"Behold the Hummingbird!" & "About Hummingbirds: A Guide for Children" books to introduce children to birding [Review & Giveaway]

Behold the Hummingbird by Suzanne Slade & illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

My thoughts:  A simply beautiful book that will bring the beautiful hummingbird family of birds to children and teach and delight as they turn page after page of gorgeousness. Simple text in large print on one side for the young readers and listeners with more indepth information on the adjacent page to further educate the readers. 

What a delightful way to engage children and help them understand these beautiful and delight creatures. Be prepared, though, they will want to plant hummingbird attracting plants and place bird feeders around to draw these awesome birds to their own yards.

A delightful addition for home libraries as well as school and public libraries.

About the book: Lyrical text and gorgeous illustrations take flight in this exploration of the tiny, gorgeous hummingbirds and its astonishing abilities.

Hummingbirds are tiny and pretty, so you might find yourself taking them for granted. But these little birds are remarkable, fierce, and talented. In Behold the Hummingbird, readers will learn about species that can hover like a helicopter, fly backwards and upside down, and consume half their body weight in a single day.

About Hummingbirds: A Guide for Children by Cathryn Sill & illustrated by John Sill

My thoughts:  The "Sill combo" of author and illustrator has brought another beautiful and captivating study of the natural world to children in this About Hummingbirds: A Guide for Children book. (Click HERE for more of my reviews of The Sill's books.)

The illustrations are simply beautiful and accurately capture the subject, the hummingbirds, and their particular environment. Deftly drawn and painted, each illustration has a special charm to draw the reader's interest. The text is simply written for young preschoolers as well as elementary grades. The back matter presents more indepth information and a short glossary. 

Another delightful book for bird lovers as well as libraries of all types. Secret word: nectar

About the book: An award-winning first glimpse into the world of hummingbirds.

In this addition to the acclaimed About... series, author and educator Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what hummingbirds are, how they look, how they move, what they eat, and where they live.

GIVEAWAY

Behold the Hummingbird 

(1 book, 1 winner)

Begins May 17

Ends June 14 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies from the publisher to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize copy is provided and mailed directly to the winner by the publisher or publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.

The world beyond us... "I'm a Black Hole" and "Cosmic Collisions: Asteroid vs Comet" STEM Reading (Mom's Rock Giveaway Hop) [Review & Giveaway]

Scroll down for terrific giveaways you can enter.
Bloghop hosted by MamaTheFox

I’m a Black Hole (Meet the Universe) by Dr. Eve M. Vavagiakis from MIT Kids Press

My thoughts:   Simplistically written in rhyming text, a child can envision himself in space and contemplating a black hole. The narration states that black holes are condensed matter or collapsed mater and are extremely dense. Also, the idea that a black hole can swallow anything within the boundaries of its "event horizon" is presented, but our young space traveler need not worry because he can't get close enough to be swallowed up.

Truly an interesting introduction to the mysteries of the universe and what a black hole is. This will make an interesting read for older elementary children as well as middle grade readers. The book's back matter has terms defined and explained a bit more comprehensively yet still quite elementary.

A good addition to home libraries for space-minded readers and for school and classroom libraries. MIT Kids Press does such a good job of science education for young readers.

About the book: Journey to the event horizon in this playful, mind-bending introduction to one of our universe’s most mysterious marvels—narrated by a black hole itself.

Lurking at the center of our galaxy and in the farthest reaches of space are black holes. Once unseeable and unknowable, these cosmic devourers—sometimes born from the death of stars—swallow even light itself. What exactly is a black hole? And how do we even know they exist? In a kid-friendly, rhyming narration, the elusive astronomical object introduces itself as both a behemoth star-eater and a shy, rarely-spotted phenomena. Physicist Eve M. Vavagiakis’s approachable text is paired with Jessica Lanan’s imaginative depictions of a young astronaut venturing where no human has gone before, along with stunning renderings of our fascinating narrator and the final frontier. Endnotes expand, spread by spread, on the fascinating science behind black holes and the cutting-edge experiments used to study them. This second entry in the Meet the Universe series will light readers’ curiosity and have them racing to discover more secrets hidden among the stars.

