Amazing Animals: Elephants and Cheetahs

Title: Amazing Animals: Elephants
Author: Kate Riggs
Publisher: The Creative Company
Publication Date: April 15, 2011
Rating: 5 stars


This fairly new series of books explores many animals from the world in a way that even young readers will love.  Every few sentences is accompanied by a full-page picture.  Children learn how much the animals weigh, what they eat, where and how they live, who their predators are, and other basics.  There is also a short fable included in the back of the book about some aspect of the animal.  For example, in the elephant title, readers enjoy the Rudyard Kipling tale about how the elephant got his long nose.  Also included at the bottoms of the pages are definitions of big words. For example, in the Cheetahs books, there is a definition of cubs ("baby cheetahs").  Also, there is no discussion of origin, so parents need not worry about the ideas of creation vs. evolution that are presented within the book.

I look forward to seeing more of this series.

Title: Amazing Animals: Cheetahs
Author: Kate Riggs
Publisher: The Creative Company
Publication Date: April 15, 2011
Rating: 4 stars

Did you know that the oldest female elephants are the leaders of the herd? Or that a cheetah' tail is about 30 inches long?

I Had a Favorite Dress

Title: I Had a Favorite Dress
Author: Boni Ashburn
Illustrator: Julia Denos
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 1, 2011
Rating: 4 stars

Every little girl has had a favorite dress that she outgrew.  And her mommy probably remembers the big fuss she made about it.

The narrator of this picture book had the same problem, but her mother had a solution.  The dress is too short?  We'll just make it a long shirt over jeans! Sleeves too tight? We'll make it a tank top! On and on it goes until there's virtually nothing left.  What will happen then?

Julia Denos' illustrations are highly textured and take on the look of a scrapbook. There's also plenty of pink!

Positive elements: The main character and her mother express much creativity.  Readers learn about accepting change with grace; such a small event in this little girl's life opens up the floor for a bigger discussion of handling life's inescapable disappointments. The book is full of alliteration and rhyming words, even though it is not a rhyming text.

Negative elements: There is one logical jump in the text. The girl can't wear the dress because it's too short; however, later, her mom makes a skirt out of it. This would have also been too short.

Little girls of all ages will love this book.  It is full of hope for the future and joy in the present.

What did your favorite now-outgrown dress look like?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

When a Dragon Moves In

Title: When a Dragon Moves In
Author: Jodi Moore
Illustrator: Howard McWilliam
Publisher: Flashlight Press

Publication Date: May 1, 2011
Rating: 5 stars


'If you build a perfect sandcastle a dragon will move in..."

As a young child, I loved the 1977 Disney movie Pete's Dragon.  Elliot the dragon was so playful and mischievous and always made me laugh.

The dragon in this funny picture book reminded me of Elliot.  The little boy in this story is on the beach creating a perfect sandcastle when to his delight, a rambunctious friend shows up. As much as the boy tries to explain the existence of his friend, his family won't believe him. At first the boy doesn't mind.  His family just can't share his marshmallows that the dragon toasts him or fly the kite that flies without any wind.

But then his family starts blaming him for the troubles that the dragon is causing.  They are convinced that the boy must have thrown sand on his sister, eaten all of the PB&J sandwiches, blown bubbles in his lemonade, and put fingerprints in all the brownies. All his dragon does when his parents accuse him is laugh, heh, heh, heh... What is the boy to do?


Positive elements: This is a tale of friendship and imagination.  It is a silly story to brighten your child's day.  The pictures are detailed and the character's expressions are varied and exaggerated. The boy learns that he can't stay mad at a friend.

Negative elements: The boy does allow the dragon to be a bad influence on him and starts participating in some of his escapades. The boy acts out in anger (but later regrets it and accepts his dragon friend again).

I am very impressed by this new book from Flashlight Press.  I hope to see more from this author and illustrator, too!

What would your perfect sandcastle look like?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Mr. Sam: How Sam Walton Built Walmart and Became America's Richest Man

I've had a few parents asking me to review more non-fiction titles. While these are not my specialty nor my favorite, I am going to try to throw one in here and there. I read this title in Kindle edition (which, regrettably, does not allow me to include page numbers for anything mentioned below), but it is also available in hardcover.

