.I love the Little People, Big dreams books in general and Isabel Vegara’s writing style in particular. She manages to make these extremely short biographies accessible and engaging to very young children.
Vivienne Westwood’s name does not often come in classroom discussions of success and achievements. Yet, she is a remarkable stylist, environment activist and a great example of a person who has always stood up for justice. She developed her own original ideas and found her own way in her chosen career. I thought the illustrations went really well with the personality of Vivienne Westwood- colourful, provocative and, above all, fun. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. This colourful book introduces little ones to more than one hundred machines used in 14 different locations such as the farm, the building site, the film set, the train station and many others.
For every location, first, you see a rather busy introductory page, then, you turn a page and read the descriptions of 8 different machines/ devices e.g. the farm: a combine harvester, a tractor, a mower, a baler, a plough, a seed drill, a milking machine and a sheep shearer. Great for vocabulary building and spatial memory. After you have read a description, you can go back and try to spot the machine in the big picture. The book makes you realize we are surrounded by a vast number of machines we couldn’t do without, although sometimes we don’t even know their names. It would make a great present for a curious little reader who loves mechanics and technology. Thank you to NetGalley and Wide Eyed editions for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. A sweet story of a piglet, an aspiring opera singer, and a long-legged duck, a future ballerina. Barty has a beautiful voice. His Mum (where would we be if our Mums didn’t push us?) organises a concert with an improvised orchestra to help him launch his career. Unfortunately, Barty suffers from Acqua Voce, a non-life-threatening condition that renders him unable to sing unless submerged in water. Barty’s fellow animals laugh at his breaking voice and he runs away, embarrassed and upset. He meets Darcy who understands him perfectly, having herself failed at synchronised swimming. The couple find out that there is a cure but they have to travel to Italy to find it. There is a positive message of persevering and finding solutions to make your dreams come true. The couple eventually become world-famous, but always remember the support of those who believed in them. Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador Publishing Limited (Matador) for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Title: Barty and Darcy
Author: Mo Bird Published by: Troubador Publishing Limited Matador Date: Oct 8th 2018 Owling is a fascinating children’s non-fiction book that offers a comprehensive introduction into lives of these remarkable birds. I was surprised to learn that owls’ huge mesmerizing eyes mean there is less space in brain, so the reputation for being all-knowing and wise may not be wholly deserved. I had no idea owl have twice as many vertebrae in their necks as we do and can turn their heads 200 degrees in any direction. The book offers a wealth of information on their binocular vision, ear tufts, sharp talons, and silent wings (there are specialized sound-dampening feathers). Young nature lovers also learn to distinguish between different owl species, observe these magnificent birds in nature and respect their habits. Gorgeous illustrations and well-thought-through layout will catch and hold the young readers’ attention. Owling would make a great addition to elementary and middle-grade school library. Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Title: Owling
Author: MarK Wilson Publisher: Storey Publishing Publication date: 5th of March 2019 |
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