Category: DK Canada

Amazing Animal Journeys Book Review

Kids will learn all about animal migration with this fascinating book.

About Amazing Animal Journeys

Kids will learn all about animal migration with this fascinating book. Whether flying or walking, animals are constantly on the move! Join different animals on their exciting travels as they seek out food, shelter, and warm weather. You won’t believe how fearless and strong these brave creatures are!

Stunning photographs combine with lively illustrations and engaging, age-appropriate stories in DK Readers, a multilevel reading program guaranteed to capture children’s interest while developing their reading skills and general knowledge.

Our Thoughts

Are you looking to expand on the current e-learning situation we as parents are finding ourselves in? Or perhaps looking to go in a new direction? Keep your child entertained and learning with Amazing Animal Journeys.

Animals are incredible and this book focuses on one of the most amazing journeys animal make – migration. Animals migrate for many reasons (give birth, find food, escape cold weather), and your child may have seen this happen without really understanding it (the Canadian geese heading South for the winter). This book looks at four specific animals that migrate in North America: caribou, Monarch butterflies, Gray whales and snow geese.

Each of the four sections dedicated to an animal gives us a brief background of the animal, where they live and where they migrate to and why. The book then dives right in following the animals migration monthly, where they travel to and what they face on their journey.

We loved learning about these four animals and the journey they go through. We had never heard of snow geese, who make their home on Baffin Island and really enjoyed learning about how they raise their young and travel South to stay warm during the summer months. We learned many new facts about how the animals raise their young, their predators and were amazed at how far they travel and how many months they go without food! The young animals make very long journeys at such a young age, reminding you just how amazing and strong animals are. At the end of the book, several pages are dedicated to how humans can be harming these animals by taking over their habitats, drilling, oil spills and more.

Beautiful pictures and great facts can be found in this engaging book all about the migration journey of four animals. This is a great resource to start your child learning about migration, animals and how we may have an impact on these animals without realizing it (not to mention what we can do to help stop this).

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Chapters Indigo.

About the Author

Liam O’Donell is a Toronto-based educator and author of books and graphic novels for young readers. His many titles include DK’s Amazing Animal JourneysWest Meadows Detectives series, and Tank & Fizz books. 

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

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The Sea Book

Featuring fascinating fishy facts accompanied by bright, bold, and beautiful illustrations, this book takes children on a journey through the sea and all its zones.

About The Sea Book

The Sea Book explores a wealth of incredible marine animals and their habitats, from up on the ice, down to colorful coral reefs, underwater forests, and right down to the deepest darkest depths where the weird and wonderful lurk.

Following on from The Bee Book, Charlotte Milner continues to highlight to children important ecological issues faced by our planet, this time with a focus on marine life and the damaging effects humans are having on our seas. Children will discover what they can do to help, and there are tips on how to live plastic-free. Children will even get to craft their own recycled shopping bag!

Our Thoughts

I have always found our oceans fascinating – the power, the mysterious nature of them and the incredible creatures found in their depths. The sea is beautiful and it is our job to protect the animals that live in the water and their home.

The Sea Book starts off by exploring our blue planet and what inhabits those mysterious waters. We are even introduced to underwater volcanoes and trenches – I have always been intrigued by volcanoes underwater and learned that there are more volcanoes underwater than there are on land! Neat right? The deepest point in the ocean is so deep that Mount Everest could fit into it – almost hard to believe right?

The creatures that fill the ocean are pretty incredible too. There are fish of all shapes and sizes – some that we are familiar with and others not so much. We even learned about a new shark – a cookiecutter shark! We learned about the reptiles, mammals and invertebrates that also call this home. We also appreciated that Charlotte went into detail on the different areas in the sea – the place these animals call home can be quite different. We explored life on ice, coral reefs, kelp forests, open water, and even the deep and dark areas of the ocean.

This book is full of interesting facts as it explores the waters around us. We learn about the animals and the places they call home using beautiful illustrations and facts that are age appropriate. I love how the book also dedicates parts of the book to how we are hurting these animals and their home and how we (parents and children) can help out. This is a definite must have book for children.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Indigo.

About the Author

Charlotte Milner is an illustrator and author based in London. She studied illustration at Kingston University where she discovered picture books as a tool to bring non-fiction topics to life. Since graduating, she has been designing, writing, and illustrating to bring information to little readers. Charlotte has a natural flair for illustrated storytelling and a strong interest in conservation.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Explore Your Unconscious Mind with DK Canada: Dreams

Learn how to interpret your dreams and use your unconscious mind as a tool for self-help with this in-depth guide to dream analysis.

About Dreams

Have you ever dreamt you were being chased? How about a dream that your teeth were falling out? With an open mind and some guidance you will be able to shed light on how the images and emotions we experience in our sleep can be deeply connected to waking life.

Explore the psychological function and meaning of dreams, and learn to unlock their power for self-improvement. With interpretations of dream images and themes, Dreams will show you how to interpret and control your dreams to address issues and imbalances in your life, as well as improve your psychological wellbeing.

Find out how, when, and why we dream. Discover how to keep a dream diary, the significance of nightmares and recurring dreams, and the secrets of lucid dreams. Dream interpretation has been practiced around the world for years, and now you can learn how to decode your own dreams to find the personal messages, using your own dream journal.

My Thoughts

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks insides, awakes” – Carl Jung, page 19 Dreams.

Dreams are one of those amazing topics that we love to talk about, that keep us up wondering and can also cause worry. I still remember when I woke up after a nightmare of my teeth falling out – I woke up in a sweat, feeling inside my mouth to ensure I still had all of my teeth. It left me with the most awful feeling for two days straight (and a constant fear that they were going to just start dropping out of my mouth!). I had no idea what brought on this irrational fear and why my mind for several days afterwards could not turn it off.