Title: Mr. Sam: How Sam Walton Built Walmart and Became America's Richest Man
Author: Karen Blumenthal
Publisher: Viking Press
Publication Date: July 7, 2011

This is the story of Sam Walton, the man who started the business that makes $800,000 a minute.  But Sam wasn't always wealthy; when he was in grade school, he milked cows and sold magazines door-to-door to help his family survive during the Depression.

Starting off as a recent college graduate working for $75 dollars a week at J.C. Penny, Sam began to understand new things about business, such as the essence of discounting and selling in bulk.

After marrying Helen and serving state-side during WWII, Sam Walton bought a small five-and-dime store in a small town.  Even in the face of adversity, Sam did not ever give up. He would one day own both Walmart and Sam's Club and be known worldwide.

Positive Elements: Throughout the book, readers see Mr. Walton being a leader in various ways, from his high school football team to his family to his business efforts.  Sam wisely listens to others' advice and concerns, including his wife, Helen, and his father-in-law. Helen is presented as a wonderful mother.  Sam Walton teaches his children to be frugal at early ages. Sam hired black workers even when it was not popular in the 1950s and 60s and others mocked him for it. Walton says of money, "It's paper, anyway. It was paper when we started, and it's paper afterward." Helen is quoted as saying, "It isn't what you gather in life; it's what you share that tells the kind of life you lived." Sam keeps his head high in the midst of fighting cancer.

Extra tidbits of information are strewn throughout the book in the form of short stories, such as how the shopping cart came to be and a brief biography of J.C. Penny. Pictures from Sam Walton's personal and corporate life are spread throughout the text. There are also "Our Money" charts that explain different concepts about money from the days of the Depression through today. For example, there is a graph of how money would have been spent on average in a typical family at the end of each chapter to show how spending has changed.

Negative Elements: In the first chapter, the author discusses what is important to Sam Walton.  She states, "Money might not be that meaningful to him, but winning certainly was."  While there is nothing wrong with winning, there is a large emphasis on this theme throughout the book, to the point where parents may wish to discuss how there are sometimes things that are more important.   At one point in order to win, Sam was paying his employees less than minimum wage.

Also, Sam Walton's home life growing up wasn't the best one, with his parents fighting constantly.  This isn't dwelt on within the book, just mentioned.

The word "damned" is included in a quote in the third chapter. "Ass" is used in chapter five. "Heck" is found in chapter six.

There is a quote of a sexual nature about selling women's lingerie in chapter four.

Parents may or may not agree with the political views expressed in the Epilogue when discussing the more recent lawsuits that Walmart has faced or causes to which they have donated money.

~ ~ ~

This book would be great as an addition to an economics course for a middle grade or high school student. In the book's conclusion, young people are encouraged to aspire to their own business pursuits and live frugally and selflessly no matter how much money they may acquire. 

How much do you know about the biggest company in the world and the man behind it?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Sing, Dance, Shout: 30 Days of Praise

While I realize that not all of my followers consider themselves to be of the Christian faith, I have decided to expand my blog to cover some Christian books for my 2-12-year-old age range. Every few Sundays, I will post a review of a book that is Christian in nature for those parents who may be interested.

I am grateful to Doraine for the opportunity to review her newest children's devotional:

Title: Sing, Dance, Shout: 30 Days of Praise
Author: Doraine Bennett
Illustrator: Kim Shaw
Publisher: Christian Focus Publishing
Publication Date: July 11, 2011

This new devotional book will help your child discover what praise really is and get to know the incredible, awesome, ever-faithful God Who is worthy of our praise every single day.

In the first part of the book, readers form a basic definition of praise and understand what happens when they choose to praise.

In the second part, they build on that basic definition to cover ten different ways to praise, exploring ten different Hebrew words: Yadah (to throw up your hands), Halal (to boast), Gadal (to magnify), Towdah (to be thankful), Tehillah (to sing a new song), Zamar (to make music with instruments), Ruwa (to shout), Shabach (to commend), Barak(to bless),  and Raqad (to dance, skip and leap).

