Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature and Strange Planet Activity Book both written and illustrated by Nathan W. Pyle

Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature

written and illustrated by Nathan W. Pyle

Harper/HarperCollins, 2021, 36 pages, Ages 7+

For readers already familiar with Nathan Pyle's Instagram comic about the blue humanoidish Beings from another planet who have come to earth to observe life here, this new book with be a treat.

For those who are unfamiliar with his Strange Planet oeuvre, The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature is a delightful, humorous introduction.

Using language that is about as literal as you can get, the story begins when Lifegiver wakes up Offspring and says that they will be doing creature observation, using their ink cylinder to document the sneaking vibrating creature's every movement as it prowl's around their home and to mimic it in order to learn what amazing things it can do.  

But observing the sneaking vibrating creature and mimicking it are two different things for these visitors to earth. When they finally find the creature hiding behind the starblock fabrics (drapes), and they try to do the same, they discover they are too visible. When the creature sneaks soundlessly across the foot fabric (rug), Lifegiver and Offspring learn that they are themselves quite noisy. And when the creature effortlessly climbs the Group-Soft-Seat (sofa) with its deathblades (claws), the two observers are unable to get off the ground. 

It's a busy day of observation, but the best part comes at the end - finally something sneaking vibrating creature does that Lifegiver and Offspring can mimic with absolute success - 

I laughed out loud each time I read Strange Planet. For one thing, the literal language the Beings from another planet use to describe ordinary, everyday objects is just so spot on and yet nothing that most people would actually say. The other thing that tickled my funny bone is just how right the cat's behavior is. Anyone who has ever owned a cat has observed the same cat behavior as our observing Beings document.

The text is simple and a nice introduction to the graphic format that is so popular with young readers. There is a glossary in the back in case young readers don't quite get Pyle's tongue-in-cheek descriptions what the Beings are naming, or really defining. The full page illustrations are done in Pyle's signature bright pink and blue pages, while the beings are a lighter shade of blue. Everything is outlined in thick black lines. 

Strange Planet Activity Book

written and illustrated by Nathan W. Pyle

Harper/HarperCollins, 2021, 128 pages, Ages 7+

As if Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature isn't fun enough for young readers, there is this wonderful companion activity book. Every bit as funny as the other book about the Beings who use such literal language, this is a book "...made for beings/ who like to sit and think." There are pages to fill-in, crossword puzzles and math problems to solve, mazes to get lost and found in, and drawing pages that ask readers to create "low-detail renderings" of various places (for example, their rest slab chamber) and things (how about an emergence-day cake). 

There are also lots of old favorites, like matching games and word searches, and all of it is done in the language of observing Beings from another planet and with all the humor that we have come to associate with Nathan Pyle's Strange Planet comic.  

When I was a kid, I loved activity books and I always made sure my Kiddo had plenty of them. They are fun, great remedies for the "I'm bored" lament, and kids always come away with stronger observation and problem solving skills. Strange Planet Activity Book provides all that plus a heavy dose of some pretty good tongue-in-cheek humor.

You may think it is a little soon to think about holiday gifts for kids, but Hanukkah begins on November 29th this year and Hallmark is already running Christmas movies. Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature and Strange Planet Activity Book would certainly make fun gifts for your youngsters this year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:    

Nathan Pyle launched his webcomic S trange Planet in February 2019 and in just one short year, Strange Planet had grown from a single cartoon to a bestseller, and the first book, Strange Planet , was the most-preordered graphic novel of all time. It was #1 on the New York Times, Toronto Globe and Mail, and Washington Post bestseller lists and was a top 5 Denver Post bestseller.

The Strange Planet family continues to grow, gaining thousands of followers per day, and is incredibly engaged, with each new post garnering hundreds of thousands of likes and comments. As of June 2021, @nathanwpylestrangeplanet ’s lovable comics have reached over 6.1 million fans!

Just this month, Apple TV+ announced a 10-episode, straight-to-series order for an animated series based on the Strange Planet comics. With Amalia Levari ( Over The Garden Wall ) to serve as showrunner, Dan Harmon ( Rick and Morty, Community ) as co-creator alongside Pyle, and animation house ShadowMachine ( BoJack Horseman, Final Space ) attached to the project, Strange Planet is sure to get the TV treatment, bringing Pyle’s profound and heartfelt comics to our home screens.

Along with his Strange Planet series, Nathan W. Pyle is the author of the illustrated books, NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette and  99 Stories I Could Tell . He is a former staff writer and illustrator for BuzzFeed. He is based in New York City but travels the country speaking about creativity and storytelling. 

Thank you to Julia at Wunderkind PR for sending me copies to review. 

