have seen a broader scope, such as people coming because they want to, not just because they have to.  But the way the difficulties were presented was good even for sensitive readers. 

Our World is a Family takes a fantastic view on immigration, showing both sides of the equation. I love how this builds understanding between cultures.  I love how Nomar Perez uses his artistic skills to help tell the story, showing proper emotions for the different circumstances.  His illustrations bridge the gap between words and experiences, bringing a deeper understanding. 

How to use

I can see this book used in many different ways.

  1. understanding immigration/emigration.  People leave their homelands for a variety of reasons, this book gives a good jumping-off point.
  2. having a “let’s know/help our neighbours” attitude.  Again, a good start to a brain-storming session with children of all ages.  How do YOU think we can help our neighbours?  
  3. Social studies: a window into cultures from around the world.  What people groups wear turbans?  Who might live in a dry region?  What differences between our culture and ______ can you find? 
  4. Understanding the emotions of immigration and then how to help new immigrants.
  5. What ways can YOU think?  

How to Make a Mountain

By 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. 

How to Make a Mountain

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:

 

Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt?

By 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt?) 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. 🙂 

So, Does a Bulldozer have a butt?  is a hard review for me to write.  I got it and thought, I have to review this?  What am I to do?  I want to honour the author and their efforts, and yet… this book is too odd for words.  BUT then I got to thinking about it. This picture book has an audience.  My son went through a stage where Captain Underpants was a huge favourite, so…odd ball books with their own humour have an appeal.  AND I love, just love, the attention and focus of Dad engaging in a protracted conversation with his son.   THAT is fantastic for sure!

Check out what I am reviewing

Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt? is the most recent book written by Derick Wilder.   It’s been described as a mix between Green Eggs and Ham and Everyone Poops.  It’s a humour-filled conversation between a boy and his dad.  K-Fai Steele provides full colour illustrations, cleverly drawing butts in many unique objects.  A 40 page picture book published by Chronicle Books written for children 3-5 years old. 

I am reviewing on behalf of Raincoast books, and I received a hardcover book with a dustcover. 

Learning more about Does A Bulldozer Have a Butt?

I absolutely adore the images of this dad talking with his boy.  Here they are, just going about their day having a funny, silly conversation about what may, or may not, have a butt. Bushes, babies, trees, birds and who knows what else might pop into this young fellow’s head. 

I love dad’s creativity in answering his boy. 

The lad’s question is always in bold font, the dad’s answers immediately following. 

The creative answers of dad always find a way to sorta rhyme.   Draw One/Straw One, side by side/they all died, along with his bootie/quite a cutie for example.

I have to admit, it’s not really my cup of tea, but it might be a fun read with children. The suggested age range should not be 3-5 years, but more like 5-7 years.  I really don’t think 3 year old would get the humour and it might lead to awkward questions.  But a wee bit older… they would see the humour and might come up with fun items themselves. Thereby challenging their adults to come up with their own unique answers.  THAT would be fun!  🙂 

K-Fai Steele does an excellent job of bringing the story to life.  Isn’t the wide range of colour fantastic?  And the multi-culturalism is wonderful along with a wide-range of activities. 

Add it to your shelves?

Honestly I have mixed thoughts about Does A Bulldozer have a butt?   On the one hand I love that dad is fully committed to this conversation with his son.  The lad asking questions and dad being creative with the answers.  Love that aspect.  Totally want every parent to be that engaged with their children. 

But on the other hand… asking if a bulldozer has a butt, or a crayon or an ice cream sundae…. just seems to push the conversation too far.  Don’t like that. 

Then again… I can see young boys having a hoot and coming up with their own ideas of what may, or may not, have a butt and just laughing away. This is good.  As I mentioned earlier, my son loved Captain Underpants for a while, and if you like this, you might like King of the Mole People. 

So totally a mixed opinion.  Are their some children who would love it?  Yep.  Would some parents go.. this is too stupid for words?  For sure. Would there be a middle ground?  Most definitely.  So make up your own mind, I’ve tried giving you a balanced review.  

Whitney Wins Everything

By 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Whitney Wins Everything) 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. 🙂 

Whitney Wins Everything tells the story of Whitney a very competitive youngster who thinks winning is the answer.  Is she right?  Young children will enjoy this picture book as they learn what really is the most important thing. 

Whitney wins everything

What I am reviewing

Received from the press release: From the author of the beloved children’s book, Milo Does Not Like Mornings comes the highly anticipated, second book in the Tiny Ninja Books collection by Sasha Graham: Whitney Wins Everything.

Every book in the Tiny Ninja Books collection centers on the idea that we are each born with our own Tiny Ninja who is the very best version of us; brave, strong, compassionate and kind. Our Tiny Ninjas are always there for us – all we have to do is listen.

