Pigeon in the Pinewoods: a shifter paranormal adventure (The Hinterland Chronicles Book 1)
Written by Kevin George
Book One of this series begins with the birth of Niko and the disappearance of his mother from the hospital. The author describes Niko in such a way that readers immediately empathize with him. They follow him on a long journey that involves his bouncing from one home to another.
Niko is no ordinary child. He possesses strange abilities and powers. For middle-grade readers who enjoy adventure and the paranormal, this book is a good choice. Niko is a shifter, the scenes are done tastefully with just enough of a edge. Children who enjoy magic and fantasy but also a bit of the darker side should enjoy the quick read.
The author does a good job of moving the plot along. Short chapters contain much dialogue but no illustrations. Older readers will not be disappointed.
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Little Owl sits in the tree with his mother. He feels sleepy and complains that other birds get to sleep at night. Why must owls stay awake?
Mother Owl tells him that tonight is a special night. Because owls are awake at night, they were the first to see the Christmas Star. She follows with the birth of Jesus’s Christmas story and a very special traveler on Christmas Eve who brings presents to children.
A cute Christmas story picture book to read for preschoolers or primary grade children.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: Welcome to the amazing world of dinosaurs! Children ages 8 and up can discover where these prehistoric creatures lived, the food they ate, and what they may have looked like. Along the way, they’ll encounter bone-crushing teeth, slashing claws, and spiked tails while learning fascinating facts about dinosaur eggs and fossils, moving continents, climate changes, exploding volcanoes, and even an asteroid crashing into Earth.
An accomplished science and nature illustrator, Patricia J. Wynne is the recipient of the 2008 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor and has won awards from Parenting magazine, the John Burroughs Association, and the National Science Teachers Association. Patricia’s artwork has appeared in galleries, magazines, newspapers, and more than 100 books for both children and adults. She is the illustrator of numerous successful Dover titles on science and nature, including My First Book About Outer Space and My First Book About the Body.
Trained as a research scientist, Donald M. Silver has written more than 80 books for students of all ages and for teachers. His One Small Square series takes a close-up look at plants and animals where they live. He has won numerous awards including the Children’s Science Writing Award in Physics and Astronomy from the American Institute of Physicists. He lives in New York City where he has worked with Patricia J. Wynne since 1981 and with whom he has co-authored numerous successful Dover titles on science and nature, including the “My First Book” series.
MY REVIEWS
In My First Book About Dinosaurs, children gain a wealth of information while applying their artistic talent to coloring the pages.
The illustrations are detailed and aptly captioned. First, the definition and concept of fossils are explored. The work of paleontologists is explained. Next, the reader learns about the Triassic, Cretaceous, and Jurassic Periods, names of the dinosaurs living in each period, and their characteristics. Finally, readers learn the parts of the world inhabited by each dinosaur and what might have caused their extinction.
Children learn a ton of information by carefully reading the descriptions and studying the illustrations. Highly recommend it for children in the eight to twelve age range.
The oceans book is a perfect choice for children interested in weather phenomena, sealife, volcanoes, tsunamis, and geography. They will enjoy the illustrations and the detailed information accompanying them.
There is a section about climate, the different types of regions around the globe, animals who live under the sea, and the interrelationship of atmosphere and the oceans. A bit of oceanographic history is included.
Recommended for students in grades three through six.
The coloring book about our amazing Earth is a good first introduction to Earth Science. Young explorers learn about rocks, minerals, mountains, our solar system, and the history of our planet.
They are introduced to volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, caves, geysers, and some of our treasured national parks.
After coloring the beautiful illustration, future scientists will want to keep the book as a wealth of reference information.
Recommended for students ages eight through twelve.
I never fully realized the ecosystem available in my own backyard. This book explores backyard treasures found both day and night. There are insects, birds tiny one-celled creatures, and large animals. Many examples of how their life cycles are dependent upon each other are explained. Silver shows trees, leaves, the changes in seasons, how to identify creatures, and the dangers to avoid in the backyard. Readers even learn how to plant a tree.
This beautifully illustrated book will keep middle-grade outdoor enthusiasts busy for hours and provide a plethora of information about our natural world.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a set of four My First Science Books!
