Book Review/Giveaway: 2013 Spring Collection Titles from Sylvan Dell Publishing. Ends May 25th

Balloon Trees by Danna Smith illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein.

About the Book: Balloons do come from trees—rubber trees. Told in rhyme, the story follows the wide variety of steps involved in making the air-filled decorations we all know and love. Starting with the tapping of the rubber tree, the ship that carries the liquid rubber to the factory, and the manufacturing process itself; readers will learn just how that balloon arrived at his or her house. This delightful, fun-to-read-aloud story is sure to give readers a new appreciation for balloons.

My Review: This is a great book that would teach children about how balloons are made and where the rubber used to make them comes from. This book goes into details on how the tappers start at dawn to slice the bark and tie a container to the tree and then the white milky latex drips out and into the container. The containers are then loaded on a tanker and shipped to the factory where a special mix and color is added to the white latex. The balloons are shaped, colored and cleaned put in a box and shipped off to the stores.

This book includes four pages of learning activities for creative minds. How rubber is the most important raw materials in the world with thousands of uses.

The first rubber trees grew in the Amazon area of Brazil. Rubber is used to make balls, latex paint, rubber bands, pencil erasers, car tires, latex gloves and rubber boots and many more. I recommend this book for classroom teaching.  The illustrations by Laurie A. Klein are colorful and helps tell the story.

The Deductive Detective written by Brian Rock and illustrated by Sherry Rogers

About the Book: Someone stole a cake from the cake contest–who could it be? Twelve animal bakers are potential suspects but Detective Duck uses his deductive reasoning skills to “quack” the case. After all, the thief left hairs behind so the thief wasn’t a bird. Follow along as he subtracts each suspect one at a time to reveal just who the culprit was. This clever story will have children of all ages giggling at the puns and the play on words

My Review: This is a funny book I couldn’t stop laughing. If you love mystery you would love reading The Deductive Detective. Duck received an urgent message that someone stole one of the cakes from the cake contest. It was Duck’s duty to find out who may have stolen the cake. When Duck arrived at the scene of the crime all thirteen bakers were still there. Duck found out the cake stolen belong to Fox and it was now time for him to quack the case (hahaha!).  Duck was going to find the clues by subtracting each suspect until there is one left. And that one left is guilty of the crime.

Duck used subtraction on each page to rule out each suspects.

12 suspects

– 1 mouse

_________

11 suspects

Was Duck able to solve the crime?

The book includes 2 pages of learning activates for creative minds, Deductive reasoning, compare and contrast the animals. I recommend this book for classroom teaching.  The illustrations by Sherry Rogers are colorful and helps tell the story.

 

Nature Recycles How About You? By Michelle Lord and Illustrated by Cathy Morrison

About the Book: From sea urchins in the Atlantic Ocean to bandicoots on the Australian savanna, animals recycle all over the world. Explore how different animals in different habitats use recycled material to build homes, protect themselves, and get food. This fascinating collection of animal facts will teach readers about the importance of recycling and inspire them to take part in protecting and conserving the environment by recycling in their own way

My Review: This book gives an insight look at how some creatures in the wild recycle.

The hermit crabs helps keep the shores clean by eating rotting ocean debris.

The wren and her mate gather twigs, spider webs, leaves, trash and snakeskin to build a nest to keep their eggs warm.

The owls use the abandoned hole in an old saguaro cactus as a safe home for her and her chicks.

The Asian elephant use the fallen banana leaf to wave flies away and for lunch. The book gives examples of many more animals with four pages of learning activities for creative minds and why animals recycle. This is an interesting book for classroom teaching.

On the Move Mass Migrations by Scotti Cohn and illustrated by Susan Detwiler

About the Book: Imagine seeing hundreds or even thousands of the same type of animal gathered at the same place and at the same time! Right here in North America, many animals gather in huge numbers at predictable times and locations. Not all migrations are tied to seasonal food changes some are tied to life cycles and the need to gather in huge numbers. Certain birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, fish, and even insects migrate during spring, summer, fall, or winter. Travel along with them as you learn about what puts these animals On the Move.

My Review: The author did a great job in explaining how hundred or thousands of the same animals migrate from one location to another. Some travel in groups due to climate change, food, to give birth in a warm safe place. This movement or migration can take place during the winter, spring, summer and fall.

In the winter, some move to the cold mountain to keep mosquitoes away from them.

In the spring some sea animals travel with their calves to northern waters.

During summer, some animals find their mates and females lay their eggs in the warmth. At the end of summer crickets sing their evening song, bats wakes up and flex their wings.

During the autumn chilly air, monarch butterflies flutter their brilliant orange and gold wings.

The author describes the migratory patterns of each animal in this book which also includes four pages of learning activities for creative minds. Animal migration: what, when, where and why? As always wonderful illustrations by Susan Detwiler which helps tell the story. I highly recommend this book for classroom teaching.

Shark Baby by Ann Downer and illustrated by Shennen Bersani

About the Book: Who am I?” wonders Shark Baby. When his “mermaid’s purse” egg case is torn loose in a storm, he finds himself on a journey through different ocean habitats: kelp forests, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows. He learns what kind of shark he isn’t, but not what kind he is. He needs to find the “mermaid” to learn where he belongs, but the ocean is big and full of dangers. Will he find out who he is and what he can do in time?

Animal Helpers: Sanctuaries by Jennifer Keats Curtis

About the Book: Just as tiny kittens and puppies grow into bigger cats and dogs, wild animal babies grow into adults too. These full-grown animals may no longer be cute and cuddly. Their wild instincts may kick in. They can become very large, even dangerous. What happens to these exotic pets when owners realize they can no longer care for them but they can’t be returned to the wild? And what about big predators that get hurt or sick? This photographic journal takes readers “behind the scenes” at five nonprofit sanctuaries and rescue zoos, and one care farm, that have opened their doors and their hearts to desperate animals in need

Ferdinand Fox’s First Summer by Mary Holland

About the Book: Follow this photographic journal of a red fox as he explores the world around him during the first few months of his life. He’s about a month old when he first comes out of the den. Watch as he learns to hunt through play and by using his senses. See the changes as he grows from a young kit to a young fox. After all, by the next summer, he’ll have kits of his own! Naturalist photographer and environmental educator Mary Holland has captured Ferdinand Fox’s First Summer in a way that is sure to grab children’s hearts
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of these books from Sylvan Dell Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.

Sylvan Dell Publishing

Award-winning picture books that integrate Science, Math, and Geography . . . hardcover and paperback plus read-aloud eBooks with Spanish http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/index.php

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