Here Comes Science
by They Might Be Giants
Three-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: This is a music CD (and DVD with music videos), not a book, but I like it so much I figured I would branch out. The CD includes songs for kids about all different science concepts including the solar system, cells, velocity, and photosynthesis. And yes it is the same They Might Be Giants that we know and love.
Review: My son loves the music (and the videos). Today, he was riding his scoot bike singing about velocity. It made me smile from ear to ear. On other occasions, I've heard him singing about the planets, cells, and the elements. I get a lot of kids' music CDs from the library, and frankly, most of them just make me want to pull my hair out while running out of my house screaming. This CD is so different. I actually like the songs and catch myself singing the tunes to myself. I have even learned a handful of things. For example, I didn't know that plasma is the state of matter on the sun or that Ceres is a dwarf planet in the astroid belt. Maybe this speaks to the shortcomings of my education, but alas - all the more reason for both my son and I to have fun while learning.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Elephants Cannot Dance! and I Love My New Toy!
Elephants Cannot Dance! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo Willems
Three-Year-Old: Mixed
Mom: Mixed
Summary: Elephant tries to learn how to dance but is convinced that elephants cannot dance. He tries and tries and then gives up. Finally, some fans ask him to teach them the 'Elephant,' and he finds confidence in teaching his own dance.
Review: We usually like Elephant and Piggie books because of their simplicity, but we didn't care for this one much. My son just didn't get it. He doesn't understand yet that dances are called certain names like the 'Elephant.' I tried to explain this to him, but he still didn't understand. I wasn't crazy about it because the elephant was so determined that he couldn't do something. Being a huge fan of the Little Engine That Could, I thought this was a step backwards (even though the elephant tries to teach his own dance at the end). We're both much more a fan of other Elephant and Piggie Books like ...
I Love My New Toy! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo Willems
Three-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Elephant plays with Piggie's new toy. He throws it up in the air, and when it falls to the ground it breaks apart. Piggie is very upset by this. After awhile, another animal character points out that the toy is supposed to break apart. Piggie sheepishly asks Elephant if he wants to play with the toy again. Elephant say that he doesn't ... he'd rather play with Piggie.
Review: This book got an immediate "again" request. I think my son liked it because of the simple language ("I am mad and sad.") and the clear emotions felt by the characters. The artwork is simple but clearly expresses the emotions of the characters. My son can relate to this as well as to the subject matter of having a toy break. I liked the book because of the realistic scenario and the warm ending in which Elephant would rather play with Piggie than the toy. I'm going to keep a look out for more books in this series.
by Mo Willems
Three-Year-Old: Mixed
Mom: Mixed
Summary: Elephant tries to learn how to dance but is convinced that elephants cannot dance. He tries and tries and then gives up. Finally, some fans ask him to teach them the 'Elephant,' and he finds confidence in teaching his own dance.
Review: We usually like Elephant and Piggie books because of their simplicity, but we didn't care for this one much. My son just didn't get it. He doesn't understand yet that dances are called certain names like the 'Elephant.' I tried to explain this to him, but he still didn't understand. I wasn't crazy about it because the elephant was so determined that he couldn't do something. Being a huge fan of the Little Engine That Could, I thought this was a step backwards (even though the elephant tries to teach his own dance at the end). We're both much more a fan of other Elephant and Piggie Books like ...
I Love My New Toy! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo Willems
Three-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Elephant plays with Piggie's new toy. He throws it up in the air, and when it falls to the ground it breaks apart. Piggie is very upset by this. After awhile, another animal character points out that the toy is supposed to break apart. Piggie sheepishly asks Elephant if he wants to play with the toy again. Elephant say that he doesn't ... he'd rather play with Piggie.
Review: This book got an immediate "again" request. I think my son liked it because of the simple language ("I am mad and sad.") and the clear emotions felt by the characters. The artwork is simple but clearly expresses the emotions of the characters. My son can relate to this as well as to the subject matter of having a toy break. I liked the book because of the realistic scenario and the warm ending in which Elephant would rather play with Piggie than the toy. I'm going to keep a look out for more books in this series.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Chicken, Pig, Cow and the Purple Problem
Chicken , Pig, Cow and the Purple Problem
by Ruth Ohi
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Cow realizes that her purple spots are not the same color as spots on real cows. She leaves Chicken and Pig during naptime and goes outside to find real cow colors. Chicken and Pig search for Cow outside and find her. Cow is surprised Chicken and Pig recognize the new 'Cow' covered in grey and brown. She realizes that they are her friends no matter what color she is.