Connect with Nathan!  Website , Instagram , Twitter , Online Shop

🎄Gift Suggestions: Nature At Its Finest - A Picture Book Roundup

We have read a lot of books about nature this year and I thought I would post which ones left the greatest impression on my kids. Each one would make a wonderful holiday present for curious young readers this year.

Fur, Feather, Fin: All Of Us Are Kin

written by Diane Lang, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis

Beach Lane Books, 2018, 48 pages, Age 3+

The animal kingdom is just chockablock with diversity and in this rhyming nonfiction work, Lang introduces young readers to six diverse classes of animals - mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, arthropods, and fish - and two different animal categories - water dwellers and detritivores. Within each class and category, Lang manages to describe the characteristics of each class, the similarities they share with each other and their differences. For example, kids learn that mammals such as bears, dogs, and even whales are born not hatched, that the they are fur bearing, and that mama mammals nurse their young, providing them with nourishment and warmth. Turn the page and young readers discover that they too are mammals - diverse yet connected. The rhyme is simple but informative, giving just enough information so that kids aren't overwhelmed with facts they are too young to fully appreciate. This is a really nice introduction to the animal world. Laperis' spot illustrations are naturalistic and warm, and invite readers to explore.    

Lovely Beasts: The Surprising Truth

Written by Kate Gardner, illustrated by Heidi Smith

Balzer & Bray, 2018, 48 pages, Age 4+ 

Basically, this is a book about breaking animal stereotypes and showing young readers that there are two sides to each of the lovely beasts spotlighted in the charming book. Spiders may be creepy at first, but turn the page and discover what great crafters they are spinning their intricate webs; bats may look ugly but they also play an important role in controlling insect populations, thereby helping the environment. Some bats even help replant forests, and others disperse seeds. Young readers will learn these facts and more. Each animal is given two two-page spreads, one showing the common belief about them with a supporting illustration, and one showing their softer side, also with supporting illustration. Each of Smith's illustrations, done in charcoal pencil, then photoshopped, are gentle, thoughtful, and focused. Text and illustrations create a real celebration the biodiversity of the animals and their importance in the ecosystem. Back matter is included.

A Day in a Forested Wetland by Kevin Kurtz,

illustrated by Sherry Neidigh

Arbordale Publishing, 2018, 32 pages, Age 4+

Kids can spend a day in this forested wetland and see just what goes on and meet the many different species that make their home there. Following the same format as his other A Day in...series, Kurtz rhyming text begins with sunrise in the wetland and goes through a 24 hour cycle, introducing a multitude of species active at different parts of the day and night. There are a few drawbacks to this book. One is that the rhyme doesn't work in two places (my kids didn't notice this) and it feels forced, and two, there are some words that need to be defined in the context of the creature being talked about (we made a list of those words and looked them up later, then went back to the page where they were found). However, Neidigh's illustrations are beautifully detailed, yet with a simplicity that will help young readers work out some of the definition omissions. A wise teacher can do much with this book, as I found out using it with my kids. There is some very useful back matter with activities for kids to do, all of which can be photocopied and used in classrooms. There is a longer focus on the beaver, a page covering the different kinds of wetlands, and a search and find picture where kids have to match the animal with its name and what it does. My kids were particularly taken with this and it actually generated lots of talk about the animals. 

Fly with Me: A Celebration of Birds Through Pictures, Poems, and Stories 

by Jane Yolen, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, Adam Stemple, and Jason Stemple

National Geographic Kids, 2018, 192 pages, age 9+

This is an absolutely stunning book, a worthy tribute to Jane Yolen's late husband, and father of Heidi Stemple, who was an ardent birder. It is filled with facts, poetry, and stories, along with information about each bird. There is a wide variety of birds and each one gets it own page with a stunning full color photograph. I found myself slowly poring over the breathtakingly beautiful photography, reading and rereading the poetry and learning more than a few things about birds. I thought my kids would be a little young for this book, but there was plenty for them to enjoy. They liked learning that there are state birds and that ours in New York is an Eastern Bluebird, a bird we share with Missouri. There were songs that have been adapted to birds, and we had a lot of fun learning and singing them, and we are now participating in some of the birding project suggested on page 170 including the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. This is a book we will be returning to again and again. My kids favorite bird? - the Bee Hummingbird on page 127.

