Monday, January 21, 2013

Everything Goes: Henry Goes Skating

Biggs, Brian.
Everything Goes: Henry Goes Skating.
August 2012.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Everything Goes: Henry Goes Skating is a perfect story for beginning readers.  The text is simple, with many sight words weaved throughout.  The text is also predictable and many of the words repetitive.  Young children will likely enjoy the story and the factual information that can be learned while reading/listening.  This is a great book for discussing vocabulary and receiving information about the winter season!

To Enter the Giveaway
  1. Comment on this post, sharing a creative way in which you assist children in learning their sight words! 
  2. Be sure to leave an email address so I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! 
 The giveaway is open to United States residents only.  You have until 11:59PM, EST on  Thursday, Ja





If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Review & Giveaway: Curious George: Three Tales for a Winter's Night

Curious George: Three Tales for a Winter's Night.
November 2012.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

In typical "Curious George" fashion, George finds all sorts of things to be curious about within the pages of these three stories - Curious George: The Surprise Gift, Curious George: A Winter's Nap and Curious George: Snowy Day.  Kids are sure to love them, especially if they enjoy watching the PBS Curious George series. 

As a person who grew up reading Curious George, the new adaptations are just not for me... my mind keeps taking me back to the white background pages with minimal illustrations, so for me, I'm just not in love with the newer ones.  Lucky for me, I still have all my old Curious George books that I can go back and enjoy and share with my preschoolers!

To Enter the Giveaway
  1. Comment on this post, sharing your family's/classroom's favorite way to enjoy a winter day - inside or out!  
  2. Be sure to leave an email address so I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! 
 The giveaway is open to United States residents only.  You have until 11:59PM, EST on  Thursday, January 31 to enter the giveaway.







If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

A Warm Winter Tail

Pearson, Carrie.
A Warm Winter Tail.
August 2012.
Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Winter is in full force here in Upstate NY... although we're about to experience our January thaw!  With the exception of having to wash the dogs feet after every outing due to the mud, I'm really looking forward to this thaw... It's been just a tad too cold for my liking, despite trying to enjoy and make the most of it.  I'd take a day in the 70's right about now!  However, that's not quite on the horizon anytime soon, so I opted to break out some winter-themed books to share... just to make sure everyone's enjoying Old Man Winter!

In this creative story, Carrie Pearson shares with readers the different ways in which animals (and humans) survive throughout the cold winter months.  Through the use of a text bubble, baby animals inquire about how humans keep warm during the winter.  The mother animal responds by the use of "no" and then sharing the ways in which that specific animal keeps warm throughout the winter.  While the inquiry is ultimately about how humans keep warm during the winter months, readers will learn so much more delve into this creatively written story!

I actually plan to use this story in my Head Start/UPK classroom this week, in place of a different story I had originally planned to use... I think the kids will really understand the book and take away a lot of knowledge!

Sylvan Dell has also put out a corresponding Teaching Activity Guide packet that can be downloaded for free here.  This is a great resource for teachers who wish to use the book in the classroom, as it provides cross-curricular activities to really tie the book into a wide range of subject areas!

Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sylvan Dell Publishing?!?!?!






If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!