In the third section of the book, readers enjoy the stories of six different Bible characters including Hannah, Jehoshaphat, Daniel, the shepherds in Bethlehem, the healed Lame Man, and Paul. 

Section four covers the reasons that readers should praise their heavenly Father--because He is Awesome, because He loves them, because He chose them, because He created them, because He provides for them, because He rescues them, because He comforts them, and because He is faithful to them.  This section, especially, applies praise to the everyday life of children very effectively.

The fifth and final section discusses not only how we were made to praise but how the creation and angels offer up praise, as well. 

At the end of each day's reading, there are praise projects to try--everything from singing a hymn to walking around in creation praising Him for His marvelous wonders.

Most scripture quotations were taken from the NIV. Other versions included KJV, NKJV, ESV, and The Message.  There is not a ton of scripture reading that goes along with this book, as that day's Bible story is accurately re-told in the author's own words.  However, a scripture verse is always highlighted at the beginning of each day and serves as a springboard for the rest of the devotion.

Color-book-style illustrations make this text one that could be implemented in a Sunday School environment or used with younger readers if a parent reads the devotional aloud.

While the target age for this devotional is labeled as 4th-8th graders, I feel that Sing, Dance, Shout: 30 Days of Praise would be most enjoyed by readers in 3rd-6th grade. Although the older students could certainly learn something (I did!), many older students will want a little bit more depth in their Bible study. And although even 1st and 2nd grade students could enjoy this book, the word choice is a bit difficult at times for a child that age to read alone.

How will your child's view of God change after reading

Sing, Dance, Shout: 30 Days of Praise?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I also received the products mentioned above for free in hopes that I would review it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Carla's Cloud Catastrophe

In my "Note to Authors and Publishers," I promise an honest review of the ARC's they send me so that the parents who read my blog can find the absolute best choices for their children.  I am very grateful to Beth Bence Reinke for the opportunity to review her newest children's book:

Title: Carla's Cloud Catastrophe
Author: Beth Bence Reinke
Illustrator: Ginger Nielson
Publisher: 4RV Publishing

"Disaster struck two hours before my birthday party."

What kind of disaster, you ask?  Well, the kind that makes all the clouds fall from the summer sky and cover the ground like snow. Carla is concerned about whether she will be back at home in time for her birthday party.  Dad, as the Director of Transportation, has to go to a meeting and fix the situation before they can go home with her birthday cake.  Will they take the clouds to the dump, send them to the ocean, or use them for pillow stuffing? Or will Carla think of a better idea?

Positive Elements: Carla is helpful, thinking of a way to save the day. The whole town pitches in together to clear away the trouble.  Carla makes the best of the situation and encourages others despite her disappointment about missing the majority of her own birthday party. The author uses a lot of creative similes to paint a picture.  Ginger Nielson's illustrations effectively capture the townspeople's awe, worry, and excitement. 

Negative Elements: I shared Carla's Cloud Catastrophe with my nine-year-old sister and six-year-old brother to get their reactions, and without any help from me, they voiced my concerns. The dad in the story is rather cold toward Carla, not really putting her birthday first but going to work (on his day off) instead.  I would have appreciated some dialog between them about this. Also, it is said that the clouds fell from the sky because of a tornado. Not to be little Johnny RainCloud, but tornadoes are low pressure systems made of rapidly rising air that suck things up, not down. I know we're using our imagination, here, but even my six-year-old brother had trouble with that one. Also, for children who live in an area where tornadoes are common, this might prove too close to reality and scary.

Nevertheless, if you liked Chicken Little or any book like that as a child, you and your children will most likely enjoy Carla's Cloud Catastrophe.  Just be ready for the laws of gravity and physics to be a little stretched!

What would you do if the clouds fell from the sky?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I also received the products mentioned above for free in hopes that I would review it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Mr. Popper's Penguin's Giveaway WINNER!

I have randomly drawn a name, and the winner of the Mr. Popper's Penguins book is

Sarah Bailey!

Congratulations, Sarah!

To see the Twenty-Six-Letter Imagination Blog's review of Mr. Popper's Penguins follow this link.