Cosmic Collisions: Asteroid vs. Comet by Dr. Marc J. Kuchner from MIT Kids Press

My thoughts:  The image of a cosmic collision involving Earth and an asteriod is mind boggling and terrifying. In this book Cosmic Collisions: Asteroid vs. Comet, the author describes the opponents - Asteroid vs. Comet - and the lead up to their impending battle or collision. The reader will learn what an asteroid is, it's orbit, it's composition, and it's possible impact on Earth. Information about a Comet is also provided about the Comet's composition, speed, orbit, and the impact it's collision would have on whatever it collided. 

The reader is given information and then asked to determine what the outcome of an Asteroid vs. Comet collision would be. It might surprise the reader to learn the real outcome.

This is another interesting science read from MIT Kids Press and one that will stretch the imagination and comprehension of young readers.

About the book: What happens when two massive hunks of hurtling space debris slam into each other? Welcome to round one in the Cosmic Collisions series—an exciting children’s debut from an expert astrophysicist.

There’s a comet speeding in from the outer solar system, and it’s about to slam into an asteroid. Who will be left standing after this interplanetary smackdown? The pockmarked asteroid, a veteran fighter who’s already seen some action? Or the dazzling comet, with its incredible velocity and a tail that stretches millions of miles? Kicking off a dynamic series on cosmic collisions, Asteroid vs. Comet starts by comparing the two opponents, then offers hints and context to encourage readers to use real science to form a hypothesis. Action-packed full-color illustrations with a graphic, comic-book feel will attract reluctant readers and kids who love smash-and-crash, along with budding scientists. Curious readers can find back matter addressing the question of fact versus fiction, how to become a citizen scientist, and comets and asteroids in the news. Secret word: collision

GIVEAWAY

I'm A Black Hole (1 copy, 1 winner)

Begins May 16

Ends June 1 @ 12:00 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations. Click links below to enter other giveaways.

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies from the publisher, Candlewick Press / MIT Kids Press to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely expressed. Winner's copy is provided and shipped directly to the winner by publisher or publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.

Kregel's Bible centric books help toddlers & preschools understand Scripture [Review & Giveaway]

My Toddler Bible (Timeless Stories for Little Ones) board book ISBN: 9780825448669

Buy it on Kregel Publishing

My thoughts:  An adorable little one's board book with a convenient handy handle for their ease in carrying about. The illustrations are attention grabbing, fun, brightly colorful, and aid in understanding the story.

The text is lengthy enough to tell the story adequately for the intendended age audience with a vocabulary that is not "dumbed down for age." 

Kregel Publishing's children's books have always been winners for engagement, accuracy, design, and lasting quality. I highly recommend.

About the book: A perfect Bible for little hands

Filled with rich and colorful illustrations and simple text faithful to the Bible, My Toddler Bible is perfect for children ages 1 to 3. The twenty-eight Bible stories include Scripture references and are taken equally from both the Old and New Testaments to form a complete arc of God's story.

Toddlers will love the built-in handle to carry their Bible with them everywhere--including church! And parents and grandparents will love that its compact form and bright pictures will inspire their little ones to engage with Scripture from an early age.

My Bigger Search and Find Bible ISBN: 9780825448478

Buy it on Kregel Publishing

My thoughts:  Children simply love search and find books and educators (and parents) love them, too. They engage the child with the book and the content of the book. True, some of the items the child is to find have very little to do with the story, it keeps them engaged. In My Bigger Search & Find Bible children journey quickly through the Bible with brief encounters with characters and stories. While doing so, they learn of God's being bigger than their problems. As an aside, you'll note that each story page opens out to four times the book's size. Again "bigger." 

I highly recommend this engaging search and find Bible story book for children. Again Kregel Publications has a winner.

About the book: Fun-filled way for kids to learn how BIG the love of God is...

From the very first page, this fun book is designed to help kids ages 4 to 6 understand that God's love for us is bigger than we can imagine!

Each page expands to four times its size. And in every colorful Bible scene, a child can search and find Bible friends, animals, and other items for even more interactive fun. Secret word: Bible

Packed with cheerful illustrations and a world of play, children will want to come back to this unique Bible over and over, fostering a love of God's Word and a new understanding of his expansive love.

GIVEAWAY

2 Children's Bible books from Kregel Publications

Begins May 3

Ends June 1 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary books to facilitate a review. Opinons are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize books are provided and mailed/shipped directly to the winner by Kregel Publishing or publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.