Not much depth of information here, but the book's broad scope is sure to entertain many. Full of clear, concise information and a plethora of photogrNot much depth of information here, but the book's broad scope is sure to entertain many. Full of clear, concise information and a plethora of photographs, this book's discussion of specific hoaxes from history will likely have something to intrigue most children. Not all the hoaxes are "creepy"; the one about the Cottingley fairies, for example, is rather cute. Enjoyable for browsing, and still short enough for kids to read it in a single sitting....more
How interesting! This charming book conveys a great deal of information about the country's first bookmobile and the remarkable librarian who made it How interesting! This charming book conveys a great deal of information about the country's first bookmobile and the remarkable librarian who made it possible. Clear and informative—but never condescending—this book can be enjoyed by youth and adults alike. The many photographs included add to the enjoyment....more
A very nice anthology for children. It's a short book, so it's not overwhelming for little ones, and while the back matter does include some brief infA very nice anthology for children. It's a short book, so it's not overwhelming for little ones, and while the back matter does include some brief information about the authors, the book does not get bogged down in over-explaining things. The poems are sweet or cute or atmospheric or cheery or even a little sad; it's an excellent mix of tones. It's a excellent selection of poets, too, with some who are better-known (e.g. Frost and Sandburg) and some who are lesser-known or even anonymous. Many of the poems featured here come from children's authors, most notably A. A. Milne. Colorful photographs accompany the poems and add a great deal of charm....more
Our faith, clearly explained, simple and unpretentious, as a father would explain it to his children. I remain especially moved by Luther's analyses oOur faith, clearly explained, simple and unpretentious, as a father would explain it to his children. I remain especially moved by Luther's analyses of the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. I am not wholly comfortable giving this book a rating, but I will say 5 stars, partly for its clarity in presenting theological ideas, and partly for how useful it has proved over the last several centuries. Dr. Martin Luther famously said, "You can burn all of my books except for two." This is one of the ones he would save....more
I thoroughly enjoyed these brainteasers. This book's warm tone softens the puzzles and makes them seem less intimidating than they otherwise might. ThI thoroughly enjoyed these brainteasers. This book's warm tone softens the puzzles and makes them seem less intimidating than they otherwise might. The answers (for the most part) take the time to explain the reasoning behind the solution, so that children can learn the process and use these methods in the future. Children will find this collection to be a gentle companion into a world of math, logic, and creative thinking. The puzzles themselves each take only a few minutes, so this book can be read a bit at a time, whenever time allows. A few very mild criticisms: 1) The answers are presented in order, so it's easy to see, by accident, the next puzzle's solution before even attempting it; and 2) There is a typo in one of the problems which makes it unsolvable. These are, as I said, very mild concerns. I remember that as a kid, I used a spare piece of paper to block the answers page so that I'd only see a little bit of it at a time—problem solved!—and I think figuring out that a problem is unsolvable is still quite satisfying. I liked this book as a child, and I think I loved it even more as a grownup. Terrific fun for all ages....more
What a fascinating book! An overview of the Cyrillic letters and their sounds, and all given in the context of a gallery of Russian art. What a creatiWhat a fascinating book! An overview of the Cyrillic letters and their sounds, and all given in the context of a gallery of Russian art. What a creative idea!
The writing is clear and easy to follow, and the book, being such a basic introduction to Cyrillic, doesn’t bog readers down in a lot of extra information. This book offers a great way to learn the letters, and the explanation in context of English sounds removes the need for guesswork. The artwork, all explained with informative captions, is the icing on the cake. The book’s layout is clean and uncluttered, and the pictures are clear and colorful. A lovely book, for many reasons. ...more
This excellent children’s book introduces the history of the Rosetta Stone and the way its discovery has shaped our understanding of ancient Egyptian This excellent children’s book introduces the history of the Rosetta Stone and the way its discovery has shaped our understanding of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Although the subject matter is complicated, the author does a terrific job of explaining things clearly without ever condescending to his audience. An informative look at history and the methods by which the past is studied. Highly recommended for kids (or adults) who are at all interested in foreign languages, dead language, or ancient Egypt....more
A joyful look at a year of Jewish holidays. The short descriptions of this collection function almost as free-verse poems. They capture a bit of the eA joyful look at a year of Jewish holidays. The short descriptions of this collection function almost as free-verse poems. They capture a bit of the emotion and history behind each holiday, and the slender volume would function well both for very young Jewish children and for non-Jews who have never been introduced to these holidays. Don't look for great depth of information here, but if you would like a charming and informational account that conveys a sense of childlike wonder, you won't be disappointed....more
A fun, charming book that makes a great readaloud for families. This humor is perhaps not the most intellectual style in the world, but it is a terrifA fun, charming book that makes a great readaloud for families. This humor is perhaps not the most intellectual style in the world, but it is a terrific hoot! Good clean jokes for kids and kids-at-heart....more
A good family readaloud, perfect for kids! This book offers a nice way to share a laugh, to spend an evening, or even to pass time during a long wait A good family readaloud, perfect for kids! This book offers a nice way to share a laugh, to spend an evening, or even to pass time during a long wait (or a long car trip). This book doesn't have a lot of really long jokes, but it's a fun journey filled with what I've heard called second-grade humor. Good clean fun....more
Sure to delight some children and horrify others, this alphabet picture book stands apart from all other literary primers. For onWow, this is amazing!