Three (3) winners receive:
A copy of My First Book About Dinosaurs
A copy of My First Book About Our Amazing Earth
A copy of My First Book About the Oceans
A copy of My First Book About Backyard Nature
The giveaway begins May 31, 2021, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends June 30, 2021, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
The Big Adventures of a Little Tree: Tree Finds Friendship
Written by Nadja Springer
Illustrated by Tilia Rand-Bell
A little tree possesses an overwhelming urge to travel and see the world. But how can he move? His roots are deep and entrenched in the soil.
The tree has an idea. He recruits the birds of the forest to help him. Slowly, he advances forward. When he comes upon a group of children, he has the opportunity to create deep friendships. Seasons come and go. Will the little tree be able to sustain his dreams?
I like the ideas and concepts that are conveyed through the simple words and illustrations. Having read the kindle version, the size of font was small even when enlarged. That is a drawback for beginning readers who want to read the electronic version.
This book affords the opportunity to explore many topics such as immigration, nature, environment, and mindfulness. That is why I would recommend it for readers of all ages.
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This book is an adorable picture book that will inspire the creativity of budding young artists of any age everywhere. Pinky Doodle is a tiny bug who loves to paint her thoughts on everything she sees. One day she realizes that her drawings needed stories. So Pinky calls on her friends in the forest to share their stories.
Many animals of the forest like birds, butterflies, bunnies, caterpillars and others relate their tales to Pinky. She eagerly illustrates each of them with her doodles. By combining their talents, the friends had produced a beautiful composition.
This book is told in simple, crisp rhymes, accompanied by vividly colored illustrations. It is sure to please readers from preschool age on up. It will even put a smile on the face of adult readers.
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This book is part of a series that features a girl named
Emma and her menagerie of personified stuffed animals. Each of these has a
distinct personality and a kind heart.
In this volume, Emma and her fluffy friends are playing in
the living room when they hear a loud crash outside. After looking out the
window, they discover a small bird lying still on the grass. When they
investigate, they discover a chickadee who has been seriously injured. Emma
gets a box and lines it with a doll blanket. She and her friends bring the box
inside and patiently wait for hours to see if the bird will recover.
After what seems an interminable amount of time, Emma picks
up the box and places it under a tree outside in the yard. They are happy to
see the bird sitting up. A few minutes later, the chickadee flaps its wings and
flies up into the tree.
Emma and her friends demonstrate patience, kindness and a love of nature. Children learn what and what not to do to help an injured animal. The illustrations are bright and effective. My only suggestion would be to vary the color of the text to make it a bit easier to read. Recommended for preschoolers and early elementary grade school readers.
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Charming beginning chapter book presenting Christian values of the responsibility to help others even if it means placing the needs of others before oneself. The protagonist is an adorable worker bee who has no name as do all the others in his hive because each has a job to do. This bee is quite dedicated and industrious. One day he learns of nectar in a blackberry patch and almost loses his life to an observant chicken. The bee encounters a sad mother bird who has lost her mate and has no one to watch over her nest while she searches for food. The bee takes on the job of protector, while completing his own worker bee assignments. One day he faces danger while protecting one of the hatchlings. He must make a difficult choice. How far must one go in carrying out his sense of duty?
Soft pastel illustrations enhance the mood and message of the tale. While the story is slow moving in parts, the characters are endearing and realistic; the message sometimes uplifting but also sad. Recommended especially for readers in the seven to ten year- old age range.
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BIRD LIFE FUNNY &WEIRD FEATHERED ANIMALS Funny & Weird Animals Series
Written by P.T. Hersom
Nonfiction book of approximately sixty pages features more than twenty of our feathered friends. The author first presents an overview of the characteristics of birds and then considers the reasons why some birds are considered strange. For each of the books considered readers are informed about the size, habitat, diet and a few paragraphs that make that bird particularly interesting. While I was familiar with a few of them like the pelican, grouse and hawk, there were many I had never heard of like the Hoatin, Cassowary, and Red-footed Booby.
I came away with some fascinating details. Did you know that Helmeted Hornbills are hunted for their casque (helmets) that are carved like ivory and their feathers are used in ceremonial dances? The Frigatebird acts like a pirate because it attacks other birds which have their lunch in their mouths, stealing it for a free meal. Even though they soar over the sea for their prey, Frigatebirds hate the water because their feathers become easily waterlogged.
Readers can test their memories by answering the What Did You Learn Today? Questions following the profiles of each bird. The answers are included, but don’t cheat! This is a fun feature for siblings or groups of children to use as a game or for a parent/teachers to use as reinforcement for a classroom lesson. Children eight and older who love birds or who are looking for an animal science project will find this book a good starting point. Available in kindle and paperback format.
