I received a sample for this review/feature. Opinions expressed are my own.
Every year I get to see the latest collection of books from Arbordale Publishing and I really love them as they are some of the best books around. Their collection of books always focus on science and math related stories in hopes that children will enjoy learning and take that knowledge further into their daily lives. Here are six new titles that will engage little readers everywhere.
Alexa and the other children at her escuela in Costa Rica have a special project: they are raising American Crocodiles. She names her croc Jefe, which means “boss,” because he seems to be in charge of all the other babies. Alexa brings him chicken and frogs to eat, and writes about his progress in her diary. Soon, her little hatchling is as big as a loaf of bread. He has grown into a juvenile and it is time for Alexa to say goodbye and for Jefe to return to the wild.
After A While Crocodile: Alexa’s Diary written by Dr. Brady Barr & Jennifer Keats Curtis and illustrated by Susan Detwiler is full of photographs and illustrations about Alexa and the baby crocodile she is raising. Her whole class gets to study them before putting them back into the wild and this book documents that process. A fabulous book on an animal I have always had a big fascination for.
As the sun begins to set, arctic animals scurry to prepare for six months of darkness and cold. Tuktuk the collared lemming is almost ready for the long winter night ? all he needs is warm fur to line his nest. When one furry kamik (boot) slips off an Inuit driver’s sled, Tuktuk is in luck! But as he drags it home, Putak the polar bear, Aput the arctic fox, and Masak the caribou eye this little lemming’s prize and want it for their own. Can Tuktuk outwit the other animals and convince them that one furry kamik is no good for anyone bigger than a lemming?
Tuktuk: Tundra Tale written by Robin Currie and illustrated by Phyllis Saroff is a fictional story about the animals of the tundra and how they must prepare for the long winter. A lemming? finds a lost boot and he wants it to line his nest. The problem is all the bigger animals he encounters on the way home want it too. He will have to be smarter than them if he wants to keep it all to himself. It is fun to read about all the different animals and it is a pleasure to browse the illustrations. Every time I see the northern lights (even in a drawing) it makes me want to go there some day!
Dena loves using magnets to perform magic tricks for the kids at the pool. When Enrique arrives in town, he doesn?t like that Dena is fooling the others. He gives her a century-old treasure map and Dena uses her compass and tools to plot the location of the treasure. To her surprise, the treasure is not where it should be! What could cause her compass to lead her off course? When she discovers the answer, will Dena keep fooling the other kids with magic tricks or will she help them learn about magnetism and the earth’s shifting magnetic poles?
Magnetic Magic written by Terry Catas’s Jennings and illustrated by Andrea Gabriel shares with us how Dena likes to perform magic tricks for kids at the pool. In reality it is magnets performing the tricks but she doesn’t tell them that. A boy comes along one day and instantly says she is using magnets and that she should not be fooling the kids like that. He gives her a treasure map and challenges her to find the treasure using a compass. The problem is the treasure is not where it should be. A great book on magnets and teaching a lesson on fooling others.
Fall is here and Kate is determined to save her flowers from the winter cold. Mom shows her how to scoop the flowers out of the ground, transplant them into pots, and give them water. Kate pots a couple flowers . . . and then some more?and a few more. With Mom distracted on the phone, Kate has filled the house with flowers, but Dad’s sneezes mean the flowers have to go! Kate realizes she needs to find a new place for her flowers to spend the winter, but where?
Saving Kate’s Flowers by Cindy Sommer and illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein is a sweet story about a bunny named Kate that wants to save all the flowers from dying in the winter. Her mom shows her how to scoop them into a pot and before Kate knows it she has way too many! She goes about finding the new potted flowers homes for winter. A cute story about the life cycle of plants and how to pot flowers. After reading this book my girls want their own personal flower garden in their room!
While Ming plays outside one summer day, the smell of delicious food fills the air. It is coming from greedy Fu Wang’s house, ?What is he up to?? wonders Ming. To his alarm, Fu Wang demands that all the neighbors pay him for the pleasant smells. When the neighbors refuse, the case goes to court. How will the judge rule in this unusual case? Can Fu Wang make money from the neighbors? sense of smell? A wise judge makes use of another sense to close the case with clever and convincing logic.
A Case of Sense written by Songju Ma Daemicke and illustrated by Shennen Bersani is one of those books with a life lesson built right in. Ming smells delicious food coming from greedy Fu Wang’s house. Fu Wang now wants all the neighbors to pay for the smells! Of course no one pays so he takes them to court. The judge has something important to say about the whole scenario. A book with good information on the senses and a story little kids will enjoy and learn from.
Can you smell with your feet? Do you dig your claws into a river’s muddy bank to climb up and bask in the sun? Animals? legs are different from humans? in so many ways! Find out why strong talons suit a raptor, or webbing is perfect for water dwellers as author Mary Holland continues her photographic Animal Anatomy and Adaptations series by exploring the ways insects, amphibians, reptiles and mammals make their way in the world.
Animal Legs written by Mary Holland is a book full of up close photography of different animals’ legs! You then get to read about all the cool facts about each of their legs. Like some are used for swimming, others for holding prey and others are sticky for climbing. Sure, kids read about animals all the time but this one is different because it is all about the legs. Kids will be eager to share their new found knowledge on animal legs after reading this book.
These are all for ages 4-8 or Kindergarten through 3rd grade. I read them to my 2nd grader and preschooler and they both really enjoy them. Big Sis though is truly fascinated by them! She has always been pulled towards books where she learns something so these are ones she can’t get enough of. One really amazing thing about their books is that they include a For Creative Minds section in the back full of additional fun facts and activities themed to go along with the book. Even when the story is over kids still have more they can do and learn. These books are a perfect additional to any personal library.