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discover that book

a blog about usborne books & more

dragon post

11/1/2018

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"Goodness me - A BABY DRAGON?!?! IN YOUR HOUSE? CRIKEY!" So begins a letter from Henry Drant, Chief Firefighter, to Alex, who found a dragon in his house and wrote to the Fire Brigade to figure out what to do with it.

Emma Yarlett has made a name for herself in the Usborne Books & More community for her oh-so-popular Nibbles books, and she's back! Dragon Post has the familiar humor and art style of the Nibbles books, but it comes with an extra fun element: letters!

After Alex finds a dragon in his house, he writes to all sorts of people for advice. And with each request comes a response in the form of a letter: The Fire Brigade suggests he keep the dragon wet, a butcher offers some food recommendations, the Director of World Animal Welfare suggests how to exercise a dragon. Alex even gets an (unsolicited) letter from a lawyer after discovering how loud dragons can be. 

Through these letters, Alex learns that, although he loves his dragon, living in a house might not be the best situation for him. With a little help from his best friend, Alex decides to let the dragon go into the wild... and a little while later, gets the best letter of all: dragon post!

Besides offering a sweet story, Dragon Post is a great way to get your kiddos excited about letter writing! The letters Alex receives demonstrate a variety of writing styles and purposes - I even used the book in my high school class for a lesson on writing styles and voices. It's hard to read this book without wanting to pick up an actual pen and an actual piece of stationary and send a letter of your own. So what are you waiting for? Go send some post!

It's that book dragon lovers and letter-writing lovers alike will want to cuddle up with.

Book benefits:
  • Story offers a sweet lesson on friendship (and letting go when needed)
  • Illustrations are bright and comical
  • Real letters you can pull out and read add an extra element of interaction
  • This is a book about letters, not e-mails! It's a nod to real mail, which everyone loves :)

Buy Dragon Post here (hardcover with removable letters, $14.99)
Click on the photos for a close-up:
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slot-together victorian dollhouse

12/30/2017

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"Mom, can you get the little house down?" My boys were won over instantly with this dollhouse! Three story building, eight rooms, six people, two pets, and a whole collection of furniture... a world of play awaits with the Slot-Together Victorian Dollhouse from Usborne.

Ever since joining Usborne Books & More, I have been curious about the little slot-together kits - this dollhouse and a theater. I have always love little things, and I've loved constructing my own toys. But would my two boys? Would they destroy it? Would they get bored?

I decided to take the risk and invite my boys (3.5 and 5) to help me put together this house. They were so excited! All the pieces come on foam boards and just need to be popped out, so no extra tools required. The enclosed book gives step-by-step instructions for building first the house, then the people and furniture. 

And my boys were enchanted for the whole two hours we spent constructing everything from start to finish! They were eager to help, followed directions as I handed them down, and were careful with the little foam pieces. That's a win in my book! And, once construction was completed, the boys loved moving the pieces around and opening and closing the front wall to see everything inside. ("We have to close it now, the house is sleeping!")

There is so much to love about this kit: it's a great project, the pieces are well-made and so beautifully detailed (though some pieces benefit from Elmer's Glue reinforcement), you can tell your own stories as you play, and you can learn fun tidbits of historical info from the accompanying book.

It's that book that turns into a toy to be played with again and again!

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"Book" benefits:
  • Hands on constructing experience will engage kids young and old
  • History meets contemporary playtime with the book for added reference
  • Info pages in book contain Victorian tips, tricks, and games to enhance creative play
  • Lots of little accessories make for detailed imaginative play (and can be stored in the sturdy box as needed)
  • This would make a creative and well-loved gift!

Buy the Slot-Together Victorian Dollhouse here! ($41.99, foam pieces in box with book)
  • Want more? Check out the Slot-Together Theater, too! 
Click to see photos full-sized:
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there's a mouse about the house

8/31/2017

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"Mom, can we do it again?" You know you have an engaging book in your hands when your toddlers can't get enough of it! There's a Mouse About the House, a book written and illustrated by Richard Fowler, is a clever book that combines storytelling with fine motor development and reading preparation. 

To use this book, you take the little cardboard mouse out of its sleeve on the front cover and slip it through the slot. This transports the mouse into a playroom, where you learn that he is on a search for food. A dotted line directs the mouse from one slot to the next, where he slips through a crack in the floor to the kitchen. Slots in each page take you on a tour of the house as the mouse looks for food. But watch out for the cat, the parrot, and Mr. and Mrs. B! 

I wasn't sure what to make of this book at first, as it has a very 1980's feel - but oh boy, is it fun! My boys really do "read" through it over and over. The reason the book develops reading and fine motor skills is that you have to be pretty intentional to get the mouse through each slot, and the movement is always from left to right across the page. Fun way to get kids practicing essential skills without even realizing it! 

It's that book your kids will pull off the shelf on their own to try over and over again - and that they will learn from each time.