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Robby’s Quest:Ocean Bound is the second book in the four book series featuring Robby as the protagonist and leader of a diverse flock of bird adventurers. I enjoyed this second chapter book even more than the first. It is more richly illustrated and the story flows seamlessly.
The fourteen feathered friends have arrived in Arizona to which they fled after a hurricane destroyed their winter home in Florida. Lately, the weather has been getting quite warm so the birds have a conference and eventually vote to migrate further west to San Diego where they can take advantage of the cool ocean breezes and plentiful food supply. Ruby has been there with her last flock; she offers to serve as a guide.
Less than a week later, the flock arrives in San Diego, where each group goes off to explore the sights. Two of the younger birds, a robin named Joy and her friend Josie, the sparrow, fly out to investigate a cruise ship, only to fall asleep and find themselves stranded at sea. Robby leads a group of six rescue birds in a search party. The reader follows the adventures of both groups. Will Joy and Josie ever rejoin their group of faithful friends?
This early chapter book story contains endearing story characters and a well integrated plot with just the right amount of challenge for an early elementary school reader. Color illustrations are simple but add interest to the story. Qualities like friendship, team work, bravery, cooperation and loyalty are seen as valuable traits. The ending to this adventure involves a new discussion among the birds as to future plans. Will the friends remain together or find new adventures on their own? Stay tuned.
Weird Animals: It Came From Planet Earth! Strange, Weird and Unusual Animals
By: Maya Lee Shye
This book is a fascinating study of the habitat and behavior of strange animals living on land, in the sea and up in the air on planet earth. Also unusual is its appeal to all ages from younger children through adults. The author describes more than thirty animals and provides a photograph of each. Some of these have been on earth for millions of years. That’s right, the Coelacanth is the oldest jawed fish still alive on our planet. This fish with eight hollow spine fins covered by tough scales acting like a coat of armor can grow up the six feet long and existed on earth 410 million years ago! The Tuatara is the last reptile that lived on earth as a contemporary of the dinosaurs 225 million years ago. They still exist on remote islands in the Pacific Ocean and some wildlife sanctuaries. The Tarsiers are primates with huge eyes that leap from tree to tree. They are carnivores who are probably the ancestors of two legged primates. The slow loris is a primitive monkey with a very large round head and eyes. Their arms and legs are of equal size. This southeastern Asia native also bites with a poisonous venom lethal to many humans.
Many animals have evolved with adaptations needed for their environment. There is an African Penguin native to the warm coast of Africa. These animals burrow in the ground to keep cool. Glands above the eyes high on their heads help them cool their bodies. The North Island Brown Kiwi is a bird that does not fly because its wings are tiny. The animal is the size of a chicken. Like a dog the kiwi bird uses its nose to find food. These animals live in underground burrows. The male sits on eggs in the nest, while the female goes out to hunt for food. Their eggs are the largest known bird eggs. New Zealand has adopted this bird as their national symbol. Giant Tortoises living in the Galapagos Islands can weigh up to 600 pounds so their bodies have been adapted to move slowly and burn few calories. In fact, they can go as long as one year without eating or drinking anything!
There are many animals with adaptations that make them look strange. The Glass Frog lives in Venezuela and central America. Its body is translucent so that it is totally invisible to predators. The Shoebill is a bird that lives in the swamps of east Africa. It is related to the stork, but its bill looks like a giant shoe. This cartoon like character spends most of its time standing silently along the water, but can fly at low altitude. When it does fly, it usually flies in a group that chatters. Archaeologists have found drawings of this bird in ancient Egyptian art. The Okapi is a forest giraffe that has black and white legs like a zebra. Its tongue is so long that it can wash its ears! One animal may someday help us find a cure for cancer. The Naked Mole Rat lives in tunnels on the desert coast of East Africa. This animal uses little oxygen and has no hair. It does not feel pain and appears to be resistant to cancer. Its life span is longer than any other mammal of comparable size. Another oddity is that these animals are eusocial like bees. One female is designated queen; all the other rats will work to sustain the colony.
More than thirty animals are discussed in this book. The work may serve as a springboard for analysis, discussion, comparison and evaluation of topics in life science, geography, evolution and environment. I recommend it as a valuable learning reference tool for adults and children of all ages.
August 28, 2022
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