Monarch Butterfly

Monarch Butterfly
By Gail Gibbons
Published at Holiday House

About the Book

From egg to caterpillar to butterfly, the story of how they live.

My Thoughts

I’ve discovered the books by Gail Gibbons with Ladybugs which I absolutely adore.  I wanted to look at other titles from her and requested the Monarch Butterfly one because it is one of my favourite butterflies.

From the beginning of the book I learned something interesting that I didn’t know – the egg of a monarch is almost always laid on a milkweed plant.   When the egg latches the plant becomes its food.   I didn’t know that a monarch butterfly will lay its eggs on the same kind of plant.   Now I understand the importance of keeping milkweed plants around.   The tiny caterpillar will eat for two weeks and molt five times before starting the process of becoming a marvelous butterfly. The process is explained in details with nice illustrations.   Through the book, you will always experience the journey of a monarch butterfly as it migrates for the winter.   

The book explains in clear words the whole life cycle and migration of the monarch butterfly.  It is a great way to discover more about the butterfly that comes and visit us during the warm season.   At the end of the book, you also have some tips on how to raise a monarch butterfly.   It would be a great way to have live science in your home!

Monarch Butterfly is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen 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.

A Picture Book of Anne Frank

A Picture Book of Anne Frank
By David A. Adler
Published at Holiday House

About the Book

The story of the girl who tried to hide from the Nazis.

My Thoughts

Anne Frank is one of the well known name from the Second World War.   I requested this book because I want my kids to know about the story of this young lady and how she unfortunately died. 

A Picture Book of Anne Frank will tell the story of young lady who took the time to write in a journal while hiding from the enemy.   The book doesn’t tell only the story of the hidden years but also her birth and youth.    Having a book that speaks about the whole life of someone is fabulous because you can have a pretty good idea of how that person lived.   The illustrations are beautiful and bring the story more complete as you can see whether in color or in black and white how life during the 2nd World War was.  

Anne seemed a beautiful smiling child while growing up.   Through the pages of the book, we discover how she wanted to become a writer and receive a blank book at her 13th birthday.    The illustration picturing the hiding place is very interesting as it give you a pretty good idea on their quarters for over two years.   Unfortunately, someone must have betrayed them because they were discovered and sent to camps.  Of the eight hiding only one survived – Anne’s father.   The diary that Anne left behind helps us discover what happened during the war.   It gives us a better perspective of how a young girl went through these hard years.

Other titles in the A Picture Book series are about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Christopher Columbus, John F. Kennedy, Simon Bolivar, Harriet Tubman, Florence Nightingale, Jesse Owens, Frederick Douglass, Sitting Bull, Rosa Parks, Robert E. Lee, Sojourner Truth, Jackie Robinson, Paul Revere, Patrick Henry, Davy Crockett, Thomas Alva Edison, Louis Braille, Thurgood Marshall, Amelia Earhart, George Washing Carver, Sacagawea, Dwight David Eisenhower, and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

A Picture Book of Anne Frank is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen 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.

Irena Sendler and the Children of Warsaw Ghetto

Irena Sendler and The Children of the Warsaw Ghetto
By Susan Goldman Rubin
Published at Holiday House

About the Book

Irena Sendler was a diminutive Polish social worker who helped spirit more than four hundred children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II.

Using toolboxes, ambulances, and other ingenious measures, Irena Sendler defied the Nazis and risked her own life by saving and then hiding Jewish children. Her secret list of the children's real identities was kept safe, buried in two jars under a tree in war-torn Warsaw. An inspiring story of courage and compassion, this biography includes a list of resources, source notes, and an index.

My Thoughts

I didn’t know the story or Irena Sendler and how she was able to save numerous Jewish children during the 2nd World War.   Discovering this book was very informative for me.    The story is accompanied by breathtaking painting illustrating the events of the life of an extraordinary woman.

This young lady has taken amazing risks to save the life of many young Jews during a time when her city was occupied by Nazis.   She would stop at nothing to find ways to take the children out of the Ghetto and put them in protective custody – even a baby.   The children would move frequently to protect them.   She would keep a list of the children and even was able to hide it from the Nazis when she got arrested.   Eventually, she hid the list under a tree in front of a Nazis building.    Jews were even hid inside the animal cages of the Warsaw Zoo.  