Birds and Their Feathers written and illustrated by Britta Teckentrap

Prestel Junior, 2018, 96 pages, age 6+

Did you know that the study of feathers is call plumology? Well, neither did I until I read this book. This is a small, more subdued book that is mainly focused on feathers. And feathers, it turns out, are quite amazing, or as Teckentrap writes "Feather are among the most remarkable things made by nature. They are delicate, complex, extravagant, beautiful and strong - all at the same time." The development and the structure of feathers are covered, as well as the types, the colors, and the size of feathers. My kids and I were interested to learn that our favorite bird - the bee hummingbird - has the smallest feathers in the bird kingdom. There is all kinds of other little known information included and it is all fascinating. Teckentrap's delicate illustrations are all realistically detailed in soft earth tones. I really enjoyed sharing this book with my kids even though some of the information was a little advanced for them. Since kids always seem to like finding feathers in the park, this seems like an ideal book for them.

Magnificent Birds illustrated by Narisa Togo

Candlewick Studio, 2018, 32 pages, age 10+

Illustrator Narisa Togo has created this lovely book featuring fourteen different birds and it certainly reflects her own lifelong avian love. Each bird is placed in its customary habitat and given a two page linocut spread done in a palette of soft, subtle but natural color. Accompanying each illustration is text that gives the bird's name, species, and to where it is native. For example, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Arcbilocbus Colubris, Native to North and Central America. Togo has really captured the natural beauty and drama of each bird, from the more common of the species to the more unusual, offering the reader a wide variety from around the world. Young readers who are already interested in birds will appreciate this book, and those who haven't discovered the fascinating world of birding are in for a real treat. 

Welcome to the Neighborwood written and illustrated by Shawn Sheehy

Candlewick Press, 2015, 18 pages, age 4+

This is definitely a favorite with my kids - it's a pop-up book about seven different animals that live in the forest. Each one is a builder in its own right, born with the tools and the know-how they need for constructing their different homes. There is the land snail living in its own mobile home, the hummingbird is a master at building nests and hiding them, the garden spider spins its sticky, intricate webs, the honeybee and its hive, the potter wasp who builds a kind of lunch box for its offspring, the beaver who creates its own habitat complete with underwater entry tunnels, and finally, the stickleback, builder of an underwater nest for the mother of his offspring. Sheehy includes a fair amount of age appropriate information about all of these creatures, with accompanying pop-up of them in their environment. He brings it all together with a pop-up of their neighbors, stressing the interdependence and harmony in which they reside in the "Neighborwood."

My First Wild Activity Book written by Isabel Otter-Barry Ross,

illustrated by Maxime Lebrun

Silver Dolphin Books, 2018, 32 pages, age 5+

I love activity books and this is perfect for budding naturalists. It begins with an invitation to become an explorer and to take a journey through seven different habitats around the world, including the rainforest, the desert, the ocean, the mountains, the savanna, and the polar ice of the North and South Poles. Within each habitat, kids will find pictures to color, puzzles to solve, spot the difference challenges, seek and finds, mazes to travel, and dots to connect. The illustrations are friendly and brightly colored. There are scenic fold-out illustrations for each habitat, and stickers at the back of the book that kids can use to finish each scene. I like this book not only because it has lots of information for kids to learn about the natural world, but it also helps to develop problem solving skills. My kids and I spent a lot of time with this book before we went on to some of the other books I've included here. We had a lot of fun while learning new information about animals and where they live. 

I have included three books about birds in this post, partly because they are such good books and partly because birds the the easiest way to begin fostering an interest in nature. We all have birds wherever we live. When my Kiddo was young, and learning about the natural world, I bought her a pair of binoculars, a waterproof notebook, and an inexpensive camera (nowadays, you can use your phone camera) and we would go to the park to see what we could find. We made a nature book filled with pictures, leaves. pressed flowers and anything else we found that looked interesting. I'm not in the business of promoting products, but these are what I use now:

I hope you find some of these gift ideas useful, meantime I wish you 

☀️Kid Tested Summer Reading: Activity and Information Books

Wondering how to make summer learning fun? Here are a few suggestions:

Summer Brain Quest: Between Grades Pre-K & K by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Edison Yan and Maris Wicks
Workman Publishing, 2018, 160 pages, 4+

Before you know it, school will be back in session and your little ones will be off to Pre-K and Kindergarten.  And while I don't advocate overwhelming kids with preparatory material before they begin, a little playing school doesn't hurt, especially if there are older siblings around to play with them, and Summer Brain Quest is just the right book for that - a workbook of a different kind. The book is designed as a quest to get as many achievement stickers as possible on the corresponding pullout map until they reach the finish line.
Kids will learn the alphabet, and how to write each letter, counting and numbers, shapes, reading maps and signs, recognizing patterns, and a bit about the weather among, other things, and all of it is age appropriate. There is plenty of interactive fun and learning to keep curious kids busy, while also feeling accomplished. There is even a Summer Brainiac Award once the quest have been completed. I especially liked that there are suggestions for a number of outdoor quests young kids can enjoy and even a section on reading with book suggestions and questions to think about for discussing a book with another person. Kids don't even have to know how to read yet, if someone can read to them (like those helpful older siblings). And I have to say, the stickers at each completed level really helps to keep kids motivated. My kids aren't young enough for Summer Brain Quest, but my neighbor's kids have been doing the quest and are loving it, and that's how I know the stickers work.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt: Let's Discover Bugs written and illustrated by Andrea Cascardi
Candlewick Press, 2018, 32 pages, 5+

