Review: The Space Adventurer's Guide: Your Passport to the Coolest Things to See and Do in the Universe by Peter McMahon

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

It's not just astronauts who get to travel into space anymore. Forward-thinking entrepreneurs have now made space flight a reality for adventure-seekers of all kinds. And just in time, here's a travel guide for kids to plan their own out-of-this-world journeys. Eight potential space vacations are described, one per chapter, complete with information about pre-trip preparations (like training to withstand extreme g-forces), accommodations and dining (hot dogs in zero gravity, anyone?), awesome activities (how about a real moon walk?) and so much more. The trips range from orbiting Earth (available now), to voyaging through Saturn's rings, which may be possible within the next few decades. Featuring the coolest things to see and do in the universe, these space vacations are not to be missed! Award-winning science journalist Peter McMahon has come up with an intriguing concept sure to pique a young reader's interest in all things outer space. Based on the latest science and featuring first-person accounts from experts in the field, this book is chock-full of opportunities for science and technology lessons. With kid-sized bursts of text (including loads of amazing, and sometimes icky, facts), fascinating photographs of everyday life on actual space flights, as well as fun-filled illustrations from Josh Holinaty, this hugely appealing book is also one that children will gladly pick up on their own --- and devour. A glossary and index are included.

MY TAKE:
Growing up, I was fascinated with space, and my son has been showing an inclination to science as well, so I thought this book would be a good one to try.

This book is meant for children much older than my son, but I think he'll like it a lot once he's old enough to understand the book.

The book contains details about things like astronaut and space tourist training. There are also designated chapters for hypothetical/theoretical/actual trips to places like sub-orbit, orbit, the moon, comets, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. At the start of each chapter, you learn things like how far that destination is, how long the trip will take, and when you can go. The chapters also have sections like Space Tour Insider and Things to Do, and sometimes there are quotes from astronauts as well. The description of the flight is actually my favorite part of each chapter. You really get the sense that you're already there.

I also loved reading about life on the International Space Station and what life could be like on board space cruise ships.

There's a mix of photos and illustrations for each chapter. I'm not a big fan of the layout, but it's not that big of a deal.

There's a large amount of interesting information here, so it's probably a good idea to read this book a few chapters at a time so kids won't get overwhelmed or bored easily.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Try spotting stars out the windows. (They actually twinkle less up here because there's a lot less atmosphere to cause that twinkling we see on Earth.)

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

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Review: The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Every Sunday morning, no matter the weather, Eli could count on Zaida to bring bagels from Merv's Bakery. Eli loved the time they spent together enjoying their favorite treats. “Warm. Chewy. Salty,” Eli thought. “Bagels were the best thing about Sunday.” But one Sunday, Zaida didn't come. He had fallen at Merv's and “hurt his tuches,” and the doctor said Zaida had to rest at home for two whole weeks. This meant Eli had no Sunday morning bagels. And neither did Zaida's friends, who had been receiving their own weekly deliveries from Zaida. Will they all go hungry for bagels on Sunday? Or is there something Eli can do? Award-winning author Andrew Larsen's picture book story offers a gently humorous take on the special bond between a boy and his grandfather and the simple ritual that looms so large in their lives. It also highlights a terrific character education lesson about how a young child can take responsibility and, with a little initiative, help a family member in need. With a blend of retro and contemporary styles, Sandy Nichols's softly colored illustrations cleverly convey the story's timelessness and capture Eli's diverse neighborhood. This book will spark wonderful discussions about family traditions and community. A mini glossary and pronunciation guide for the Yiddish words that are sprinkled throughout the story (like mensch and oy) provides an opportunity to learn about the many words we use in English that come from other languages, and to explore the connections between culture and language.

MY TAKE:
This book put a smile on my face. I loved the relationship between Eli and his zaida. It's a beautiful thing to see how close they are. I also liked that some Yiddish words were used and there's a glossary at the start of the book for those of us who aren't familiar with them. It's a great way to introduce parts of Jewish culture to my son.

Another thing I loved were the food descriptions. Eli and his grandfather bond over bagels, so most of the food described are bagels, but chicken soup and pickles were also mentioned.

It's a relatively long story text-wise, so while it's still a nice read for smaller kids, I think it works best for kids 5-8 years old. The text distribution has some pages with longer paragraphs and some pages with short sentences, which is a good thing since you can rest a little bit in between the pages with longer text.

While I'm not a huge fan of the font (Calisto) used -- I gravitate towards sans serif fonts -- I really, really liked the illustration style used. Some drawings had detailed backgrounds, others just sort of focused on the characters and their immediate vicinity, but in every single one, it felt like the amount of detail included was the perfect choice. The illustrations were rendered in acrylic paint, and the shading and color choices were A++ for me.
  
MY SON'S REACTION:
When I showed him the cover of the book, he immediately said it was him and his grandfather. When I turned to the first page, his immediate reaction to seeing the bagel was to say "A donut!" Donuts are much more common than bagels here, and I don't think he's encountered one yet, but when I told him it was a bagel, he accepted it without too much of a fuss. I really should consider buying him a bagel and a donut so we can compare and contrast them.

