Native American ABC by Lisa & Colten Lechowicz

Told through charming couplets, the Lechowicz’s Native American ABC teaches young readers their alphabet, while simultaneously introducing Native American cultural associations. The artwork is simply gorgeous. Even though all of my cubs are far older than the target age-range, we all enjoyed reading this book. In fact, I’d love to have a physical copy for our library. I do, however, wish they had used Raven for the r.

goes off to order book

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Mascot Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

 

Grandad Mandela by Ambassador Zindzi Mandela, Zazi and Ziwelene Mandela

Written by intimate family members, Grandad Mandela is a dialogue between Grandma Zindzi and her two grandchildren about their famous great grandfather, Nelson Mandela. Through uniquely beautiful art, and engaging storytelling, young readers learn all about Mandela and his fight against apartheid. There’s even a bit of South African culture to learn about. Grandma Zindzi finishes up by discussing the concept of Ubuntu, which is like our ‘golden rule’. Basically, treat others how you want to be treated. She also talks about volunteering. I do wish there had been some suggestions about how to volunteer, especially geared towards kids. Still, as a teaching tool for young readers, this is an excellent resource! My cubs and I read it together, and it prompted a desire to learn even more about Mandela. Highly recommended!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

 

Out of the Ice: How Climate Change is Revealing the Past by Claire Eamer & Drew Shannon

Out of the Ice: How Climate Change is Revealing the Past by Claire Eamer & Drew Shannon is a neat little book introducing middle-grade readers to archaeology, which I’m always in favour of. I learned about a new branch of archaeology! Called glacial archaeology, it is the study of artifacts and the like emerging from the earth’s cryosphere, or cold layer. Rising temperatures are melting the glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost, revealing formerly hidden sites. The book is divided into sections that look at ice patches, glaciers, and permafrost finds from around the world. Thanks to the preservation quality of the cold, archaeologists are able to learn a great deal about past flora and fauna, and about our ancestors’ ways of life. The information was easy to read and process for younger readers, but still interesting for adults. Perfect addition to any middle school science class library!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

 

Just the Right Size by Bonnie Grubman

Just the Right Size by Bonnie Grubman is a charming children’s book that teaches size concepts, and latent concepts of self-hood, such as everyone is good at something, and everyone has niches they snug into. From whales to snails, everything is just the right size for its place in life. Most important is the final lesson- that everyone is just the right size for a hug. My cubs and read this together, and enjoyed it. It’s perfect for young kids who may have short attention spans. The watercolour artwork is lovely, and soothing to the eyes. No jagged shapes and lines to wake the mind up, meaning a good bedtime read.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Clavis Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.