We're Going on a Bear Hunt has been around a long time, and I know that because I remember reading it to my no-longer-a-kid Kiddo. Now, there are activity books based on that story for kids who would like to go on a hunt but for not bears. Let's Discover Bugs is full of suggestions for finding the most common types of indoor and outdoor bugs, basic information about each kind and a corresponding experiment and/or activity. The book begins with suggestions for how to stay safe and how to plan a bug hunt, including what to wear and what to bring, followed by a good definition of a bug. Did you know that all bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs? There is also a short description and a detailed illustration of each kind of bug, plus a fun fact, an activity, and other interesting items (jokes, recipes, grow a windowsill herb garden, etc). We actually made the suggested mini pond and insect home to put in a friend's garden when we visited. We've gone back and checked and both are thriving. My kiddos are very curious to see what will happen. Of course, this is a book with stickers and a there is a two-page spread called the Spotter's List, where kids an put a matching sticker on any insects they find on their adventure. Our plan is to head across the street to Carl Schulz Park and start our big outdoor buggy adventure this week.

The Kids Awesome Activity Book: Games! Puzzles! Mazes! And More! 
written and illustrated by by Mike Lowery
Workman Publishing, 2018, 112 pages, 6+

The operative words for this book are imagination and creativity. Kids can make a flip book, finish a comic, make some finger puppets, solve some puzzles, make a mask, play a game, do words searches, and these are only some of the things that can be done in this truly awesome activity book. In his intro, author Mike Lowery encourages kids to draw, color, and doodle all they want in this book, they can start where they want, end where they want, that is, do they want. There are some many things to do, and lots of room for inventing their own activities using what they find here. There's only one rule - to have fun! One of the great things about this book is that there is enough in it to keep kids busy on long car trips with just a pencil and some crayons, and enough to keep them from getting bored on hot summer days at home. And yes, this is also a book with stickers - lots of them, in fact, there are 400 fun stickers to meet every sticker need  sticker-loving kid could have. My kid's are chomping at the bit to color the large pull-out doodle poster, which they get to do now that I have written this. This book is sure to encourage your youngsters to have some plain old silly fun - just what summer calls for.

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2019
National Geographic Society, 2018, 352 pages, age 8+

When I gave my young readers the Kids Almanac 2018 last year, I was really pleased to see how well it was received. And they are now excited to see that there is a new almanac just like it, but with new information. Following the same familiar format, Kids Almanac 2019 is divided into 11 sections, each one focusing on a particular subject with the latest information about things like animals, science and technology, going green, nature, history, and even geography for kids to learn about. Filled with beautiful full color photos, detailed maps, games to play, and fun facts to learn, like how to say the word friend 12 ways, interesting statistics about the earth's mountains, oceans, and deserts as well as fun stats (e.g. if a 6th grader reads 1 hour every day, they will have read 3, 285,000 in a year). Not surprisingly, my kids always like the section called Fun and Games the best, but that's OK. There is still lots to learn in it and it provides a nice break. Each year the Almanac has a challenge for an endangered animal. Last year, it was sharks, and this year it is lions. Design an Lions Forever poster with a message about lion conservation and one of your kids just might win $500. to host a party with their friends celebrating lions. Click here for more information and an entry form: Almanac 2019

Turn This Book Into a Beehive! And 19 Other Experiments and Activities That Explore the Amazing World of Bees
by Lynn Brunelle, illustrated by Anna-Maria Jung
Workman Publishing, 2018, 288 pages, 8+

We were very excited to receive this book once we realized what we could do with it. Not only does it teach kids all about bees, from what is a bee, to the different kinds of bees, how to tell a bee from a wasp, and what to do if you get stung, but it also explains why bees are so important to humans and in helping to maintain the health of the earth's ecology. All that plus experiments you can do to understand what it is like to be a bee - how they see, how they smell, how they collect pollen, etc. My kids loved this book. They were already aware of hive collapse, so when we reached the section on the solitary mason bee, who does not sting, and learned how they could help, the kids jumped at the chance to turn this book into a beehive. The book comes with a removable cover and a good supply of colorful pages that can be torn out. The cover can be folded to create a hive, than filled with the torn out pages that have been rolled into different sized tubes:

We put our hive together and placed it in my friend's garden. It's still there and we check it every once in a while. We'll let you know how things progress. There are also instructions for making a hive from plastic bottles and paper straws that we are planning on making and giving as Christmas gifts this year. Anna-Maria Jung's colorful illustrations add just the right amount to whimsy to appeal to kids without trivializing any of the important information about bees kids today need to know about.