Anyway, during the scene wherein Zaida's friends mentioned what kind of bagels they usually ate, my son turned to me and told me he was hungry. To be honest, I was feeling a little hungry too. That's a compliment to this book considering both of us had just finished eating lunch when we read this. If you're reading this, I suggest you have some food ready. Bagels are a good choice so you can get the full experience of reading the book, but chicken soup or pickles work too.

His attention started to wander around halfway through the book, but he did start getting into it again at around the 3/4th mark. I think that's partly because he's just started getting accustomed to longer books.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"Every Sunday morning your zaida gets me a sesame seed bagel with smoked salmon," explained Mr. Rubin.
"He gets me a plain bagel with cream cheese," said Mr. Wolf.
"And a poppy seed bagel with pickled herring for me," said Mr. Goldstick. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

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Review: Red Sky at Night by Elly MacKay

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

A memorable collection of weather sayings, beautifully arranged in story form and illustrated by renowned paper artist Elly MacKay.
Red sky at night, sailor's delight. And, the next morning, when the dew is on the grass, no rain will come to pass. These are the perfect conditions for a grandfather to take his grandchildren out on a fishing trip. Especially since, as the saying goes, when the wind is from the West, then the fishes bite the best. The family takes a boat out on the lake, fishing and swimming and eventually camping out on a nearby island, taking full advantage of the gorgeous weather. But the next day . . . red sky in the morning, sailors take warning! The family ventures back home just in time to avoid a rainstorm. But not to worry -- the more rain, the more rest. Fair weather's not always best.
Acclaimed paper artist Elly MacKay illustrates a lovely family narrative through the use of weather aphorisms, creating a beautiful and informational story which will appeal to children's timeless fascination with the natural world.

MY TAKE:
I've always been fascinated by the weather, but even if I wasn't, I would probably still enjoy this book.

The book consists of weather sayings/rhymes combined with beautiful pictures created by the author. I've actually only heard of two of the sayings in the book ("red sky at night" and "red sky in the morning"). The others are mostly new to me or they're something that I might have observed but didn't really give much thought to.

I really liked the Weather Wisdom part after the main part of the book. This part discusses the sayings in the book and whether there is truth to them or not.

I also really liked the illustrations in the book. The color palette and the style are absolutely beautiful.  On the About the Author page, there's a brief explanation on how they are made. At first I wasn't sure if they were made with watercolors or on the computer. I was very impressed when I find out how the almost 3D effect of the illustrations were created.

MY SON'S REACTION:
He wasn't in the mood to read out loud when we read this but he did have a lot of fun looking at the pictures and would point out little things here and there that caught his eye.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

When clouds appear like rocks and towers,
the Earth is refreshed with frequent showers. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

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Take a Look. More Fun Together! by Liesbet Slegers

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

It’s okay to be alone. But it’s much more fun when others join along! Is the bear resting by himself? Who is hiding in the garden? Extend the pages to find out! A playful interactive slide and see book about friendship and more for toddlers ages 18 months and up, with a focus on the child’s natural world.

MY TAKE:
I think I found a new children's book publisher to add to my favorites. So far, all the books my son and I have read from Clavis Publishing have been excellent, and this one is no exception.

This book has simple but colorful and eye-catching illustrations. The content is also quite fun. With each new animal, the text starts off by saying hi to the animal, describing what it is doing and asking if it's doing that alone. When you pull the side, the page extends to show you that the animal actually wasn't alone that day.

I love interactive books like this because they make reading fun for me and my child. The book is the perfect length to read-aloud to kids because it's long enough that you don't feel like it's lacking somehow but it's short enough not to tire both you and your child out.

MY SON'S REACTION:
He loved the book. The first time he saw that the book expanded to show that there were other animals on the scene, he was surprised and thought it was funny. His favorite of the animals were the bunnies and he gamely counted all the baby bunnies.

The vocabulary used was easy enough for him to grasp. As usual, I would point to some of the words he knew and some he might know. He picked up "Take a look!" easily after seeing it a couple of times in the book. Whenever he said "Take a look!" he also put a hand to his forehead as though he was looking out to sea. That was entertaining for me and it was an easy way to keep him interested in the book.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Hello, beautiful fish.
You are swimming in the water.
Are you feeling lonely?