More than four hundred children were brought to safety thanks to the efforts of Irena Sendler.  Even after the war, the story remained a secret because of the presence of the Soviets in Poland.    The Communists regarded Irena as a traitor.    The story finally came to light in 1989 when the regime was disintegrated.   Since then her work during the 2nd World War has been recognized.

Holiday House also has a teaching guide that goes with the book.  You can access it at http://holidayhouse.com/docs/IrenSendGuide.pdf.

The story of Irena Sendler is worth reading for everyone.  It is a good reminder that when injustice happens, it is important to stand up against it and do everything you can to help the ones who are mistreated, even if it means you are putting  your own life at risk.

Irena Sendler and The Children of the Warsaw Ghetto is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen 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.

Ladybugs

Ladybugs
By Gail Gibbons
Published at Holiday House

About the book

Most kids are familiar with the bright red, spotted ladybugs. But different kinds of ladybugs are all different colors, such as orange, yellow, or black. In her clear and kid-friendly style, nonfiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young scientists to these beautiful beetles: their life cycles, what they eat, how they protect themselves, and lots more.

My thoughts

Geared for kids ages 4 to 8, this book will provide all you need to know about ladybugs.   Honestly, even an adult will enjoy this book because of the information found in it (if you love ladybug that is…) and the marvelous colorful images that you will find at each pages.

The book will present you a ladybug from a to z.   You will get a side view and a top view of the creature, learn the different kinds existing around the world and even see a world map of where you can find one.    Interestingly enough, the only part of the world where you can’t find a ladybug are Antarctica and the North Pole.  And did you know that there are about 5000 different kind of ladybugs?   Even I didn’t know there were so many different kinds.   I’m speechless.

You will also discover the four stages of a ladybug  - from egg to adulthood, see what they eat, learn more about their predators, and see how they protect themselves during the wintertime.

Contrary to what people might think, ladybugs are actually a useful insect as it helps to keep away other kind of insects who could damage the plants and crops.   You can purchase them at Home Depot in Canada.  Ladybugs feed primarily on Aphids, Mites, Scale, Thrips, Whiteflies, plus small larva and eggs of other pest insects.  So if you are planning a garden this year, think of how useful these ladybugs would be and how educational it would be to see them in action.   

Apparently some have observed that the distribution species of ladybugs in North America is changing.   You can learn more about ladybugs and the Lost ladybug Project by visiting their website.

Ladybugs by Gail Gibbons is a marvelous book to learn more about this loving creature.   It is a great way to study a specific bettle and learn more about it.

Ladybugs is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for review purposes from Thomas Allen. 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.

J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien
By Alexandra Wallner
Published at Holiday House

About the book

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s novels were strongly influenced by his childhood both in South Africa, where lions prowled and wild beasts roamed, and in the lush English countryside, where he imagined that elves and gnomes dwelled.

J. R. R. Tolkien wrote many stories, studied languages—even inventing one of his own—and fought bravely in World War I. He wrote The Hobbit, a children’s book about a courageous creature with pointed ears and furry feet, which was an instant success. His next book, The Lord of the Rings, made Tolkien, an ordinary man with an extraordinary imagination, one of the world’s most beloved authors. Includes a time line and bibliography.M

My Thoughts

Though this book is geared for children of ages 6 to 10, I find it was a pretty interesting read if you don’t know anything about J.R.R. Tolkien.    I recall reading the French version of the Hobbit when I was in high school but I never read the other books he wrote.   However, when the movies of the trilogy of the ring came out, I had the plan to read the books as well because I know that as fun as Hollywood can make a good movie out of a book there is always more details in the book version of the story.    I haven’t started them yet but I am in the midst of reading The Hobbit in English though and I can’t hardly wait to see the movie when it comes out.

This book debuts with the childhood of J.R.R. Tolkien and finishes with how the ring trilogy got written.    Through the pages of this book, the child (or the parent) will discover the life of J.R.R. Tolkien and the events that marked it.   At the end of the book, you can also observe the timeline of the life of J.R.R. Tolkien.

It was interesting to learn about the creation of languages as well as the long process it took to write the books that are now so popular.    I am planning to introduce the kids to The Hobbit this summer and hope that they will appreciate the story as much as I do.

If you want your kids to learn more about this great writer, this book will give them a good introduction of the life of J.R.R. Tolkien.

J.R.R. Tolkien is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for review purposes from Thomas Allen. 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.