Ocean: A Visual Miscellany by Ricardo Henriques, illustrated by André Letria
Chronicle Books, 2018, 48 pages, 8+

Whether you are taking kids to the beach or remaining landlocked, this is the ocean book that perfect for summer reading. This slightly over-sized book is big on facts and even some fictions about the world's oceans. Readers will discover what the major oceans are, which is the largest, find out why all boats are watercraft, but not all watercraft are boats. They can learn the parts of a ship, how sailors navigate by the stars, how life on a ship is ordered, some of the known schools of fish among the estimated 22,000 species in the ocean. There is a nice section all about waves which should appeal to kids who like to ride them on a boogie board at the beach a section on explorers, and even icebergs. My kids loved this book and the simple activities and experiments that are included, some of which we have already done like how to make a iceberg in the kitchen, tying nautical knots, and finding out how ships sail on the ocean's surface and why submarines can dive dive and run under water. This book was translated from the Portuguese and adult readers might want to try the Caldeirada (Portuguese Fish Stew) recipe and if you haven't had this kind of fish stew yet, you are in for a real treat. There are lots of illustrations done in white, blues and blacks that give the reader the feeling of being at the ocean. This book is coming with us next trip to the shore this summer.

The Ultimate Guide to Gardening: Grow Your Own Indoor, Vegetable, Fairy, and Other Great Gardens
by Lisa J. Amstutz
Capstone Young Readers, 2016, 112 pages, 9+  

I received this book quite a while ago, but it was caught in the water damage from the fire in an apartment four floors above mine and it took a while to dry and separate the pages. It's a little wrinkled, but still works. Not everyone has a house with a yard but that doesn't mean they can't have a garden. This book has more than 40 projects including instructions that range from edible gardening, to indoor gardening and even enchanted gardening. The instructions are basic and kids can use their imaginations about the kinds of containers to use, and what to put in them. Amstutz turns old tea cups, muffin tins, even tin cans into fun, decorative planters. All of the projects are kid-friendly, though an adult is needed for some help and supervision. I tried to get my kids into doing an herb garden, but ended up doing that myself. If your kids are like mine, they might be interested in growing beets and spinach from seed. These do need to be in a garden, but the ultimate goal isn't to have healthy vegetables. Turn the page and learn how to make natural dyes for tie-dying (we plan on doing this at the beach this summer, but with store bought veg). This is a fun, informative book that is sure to give kids a real appreciation for growing things.

Startalk Young Readers Editon: Everything You Ever Need to Know About Space Travel, Sci-Fi, the Human Race, the Universe, and Beyond by Neil deGrasse Tyson 
National Geographic Society, 2018, 224 pages, 10+

Neil deGrasse Tyson is my newest hero. He's knowledgeable, he's got a great sense of humor, and he knows exactly how to get people, including kids, interested in the universe. This young readers edition of Startalk is based on deGrasse Tyson's popular podcast and TV show on the National Geographic channel. The book is divided into four sections: Space, Planet Earth, Being Human, and Futures Imagined. The topics covered in each section aren't in-depth studies, but rather small information bytes that are designed to whet the readers appetite for seeking out more information about what interests them. If your young readers has ever wondered what to pack for a visit to mars, where storms come from, where creativity come from, or most important of all, could Superman survive a black hole, this is the book that will answer these questions for them. I love the way deGrasse Tyson mixes real science with science fiction and pop culture. One of my favorite information bytes: I used to love watching Star Trek reruns, but I never knew that Nichelle Nichols who played Lieutenant Uhura helped to diversify NASA, did you? There are plenty of illustrations and glorious photographs to support the information here. My only complaint is that the intro to each chapter is a very light gray on white paper and hard to read, even for my kids. And I should mention that in the Being Human section there is a two page spread that features chef Anthony Boudain, whom your readers may know about from recent news reports. This didn't take away from the books enjoyment for my readers, one of whom was so taken with this book he asked to borrow it and I think he may have appropriated it. If that isn't an endorsement, I don't know what is. I think I'll just give it to him - better read and loved than sitting on a shelf.

Happy Summer Reading, everyone!