 
Created for readers ages four to eight and bursting with humor, Whitney Wins Everything introduces themes of teamwork, friendship, self -confidence, and compassion. Fan-favorite Ninja Seek-and-Find illustrations first introduced in Milo Does Not Like Mornings also appear here in full-color spreads that enthrall pre-readers, their grown ups, and everyone in between.
 
Illustrated by Angelina Valieva in full colour.  Reviewing for Smith Publicity.  44 pages published by Gatekeeper Press.   Part of the Tiny Ninja Books. 

Whitney Wins Everything, the details

Whitney’s character is so well-developed.  She’s a happy lass who loves sports and has a well-developed competitive edge.  If you can’t do a thing well, why bother doing it seems to be her motto in life.  She is into dill pickles and kittles, science was fun… but winning….that trumped everything!   As part of her life, she has an every helpful Ninja.   Isn’t the full use of colour wonderful?

Readers are given an additional challenge.  Can they find ninjas hidden in some of the images? 

Whitney does struggle with the idea of competition not always being the end goal.  She likes to do everything hard and to win. Otherwise what is the point?  When others point out the friendship and fun aspect of it, it’s confusing to her. But I think, based on what we know of her (and her love for her kitty) that she kinda glimpses this already in her life.  

But having it pointed out to her in different ways, helps her to see the bigger picture and that is a wonderful thing to see.  I love watching characters develop in the course of a story. 

Add it to your reading list?

Although I disliked the new coach’s rules “no one keeps score…. we play to be outside with our friends and to have fun….if that happens we win!”  I can understand Whitney’s frustration and confusion.  You play to win, doesn’t mean it isn’t fun.

I love the ending.  As the author says “When I tell people about Whitney, they often predict that she will lose the game at the end and learn a valuable lesson about losing gracefully,” Sasha explains. “This is not that book.   Winning is awesome! This book is about one little girl learning that sharing the spotlight and
winning with a team is pretty great too.”  And that I like.   Whitney learns there is more to a game than being the best….. it takes teamwork and effort to win differently. 

So it’s well worth reading.  Gives good talking points… do you agree with the new coach?  What do you think will happen in the game?  Is there anything wrong with being competitive?  What does Whitney learn to do? 

I also adore the fun aspect of finding the hidden Ninjas!  It’s tougher than you might think! 

Bee Scared

By 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Bee Scared) through Ascot Media.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so.

Bees are in trouble!   Richard Faith tries to alert young readers to their plight in his new picture book Bee Scared.  Through careful story telling and potential problem solving, Mr. Faith hopes to encourage young people to help be part of the solution.  How can we help these small members of our world thrive again? 

Bee Scared

What I am Reviewing

Bee Scared, is an Old Doc Turtle adventure from author Richard Faith.   This picture book follows the Queen and her community of family and friends as they try to find a solution to a rather scary problem.   They come up with a rather creative solution, but I have to admit, it didn’t really seem like a solution to me. 🙂   Makes me wonder if young children reading it will think of it as a solution or realize that more work needs to be done. 

Can your young reader think of any ways to help Auntie Bee save the honeybees?   Will their eyes be opened up to the need to protect the vulnerable insects among us?

I was supposed to get a paperback copy sent to me but that somehow disappeared so I’ll be reviewing a PDF copy of this softcover picture book.  Bee Scared is the first in a series Old Doc Turtle Adventures.  29 pages of full colour illustrated by Todd Hobin. It brought to mind the bumble bees I dealt with this summer. 

Digging Deeper

You’ll find the text has been helpfully placed on a screen of white to make it easier to read.  The lyrics are provided in rhyming meter.  The rhyme is not consistent, sometimes being alternative lines and other times being rhyming couplets.    Either way, it makes for easy reading for all ages. 

Artist Todd Hobin provides not quite realistic bee hives, going for the cartoon model rather than the more natural bee hives in trees or in man-made hives.   I love how he filled each page with colour while providing white space for the text.  The natural colours throughout fit well into the lives of bees and their world. 

A solution was provided….the flight of the bumblebee dance… which I’m not quite sure was a good solution.  And I’m not so sure the message was clear that MORE and BETTER solutions need to be found for the honey bee crisis.   But I did find the solution funny to think of the dance being used. 🙂   Would be a great way to introduce this music to young children though, don’t you think? 

I love this closing page with old Mr. Turtle’s call to action.  Can we find ways to help the honey bees?   How can we (young and old) make the honey bees safe again?   We need these pollinators so we musn’t let them disappear! 

Bee Scared, should you get it?

I think Mr. Faith makes a decent stab at helping to alert young readers to the honey bee crisis.  Is Bee Scared the complete answer?  Of course not, it’s a picture book for children!  But it will help. 

The pictures fit the story.  The bees recognize the problem, and they want to live safely.  I love the closing where he calls young readers to action.  Save the bees!  Think on ways to help these tiny creatures if you can.