it's that book
  • Home
    • DPCA Book Fair
  • Blog
  • Shop!
  • Join My Team
  • Host a Party
  • About Me

discover that book

a blog about usborne books & more

my first 100 words

1/22/2017

0 Comments

 
"I need the blue box!" My youngest is not a baby anymore, but he LOVES these little board books. He opens the box, goes straight to the 'animals' book, and flips back and forth through the pages. And then carries it around the house all afternoon.

My First 100 Words (Kane Miller, by Amanda Gulliver and Elizabeth Golding, designed by Anton Poitier) is a heavy duty box with a strong magnetic clasp that holds 9 tiny board books on different topics: animals, people, get dressed, outside, etc. Each of the mini books contains six pages and 11 different labeled images. The images are simple and easily identifiable but illustrated with beautiful detail. And, measuring in under 2" on each side, they fit perfectly into little hands!

This little set would make a really fun baby shower gift because it is so well made and will be enjoyed by little ones for a long time. Not only will the set help young children learn new words, it fosters imagination and play because the books themselves can be a game. They can be stacked, sorted, and matched to their spot in the box.

​And once the little one begins to read, these books will again become a point of fascination, because the lettering is bold and easy to read.

It's that book that starts as a book, turns into a toy, and then evolves back into a book.

Book benefits:
  • The sturdy cardboard box and heavy duty magnet will withstand even a toddler's curiosity
  • Bright, colorful pictures attract young eyes
  • Small book size fits perfectly into a young child's hands
  • 109 different pictures introduce babies to common words
  • Matching pictures inside the box can be used as a matching game
  • Thick-paged board books can be stacked and sorted for different types of engagement

Once you hold this little board book set in your hands, you won't be able to resist buying it for gifts, too! It's beautiful, thoughtful, and engaging all at once.

Like this book? There's a set for numbers, too! I Can Count

Buy My First 100 Words here ($12.99, board books and box)

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Want to see more? Here's my YouTube review:
0 Comments

architect academy 

1/17/2017

3 Comments

 
Picture
"Color in this grid to meet Harry, the Robot Architect. Nobody understands math as well as a robot! Harry is going to help explain 'area' and 'perimeter.'" This little blurb exemplifies what makes Architect Academy so great: it combines fun kid stuff with meaningful learning through actual tasks they get to complete.

And when they're done completing each task, they get a sticker! Who doesn't love getting stickers? (even my high school students like getting stickers on their work - no joke.) 

It's difficult to explain the depth and design of this book (a Kane Miller book written by Steve Miller) concisely, but I'm going to give it a try. It's a do-it-yourself primer on what it means to be an architect, what skills help you along the way, and what types of assignments architects work on. But what's brilliant is that every page contains an activity for the reader to do, either right on the page of the book or with everyday supplies around the house.

Design floor plans, residential areas, tree houses, pyramids... test boat designs, measure and build a 3D model house, match building materials to the function they provide in a building. This book is 64 pages of well thought out information, games, activities, and tasks that will make any young reader feel accomplished - because they really have accomplished something! Funny how that works. :) 

It's the book that tricks you into working and learning because it's disguised as really really fun play.

Book benefits:
  • Highly engaging problems to solve and tasks to complete on every page
  • Activities are scaffolded effectively, building complexity at a rate kids can follow
  • Stickers and certificates help young readers see their accomplishments
  • 3D pop-out bridge and board game, complete with tokens, add the cherry to the top of this awesome architect manual - seriously, that part is so cool :)
Want to see more? Check out my video!
​Added bonus: this book is part of a series! If your reader enjoyed becoming an architect, they can also become an astronaut or an engineer!

Buy Architect Academy here  ($12.99, paperback)

​Click these pictures to enlarge and see occasional captions:
3 Comments

cordelia!

1/14/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
"Cordelia could fly along with the breeze. What seemed impossible, she did with ease." So begins the tale of Cordelia, a little girl who can fly. She has so much fun singing with the birds and making the moon grin - until other people tell her she's being silly and can't fly.

Cordelia begins to doubt herself, and away goes her ability to fly. Life loses its fun and color until she realizes she knows herself better than that, and that she can't be defined by what other people think. "Who was anyone to say, if she could or couldn't fly? What was or wasn't possible - if they didn't even try?"

This is such a sweet story, written by the wonderful Michelle Nelson-Schmidt. Of course, it shares an important message for kids - and adults - to hear, but it does so with whimsy and innocence. You can't help but root for Cordelia, droop when she's down, smile when she flies. 

It's that book that helps you remember it's ok to be you - that in fact, it's great to be you!

​
Book benefits:
  • Beautiful, bright illustrations to pull you into the story
  • Important message for kids and adults alike
  • Sweet, lovable character you want to read about again and again
  • Sing-song, rhyming text that adds a lyrical note
Meet Cordelia and listen to her story - read by the author herself!
And, as an added bonus, you can buy a little plush Cordelia doll to make her come alive even more. She is very cute and huggable, and perfectly sized for little arms!