Fun Books About Sports

I'm not a very athletic person and as a result, I don't really follow sports.  Sure, I played field hockey in high school, but that was only to get out of the house on Saturday mornings so I wouldn't have to smell my dad's Saturday kippers steaming (but in all fairness, I was a pretty good right wing for four years).  All kidding aside, I do understand the importance of participating in sports for kids.  It teaches them so much - focus, discipline, sportsmanship, among other things.

And while I don't follow football (both kinds), baseball, basketball or hockey, I do like to watch the Olympics and have a fairly good understanding of Gymnastics thanks to a young family gymnast. But this year, along with a young pal of mine, we've both decided to learn more about the games played in the different Olympic events and beyond.  To help us along, we've chosen some nice book from National Geographic.

First up:

Everything Sports: All the Photos, Facts, and Fun to Make You Jump! by Eric Zweig with Sports Reporter Shalise Manza Young
National Geographic Kids, 2016, 84 pages, age 8+

Did you know that the word sport comes from the French word desport, meaning leisure or diversion?  And isn't that just what sports are?  This is just one of the interesting facts you will learn when you begin reading this book (and I was happy to see that field hockey has more than 2 billion fans - not bad).  From these, readers will learn about competitions and tournaments around the world, and what countries play what games. Readers will also learn the basics of basketball, baseball, American football, and ice hockey.

Current champions in each sport, as well as hall of famers are highlighted, and accompanied by lots of fun facts about games and players.  There is even a section on extreme sports, which look scary but interesting.   Included in the back-matter is a list of websites and books for further, more in-depth exploration about individual sports.

Weird but True! Sports 300 Wacky Facts About Awesome Athletics by National Geographic Kids, 2016, 208 pages, age 8+

With a little information about different sports, games and players, my young friend and I decided to have some fun. This book is a playground for trivia lovers with all of its unusual facts, statistics and stories from the world of sports - all kinds of sports, from falconry and racing "dunnies" to skateboarding and hot dog eating.  We sat down to read this book on a rainy afternoon, and spent the whole time reading and laughing, and repeating the things that we enjoyed most to everyone else in the house.  The only fact I really didn't enjoy reading was on page 19: It seems that the odds of picking all the right teams for an NCAA March Madness bracket are about 1 in 9,200,000,000,000,000,000.  I guess I'll pass on the office pool next year.  This is a great book that will give you hours of fun and entertainment even as you pick up some great information to dazzle your fellow Olympic viewers with.

Funny Fill-In: My Gold Medal Adventure by National Geographic Kids, 2016, 49 pages, age 8+

And finally, this was saved for a long car ride and proved to be lots of fun. Designed to help kids learn the parts of speech, and have a good laugh at the same time, this can be played alone, but works better with at least one other person.  First you pick a story, then ask a friend to call out a word the blank space calls for - a verb, a noun, an adjective, etc. and writes the answer in the blank space.  Once all the blanks are filled in, someone reads the story out loud and it is sure to be a good laugh. These can be done with one, two or more people, which really can make for a silly story.

Not only do Funny Fill-Ins help kids understand the different parts of speech, but it encourages them to really use their imaginations.  After all, made-up silly words are allowed and sometimes, they can even be encouraged.  There are a total of twenty-two stories in all and if you use pencil to fill in the blanks, they can be erased and a whole new story can be created.  I have to say that these fill-ins were a lot of fun on our car trip and so much better than the dreaded question "are we there yet?"

A sample of one of the stories

Thanks to National Geographic Kids for providing review copies of these three fun books.  We've learned a lot about different sports and have a whole new appreciation for the athletes we are watching on the Olympics.  I highly recommend these books for kids who don't know much about sports and even for kids who do.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge is a weekly celebration of 

nonfiction books hosted by Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy 

101 Things To Do Before You Grow Up by Laura Dower

When my Kiddo was young, we always took our vacation in August, so right about now I would begin hear the words "I'm bored."  Those words are the reason I always kept a few activity books in my secret mom-stash.  Activity books always had something in them to catch her fancy on any given day.

My Kiddo may be older, but I still have plenty of young nieces and nephews who come to visit.  I love have them but I can't take them out every day to do things, so I still hear those whiny words "I'm bored."  Expecting that, I was naturally very happy to discover a new activity book for older readers (age 8+), which is perfect for my kids.

Done in an easy to use spiral notebook format, 101 Things to Do Before You Grow Up offers a wide variety of interesting activities covering activities kids can do alone or with each other.  The activities require few materials, mostly things that can be found around the house, so they are cost effective, and need little adult supervision.  There is nothing that will cause injury to a child, or blow up or burn down the house.

