Books to occupy the kids while traveling or just fun anytime - a rhyming book and a fantastic Quentin Blake book

Quentin Blake's Fantastic Journeys by Quentin Blake (Author, Illustrator)

ISBN: 9781536245080
Candlewick Studio $19.99 US

My thoughts:  What's not to love about a Quentin Blake book. His sketch type illustrations are so much fun and packed with such whimsy that they draw children and adults into imaginative persual and fantasy of their own as they explore the minute details.

In Fantastic Journeys Quentin Blake uses pen and washes of black, grey, and browns to ink out his illustrations that tenderly and with much fun jolt the imagination.

About the book: Savor the work of the well-loved and lauded illustrator Quentin Blake in this keepsake collection of fun, quirky drawings that will delight both longtime devotees and emerging young fans.

A chef in mid-fall, balancing a towering, toppling cake. A bespectacled gentleman riding a multi-wheeled bike, with a man on his back juggling eggs. Known for their whimsy and wit and uncanny ability to convey worlds of expression with only the scantest of line, Quentin Blake’s illustrations have long been linked to the work of storytellers such as Roald Dahl, but in this book they shine on their own. Originally self-published in a series of slim titles dubbed the QB Papers—collections of drawings, varied in tone and approach, evoking journeys both real and imaginary—the images in Quentin Blake’s Fantastic Journeys fall under titles such as “Trip Hazards,” “Feet in the Water,” and “Ten Things You Cannot Really Manage Without.” Curated both for maximum child-friendliness and for the shelves of art-book collectors, this beauty of a gift book is a sheer pleasure, guaranteed to invite many a revisit.

Five Little Friends: A Collection of Finger Rhymes by Sean Taylor & illustrated by Fiona Woodcock 

ISBN: 9781536242911
Candlewick Press $19.99 US

My thoughts:  This is a sweet, cheerfully illustrated collection of actions and rhymes for little ones. I can see it with teachers or parents leading little ones in the action rhymes using their fingers, hands, and arms to act out the rhyme. 

A well done accumulation of sweet words and fun activities.

About the book: "This inspired offering will ensure hours of enlightening fun...A fresh, wonderfully creative, and visually engaging array of rhymes to get kids moving." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Playful, interactive, and full of whimsy, Sean Taylor’s collection of poems invites little ones to get their fingers, hands, and wiggles ready.

One little friend

in the playground . . . sliding.

Two little friends

playing chase and . . . hiding.

What better way to get little ones excited about poems than to make them part of the delivery? In the hallowed tradition of nursery rhymes and songs like “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” this imaginative collection entices children to use their fingers, hands, and sometimes whole bodies to bring a variety of verses to life. Whether the subject is sailing ships or stomping dinosaurs, falling snow or popping bubbles, jumping onto waterslides or riding a crowded elevator, Sean Taylor’s rhythmic read-aloud verses pair with Fiona Woodcock’s fresh, colorful illustrations, offering clues to the finger actions kids can follow—unless they’re happily acting things out already, using shapes and movements all their own.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

WINTER BOOKS: "Winter Light" & "A Pinecone!" [Review & Giveaway]

Winter Light by Aaron Becker

ISBN: 9781536236460
$17.99 US
Candlewick Studio

My thoughts:  Artist/author Aaron Becker never fails to bring delights to us rich with his conceptualization of art, color, and light. In this delightful toddler's board book, Winter Light, he utilizes a snowflake cut out on every page. As one turns the page to read the short text, visualization of aspects of changing light are experienced through the cut out of the snowflake. The color changes as the pages are turned. 

The text traverses the shortening of the hours of light as Winter approaches and the seasons change. But with the outside light changing, our inside lights also change to  bring warmth, light, and hope with fireplace light, candlelight, and lights aglow on our seasonal celebration decorations.

Another Aaron Becker delight!

About the book: With an eye to holiday rituals and nature’s rebirth, New York Times best-selling creator Aaron Becker offers a luminous die-cut companion to You Are Light, My Favorite Color, and One Sky.

Hush, now. Be still.

It’s time for winter light.

Come winter, the days grow short. Sunlight filters through bare branches as ice crystals cover the meadow. In this quiet time, we turn to warmth and light, to family rituals and traditions. With jewellike die-cuts revealing the colors of the season against soft painterly backgrounds, Caldecott Honoree Aaron Becker captures the light of winter skies and lengthening days, the glow of candle and hearth, and the heart’s yearning for spring’s return.

A Pinecone! by Helen Yoon

ISBN: 9781536226263
US $18.99
Candlewick Press

My thoughts:  In this picture book, the delights of collecting one of nature's beauties - a pinecone - is enthusiastically examined by a precocious little girl who just can't seem to get enough pinecones.

Whilst out with papa walking the dog, who has a mind of his own, she snatches and tucks away in every pocket, fold, and spot numerous pinecones. Such delight!

She collects so many they take over the house. Poor papa and the dog - living their papa and doggie lives in the background on these pages of delight - endure the invasion of the pinecones.

But there is more..... there is a vast assortment of teeny, tiny critters whose home is  the pinecone and they come, too!

An absolutely adorable story of fascination, family living, family tolerance, and cause and effect. Plus a heaping of charm. 

About the book: While Daddy is busy wrangling a mud-happy dog, someone else is collecting lots,/i> and lots of pinecones. Helen Yoon brings back the parent-child duo from Off-Limits in a droll celebration of high enthusiasm.

Daddy is a bit distracted on their autumn walk, while his curious child only has eyes for one of nature’s small a pinecone! And look, another pinecone! And another! In fact, she could gather an entire collection—an entire extended family—of pinecones if she wanted to (and she wants to!). But what then? In a story spun with visual comedy, the characters from Off-Limits return for a small adventure in outsize enthusiasm leading to a sparkly, holiday-cheer-worthy finish. Helen Yoon brings all her quirky warmth to bear on this tribute to little ones whose fixations tend to send them over the top—and the parents who lovingly help them to funnel all that passionate energy. And perhaps some of their own!

