Reviews
Crafts From Your Favorite Bible Stories
“Clever crafts constructed from common, inexpensive materials. The 27 topics, with Scriptural notations from the Old and New Testaments, include Noah’s ark, Sara and baby Isaac. . . Jesus walking on water, the ascension, and Paul escaping from prison in a basket. . . These 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 →
Fabulous Frogs
“This picture book has a fun, simple text replete with froggy sounds and a rhythm and rhyme or near-rhyme that give it a pleasant, poetic flavor. The book presents the life (from mating to birth to growth) of a common frog while featuring illustrations of the leopard frog, spring View →
Dilly's Summer Camp Diary
“This visual and verbal delight brings to life the emotional ups and downs of three weeks at sleep-away camp. Dilly, who was convinced she would love camp, finds that its not exactly as she’d envisioned. Eventually, her interest in frogs helps her to overcome the rough… View →
Crafts to Celebrate God's Creation
“Clever craft ideas, based on the first portion of Genesis, show how to make items representing the earth, night and day; the sun, moon, and stars; land and water; plants and flowers; birds, fish, insects, and animals; and people, stressing God’s love for them. . . Some… View →
You're in Big Trouble, Brad!
“[A] phonics-based stor[y] that [is] designed to encourage and assist children in their reading development. . . In [Your in Big Trouble, Brad] Brad is called to the principal’s office. As he tries to figure out why, flashbacks show his recent escapades. The… View →
My Pen Pal, Pat
“[P]honics-based stories that are designed to encourage and assist children in their reading development. My Pen Pal, Pat is amusing, if a bit predictable. Two students named Pat-one in New York City and one in Boston-are paired together as pen pals. They seem to have everything… View →
Kathy Ross Crafts Triangles, Rectangles, Circles
“This is a delightful book to enhance understanding of basic geometric shapes; its design is attractively whimsical without sacrificing practicality. With the help of well-drawn, colorful, cartoon-like illustrations, the projects are easy to produce. Children will enjoy the… View →
Cooking the French Way
“Each well-organized and well-written book [Cooking the French Way, Cooking the Mexican Way, and Cooking the East African Way] now has a greater emphasis on low-fat and vegetarian recipes. These new titles will be useful for cultural and heritage school projects as well as fun… View →
Cooking the East African Way
“Each well-organized and well-written book [Cooking the East African Way, Cooking the Mexican Way, and Cooking the French Way] now has a greater emphasis on low-fat and vegetarian recipes. These new titles will be useful for cultural and heritage school projects as well as fun… View →
Crafts for Christian Values
“Twenty-eight clever and original designs illustrate a variety of Christian qualities. A loving heart beanbag, a bank for generous giving to missions, a bookmark to honor parents. . . Each one has an appropriate Scripture quotation to reinforce its stated purpose. . .… View →
Crafts for Kids Who Are Learning about Community Workers
“A colorful, glossy cover will attract children to this unique assortment of 20 craft ideas. . . This is a solid choice for teachers to supplement lessons on community workers, and librarians will find many program possibilities. Ross has a special talent for introducing all… View →
Pattern Bugs
“Here is an intelligent math tool that can be used by an individual child or with groups. . . By using the sounds in the poems, the details of the pictures, and the various blocks of color that frame the initial spread, children can find and identify repetitive patterns. . . An… View →
The Bug in the Jug Wants a Hug: A Short Vowel Sounds Book
“Cleary does a masterful job of explaining such potentially dry topics as ‘long vowel sounds with consonant digraphs’ and ‘inflectional endings’ by using comic, incongruous situations to get his point across. . . In his introduction, Cleary states that:… View →
Get the Ball, Slim
“[B]eginning readers illustrated with clear, full-color photographs of people and props dramatically placed on all-white backgrounds. The book. . . feature twins Tim and Jim playing with their dog. . .The characters’ exaggerated expressions give the stories the feeling of a View →
I Like Mess
“[B]eginning reader illustrated with clear, full-color photographs of people and props dramatically placed on all-white backgrounds. The book feature[s]. . .Tess cleaning her room only to begin her messy cycle again. . .The characters’ exaggerated expressions give the… View →
Lemonade for Sale
“These books will add a breath of fresh air to beginning-reader collections. The stories center on a group of friends who live near a small park in an urban neighborhood. The events and dialogue reinforce the “Real Kids” in the series title and will strike a chord… View →