Book benefits:
  • Book is hands on, developing fine motor skills as little ones move the mouse from one slot to another
  • Left-to-right movement develops early reading and writing skills
  • Playful story will keep kids coming back for more!​
Buy There's a Mouse About the House here! (hardcover, $11.99)
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Buy the companion, A Squirrel's Tale, here (hardcover, $11.99)
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flippy floppy jungle animals

8/25/2017

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"You found me!" This is the text on the final flap of each page as you flip, flip, flip to reveal different animals. But, if you want to be a corny parent, this is also the book talking to you after you have stumbled across it on the Usborne Books & More website. It's a hidden gem I stumbled on myself, and I want to help you avoid that problem! 

Flippy Floppy Jungle Animals (a Kane Miller book by Anton Poitier and Sophia Touliatou) is a board book with four thick pages, each of which contains four flaps. The premise here is that on the left side of each page sits an animal - elephant, lion, hippo, or tiger - asking, "can you find me? I'm hiding somewhere!" On the facing page (the one with the flaps) is a jungle scene. 

With each flap you turn, the scene transforms into a different animal, until, on the final flap, you see the animals have collectively turned into the "hiding" animal. It's a little difficult to put into words, so take a look at the sequence with the tiger: 

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Clever, eh? I wondered if it would be a short lived favorite in my house because there are only four scenes, but my boys love going through the book on their own and exclaiming in a sing-song voice, "you found me!" once they reach the final flap. And there are fun details to notice, like the alligator lurking under the water and little birds that make appearances on each page.

The illustrations are whimsical and vibrant, making the book beautiful even for the sake of talking about different animals and ecosystems. If you're a fan of Count to 100, you'll recognize the artwork - the books share an illustrator. :) 

It's that book that shows the transformational, and playful, power of art!

Book benefits:
  • Fresh, out-of-the-box flap book that will encourage conversations about new animals
  • The final page shows pictures of all the animals and asks, "did you find us, too?" - which naturally encourages kids to flip back through and look for more details.
  • Thick pages and cover will hold up to typical childhood love :) 

Buy Flippy Floppy Jungle Animals here! (board book, $12.99)
If you like this one, Kane Miller has two others in the collection! Check out Ocean Animals and Farm Animals.

​Here's a quick video preview, too!
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look inside construction sites

8/2/2017

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"Mom, a digger!" "Mom, an excavator!" "Mom, look! A grader!" I have two boys. One is 3, the other is approaching 5. I hear about construction machines all. day. long. It's gotten to the point now where, even if I'm out by myself, I'll point out construction machines I pass on the road. So when I saw that Usborne was releasing a brand new lift-the-flap book about construction sites (Look Inside Construction Sites, by Stefano Tognetti and Rob Lloyd Jones), half of me thought "wow, perfect!" and half of me thought, "oh man, another construction book for our collection?"

But I have to say, I love this book and am so glad we added it to our collection. Like all of Usborne's lift-the-flap books, this one is packed full of information. The illustrations are colorful and detailed, a blend of informational (like workers carrying a pipe to the site) and playful (like workers standing around drinking tea). This book would be worth it just for the surface content, but of course, the flaps add layers of engagement and detail that make it even better. 

One of my favorite aspects of Look Inside Construction Sites is that the first two pages (but feels more like four with the layers of flaps) focus on the process of building a house. On the first page, you see the foundation process - prepping the land, digging trenches, pouring the foundation itself. Turn the page, and you see walls going up. One flap that's half the size of one page adds a layer of interior floors and exterior brick-laying; a flap almost the size of the facing page then overlays, with two flap layers, the roof beams and then the finishing elements. It's a concise, yet in-depth, dissection of the building process, all packed into these two pages!
From here, you get to see elements of building a skyscraper, examples of "super machines," the process of building a bridge, components of building roads and tunnels, and finally a glimpse of the demolition process. And each page has a different, creative layout of flaps to pile on the layers of exploration. 

​Ok, maaaybe my boys' fascination of construction sites has rubbed off on me. Or maybe I just can't resist a good book. :) My guess, though, is that it's a combination of the two;  
Construction Sites teaches fascinating nuggets of information on each page and does it in a way that you can't help but read every caption and pore over every flap. 
It's that book that'll inspire you to stop at every construction site you see... and pull out the book on the spot to explain what you're watching. ​​

Book benefits:
  • Combination of engaging illustrations and practical information mean your readers will be fascinated and learning at the same time!
  • Flaps offer an impressive depth of information
  • Sturdy hardcover binding and thick card stock pages will hold up to many, many readings
  • Usborne Quicklinks page adds even more dimension with extra videos and games about construction process - definitely worth a look!

Buy Look Inside Construction Sites here! ($14.99, hardcover)

Want to check out more lift-the-flap books in the Usborne collection? You have about 70 to choose from! Peruse the collection here.
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    Hi there! I'm Christine - Usborne Books & More independent consultant, kids' book fan, English teacher, mom of two boys. 


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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.
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