Review: My son asked for an immediate reread, which is always an indicator of a good book. The next day when he saw the pile of books from the library, he reached for this one. The story was simple: the characters had simple names (Cow, Pig, Girl), the sentences were short ("Dog barked."), and the storyline was simple and warm, which made it easy for him to understand and enjoy. I also liked the book because of the positive message and sense of humor (Chicken's side comments are funny to me.) The first time I read it, I thought the ending might have been a bit smoother, but it's been a good book to read over and over again to my son.
by Ruth Ohi
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Cow realizes that her purple spots are not the same color as spots on real cows. She leaves Chicken and Pig during naptime and goes outside to find real cow colors. Chicken and Pig search for Cow outside and find her. Cow is surprised Chicken and Pig recognize the new 'Cow' covered in grey and brown. She realizes that they are her friends no matter what color she is.
Review: My son asked for an immediate reread, which is always an indicator of a good book. The next day when he saw the pile of books from the library, he reached for this one. The story was simple: the characters had simple names (Cow, Pig, Girl), the sentences were short ("Dog barked."), and the storyline was simple and warm, which made it easy for him to understand and enjoy. I also liked the book because of the positive message and sense of humor (Chicken's side comments are funny to me.) The first time I read it, I thought the ending might have been a bit smoother, but it's been a good book to read over and over again to my son.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Field Trip Day
Field Trip Day
by Lynn Plourde
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: A class goes on a field trip to an organic farm. The kids see cows being milked, chicken eggs being packaged and sheep being sheared. Throughout the book, the chaperons do head counts to make sure all the children are accounted for. One curious student always seems to be missing.
Review: I enjoyed this book because it is educational and modern with an emphasis on organic farming and renewable energy. My son asks me to read this one quite often. I think he enjoys some of of the repetitive phrases and chants like, "time for a head count!" I also ham it up and use different voices for the different characters - the farmer speaks in a dialect (maybe too stereotypical, but I ham it up anyway). It might be a little bit long for a young audience. My son's friend seemed to get a little restless in the middle. So this book is not a complete 10, but it gets a thumbs up from both of us.
by Lynn Plourde
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: A class goes on a field trip to an organic farm. The kids see cows being milked, chicken eggs being packaged and sheep being sheared. Throughout the book, the chaperons do head counts to make sure all the children are accounted for. One curious student always seems to be missing.
Review: I enjoyed this book because it is educational and modern with an emphasis on organic farming and renewable energy. My son asks me to read this one quite often. I think he enjoys some of of the repetitive phrases and chants like, "time for a head count!" I also ham it up and use different voices for the different characters - the farmer speaks in a dialect (maybe too stereotypical, but I ham it up anyway). It might be a little bit long for a young audience. My son's friend seemed to get a little restless in the middle. So this book is not a complete 10, but it gets a thumbs up from both of us.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
I'm Your Bus
I'm Your Bus
by Marilyn Singer
illustrated by Evan Polenghi
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Mixed
Summary: A happy bus describes his day starting from the break of dawn when he wakes up, to the evening when he goes to sleep.
Review: This is another rhyming book that didn't capture me. The rhyming seemed forced and there wasn't much plot, but my son loves it. In fact, we had his best friend over (another 3-year-old) and he loved it too. I think their favorite part of the book is the art. They both pointed out the funny face on the bus and the fact that the street light at the beginning had a face on it. Then my son noticed that in the row of busses, each bus had a different nose and mouth. The book talks about how the bus looks out for the children and is there for them. I think they responded to the happy tone of the book and the playful art.
by Marilyn Singer
illustrated by Evan Polenghi
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Mixed
Summary: A happy bus describes his day starting from the break of dawn when he wakes up, to the evening when he goes to sleep.
Review: This is another rhyming book that didn't capture me. The rhyming seemed forced and there wasn't much plot, but my son loves it. In fact, we had his best friend over (another 3-year-old) and he loved it too. I think their favorite part of the book is the art. They both pointed out the funny face on the bus and the fact that the street light at the beginning had a face on it. Then my son noticed that in the row of busses, each bus had a different nose and mouth. The book talks about how the bus looks out for the children and is there for them. I think they responded to the happy tone of the book and the playful art.