Giveaway

Begins December 14

Ends January 15, 2025 @ 12:01 a.m. EST

Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE: Secret word: Snuggle - I received complimentary copies to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize copies are provided and shipped/mailed directly to the winner by publisher, Candlewick Press, or its publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.

Celebrate "Earth Day" April 22 with beautiful middle-grade children's books from Candlewick Press [Review & Giveaway]

When "Earth Day" was first pitched to the world in 1970s it was viewed with skepticism and considered "peacenik" or "hippy" politics. Today we recognize that we must be good stewards of this globe suspended in the Universe that we call home - Earth. We must care for the bees, birds, animals, plants, water, air. Conservation and prudence of use are vital. We need to teach the children about bees, about plants and living things on the ground, in the ground, in the air, in the water.

Bruno the Beekeeper: A Honey Primer by Aneta Frantiska Holasová (Author, Illustrator)

My thoughts: At first glance, one might think this a little kiddie book.  While it can most certainly be read to them to teach about bees and the value they are to our World's plant life, it is frankly an older children's book.

Originally published in the Czech Republic in 2013, this English translation by Andrew Lass and first USA printing is a book well worth purchasing and placing in personal, public, and school libraries. The book is educational with information about various bees and flying insects, drawings of bees, their life cycle, and the equipment a beekeeper needs. Then some detail about the seasons of beekeeping and how they follow Earth's seasons.

The book ends with a gingerbread cookie recipe that uses honey as the sweetner. These would be a real treat.

About the book: Follow a beekeeping bear through the seasons—and learn about the life cycle and ecology of bees—in this folksy step-by-step guide to caring for hives and harvesting honey.

With glowing, honey-hued illustrations and friendly text, this homespun year-in-the-life of a busy beekeeper and his bees is a definitive picture book primer—whether for families contemplating a new hobby or for readers just curious to know how bees make honey. Follow Bruno the bear through the seasons, beginning in late summer, as he demonstrates how he keeps his bees healthy and happy, from housing and maintaining the hive to harvesting honey and beeswax. Learn the anatomy and life cycle of bees, the difference between workers and queens, what flowers bees pollinate, and what predators they avoid. Gracefully translated from the original Czech—and paired with charming folk-style art that evokes the rural setting and cozy kitchen of a blended beekeeping family (complete with Grandma’s recipe for homemade honey-gingerbread cookies)—this charming ode to sustainability and fostering nature’s small wonders will delight readers of every stripe.

A World of Plants by Martin Jenkins & illustrated by James Brown  

 

My thoughts:  There is so much more to the world of plants than vases of flowers, trees (how many can you identify?), corn and other veggies. So much about how plants adapt themselves and manage to proliferate season by season.

This book tells us about plants that we eat and the 10 most eaten plants in the World. Information in this large book with well written text suitable for the older elementary and middle school child will provide hours and days of captivating reading and study. Well, actually, adults will find much to enjoy in the information and illustrations.

Early in the book the statement, "We are totally reliant on plants for food and energy" is made. That is because the air we breath is dependent on photogenesis. The soil, the sun, the rain are used by plants to provide shade, clean the air, make food for all living creatures. They do what they are created to do - make Earth a beautiful habitable place to live.

A beautiful, information packed book that is a true winner.

About the book: A conservation biologist and a printmaker team up for a fascinating, visually arresting guide to botanical history, biodiversity, and the rich inner lives of plants. A must-read for budding gardeners!

Covering more than twenty-five subjects, from photosynthesis and permaculture to the hidden world of Victorian plant hunters, this stylish illustrated guide is packed with scientific insight into the critical role plants play in the drama of life on Earth. Did you know that some plants steal while others defend themselves against attack? That the largest cacti can reach sixty-six feet tall and weigh more than a car? That there are meat-eating plants the size of footballs? Readers young and old will marvel at the wondrous diversity and adaptability of plants, from trees and tropical species to those that have evolved to master extreme conditions. A brisk narrative bursting with facts—all carefully organized with maps and charts in richly patterned vintage-style illustrations—make for a vivid guide to all that grows . . . and a beautiful gift book for anyone interested in the environment.

Fungarium: Welcome to the Museum by Ester Gaya & illustrated by Katie Scott

My thoughts:  What a pleasure to have another of the "Welcome to the Museum" books. This series is simply marvelous. Large books, packed with wonderful illustrations and informative text that entertains and educates.

Fungarium: Welcome to the Museum is a wonderful introduction for older elementary and middle school students to fungi. 

Frankly, the book covers an amazing amount of information that, in my opinion, would give superb educational facts for older students in the study of biology. I was really surprised to learn a bit about the complexity of the plant, animal, and fungi world and dependence on each other and especially the intricate association of fungi to the others.

A fine book to grace library shelves of all types.

About the book: Welcome to the Fungarium! Step into the world of fungi and learn all about these strange and fascinating life-forms.

Illustrator Katie Scott returns to the Welcome to the Museum series with exquisite, detailed images of some of the most fascinating living organisms on this planet—fungi. Exploring every sort of fungi, from the kinds we see on supermarket shelves to those like penicillium that have shaped human history, this collection is the definitive introduction to what fungi are and just how vital they are to the world's ecosystem.

GIVEAWAY

Begins April 15

Ends May 12 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open USA/Canada. No P.O.Boxes

Canadian winners must provide phone #

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies to facilitate a reviw. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winners' books/prizes are provided and shipped directly to the winner by pubisher or publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.