Reviews
Blue Everywhere
“These bold and busy titles discuss where the colors occur in nature, describe their various shades, and discuss the meaning behind popular sayings or ‘fun facts’ about them. Well suited to independent reading, with simple sentence structure and boxed facts that… View →
Kathy Ross Crafts Letter Shapes
“These attractive books present hands-on projects to accompany phonics and letter recognition lessons. Shapes presents a craft activity based on each letter of the alphabet. . . The layout is friendly to nonreaders, including illustrations of the materials needed. . . Overall,… View →
"Mrs. Riley Bought Five Itchy Aardvarks" and Other Painless Tricks for Memorizing Science Facts
“Readers can learn how to remember simple facts such as that the Earth orbits the Sun and the Moon orbits the Earth, or more challenging information such as the elements of the Mohs hardness scale. . . Colorful cartoons match the lightheartedness of the presentation. Teachers… View →
Camilla, Cartographer
“Through this engaging story, children will be shown the benefits of using and creating maps of their own. Camilla is a lovable main character. She’s smart, kind, and adventurous . . . . A fun way to get children interested in cartography, this book lends itself to many lessons… View →
Pocahontas
“An easy-to-read biography of the Powhatan Indian woman who played an important role in American history. The author is careful to give a disclaimer, stating that it is difficult to know the true story because of lack of documentation. Large print and limited vocabulary make the… View →
Cooking the Norwegian Way
“The narrative pieces are smoothly written and offer some interesting tidbits. The authors are either natives or have some family connection to the country under discussion. All in all, these are good resouces for reports and for older kids who want to add something new to their… View →
Cooking the Greek Way
“The narrative pieces are smoothly written and offer some interesting tidbits. The authors are either natives or have some family connection to the country under discussion. All in all, these are good resources for reports or for older kids who want to add something new to their… View →
The Best Pet Yet
“Refreshing and attractive additions to any beginning reader collection. The upbeat stor[y] of a. . . boy selecting his first pet work independently of their value as phonics lessons, a welcome change from most basal texts. Appealing full-color photographs of children enliven and View →
Stop That Noise!
“[This] earnest entr[y] in the controlled-vocabulary category [is]. . . successful. . . [S]upports new readers through short sentences, text of nine or fewer lines per page, and no surprising vocabulary. Noise! presents two boys and a girl who drum, hum, and strum their families… View →
My Brother, the Pest
“These realistic. . . stories address some of the frustrations and fears of childhood. My Brother, the Pest is narrated in rhyme by a young girl who expresses her annoyance with her little brother until she realizes that they do have some fun together. . . [The books ueses] a… View →
Lost and Found
“[A] welcome addition to any collection. . . [This story is] interesting, makes sense, and [has]engaging characters. However, it is the colorful photographs on double-page spreads that make these texts come alive. The children’s facial expressions and natural body language… View →
Our Big Home: An Earth Poem
“A joyful celebration of the Earth with the important environmental message that we share the planet not only with all the various people of the world, but with the plant and animal worlds as well. The loosely rhymed poem describes water, sun, soil, air, wind, sky, night, and… View →
Kathy Ross Crafts Numbers
“[F]eatures fun creations that involve counting and measurement and whimsical, child-friendly artwork. For visual learners, there is also an illustrated supply list for each project. The 20 activities include a four-leaf clover necklace, a five-point star magnet, a play alarm… View →
Star-Spangled Crafts
“Ross is well-known for her creative craft books and this one is no exception. Here she offers ideas for 22 activities, with clear, step-by-step instructions that use commonly found materials. Colorful illustrations set against lots of white background enhance the text along… View →
Crafts to Make in the Winter
“Ross is a proven veteran of children’s crafts. This title rounds out her seasonal collection with 29 imaginative, easy-to-do, and fun activities. The clear instructions are accompanied by colorful illustrations. Besides a snowman pin, an icy sun catcher, and a lace… View →
What Is a Scientist?
“In a deceptively simple style, this little gem introduces the scientific process. . . On the recto, a large, clear, colorfully bordered photo shows a first-grade scientist engaged in that investigative step. . . Other students are shown noticing details, drawing what they see,… View →
Spectacular Spiders
“A young girl admires the work of a garden spider living in her backyard and describes its physical and behavioral characteristics. Focusing on the arachnid’s use of spider silk, she tells how it constructs a web to catch insects, employs a ‘dragline’ to escape… View →
It's Spring!
“A companion to the author’s It’s Fall (Millbrook, 2001). The excitement of spring is in the air as a boy explores the world around him. Cut-paper illustrations enhanced by hand painting give a three-dimensional look to the scenes. A double-page spread of a torrential View →
The Quilt-Block History of Pioneer Days: With Projects Kids Can Make
“A really-truly-kids-can-do-it history/art project book. Cobb’s well-written text will hold youngsters’ interest, and the information about pioneer life is neatly tied to particular quilts, illustrated with simple, colorful watercolor sketches. Best of all, the… View →
Sam Bennett's New Shoes
“Thermes’s tale is chock-full of historical facts and tidbits. Her detailed illustrations show much about 18th-century life but stay focused on the central narrative. An author’s note explains that hidden shoes in the walls of old houses, called concealments, inspired View →
I Am an Artist
“This lyrical, almost poetic, text puts forth the idea that art is a process – a way of living and seeing – as well as a manifestation in the form of a finished product. The emphasis is on that process rather than on an end result. This is a valuable concept to share… View →
The Schoolchildren's Blizzard
“This fast-paced, high-interest tale set in Nebraska is based on the true story of Minnie Freeman, a teacher who led her students to safety through the deadly blizzard of January 12, 1888. Well-painted, realistic watercolors depict their struggle to find a safe haven and blend… View →