Some activities, like (#48) making a funny flip book, (#19) learning how to make shadow puppets or (#31) making three different secret codes, which pairs nicely with (#68) making and using invisible ink, are among some of the great indoor, rainy day projects, while making and using a compass, (#27) making and flying a decorated brown bag kite, (#76) inventing and going on a scavenger hunt with friends or (#14) learning some basic constellations and going stargazing, which pairs nicely with (#61) learning the phases of the moon, are nice outdoor things to try.

Each activity gets its own colorful page. sometimes two pages, with illustrations are clearly drawn thanks to Dan Bramall and Katie Knutton.  The instructions are written simply enough for even an 8 year old to follow, and at the bottom of each page, there is a box for kids to check off and record the date they did that particular activity.  Best of all, the activities will appeal to boys and girls equally.

Most of the 101 Things listed aren't new, but really tried and true activities, sometimes with a new spin to them, however.  It's nice to have them collected in one book, so when kids need something to do, they can easily go through it and find something.  One of the things I really like about activity books is that they get kids away from their screen life for a while and back into real life.

101 Things To Do Before You Grow Up is a sure winner for those moments when your kids are looking for something to do.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was purchased for my personal library

An activity book endorsement: When my Kiddo was about 10, and had just finished reading Harriet the Spy, she naturally wanted to spy the way Harriet did.  In an activity book she had then, there was the suggestion to take binoculars and see how many different kinds of birds you could spot in your neighborhood.  We made her a belt a la Harriet with all kinds of spy paraphernalia, like a flashlight, her Girl Scout compass, binoculars, pen, notebook.  We also borrowed a book about birds from the library and went to the park to "spy" on as many different kinds of birds that we could find.  She had fun "spying" and playing Harriet, got a lot of compass and writing practice in, and learned a great deal about birds, something she never would have done otherwise.

This is book 6 of my 2015 Nonfiction Picture Book Reading Challenge hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy

A Year in the Secret Garden by Valarie Budayr, illustrated by Marilyn Scott-Waters, Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

 

About the Book

Title: A Year in the Life of the Secret Garden | Author: Valarie Budayr | Illustrator: Marilyn Scott-Waters | Publication Date: November, 2014 | Publisher: Audrey Press | Pages: 144 | Recommended Ages: 5 to 99 Book Description: Award-winning authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters have co-created A Year in the Secret Garden to introduce the beloved children’s classic, The Secret Garden to a new generation of families. This guide uses over two hundred full color illustrations and photos to bring the magical story to life, with fascinating historical information, monthly gardening activities, easy-to-make recipes, and step-by-step crafts, designed to enchant readers of all ages. Each month your family will unlock the mysteries of a Secret Garden character, as well as have fun together creating the original crafts and activities based on the book.Over 140 pages, with 200 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together. A Year In the Secret Garden is our opportunity to introduce new generations of families to the magic of this classic tale in a modern and innovative way that creates special learning and play times outside in nature. This book encourages families to step away from technology and into the kitchen, garden, reading nook and craft room.

Amazon * Audrey Press * Goodreads

 

My Review:

Last weekend, I reread Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel The Secret Garden, which I downloaded for free from Project Gutenberg

It's a book I loved as a young reader but it's been a while since I read it and I wanted to refresh my memory, the better to enjoy reading this lovely new book by Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters.  

I was pretty excited when I first heard about A Year in the Secret Garden because while I love a good novel, I also love a good activity-learning book as well and that is just what this is.  

Beginning with September and Mary's life in India, we are introduced to the delicious taste and smells of Indian spices with a recipe for Indian Style Chicken Curry followed by instructions for making a traditional Rangoli, a brightly colored Indian decoration hung in people's homes.

Life changes drastically for Mary when she arrives in England.  There is different food, different kinds of people, different things to do.  All of this is captured in the A Year in the Secret Garden with easy recipes, wonderful character studies, cultural information about Britain and lots of fun DIY crafts and projects kids can do throughout the year.  

November must have been quite a shock for Mary, with its cold weather and days that were getting shorter and shorter, especially on the Yorkshire moor.  A good way for anyone to start the day would be with some hearty hot Oatcakes, such as the ones that Dickon's mother Susan Sowerby would make for her family of 12.

You can find the recipe for these Oakcakes along with instruction for making a jump rope like the one Susan Sowerby sent over for Mary to play with.  Jumping rope warmed Mary and put some rosy color in her cheeks, making her look less sour.  And you will find some nice Jump Rope Rhymes to learn in the book. 

As Mary skipped around the grounds of Misselthwaite, she became friendly with the elderly gardener, Ben Weatherstaff, and November includes a nice character study of this loyal, trustworthy man. 