Llama Llama Misses Mama
Llama Llama Misses Mama
by Anna Dewdney
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: It's little Llama's first day of school. He is not excited by all the new faces and doesn't want to participate in any of the activities. At snack, he breaks down and cries because he misses his mama. The teacher and children assure him that his mama will come back. Llama finally has some fun with the other children and realizes he likes school.
Review: A librarian read this book at storytime. I liked the book and decided to buy it to help prepare my son for his first time being dropped off at preschool. It worked well. We read it for a few weeks before school. He would often choose this book to read before bedtime. Then as I was driving him to school, I reminded him what the teacher said in the book when Llama missed his mama: "she will come right back for you." He internalized this and asked me - "You'll come back?" Then after school when I did come back, he gave me a hug and said, "You came back!" I think the book played a significant role in making this transition a positive one.
Interestingly this book is written with rhymes. In my previous post, I mentioned that I don't care for rhyme, but this book is clearly an exception. I think the rhymes work in this book because they don't feel forced and actually add to the story. My son and I both like the artwork.
His preschool teacher read a related book called Owl Babies by to help the kids with separation anxiety. Although this is not a new book, I also recommend this one for helping children adjust to drop-off programs. In the story, three owl babies discover that their mother is missing. They wait and wait and wait and wonder what happened to her and when she will be back. Finally, the mother owl returns and asks what all the fuss was about - they knew she would come back.
When the teacher read this one, the room was very quiet. Almost too quiet - usually there was always some kind of background noise from distracted kids, but with this one, all eyes were on the book. You could tell it really struck a chord with the kids.
by Anna Dewdney
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: It's little Llama's first day of school. He is not excited by all the new faces and doesn't want to participate in any of the activities. At snack, he breaks down and cries because he misses his mama. The teacher and children assure him that his mama will come back. Llama finally has some fun with the other children and realizes he likes school.
Review: A librarian read this book at storytime. I liked the book and decided to buy it to help prepare my son for his first time being dropped off at preschool. It worked well. We read it for a few weeks before school. He would often choose this book to read before bedtime. Then as I was driving him to school, I reminded him what the teacher said in the book when Llama missed his mama: "she will come right back for you." He internalized this and asked me - "You'll come back?" Then after school when I did come back, he gave me a hug and said, "You came back!" I think the book played a significant role in making this transition a positive one.
Interestingly this book is written with rhymes. In my previous post, I mentioned that I don't care for rhyme, but this book is clearly an exception. I think the rhymes work in this book because they don't feel forced and actually add to the story. My son and I both like the artwork.
His preschool teacher read a related book called Owl Babies by to help the kids with separation anxiety. Although this is not a new book, I also recommend this one for helping children adjust to drop-off programs. In the story, three owl babies discover that their mother is missing. They wait and wait and wait and wonder what happened to her and when she will be back. Finally, the mother owl returns and asks what all the fuss was about - they knew she would come back.
When the teacher read this one, the room was very quiet. Almost too quiet - usually there was always some kind of background noise from distracted kids, but with this one, all eyes were on the book. You could tell it really struck a chord with the kids.
Green Wilma, Frog in Space
Green Wilma, Frog in Space
by Tedd Arnold
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Mixed
Summary: Green Wilma, a happy frog who is chasing a fly for breakfast, is mistaken for an alien child and is brought onto a spaceship. Green Wilma continues to chase the fly and in doing so hits some controls so that the ship returns to Earth. At this point, the alien mom and dad realize that Green Wilma is not their alien child, Blooger, and switches the two back at the pond.
Review: I am not a huge fan of rhyming stories, especially when the language seems forced in order to complete the rhymes. Also, I don't think my son really understood the storyline. I had to explain to him what was happening.
That said, my son really likes the book. When he sees this book on our coffee table with other books, he picks this one for us to read. I think he enjoys the colorful art and fun language, like when the spaceship goes into "boogie-woogie drive."
by Tedd Arnold
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Mixed
Summary: Green Wilma, a happy frog who is chasing a fly for breakfast, is mistaken for an alien child and is brought onto a spaceship. Green Wilma continues to chase the fly and in doing so hits some controls so that the ship returns to Earth. At this point, the alien mom and dad realize that Green Wilma is not their alien child, Blooger, and switches the two back at the pond.