​Buy Cordelia here! ($6.99, paperback)
​Take home a sweet Cordelia plush doll, too ($14.99, 10" tall)
0 Comments

how things work

1/14/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
"This is the gear. One goes this way, the other goes that way." That was Josh explaining to me how cogs work, a recent revelation thanks to Usborne's See Inside How Things Work (written by Conrad Mason, illustrated by Colin King). This is a flap book with 90+ flaps to lift - some even multi-layered for the same image - that teach about everything from plumbing to trumpets to tower cranes.

One great element of this book is that the pictures and the words are both educational. My boys don't read, but they love looking at the diagrams, which have detailed illustrations with arrows and color coding to explain concepts. But read the captions as well, and you'll learn a new layer of how everything works together. 

And parents can learn, too! I never knew how those tall tower cranes were constructed, but I do now. Have you wondered what's really going on inside a lock, or how hair dyers heat up so quickly? Wonder no more! It's all explained in these easy-to-follow diagrams.

It's that book that will help you answer all those questions coming from the backseat.

Book benefits:
  • Flaps of all shapes and sizes to explore
  • Themed pages to show connections between simple and complex machines
  • A wide variety of topics to engage kids with all sorts of interests
  • Easy-to-understand explanations of what's going on
  • Detailed diagrams to help pre-readers be equally fascinated
  • So. Much. Information. Hours of exploration waiting for you!

Added bonus - this book is part of a series, so if your kids like this book, you can keep 'em coming!
Buy See Inside How Things Work here! ($14.99, hardcover)
0 Comments

farmyard tales

1/9/2017

0 Comments

 
"This is Apple Tree Farm. This is Mrs. Boot, the farmer. She has two children, called Poppy and Sam, and a dog called Rusty." I wrote that line from memory, as I've read it many many times - they are the first lines in each of the 20 short stories in Usborne's The Complete Book of Farmyard Tales (written by Heather Armery, illustrated by Stephen Cartwright). 

I find these opening lines endearing, as Josh has also learned them by heart and recites them whenever we read one of these stories together. Each of the stories in this collection tells some aspect of the lives of Mrs. Boot, the farmer, and her life around Apple Tree Farm. 

The stories are designed for early readers: the first line on each page is short, for the child to read, followed by a slightly more complex sentences, for the parent or pal reading alongside the child. The stories are simple but engaging: a pig gets stuck after eating the chickens' food, a tractor loses control and runs into a pond, a snow storm covers the sheep, the local train station is brought back to life.

And, to put the cherry on top, the book comes with an audio recording of all of the stories. I was hesitant about this at first, but they're really fun: the narrator has a soothing, British voice, and there are sound effects sprinkled throughout to further bring depth to the stories. (listen to a sample below)

Put simply, it's that book so full of life, on multiple levels, you will pull it off the shelf again and again.
Book benefits - there are so many!
  • 20 diverse stories mean endless opportunities for reading
  • Multi-level text allows early readers to share in the process
  • Bright, colorful illustrations add depth to the stories
  • A map at the front of the book puts all the events in context
  • A CD of the stories, narrated with music and sound effects, comes with the book!
    • Listen to a sample here
  • Thick, glossy pages and a padded cover allow for a long reading life for this book
  • A little duck hides on each page, waiting to be found!

One more benefit is that Apple Tree Farm is the focus of several Usborne books - so if your child is pulled into the series, there are many ways to enjoy these characters! (See more here)

I'm happy Josh loves these stories... but even if he didn't, I would still curl up in a chair and read about life on Apple Tree Farm! 

Buy The Complete Book of Farmyard Tales ($24.99, padded hardcover)
Picture
Click the images to see bigger!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture

    author

    Hi there! I'm Christine - Usborne Books & More independent consultant, kids' book fan, English teacher, mom of two boys. 


    archives

    November 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    categories

    All
    Active Engagement
    Alphabet Books
    Animals
    Baby Books
    Bedtime Books
    Board Books
    Chapter Fiction
    Combined Volume
    Counting Books
    Dual Readers
    Early Elementary
    Early Readers
    Farmyard Tales
    Flap Books
    Good For All Ages
    Internet Linked
    Late Elementary
    Machine Books
    Middle/high School
    Middle School
    Nature
    Nonfiction Books
    Phonics Books
    Picture Books
    Reference Books
    Story Books
    Toddler Books

    RSS Feed

Picture
Mission statement of Usborne Books & More: "The future of our world depends on the education of our children. Usborne Books & More delivers educational excellence one book at a time. We provide economic opportunity while fostering strong family values. We touch the lives of children for a lifetime."
Picture
All writing on this site 
​
© 2019 
Christine Bailey
Bookstore link

This website is designed by Christine Bailey, Independent Consultant with Usborne Books & More. Usborne Publishing Ltd and Usborne Books & More - EDC Publishing - Kane/Miller books have no connection with this web site and the pages therein and do not sponsor or support their content.
  • Home
    • DPCA Book Fair
  • Blog
  • Shop!
  • Join My Team
  • Host a Party
  • About Me