But there are other favorites to be found.  One of mine was in December and seeing a recipe for Toads in the Hole made with sausages and Yorkshire Pudding, a dish my mom used to make for us when we were kids, followed by instructions for making a Winter Bird Feeder.  If you are planning on reading The Secret Garden soon, you might find January's Yorkshire Phrasebook handy since Burnett wrote a lot of dialect into her novel.  And if your kids are anxious for the return of Spring as mine always was, they are sure to want to plant a Garden in a Jar, a fun way to experience nature up close and personal.

In June, kids can learn about traditional afternoon tea and how to do one, complete with a recipe for delicious lemon cookies.  Afternoon tea is delightful outside on a warm sunny day, especially after  learning how to make daisy chains and Midsummer Dancing Ribbon Wreaths.  

A Year in the Secret Garden is a colorful, beautifully illustrated reader-friendly book jam packed with so much for you and your kids to read and do, that it is sure to become a family favorite, especially since it cover all four seasons of the year.   

About the Author: Valarie Budayr

Valarie Budayr loves reading and bringing books alive. Her popular website, www.jumpintoabook.com, inspires children and adults alike to experience their books through play, discovery, and adventure. She is founder of Audrey Press, an independent publishing house, as well as an Amazon and iTunes best-selling author. She has written The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden and The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Valarie is passionate about making kid’s books come alive and encouraging families and schools to pull books off the shelves and stories off the pages.  

Book Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Pinterest | Google+ | Goodreads

 

About the Illustrator: Marilyn Scott-Waters

Marilyn Scott-Waters loves making things out of paper. Her popular website, www.thetoymaker.com, receives 2,000 to 7,000 visitors each day, who have downloaded more than six million of her easy-to-make paper toys. Her goal is to help parents and children spend time together making things. She is the creator of a paper toy craft book series The Toymaker’s Christmas: Paper Toys You Can Make Yourself (Sterling), and The Toymaker’s Workshop: Paper Toys You Can Make Yourself (Sterling). She is also the co-creator with J. H. Everett of the middle grade nonfiction series, Haunted Histories, (Christy Ottaviano Books / Henry Holt Books for Young Readers). Ms. Scott-Waters illustrated The Search For Vile Things (Scholastic), and created paper engineering for Pop & Sniff Fruit (Piggy Toes Press).

Website | Facebook | Google+

 

A Year in the Secret Garden Blog Tour Schedule (2014)

EXPLORING SEPTEMBER

November 1

Mother Daughter Book Reviews (Launch)

Coffee Books & Art (Guest Post)

WS Momma Readers Nook (Book Review)

November 2

Cherry Mischievous (Excerpt)

Hope to Read (Excerpt)

November 3

Eloquent Articulation (Book Review)

Enter Here Canada (Excerpt)

EXPLORING OCTOBER

November 4

BeachBoundBooks (Excerpt)

Books, Babies and Bows (Book Review)

November 5

Monique's Musings (Book Review)

November 6

SOS-Supply (Book Review)

EXPLORING NOVEMBER

November 7

Randomly Reading (Book Review)

November 8

Adalinc to Life (Book Review)

EXPLORING DECEMBER

November 9

100 Pages a Day (Book Review)

November 10

Edventures With Kids (Book Review)

EXPLORING JANUARY

November 11

Icefairy's Treasure Chest (Book Review)

November 12

Girl of 1000 Wonders (Book Review)

EXPLORING FEBRUARY

November 13

Seraphina Reads (Guest Post)

November 14

Juggling Act Mama (Book Review)

EXPLORING MARCH

November 15

Pragmatic Mom (Author/Illustrator Interview)

Purple Monster Coupons (Excerpt)

November 16

Stacking Books (Book Review)

EXPLORING APRIL

November 17

Oh My Bookness (Book Review)

November 18

Crystal's Tiny Treasures (Book Review)

EXPLORING MAY

November 19

The Blended Blog (Book Review)

November 20

All Done Monkey (Book Review)

November 21

Geo Librarian (Book Review)

Grandbooking (Author/Illustrator Interview)

EXPLORING JUNE

November 22

My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews (Book Review)

November 23

Christy's Cozy Corners (Book Review)

My Life, Loves and Passions (Book Review)

November 24

Bookaholic Chick (Excerpt)

Hide-N-(Sensory)-Seeking (Book Review)

EXPLORING JULY

November 25

Ninja Librarian (Guest Post)

November 26

Jane Ritz (Book Review)

Rockin' Book Reviews (Book Review)

November 27

I'd Rather Be Reading At The Beach (Book Review)

EXPLORING AUGUST

November 28

Deal Sharing Aunt (Book Review)

November 29

Mommynificent (Book Review)

November 30

This Kid Reviews Books (Book Review)

Java John Z's (Author/Illustrator Interview)

 

* $100 Blog Tour Giveaway *

Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: December 7, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway