London City Guide

London City Guide
From DK Canada

About the book

The stunning images, lively illustrations, and enhanced visual content of the DK London City Guide are brought to life on the iPad. Large-scale maps with pinch-to-zoom and scrolling facilities will help you find your way around. Feature pages in area itineraries provide interesting context on related topics, such as the city by season, cuisine, and ceremonies. Attractive photography and illustrations rich in detail allow you to explore London remotely, giving you the sense that you're already there before you have reached your destination.

The enhanced DK London City Guide is the perfect companion for visitors planning a short break or long weekend in this royal city.

My Thoughts

Are you planning to explore London in 2013?  Or you know that a business trip to this city is imminent?  Well, he City Guide London will help you to discover London and make the most of your trip.   This fabulous ebook will allow you to explore by day or by interest as well as by area.   A locator map is inserted in the pages to allow you to see where you are in relation of other areas to visit.  At the end of each itinerary you can click on some specific buttons to see your restaurant options and extra places to visit.  In a close up map in the pages you will see the main sights in black bullet points and the restaurants in orange.  It’s perfect to allow you to visualize where you are and find yourself around London.

A special feature section is also incorporated to let you discover the historical context or additional information on specific places in London.  Also, you can read information on the major sites in special pages in the By Area itineraries.   History buildings are decorticated to reveal their interiors, museums and galleries possess color-coded floor plans to guide you during your visit and interactive widgets will allow you to explore.

Here’s some example of the pages inside the London City Guide ebook.

I really love that you can explore the city by  day, interest of area.   In the Day by Day section, you will discover a week-end trip, a 3 days trip or a 5 days trip.    In the By Interest section, you can explore the city based on the history & culture, the shopping instyle, the great outdoors or on a family fun day. Then you could also chose to explore the city by area – Westminster & the West End, Bloomsbury & Regent’s Park, The City & East End, Southwark & The South Bank, and Kensington & Chelsea.   I adore visiting zoos when I am travelling.  So I decided to explore more of the London Zoo and Regent’s Park with the ebook.  Did you know that the Royal architect John Nash laid out the park itself for the Prince Regent in 1811.   By clicking on the more sights button I also discovered the you can visit the Lord’s Cricket Ground which contains a museum and the Cumberland Terrace.

More and more people are travelling with their tablets nowadays and it makes sense to adapt the familiar city guides book into ebook.   However, I am uncertain about carrying my iPad around when I visit a place.  I will admit that I never though that as a possibility.  I guess the regular ipad (we own first generation ones) is a bit bulky.  I would seriously consider a mini ipad for travel in this case.  It takes less space in your purse and would be very useful for a city guide type of book.  

London City Guide is fabulous and contains much needed information for the person who will travel to this city.   The London City Guide Ebook is available 6.99$ on iTunes. This book can only be viewed using iBooks 2.0 or later on an iPad. iOS 5.0 or later is required.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Step-By-Step Baking Cakes

Step-By-Step Baking Cakes Ebook
From DK Canada

About the book

Make sure your baking rises to every occasion.

Whether you want to produce the perfect tart, bake a cake fit for a king or serve up a soufflé that won't sink, Step-by-Step Baking Cakes guides you through 350 baking recipes for every occasion.
80 classic recipes are fully illustrated with step-by-step instructions to ensure you're always on the right track and variations help you add a modern twist. Clear instructions, essential information on ingredients and advice on equipment and storage will help you bake with confidence and have your friends and family begging for more.

From sweet to savory, Step-by-Step Baking Cakes is the one baking bible that you shouldn't be without.

My Thoughts

This specific ebook has been created to give you the flexibility you need when baking.   Essentially, the recipes were taken from The Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking recipe book from DK Canada so that you don’t have to bring the huge version on your counter while baking.   It features 100 of the favorite cake recipes found in the hardcover version I had a chance to review last year.     It also contains four chapters which covers a wide variety of cakes that could be done everyday, during celebrations or just for fun!  Here’s what you should expect in this ebook.

• Everyday Cakes – Victoria Sponge Cake, Angel food cake, genoise with raspberries and cream, swiss roll, ginger cake, carrot cake, lemon polenta cake, sticky toffee puddings, chocolate cake with buttercream, devil’s food cake, chocolate fudge cake, baked chocolate mousse, German apple cake, rhubarb and ginger upside down cake, Bavarian plum cake, banana bread, bara brith.
• Celebration Cakes – rich fruit cake, plum pudding, panettone, stollen, bienenstich, brioche des rois, kugelhopf, chocolate roulade, and my favorite black forest gâteau.
• Small Cakes – vanilla cream cupcakes, fondant fancies, chocolate fudge cake balls, whoopie pies, chocolate fondants, lemon and blueberry muffins, madeleines, scones, Welsh cakes, rock cakes.
• Cheesecakes – blueberry ripple cheesecake, German cheesecake, lemon cheesecake.

To pick your curiosity, here’s some of the recipes you can find in the Step-by-step baking cakes ebook.

You will find easy to glance icons that will tell you how many people you can serve with this recipe, how long it will take to make it, how long is necessary to bake it and finally if you can freeze the cake for future event.  You will get a list of the ingredients and special equipment you might need to do the recipe as well as step-by-step instructions to make it.    Each recipe has it’s own photograph of the final product so it’s easy to see if your creation look similar to the one in the ebook!    Finally, there are multi-touch elements throughout the book.   Sometimes it will be step-by-step photos and instructions that you will have to swipe on the screen (don’t forget to have a towel next to you to clean your hands if necessary).  Other times you will have the opportunity to watch a video to discover what to expect at a specific  step.   You have the possibility of get the view full screen if necessary.  I am please to see that there is sound with the videos in this particular ebook.

I love the idea of having a section of the Illustrated Step-by-step Baking cookbook on my ipad simply because it takes less place on my countertop.   It would be nice to have other sections of the original book available on the iPad eventually.   But this is a good starting point.  After all, what kind of baking do we do more often – probably cakes…

Step-by-step Baking Cakes ebook is available for purchase on iTunes for the price of 5.99$.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Smithsonian Natural History Reptiles and Amphibians eBook

  Smithsonian Natural History Reptiles and Amphibians Ebook
From DK Canada

About the ebook

Natural History: Reptiles and Amphibians features content taken from our landmark reference guide, Natural History - a book overseen and authenticated by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History - and is filled with interactive elements to bring its contents to life on the iPad. Featuring a remarkable array of specially commissioned photographs, Natural History: Reptiles and Amphibians also includes a selection of easy-to-use widgets to provide a rich, fulsome user experience. Swipe-through photo galleries feature a pinch and pull design to expand image views, "Look Closer" galleries give stunning in-depth close-ups of selected species, embedded soundless videos show the animals in action, and audio files provide sounds of selected reptiles and amphibians in the wild.

My Thoughts

If you have a child who loves anything and everything linked to the reptiles and amphibians category, I think this ebook would be a great interest for him or her as well as for you!   This particular ebook was created from the Smithsonian Natural History book released by DK last year.  That title is not an easy one to be able to carry around with its 600 plus pages so DK has thought of releasing various ebooks with multi-touch capability based on the original edition.

The ebook version of the Smithsonian Natural History Reptiles and Amphibians will start with an introduction on classification and where these creatures fit in the tree of life.   Then you can jump right on in discover the reptiles and amphibians included in this book. 

In the reptiles section you will have the opportunity to learn more about the following creatures: turtles and tortoises, tuataras, lizards, chameleons, geckos, iguanas, skins, burrowing vipers and boas, colubrids, Asian pipe snakes and sea snakes, cobras, pythons, sunbeam snakes, blind snakes, thread snakes, vipers, crocodiles and alligators, gharials, caimans, and many more.   In the amphibians section, you will learn more about midwife toads, squeakers, glass frogs, painted frogs, robber frogs, toads, marsupial frogs, cryptic forest frogs, poison dart frigs, tree frogs, salamanders, newts,  and more.

While reading this ebook, I learned that chameleons have the ability of moving each eye independently to allow them to keep an eye on predators because they have no ears.They tongue is very long and comes out of their mouth at incredible speed to grasp the unsuspecting prey from a distance. They use their tail to help climbing and it acts as a fifth limb.  In the amphibians section, I enjoyed reading more about the glass frogs.  Did you know that these frogs live in Central and South America and that their skin is so transparent that you can see their internal organs?   Fascinating.   For example, the limon giant glass frog is an arboreal frog that lives in wet vegetation near stream and it has dark green bones.  

See some of the pages in the ebook Smithsonian Natural History Reptiles and Amphibians.

 

As you can see you will learn interesting things about the creatures in this ebook.  You will also have the possibility to see stunning photographs that will take your breath away. This ebook is interesting for homeschooler as it will allow you to interact and learn more about a specific creatures. The introduction of a section will highlight the characteristics and behaviors. You will have the possibility of zooming in on some specific animals in order to get close-ups photos and learn more about them. While reading the information you will learn more about the habitat, the physical characteristics, life cycle, behavior and reproductive habits of the creature. At times through the ebook, you will have the possibility to visualize and learn more about parts of the animals with close-ups pictures. Finally, you will be able to listen to some animals sounds and visualize the animal in action with the helps of sound files and videos.

The Smithsonian Natural History Reptiles and Amphibians ebook is available on iTunes for the price of 4.99$.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Dinosaurs for Kids ebook

Dinosaurs for Kids ebook
Written by Ken Ham
Published at MasterBooks for iTunes

About the ebook

Take a look at this new enhanced edition of the children's favorite: Dinosaurs for Kids! This book includes all the original content, allowing the reader to:

• Peek inside a dinosaur egg
• Discover what dinosaurs really ate
• Learn how dinosaur tracks are made
• Meet the most unusual creatures to ever walk the earth, stalk the seas, or soar across the sky
• Discover how dinosaur bonebeds are made, and other kinds of fossils beyond just bones
• Learn the truth behind museum exhibits and flawed evolutionary timelines
• Discover more about the 7 Fs of dinosaur history

New content only available in this edition includes popups with additional information about the dinosaurs featured in the book, picture galleries showing images from around the world, videos explaining more about key points of interest, and a few other extras for you to discover for yourself.

Within these pages kids will uncover the facts about dinosaur history from the Creation to recent discoveries. Let Ken Ham take you on a journey through time to explore these awesome wonders of God's design. From where dinosaurs lived to what scientists assume they know about these great creatures, dinosaurs have never been this exciting, revealing and simply amazing!

Our Thoughts

We had the opportunity in the past to review the Dinosaurs for Kids book (showed proudly my my daughter, Jasmine).   So when I stumbled on an announcement of the new ebook version, I asked if it could be possible to review it.   I was given a copy of the ebook version without hesitation.   To be honest I was curious how a book that is already amazing could become better in an ebook format.

The first thing my kids and I proceeded to do was to compared the two – the real book and the ebook version.   And trust me when I tell you that you are getting more information in the ebook format!   Now only do you have interaction in the original text but you will also personalized pages for each other dinosaurs mentioned in the book with full pronunciation of their names, videos to illustrate a specific explanation, stunning pictures demonstrating the fossils or the dinosaurs footprints, and much more.

I have reviewed ebooks that contained videos before but there wasn’t any sound in the ones I had received.  However, I was delighted to hear the commentary of the person while watching the video about the birth of an alligator.    It was very information and educational at the same time both for the learning about dinosaurs and the technological side of ebooks.   I always thought that the technology wasn’t quite there for videos in an ebook but I was wrong.    Dinosaurs for Kids is an high-tech ebook that is quite complete and offer a tremendous quality of photos, videos and interaction for the family.

It is so easy to use that even a four years old can do it.   Here you can see Jasmine (age 4) going through the book… and her brother Jérémy (age 7) looking over the sofa simply because he didn’t feel like sitting next to her.

 

Jasmine really loved the video showing the birth of the babies alligators which is thought to be similar to the birth of dinosaurs.   Actually, all the kids spent some time to explore and discover this ebook as it is packed with fascinating information about how dinosaurs lived, survived the flood and slowly disappeared through the ages.

Here’s some of the pages you will find in the ebook Dinosaurs for Kids.   Every now and then you will get an icon titled Click 2 Discover in a page.  Simply click on that icon to access an interactive section of the ebook.

If your child is highly interested in dinosaurs and you are looking for a book based on biblical account, I strongly suggest that you consider Dinosaurs for Kids as it contains fascinating information about these beasts that used to roam the Earth.   This book opened my eyes on a whole new perspective about dinosaurs and I am very happy to have it so I can teach my kids about the biblical view of the existence and disappearance of the dinosaurs.

Please take the time to check out the official video promoting Dinosaurs for Kids.   It will give you a better view of what to expect in the book.

 Dinosaurs for Kids is available on iTunes for the price of 9.99$.

Disclaimer: Thanks to New Leaf Publishing Group for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Amazing Atlas

Amazing Atlas
From DK Canada

About the e-book

Take a spin around the globe with the Amazing Atlas. This stunning picture atlas designed for use on the iPad offers a unique approach to geography for those five and up. Spectacular interactive features transport you to anywhere on Earth, and include a 3D spinning globe, enhanced map images that fade in and out to highlight geographical and cultural details of the region, scrollable flag and feature galleries for each continent as well as interactive quizzes to test newly acquired knowledge. Packed with fascinating facts about continents and countries, people and places, and easy to navigate with clear instructions, bold design and a simple layout, the Amazing Atlas will keep the keenest of young minds stimulated for hours.

My Thoughts

If you are an homeschooler, you probably love to be surrounded with books that will teach your kids various things.   And in this time and age, you might have a tablet that will allow you to bring books in an easier way that what was possible ten years ago.   A tablet can contain numerous ebooks and it a great tool to have when homeschooling.    I am particularly fond of the DK e-books because they touch subjects that I want my kids to explore.   Take the Amazing Atlas for example.   This e-book will take you on a journey to explore and discover geography throughout the world. 

It is divided in seven sections representing the seven continents.   You can scroll through the pages of a continent to discover marvelous photos and fascinating facts.   Special boxes also contain extra information that can be visualized at the touch of a finger.  A spinning globe will allow you to see the world in three dimension and maps will allow you to learn the countries on each continent.    The book also contain a movie of Antarctica and quizzes to test your reading skills.

See for yourself how the pages are presented in the e-book.

 

One of the special features you will encounter in this e-book is the Things to See which allows you to discover the amazing animals, great sites, natural features and what is produced in that continent.  The Vital Statistics boxes will highlights the flags, the capital city, the population as well as the languages spoken in some of the countries in that continent.

This book will give your a big picture of the geography around the world.   It is a great e-book to have when you drive around or wait at a doctor’s office.    It can also be useful during quiet time in the afternoon or stimulate a child to read.   Each section has text that isn’t complicated and containing information about the continent you are exploring.   You can read it with your child or have your independent readers explore it by himself/herself and do a little research on a specific continent.

The e-book is interactive as you will be require to flip the tablet in order to see the map pages properly, watch a video on penguins in Antarctica, flip in some boxes to get more information and test your knowledge with little quizzes.    I discover that at the South Pole there is a Museum  at Port Lockroy.   And it got me wonder how many visitors do they have in a year?  Well imagine my surprise when searching the internet that the place do have numerous tourists for the observation of the penguins.   Wow!  Maybe I should add this to my list of things to do in my lifetime…

If you are looking for an interactive book on geography that will be interesting for your kids, I suggest that you look into getting the Amazing Atlas from DK Canada.  This book is perfect for kids ages 8 to 12 but can also be used with a parent for younger years.

Amazing Atlas is available for immediate download on your iPad with iBooks 2 or on your computer with iTunes.  To read this book, you must be using an iPad with iBooks 2.   The price is 6.99$.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned ebook for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Amazing Animals

Amazing Animals
From DK Canada

About the e-book

"There's a whole world of amazing animals to meet inside this incredible interactive atlas! Take your child on an interactive trip around the world with the help of a spectacular 3D animal scene, amazing pictures, fun quizzes and masses of fascinating facts. They'll find out more about the animals on each continent, what kind of habitats they live in and much more."

My Thoughts

How can you let your kids learn more about animals while using a tablet?  Simple.  One purchase a tablet if you don’t have one already (this would be your most expensive purchase but a fabulous one at the same time!), then look for the Amazing Animals multi-touch ebook from DK Canada.

This ebook will transport you at every corner of the world and let you discover various animals living throughout the planet.   Amazing Animals is divided in sections corresponding with the areas around the planet:  North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australasia & Oceania, Antarctica & Arctic.   This ebook will allow you to scroll through each section and find all kinds of amazing creatures living in the seven continents.    You will get habitat maps which are color-coded, movies showing you animals on the move, learn about animals who hold some records, stunning photographs, and much more.  You can also test your knowledge with a multiple choice quiz.  Don’t worry because all the answers can be found in the book – you simply have to read it.  *grin*  Throughout the book, you will be able to learn more about fish, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.  There is definitively information for any kind of animal that might interest your child (or yourself).  The reader will also learn about the different type of habitat where animals make their homes.

I really like the interactivity of this particular ebook.   Sometimes, you will have to flip the iPad to be able to see a map better and click on it to have different views from where certain animals lived to where to find a certain habitat like the desert region in North America.  Some other interaction would be the possibility to scroll within the animal groups, the quizz and the possibility of enlarging photos, animal fact files, as well as watching some videos.

Now if you are expecting a ton of text within this ebook you might be disappointed.   This ebook is geared for kids ages 8 to 12 who wants to learn more about animals on their own.   Some proficient readers might enjoy it as well but the text is simple and straight to the point.    You will learn about the main animals found in a specific area around the globe have the opportunity to test your knowledge as well.

It’s a great book to have when you bring your child to a doctor or dentist appointment as it can keep him/her entertained.  Your child can also read it while travelling in a vehicle and keep on learning at all times.

I find that Amazing Animals is a great ebook to own and use in your homeschool.  You can have your child practice his/her reading with it, let them explore a specific region of the globe and learn about animals there or simply visualize where in the word an animal live.

Amazing Animals – the ebook – is available for immediate download on your iPad with iBooks 2 or on your computer with iTunes.  To read this book, you must be using an iPad with iBooks 2.  The price is 6.99$.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned ebook for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia

Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia
From DK Canada

About the product

Young readers explore how the human body really works with the fully interactive Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia. What is the biggest organ? The smallest bone? The strongest muscle? Have your questions answered, then see how these body parts work. Find out how many miles your blood cells travel - then join them on a trip through the heart. Meet the engine room of the body; the beating heart, the brilliant brain, the amazing lungs, and the super skeleton. With 10 sections that explore the main systems of the body, let your child learn what makes their body tick. Perfect for the iPad, Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia is jam-packed with interactive features, including: - 20 videos that bring organs and tissue to life - 15 3D images that illustrate how muscles and bones fit together that can be turned at the flick of a finger - 30 interactive galleries show close-up pictures of magnified cells - 60 zoom galleries take you even further into the body - touch an image to take a closer look - Find Out More galleries will make your school projects stand out with amazing facts From the top of your head to the tip of your toes, Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia will excite and educate inquisitive minds.

My Thoughts

I’m passionate about learning the anatomy.    Maybe it’s because I really enjoyed my biology class when I was in high school I don’t know but I think it is important that everyone learns how our bodies work.    So when I saw this e-book I knew that it would make a great addition to our virtual library and requested the opportunity of reviewing it.   Of all the e-books I have reviewed for DK Canada so far, this one has excited me the most and immediately grabbed my interest. It is unbelievably well done, very interactive with videos and 3D images and full of learning experience for young and older people.

The Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia will engage your on a new level of reading with interactive images, close-ups of parts of our body, videos that explain visually as well as find out more sections.  Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia contains ten major sections:  

• Body Basics – the cell and how the body fit altogether
• Bones and Muscles – from head to toe
• Heart and Blood – how does the cardio-vascular system works
• Disease Defenses – this is very interesting with the cold season being at our foot steps
• Lungs and Breathing – the respiratory system explained in details
• Fueling the Body – the digestive system and how it helps us to be healthy and alive
• Waste Disposal – shall I give more details?    However, I need to tell you that earlier this spring I had to pass a colonoscopy because my dad died of colon cancer and I was now in my 40s.   My son, who is VERY interested in medicine, asked if he could watch while I was getting the procedure done.    It wasn’t possible obviously but with this e-book he saw that he could watch a video of the inside of the colon.  He watched it with attention and he was quite pleased of the fact that this video was included in the e-book.  
• Life Cycle – how we reproduce.   I would suggest that parents take the initiative in preparing their kids for this specific section.  I strongly believe that reproduction lessons should be done at home and not left entirely in the hands of the school.
• In Control – how the brain and hormones works.
• Super Senses – touch, smell, ears, touch, eyes, and much more

The graphics are colorful, the close-up details are breathtaking and the information contained in the pages of this e-book will explain from A-to-Z how the human body works to your kids.   This is definitively a great e-book to have to supplement your learning on the human body!    You will have plenty of videos to watch (without the sound though) that will explain how the various parts of your body works. 

Check out some of the pages providing information on the muscular system.

As  you can see the e-book is packed with interesting information on the human body.  Having the possibility of observing close-ups images of muscles, lungs, heart and other parts of the body is an eye opener for anyone.   

As I mentioned the sound is non existent in the video.  However, please keep in mind that e-books have advanced tremendously in the past couple of years and video has just started to be incorporated in them.   I am sure that as time goes by sound will also find its way in the pages of an advance e-book like the Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia.    Right now, the creators of such fine e-books have to keep in mind the size of the file so that it doesn’t take all the space on your iPad.  

I would recommend Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia to anyone interested in learning more about how our bodies work.   This e-book will bring the learning experience to a new level for you and your kids.   It is a marvelous e-book to have on your iPad for your homeschool or to supplement the learning done at school as well.   

Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia is available for download on your iPad with iBooks 2 or on your computer with iTunes.   The price is 9.99$.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned ebook for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Pocket Genius Ebooks

I had the opportunity earlier this year to review the new Pocket Genius Animals and the Pocket Genius Sharks books from DK Canada.  Not too long after  I posted my reviews for these two books, I got offered the opportunity to review the ebook version of each of them.    Wanting to see how these books would be on the iPad, I accepted and received the two books in the e-book format. 

About the Pocket Genius Animals E-book

Designed with interactive features specifically for use on the iPad, Pocket Genius: Animals is a new and exciting quick reference encyclopedia for young adults. Featuring a fresh and striking design that is sure to appeal to the middle grade audience, this guide offers a unique catalog-style presentation, which clearly lays out individual species with concise and punchy text covering all of the essential information. Spreads provide details on animal anatomy, full-bleed action images, comprehensive lists of species, along with key facts and unique features about each. Easy-to-use widgets bring the animals to life, and include swipe-through galleries with pinch-and-pull ability to expand the size and detail of the photos embedded, soundless videos of the animals in action, and audio capturing individual animal sounds in the wild. These encyclopedias are perfect for back-to-school, summer reading, and every month in between!

About the Pocket Genius Sharks E-book

Designed with interactive features specifically for use on the iPad, Pocket Genius: Sharks is a new and exciting quick reference encyclopedia for young adults. Featuring a fresh and striking design that is sure to appeal to the middle grade audience, this guide offers a unique catalog-style presentation, which clearly lays out individual species with concise and punchy text covering all of the essential information. Spreads provide details on shark taxonomy, full-bleed action images (including one of a shark feeding frenzy), comprehensive lists of species, along with key facts and unique features about each.
Easy-to-use widgets bring the pages to life, and include swipe-through galleries with pinch-and-pull ability to expand the size and detail of the photos and embedded, soundless videos of the sharks in action. These encyclopedias are perfect for back-to-school, summer reading, and every month in between!

My Thoughts

What is great about the ebook format is the fact that you can have interaction with them with the use of videos.  However, there isn’t any sound attached on the videos at this point in time.  Keep in mind that interactive e-books are quite new and that have videos and sound incorporated in them can bring the size of the ebook quite large.   Consequently, even if the sound is missing in these videos, it is interesting to observe the behavior of the animal as you watch it.    The best part is that you have the ability of enlarging the video so it can take the full screen visualization.    With an iPad it is fabulous because all the kids can snuggle around me and watch it at the same time.

Each ebook is divivded in section – a bit like the hardcover book.   For example, in the Animals e-book, the Mammals is a section where you can find information about animals belonging to this category like the elephant, the koala, the platypus, and the naked mole-rat – to name only a few of them.  To change section, all you simply have to do is click on the next dot at the bottom of the page and it will bring you to the new chapter in the e-book.   

The more I discover the DK ebooks, the more I appreciate the way they are organized.   I must confess that at first I had reservations about them but now that I have discovered a few of them, I think it makes sense to present the information that way.   First of all, when you open the book, the iPad immediately bring you in the landscape position for it.    Honestly it makes sense because you get a bigger and better view of the page.    The navigation between the chapters is easy to follow as well once you know how DK does it.   Like I mentioned it before, clicking on the dot will bring you to a new chapter within the ebook.   Once you are in the chapter, you simply flick the pages or pick one shown in the ribbon at the bottom of your screen.   It is so simple and easy to use that a young child can use it.

For each animal/shark you will get a page giving you information on it and you can see the animal/shark with an image.  

These ebooks are not encyclopedias but they are marvelous to entertain a child while you wait at an appointment or if you are travelling on the road.  And the best part of it is that if your child can read, he/she will also learn facts about animals and sharks which covers the science lesson of the day in a way!

You can download Pocket Genius: Animals and Pocket Genius: Sharks on iTunes.  Each are priced at 2.99$.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned e-books for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Britain From Above

Britain From Above – Month by Month
Published at DK Canada via iTunes

About the book

See Britain in a whole new light with Britain From Above Month by Month, a stunning visual portrait of the British Isles throughout the year from renowned aerial photographer Jason Hawkes.

Explore every corner of Britain from majestic mountain landscapes and haunting medieval ruins to magnificent feats of engineering and dramatic coastlines and see how familiar scenes, famous events and iconic monuments take on a whole new life when viewed from a different angle. Look down at the Angel of the North from a new perspective, take in the glittering London skyline from on high and see a patchwork of festival tents as you've never seen them before.

This version, designed especially for the iPad, includes 19 galleries of additional images including Buckingham Palace, Britain's beaches and the River Thames. Plus, video clips and aerial tours with locator maps featuring fascinating information take you on a journey that you'll never forget around ancient sites, mazes, lighthouses, castles and mountains. Perfect for the iPad, the screen intensifies colors and brings the images to life for a truly immersive experience.

Britain From Above Month by Month is a true celebration of Britain in all its glory.

Our Thoughts

I originally asked to review this ebook from DK before the Olympics.  However, with the tornado that came into our lives with a possible move to Toronto – which never materialized in the end – I was swamped with packing and unpacking for July and August.   We are just getting back into a normal lifestyle and I am catching up on some of the reviews that were packed in boxes. 

So yesterday I sat down on the sofa in the living room and proceeded into looking at the book Britain From Above.   In a manner of time, the kids cuddled around me to look at what I was doing and started to oooh! and aaah! when they liked a particular picture found in this book.    The pictures are indeed very original and breathtaking – all of them taken from the air.   It gives you a unique view of Britain and how marvelous the country can be throughout the seasons.

This particular book is divided into the four seasons – views from above the air of various parts of Britain and how the seasons can give a special touch to this country.    Each of the sections in this book is unique and will give  you a interesting view of a country that is worth discovering from the view of winged creatures.  

My kids particularly likes the roller-coaster pictures as well as the castles and other places to visit in Britain. 

Whether you would like to travel to Britain but can’t afford it or you just want to have a different view of places you have visited in the past, I think Britain From Above would be a very interesting ebook to have on your iPad.

Britain From Above is available for purchase via iTunes.  

Note: This book is available for download on your iPad with iBooks 2 or on your computer with iTunes. To read this book, you must be using an iPad with iBooks 2.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned ebook for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Titanic Warning

Titanic Warning
Written by Casey M. Sabella
Published at New Leaf Publishing

About the book

Near midnight, the heralded and huge White Star liner Titanic, her invincibility never before in question, is a tiny speck on a vast ocean. Four days out on a much-anticipated maiden voyage, the luxury vessel has been fatally grazed by an iceberg.

Labeled unsinkable by an adoring public, Titanic will plunge beneath the cold waters of the North Atlantic in under three hours.

In Titanic Warning, author Casey Sabella blends a vivid re-telling of the disaster with commentary on the state of the modern-day Church and the lack of commitment to discipling the masses. How did three ships in the vicinity, called upon to rescue the 2500 stranded souls, reflect real personalities in the modern age? Are we prideful like the Titanic? Are we indifferent to the cries of humanity, like the Californian, or do we launch a rescue like the Carpathia? Does the burden to help urge us to escape from it all, like the Samson?

The questions are personal, the answers, crucial. Will we heed the warning to put salvation before gleaming monuments? May God help us board the right ship!

STUDY AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER.

Who is Casey M. Sabella?

Casey Sabella has served the body of Christ as a church planter becoming ordained in 1981. His passion is to help leaders and churches work together to reach non-Christians and train them to become effective in life and ministry. He and his wife Patricia have raised four children who by God’s grace each serve the Lord fervently in ministry. Casey is the author of When a Church Goes Bad, which helps Christians break free from the pain of spiritual abuse to regain their spiritual destinies. While serving as a senior pastor of a local church in Waterbury, CT, Casey makes himself available to speak at conferences and churches that need help navigating the challenges of church life.

My Thoughts

I was somewhat attracted by the title and the subject of the book.  But as I was reading it, I became annoyed and just couldn’t believe that the author took the tragedy of the Titanic and compared it to the situation in the church in the 21st century.  Don’t take me wrong, I do see problems in the church and that unfortunately some so-called Christians are wishy-washy in the faith.   But to have the guts to take a tragedy and use it as an example for God’s wrath is hard to swallow.

What turned me off while reading the book was some of the suggestions made in the book…

While it may seem like a terrible thing to suggest at this point, could it be that God Himself sank the Titanic?

Seriously?  My breath was taken away when I read this because I don’t believe that God orchestrated this tragedy.  Though I agree that there were miscommunications and carelessness in not drilling the crew as well as misjudgment when receiving messages from other boats in the area, I cannot agree with what the author is communicating in this book.

On the next page, the author is asking this:

“Why would a loving God send 1,522 innocent men, women, and children to their death?  How could a God of justice be so cruel?  This appears to be a facet of God’s nature that we are terrified to consider.

I don’t think God purposely decided to kill these people.   The author seem to forget that we have an enemy on the planet and he would do anything to cause tragedy.  If what the author is suggesting that it is the kind of God Christianity is worshipping, I don’t want to do anything with Him.   But thankfully this isn’t the case because God is loving and wants the best of us.  

As I was reading this book, I got sick in my stomach just to think that this kind of book existed on the market.     It is pretty rare that I misjudge a book from it’s cover and the introduction of it.   However, the book isn’t what I was expecting.    Would I recommend the book?   No.   Are other people enjoying the book?   According to the reviews I have seen on amazon.ca it looks like it.   But I don’t think that everyone would enjoy it.    Like I said, I know there are some issues in the church in North-America but at the same time part of the problem are within people and our sinful nature.    We just need to wake up and follow what God wants us to do.   Simple?  No it isn’t because most of the time it will be to get out of your comfort zone and do things you wouldn’t think to be able to do.   But it’s feasible with faith as big as a mustard seed.   My question to you would be are you willing to follow God in whatever journey He has for you?

If you are still interested in reading Titanic Warning, you can find the book anywhere even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to New Leaf Publishing Group for sending me the above mentioned product in EPUB format for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

DK Natural History: Mammals–Carnivores

DK Natural History: Mammals – Carnivores
From DK Canada

About the Illustrated eBook

This book explores a highly successful group of mammals—the carnivores—in stunning visual detail. A comprehensive introduction places carnivores in the context of other living things, and an extensive catalog showcases the incredible variety of these animals. Every group of carnivores is covered, including dogs, weasels, seals, and civets. Many individual specimens are also profiled, each accompanied by clear, concise text and key data.

More extensive features focus on key species, such as the polar bear and the tiger, and include stunning, specially commissioned photography.  Conceived from the ground up to take advantage of this amazing new technology, DK Natural History: Mammals - Carnivores brings the subject to life like never before, and offers an amazing range of interactive features, including video and interactive galleries.

DK Natural History: Mammals - Carnivores includes:
• 70 interactive and illustrated pages
• Illustrated profiles of nearly 200 individual specimens
• Expanded profiles of key species
• Hundreds of crystal-clear photographs, many specially commissioned
• Key contextual images

DK Natural History: Mammals - Carnivores forms part of an ongoing series that is a landmark in illustrated reference publishing and was authenticated by experts at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. The complete series offers an unrivalled visual survey of Earth’s natural history, giving a clear overview of the natural world with over 6,000 species featured.

My Thoughts

Introducing DK Natural History Mammals Carnivores to an iPad close to you!  DK is exploring new ways to make their books available to everyone.   With the increasing popularity of iPad, they have found a way to transform their books into the digital world.

This fun eBook will help you to discover the carnivores that can be encountered in the wild.   For homeschoolers out there, having books that you can bring while travelling to activities is fantastic.   This definitive visual guide will provide basic information on well know carnivores mammals like

• Dogs, Foxes, & Relatives
• Bears
• Eared Seals
• Earless Seals
• Walruses
• Skunks
• Raccoons & Relatives
• Red Panda, Weasels & Relatives
• Cats
• Hyenas & Aardwolf
• Malagasy carnivores
• Mongooses
• Civets, Genets & Linsangs

Having reviewed numerous DK books in the past, I can tell you that some of them can be quite heavy – especially the ones presenting animals.    Having some of them on a device like the iPad is a bonus as it definitively doesn’t take much space in your luggage when travelling!    Besides, your kids could flip through it and learn about carnivores at the same time.    My son Dominic loves bears.    He was very happy to see that there were pages about them in this eBook.   

One night last summer, as we were at our trailer, my husband opened the door at night to go check something outside.    Before he went down the stairs, he was surprised to see a raccoon just passing by right under them!   It was quite an encounter.    This little raccoon was just scurrying around and was leaving the area.   Apparently, someone also saw a bear close to the dumpster area too!   In all our years at that campground, the only thing we had seen from afar was a skunk.    So having this eBook will allow us to learn more about the animals we might find at the campground and elsewhere around the world (and the zoo!).

Please click on the images below to see sections of the eBook.

My only disappointment is that there is no sound whatsoever on the videos – whether voice or music….   It’s total silence when you watch them.    I find it a bit weird to watch a video with no sound files on it.    I would like to suggest to consider incorporating some music with the videos in the future.  Though the videos are great to discover how fast a wild cat can run to catch a prey and so on.   Each video is quite short as well so it’s not like you will watch for 5 minutes with a sound.

On another note, I also find that the book is a bit slow to load.  Same thing happens when I flip through the pages.   Mind you I have the original version of the iPad which might explain the time delay.   It happened a few time when the ebook crashed when I was going through it.    Again I suspect that this problem might not be frequent if you are using an iPad2 or the New iPad.

This ebook is available for purchase for the price of 4.99$ on iTunes.   However, please note that it is only available for the iPad or your computer with iTunes.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

God’s Love Letters to You

God’s Love Letters to You – A 40 Day Devotional Experience
Written by Larry Crabb
Published at Thomas Nelson

About the book

Experience a unique conversation with God through a daily devotional reading based on twenty Old Testament and twenty New Testament books of the Bible. Written to help the reader listen to what God is saying in His Word, God’s Love Letters to You offers a life-changing encounter with God through the story He is telling. Author Larry Crabb brings the big picture of God’s story into clearer focus, helping readers catch an enticing glimpse of how each of these forty books of the Bible advances the story. The goal? To lose our story in His.

Each day’s devotional includes:

-a selected Scripture reading

-a short devotional message

-reflection questions

-a closing prayer

Who is Larry Crabb?

Dr. Larry Crabb is a well-known psychologist, seminar speaker, Bible teacher, author, and founder/director of NewWay Ministries. In addition to various speaking and teaching opportunities, Dr. Crabb offers a week-long School of Spiritual Direction and a weekend conference, Life on the Narrow Road. He is also Scholar in Residence at Colorado Christian University, visiting Professor for Richmont University in Georgia, and serves as Spiritual Director for the American Association of Christian Counselors. His many popular books include Inside Out, Finding God, Becoming a True Spiritual Community, The PAPA Prayer, Soul Talk, and his life work, 66 Love Letters. For additional information visit www.newwayministries.org.

My Thoughts

Forty days to experience God’s love and to discover what He has to tell you through this devotional.

Each day start with a devotional written by Larry Crabb.   The title itself is meaningful and will touch you to the core.  A scripture is always mentioned before you get to the devotional.  Then once you have read it, you can take a moment to reflect on your own life, on God and on how He is part of your life.    Finally the daily reading is completed with a prayer which is based on the reading you have just completed.   In all I would say that you will more than likely need 15 to 30 minutes to do the devotional depending of the time spend in your reflections.

This specific book is based on the previous title 66 Love Letters.  Larry Crabb has taken forty selected passages from the book and added thought-provoking questions as well as a prayer to conclude the devotion. I find that it is a good book to get yourself in the habit of doing devotions on a daily basis.  Once you have re-connect yourself with God with these love letters, you can pick another devotional that will help you to grow.  I am enjoying these devotional and plan to go through it during the next month and a half.    It is a great reminder that God loves us quite a bit and would do anything to keep us in His arms.

Discover your story in the midst of the great plan of God while going through this devotional.

God’s Love Letters to You – a 40 Day Devotional Experience is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me the featured product in the Epub format for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

How to Move from Blogger to Wordpress

How to Move from Blogger to Wordpress: a compregensive guide so you don’t miss a step.
Written by Sharon Hujik
http://www.howtomovefrombloggertowordpress.com/

About the e-book

you are ready to make the move to WordPress, this is the guide you need! It outlines the exact steps to rewrite your permalinks, retain your back-links for SEO, keep your blog readers, and redirect your domain name.

My Thoughts

I’ve been considering switching my review blog to Wordpress for a couple of months.  So when the opportunity to review an ebook on the subject came to my attention I was interested.   Really interested as a matter of fact.

The author has divided her ebook in five important parts.  Part 1 is all about introduction and what to expect.   Part2 will guide you in the choice of self-hosting versus selecting a host.   If you are already setup, I would say that self-hosting would be cheaper in the end.   However, you have to make sure of certain setups… which caused me some problems (I will give more details later.).   Part 3 will provide information on how you can customize WordPress for your own blog.    Part 4 guides you through the transfer process and finally Part 5 explains how you can launch your blog with WordPress.

The author is concise in her explanations and has taken the time to illustrate with examples.   The examples are essential I find has it gives you exactly what to expect in your screen.   She will also explain in details what widgets and plugins are in easy to understand terms.   She definitively cover everything on both side of the medal – BLOGGER and WORDPRESS – without loosing you in the process.     I have seen other instructions books that didn’t have as many examples and that were not written in such a way.   I tip my hat to Sharon because she made sure that anyone could go through this without problems.

I asked the author if I would loose my Google rating while doing the move.  Here’s her answer.

The book will walk you through how to keep your backlinks, which is what Google Rank is based on.  Therefore, the move should have no negative impact on your Page Rank.  However, in about 50% of cases there is a transition period (because of the change of servers from Blogger to a new host) where your Page Rank will be an NA.  This resolves naturally within two months. 

Overall, WordPress will actually have a positive impact on your page rank, especially if you decide to purchase the premium themes which are optimized for SEO.

This is wonderful news if you asked me.

Then I decided to redesign my blog for WordPress using Artisteer.   After I have done so, I proceeded to go through the book to move my blog.   Unfortunately, at this time I have not completed the move.  Why?   It isn’t because of the ebook.    Quite contrary, the instructions are clear and very easy to follow.    My husband thought we could do the move on our server.  However, it is not setup to handle PHP at this moment.  Probably will never be setup for PHP.   And to be able to have my design on WordPress, I need PHP and WordPress.org. *sigh*   I am extemely disappointed of the delay on the move I intended to do.    My other solution would be to use a different host company.    At this point in time, I am considering this option however money is the problem.   The author suggest DreamHost which is 8.95$ per month.    Other companies mentioned in the ebook are BlueHost for 5.95$ per month and LiquidWeb.   I also have a friend who have a server which handles PHP.    To be honest, I don’t know what to do.   *double sigh*

You might think that I am a bit above my head because I didn’t complete the move yet.   Let me tell you that I have a Master Degree in IT and that I have seen quite a lot of user documentation while working in government and in private.   This document is well done and will help you to go through the process without any glitches.   I still want to move my blog to WordPress it’s just that right now I need to wait a bit longer.    I have seen the possibilities that WordPress offers while blogging for Woodall’s and I know that the move would be a good one for me.    This move is an yearly investment of about 110$.   I am considering my options but I am not the kind of person who will jump right away with something.    If I could find a way to monetize my blog a bit better, I would use that money for covering the expense of the hosting.   With homeschooling my kids, taking care of my family, and reviewing books/products, my time is limited in pursuing this option.  As a blogger I know it takes time and dedication to be able to have sponsored posts.    I just need to be patient!

If you are interested in moving your blog from Blogger to WordPress, this ebook is definitively what you need.   For $35 you will get clear and concise guidelines on how to proceed.   And for a limited time, the author is offering a promo code to save 20% on your purchase.   Enter the promo code time4wp during your purchase. Click here to view more details

GIVEAWAY!

I have the opportunity to give away 2 copies of this e-book.  

To participate, simply tell me why you want to make the move from Blogger to WordPress. This entry is mandatory. Don’t forget to include your email address in the comment.

EXTRA ENTRIES

1) Subscribe to my feed on the left side of this blog and let me know about it.
2) Like Canadianladybug Reviews! on facebook and tell me about it.
3) Follow Canadianladybug Reviews! on twitter and like me you twitter name.
4) Follow Canadianladybug Reviews! with Google Friends on the left side of this blog and tell me about it.
5) Tweet about this contest and give me the link about it.
6) Blog about this contest and give me you link (3 entries) – Give me your link and enter three times in the comment section.

Don’t forget to include your email for each steps. No email means I will have to pick someone else. I need to be able to contact you if you win! Random.org will be use to determine the winner. You will have 24 hours to contact me and give me your mailing address so I can send it to my contact which in turn will ship the prize to you!

Deadline: July 1st, 2011 (To celebrate our Canada Day!)

Disclaimer: This is a MamaBuzz review. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

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