Cool Books For Kids, Round Two

You may recall that back in November I wrote this post, reviewing books for kids. My reviews covered books (picture books, activity books, reference books, etc.) that have piqued my kids' interest in the world around them. I decided that it's now time for another round of these reviews as the books keep piling up at our house. If you missed my original book review post, check it out by clicking on the link in the first line above - that will provide some context.

Now...without further ado...

1.  Imagine That!: Activities and Adventures in Surrealism by Joyce Raimondo

This is one of five books in the Art Explorers series. We bought it three days ago and I already know we need the other four. Imagine That! focuses on surrealist art, allowing kids and parents alike to explore surrealism through the work of six different artists. The book begins with a "Note to Adults" and another "Note to Kids" providing an overview of the structure of the book and of surrealism. After that, the book delves into each of the six artists. Each artist's section begins with a brief overview of the artist's work, showcases one painting or sculpture representative of the artist's work, and includes great (and I mean great!) questions and thinking/writing prompts for kids to use to analyze the artwork. The rest of the section for each artist provides ideas for using several of the artist's techniques to create your own art, with samples made by kids to help jump-start the creative process. There are some creative writing prompts in there as well. The book ends with biographies of each of the six artists.

If this book appeals, be sure to follow my lead and check out the rest of the series as well:
What's the Big Idea?: Activities and Adventures in Abstract Art
Picture This!: Activities and Adventures in Impressionism
Express Yourself!: Activities and Adventures in Expressionism
Make It Pop!: Activities and Adventures in Pop Art

2. National Geographic Kids Almanac 2012 (multiple authors)

There is something for everyone in here. Not kidding. There's science and nature, culture, history and geography, games, adventure, etc. Your kid can't help but become a font of random (and interesting) trivia, even after just ten minutes perusing this. My best guess is that Eli picks this up two or three times a week. Every time he does he calls out, "Mom! You gotta come see this! It's so cool!"

3. Encyclopedia of Animals (multiple authors)

This is a fantastic resource for animal-crazy kids (like Sadie) or for anyone who has to do a report on animals. The encyclopedia begins with a section on "How to Use This Book," followed by a section on "Animal Life" that details information on things like movement, camouflage, habitats, etc. The majority of the encyclopedia's pages, however, are devoted to profiles of animals, arranged in alphabetical order. Sadie has spent a lot of time reading about seals, polar bears, and hedgehogs. The feature she likes best about this encyclopedia is the scale drawing provided for each animal, which compares the size of each animal to the size of humans.

4. The Middle East by Philip Steele

This book does an excellent job of providing a comprehensive overview of one of the world's most complex regions. The book begins with a section on "People and Places" that addresses the region as a whole, detailing geography, history, culture, etc.  The second section contains modern country profiles that discuss a variety of topics, including religion, economics, politics, history, culture, and geography.

5. The First Railroads by Sally Senzell Isaacs

We picked this book up last summer at the gift shop at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. This book provides a high-interest overview of railroads in the United States in the 1800s. It touches on many sub-topics, including the science of the steam engine, the role of immigrant labor in the building of the transcontinental railroad, and geographic challenges encountered as railroad workers laid tracks.

I have a couple of books sitting in an online shopping cart and have been eying some books at our (fabulous!) local independent children's bookstore, The Bookies, so I am guessing another one of these posts will be forthcoming at some point a few months from now!

Happy reading to you and your children!