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

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Review: My Teacher's Not Here! by Lana Button

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

As soon as she arrives at school, Kitty knows there's trouble. “Smiling Miss Seabrooke should be here to meet me. But my teacher is missing and NOT here to greet me.” With no Miss Seabrooke, everyone should be sent home, right? But no! Kitty and her classmates line up as usual and walk into the school building. Kitty's worries build as she wonders how she will get through the day without her teacher. What will she do when her Thermos gets stuck or her jacket won't zip? Miss Seabrooke is the only one who can fix these things. Or is she? Author Lana Button perfectly captures the fears and uncertainties of a kindergartner dealing with her first substitute teacher. She also models a way to cope, as Kitty steps up to help the substitute --- a “ginormously tall” giraffe named Mr. Omar --- and discovers that sometimes change can be good. Button's playful and lively cadenced rhyming text, together with Christine Battuz's friendly illustrations of a full cast of animal characters at school, make this a terrific picture book for story time. It provides an excellent lead-in to prepare a class for their first substitute, or for a discussion about how it feels when life doesn't go as expected. A celebration of self-discovery and personal development, this book also makes a wonderful choice for character education lessons on kindness, empathy and perseverance. Educators will appreciate the heartfelt depiction of a young child's warm feelings for her teachers.

MY TAKE:
This was a fun book to read.

I didn't expect it to be a rhyming book, but it was a welcome surprise for me. Most of the children's books we have at home are not rhyming books and I've been looking for more books that have rhymes. I was impressed with the rhymes because they felt natural throughout the book. 

The book was a little longer than I expected. I read this aloud to my son, and I did feel a little fatigued during the second half of the book. I liked the story a lot, though. It was very cute.

I loved the illustrations as well. They were rendered using hand drawing and digital collage, and it just works for me. The drawings are very colorful and there's a lot going on that you can discuss with your child.

MY SON'S REACTION:
 My son hasn't had the opportunity to have a stranger become his substitute teacher since the teachers at his school sub for each other if someone isn't available. He did identify Miss Seabrooke by his teacher's name as the story progressed and he saw how Kitty interacted with her teacher.

My son was also familiar with the activities the children were doing in the book because they do the same things at his school. He identified the activities the kids were doing, and even pointed out to me two children who were having a tug-of-war over the car. He was angry at the character who seemed to be taking the car from the rightful owner.

The book may be a little long for his attention span, since his attention wandered every so often, but all I had to do was ask him a question about what the characters in the illustrations were doing and he would focus on the story again.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

He comes in handy
when stacking a tower,
and knows how to
fluff tissue into a flower. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

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Review: My Bed by Anita Bijsterbosch

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

There’s a star in the sky. Bear, Rabbit, Reindeer and the other animals are tired. Time for bed! Reindeer tries every bed he sees, but which bed is really his? A funny picture book about Reindeer and his own bed. For sleepy toddlers ages 24 months and up, with a focus on the child’s daily life.

MY TAKE:
There are many things I liked about this book. For one thing, the words are simple and there are only one to three short sentences per page so it's great for beginner readers. It was a perfect read for me and my child, and the length and topic is great for bedtime reading.

The illustration style and colors used worked well with the story, and there were little details here and there that provided additional things for my son and I to talk about. For example, Hare's racecar bed and yellow car, which my son liked a lot.

This is a lift-a-flap book, I think, and since I received an e-ARC, the effect became a little confusing for me because the front flap ended up being included in the next page, so I had to scroll forward and then backward to follow the story. I imagine with a physical copy, though, the book is quite perfect.

MY SON'S REACTION:
My son had fun reading along with me, although the scrolling back and forth did slow down our momentum a little bit.

He gamely said "Good night" to all the animals, and after awhile, started getting frustrated on the reindeer's behalf. I think that's why he was so pleased with the ending. I was pretty happy with the ending myself since it made mention of the fact that not all animals have a sleeping schedule similar to humans.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"Hoot!" Owl hoots.
"I sleep during the day.
Now it is your turn." 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

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Review: Open the Suitcase by Ruth Wielockx

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Horse, Cat, Piggy and the other animals all have important jobs to do. They carry their belongings in suitcases. Which bag belongs to whom? Open the suitcases and take a look inside. An interactive lift-the-flap book for curious readers ages 3 and up. 

MY TAKE:
I like the premise of this book. For each suitcase, you are asked to guess which of the three animals owns it. You have to lift the flap to see the contents of the suitcase and from there, you make your guess. It's easy enough for most of the animals because there are little clues in their costumes and ages.

I liked the illustration style and colors used. The background colors were just one solid color each page and it worked with the concept and the drawings because your attention is kept entirely on the characters and what they are doing.

I read this aloud with my son, and even though the paragraphs weren't too lengthy, I think the number of suitcases may have been why I felt like it was a little wordy. On the bright side, at least that means there's more suitcases for your child to explore and more for you and your child to talk about.

MY SON'S REACTION:
He enjoyed guessing which animals owned the suitcase. He wasn't interested in trying to find the items in the suitcase in the page where the owner is revealed, though. He was more interested in mimicking what the owners and other animals were doing.

Despite the number of suitcases, which made the book feel a little bit lengthy, he was able to remain attentive until the last page of the book. His favorite characters were the Dog (because he loves playing "doctor"), the Rabbit (because he likes cars), and the Piggy (because their ages are similar).

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Watch him pull Rabbit from his hat.
"Bravo!" Cat cheers. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

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