Sure to delight some children and horrify others, this alphabet picture book stands apart from all other literary primers. For one thing, it is intended, I think, for slightly older children than would typically be reading an alphabet book. There is a bit of an unexpected approach near the end, and the author (as indicated by a note at the start of the story) clearly expects his readers to be familiar enough with the ABCs to pick up on the reason that the alphabet given in this story can't be trusted. (Gee, could it be dangerous to trust it?)
This alphabet is given in 13 rhyming couplets, which don't so much tell the story as offer commentary on it. The plot is surprisingly intricate, but it comes more through the illustrations than through the text. The plot is that two "brave" children set out on a boat ride. The brother is clearly the more dominant of the two, pulling his sister along behind him and acting as the leader of their party. In her one moment of autonomy, the sister falls for a villain's trick and gets herself captured; she then spends the rest of the book trapped with so many other victims until her "hero" brother finds the bad guys, follows them, fights with his sword, and rescues her. In general, I don't tend to get as invested in books when most characters are passive and only one active—there's just not a lot of interaction in general—but I do think this book did a decent job of showcasing the sister's personality even when she doesn't have much to do. She is still strong and (mostly) dignified, even when horrible things are done to her.
And speaking of horrible things, this book has them. And they all happen to innocent children the monsters have taken (and they mostly happen in the pictures, not the text). There is horror and anguish and (implied) eating of children. There is disturbing nightmarish imagery. There are fingers and chains and giant eyeballs. There is a (somewhat veiled) reference to hell. There is confinement and torment and despair. There is graphic bloody violence (to children). In a word, it's macabre.
And oh!—is it ever something! It's the kind of horrifying book that kid-me would have liked. Again, not 3-year-old, just-learning-the-alphabet me, but maybe 9-year-old, able-to-appreciate-irony me. Nine-year-old me was tired of sanitized stories where bad things never actually happened. Where it was hard to take the danger seriously because I knew the author would never actually let it manifest. Where no one ever suffered, and consequently, no one was ever strong. Kid-me, if I had read THIS book then, would have felt somehow that Gaiman and Grimly were different from other authors, that they perhaps trusted their readers—even their child readers—to read about unpleasantness and pain and horror, not to need things to be all sunshine and rainbows. And of course, once you've had the dark night of terror, what comes next? Why, the dawn, of course. How glorious.
This book is also quirky! For example, one character's favorite letters is thorn (hey! That's MY favorite letter!). I doubt the authors expect kids to know what the þ is, but there is also a bit of an explanation given, so no one should feel condescended to. In addition, although this is a children's book, there is plenty to appeal to adults as well. For example, (view spoiler)[it turns out that it's dangerous to trust the alphabet because W is given before V, not after. I think this is a nod to old alphabet books that switched the orders around frequently. I know Gaiman is British, but Grimly is American, and the most influential children's book of our colonial period was The New England Primer, which gave the alphabet at least 4 times, and in different ways each time. One of the alphabets in the book was told in rhyming couplets, and W preceded V (which was mostly not there at all!). So history-buff, language-nerd adult-me really loved seeing something that hearkened back to such a confusing educational tool. (hide spoiler)]
While this book undoubtedly has appeal for grownup readers, this ultimately IS a journey for (older) children. The authors trust their readers, and that is perhaps the book's greatest strength. Bad stuff happens, but there is courage, too, from both children. There is a lot of drama that builds throughout, up to a satisfying conclusion. There is humor, too, and a bit of a meta flavor, as the author even wrote himself in as a character. The pictures have much detail and nuance, and astute readers will find a great deal of enjoyment in illustrations. There is a warning at the beginning not to trust the alphabet as given here, so there is an element of mystery, for kids to find what's untrustworthy about it—to get the readers to be in on the joke. And the ending is absolutely perfect....more
Interesting, informative, and well-researched, this book is sure to delight any child who'd like to learn more about pirates. The book is highly readaInteresting, informative, and well-researched, this book is sure to delight any child who'd like to learn more about pirates. The book is highly readable, divided into chapters with 10 facts apiece, and these bite-size chunks are fun and quick without ever feeling simplistic. The content was well-chosen and offers a robust view of pirate life. Illustrations throughout add to the enjoyment....more
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