Review: I am not a huge fan of rhyming stories, especially when the language seems forced in order to complete the rhymes. Also, I don't think my son really understood the storyline. I had to explain to him what was happening.
That said, my son really likes the book. When he sees this book on our coffee table with other books, he picks this one for us to read. I think he enjoys the colorful art and fun language, like when the spaceship goes into "boogie-woogie drive."
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Willoughby and the Moon by Greg Foley
3-Year-Old: Mixed
Mom: Thumbs up
Summary: At bedtime, Willoughby sees the moon in his closet. He goes through the door and finds a snail on the moon who has lost this ball. Willoughby tries to help the snail find his ball and in doing so does things the snail is reluctant to do. But when the snail goes into a dark cave, it is Willoughby who is reluctant to go. He finally decides to be brave and follow the snail into the cave. He is rewarded by finding his snail friend (who had found his ball in the cave) and playing a wonderfully fun game of ball.
Review: I quite liked the book. In the story, the main character seems fearless compared to the snail, but later, must face his fear of the dark. By confronting his fear, he is rewarded and at the very end is able to rest peacefully. This is a message that I would like my son to learn so I felt happy with the 'moral of the story' depicted as it was. Because of the way the message was portrayed, I felt that the storyline was more sophisticated compared to so many other children's books and I liked this. The art has no color - the pictures are black, white and silver. At first, I thought this style was a bit stark for a children's book, but given that the pictures are interesting, I now think it works well with the style of the book.
My son usually just listens when I read, but with this book, he asked me questions and made many comments. For example, he pointed out the moons when we first opened the book. I talked to him about the phases of the moon. He pointed to the round things that were hidden when the snail and Willoughby were were searching for the ball. He asked me what a space pod was. He didn't ask me to read it again immediately, though (an immediate "again" is my thumbs up indicator). He did ask me to read it again later in the day ... but the next day when I ask him which books we should return to the library, he picked this one. I asked him why and he said that he got sad when Willoughby wouldn't go into the cave (That's the part when Willoughby is frightened of the dark.) So instead of remembering the happy ending, he seemed to fixate on Willoughby's fear. Maybe I'll try to read it again to him when he's older.
3-Year-Old: Mixed
Mom: Thumbs up
Summary: At bedtime, Willoughby sees the moon in his closet. He goes through the door and finds a snail on the moon who has lost this ball. Willoughby tries to help the snail find his ball and in doing so does things the snail is reluctant to do. But when the snail goes into a dark cave, it is Willoughby who is reluctant to go. He finally decides to be brave and follow the snail into the cave. He is rewarded by finding his snail friend (who had found his ball in the cave) and playing a wonderfully fun game of ball.
Review: I quite liked the book. In the story, the main character seems fearless compared to the snail, but later, must face his fear of the dark. By confronting his fear, he is rewarded and at the very end is able to rest peacefully. This is a message that I would like my son to learn so I felt happy with the 'moral of the story' depicted as it was. Because of the way the message was portrayed, I felt that the storyline was more sophisticated compared to so many other children's books and I liked this. The art has no color - the pictures are black, white and silver. At first, I thought this style was a bit stark for a children's book, but given that the pictures are interesting, I now think it works well with the style of the book.
My son usually just listens when I read, but with this book, he asked me questions and made many comments. For example, he pointed out the moons when we first opened the book. I talked to him about the phases of the moon. He pointed to the round things that were hidden when the snail and Willoughby were were searching for the ball. He asked me what a space pod was. He didn't ask me to read it again immediately, though (an immediate "again" is my thumbs up indicator). He did ask me to read it again later in the day ... but the next day when I ask him which books we should return to the library, he picked this one. I asked him why and he said that he got sad when Willoughby wouldn't go into the cave (That's the part when Willoughby is frightened of the dark.) So instead of remembering the happy ending, he seemed to fixate on Willoughby's fear. Maybe I'll try to read it again to him when he's older.
Purpose of Blog
I am always interested in finding new books to read to my son. Since we all know about the classics, I thought it might be fun to read recently published books and review them ... not just from my perspective, but from the view of my three-year-old child. So, we started our journey by visiting our local library and checking out some books published in the last three years.
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