This book starts off by talking about the theory of dreams, healthy sleep, sleep hygiene, dream pioneers and dream skills. I liked learning about the history of dreams but I found the dream skills section very helpful. So many times, I wake up feeling anxious from a dream but I can’t recall my dreams or why I was left feeling this way. Or I will have a feeling of deja vu during the course of my day that has left me wondering, has this happened before in my dreams? I liked how it spoke about a journal and documenting important things in the dream like where are you, who is there, how do you feel and what events led up to the dream? All important factors when you are trying to recall your dreams. She also includes a few case studies to give you a better understanding of how to break down your dreams.

The dream directory is extensive but please be cautious. The author even gives a simple caution that sometimes, one size does not fit all. Dreams are not simple and need to be weighed based on your own history. The dream directory covers a range of topics including: people, childhood, sex, house, travel, places, pressure, loss, animals, nature and water. Each topic explained the dream and then had an action item below explaining what you may have been feeling and how to potentially interpret that dream.

This is a great starting point for those who love to try to decipher their own dreams (or want to start) or those who want to gain a better understanding of their emotions, their thoughts and how this impacts their sleep and their dreams.

“Dreams are today’s answers to tomorrow’s questions” – Edgar Cayce, page 189 Dreams.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Indigo.

About the Author

Rosie March-Smith is a registered psychotherapist with the UK Council for Psychotherapy and a Member Emeritus of the UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners. She has been in private practice for more than 20 years and works with dreams, Gestalt methods, psychodrama, and the transpersonal. A former journalist, she wrote internationally as a freelance contributor to newspapers and magazines, traveling widely to research articles on education and mental health issues. She is the author of two Open University publications on counseling skills and relationships.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Explore the Science Behind Magic in DK Canada: Science is Magic

Discover the astounding science behind illusions and magic tricks.

About Science is Magic

Join comedian and author Steve Mould to find out the scientific secrets behind amazing magic tricks. Learn how to bend water with a balloon, how to create ghosts with mirrors, and how to turn water into juice. Packed with optical illusions, pranks, and fun facts, this book is a must-have for any aspiring scientist or magician.

Kids will love impressing their friends and families with simple magic tricks that teach them valuable science lessons at the same time. Each trick is explained using step-by-step photography, and the science behind each magic trick is explained clearly and simply. Interspersed throughout the book are profiles of famous magicians and illusionists, such as Harry Houdini and David Blaine, and stories of how they used science when performing their most famous tricks.

Our Thoughts

I think it is safe to say that the world that our kids knew only two weeks ago has been completely shaken. I know for myself that so many times in the last week, I have woken up thinking this must be a really bad nightmare and when will this end. I can’t even begin to imagine how this appears to our children, as they may be trying to understand the information and struggle with telling us how they feel.

I know that I have seen plenty of homeschool schedules circulating, learning plans and advice. In our home, we have decided not to do this with our youngest. We want to add some stability but we also appreciate that he is scared and missing his friends, family and soccer. We created a schedule with him that does include working through a math workbook, reading, soccer work outs and most importantly time to Facetime his family (I cannot wait for this all to end to give my parents and siblings a hug!).

For reading and science, we are looking for fun. I don’t want this to be feel like a chore for him and to be honest, one week into social distancing and ensuring we are staying at home, we are all cranky so adding more stress in to this mix will not be a good idea.

Science is Magic is the perfect resource for young children. It is full of facts, activities and real life examples. The book has special pages dedicated to science tricks, science wonders and pages called How Do They Do It? I was a bit nervous about the activities and what I would have to have on hand at home, but they were all items that you would have and wouldn’t mind sacrificing up in the name of science (except maybe the oil one!). Many needed paper, water, paper plates, cup, paper clips, etc.. Your child may need some help with them depending on their age but they were not difficult to complete, and to be honest it was a great break for us parents too (I think we all need a good daily laugh especially right now). I even enjoyed learning the science behind the tricks. Our personal favourite is magnetic fingers, we are still trying to prove it wrong! Not only does the book contain great activities but they can also read through it like a regular book and learn about things like Houdini, reading minds, cosmic auroras and rocky mysteries.

Science is Magic will be a great resource for parents as we navigate these difficult times. It is full of exciting science topics that will engage your child and keep learning fun, especially during a time when everything feels overwhelming. You don’t need to buy extra supplies or waste food supplies to complete the experiments (a huge bonus right now as we try to conserve as much as possible). And most importantly, it gives parents and their kids a great break from their new daily routine to just have fun.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Indigo.

About the Author

Steve Mould is a science expert and comedian with a physics degree from the University of Oxford. He has a YouTube channel with over 200,000 subscribers, and his videos regularly achieve hits in the hundreds of thousands. One of these videos (about “self-siphoning beads”) went viral worldwide, gaining nearly 2 million hits and being mentioned in The New York Times and on the BBC. Scientists later discovered why the beads performed in the mysterious way they did and dubbed it “The Mould Effect.” Steve also hosts a radio show on BBC Radio 4 and is part of the live comedy/science trio Festival of the Spoken Nerd.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The Wonders of Nature Book Review

Every page in the Wonders of Nature, reveals a surprising story from the natural world that you just won’t forget.

The Wonders of Nature

Discover the wonders of planet Earth and learn about some of the most amazing animals, plants, rocks and minerals, and microscopic life that live here.

The storybook descriptions and close-up images let you discover the myths and legends of living creatures and minerals, as well as key facts about their natural history. Find out how the prowling jaguar uses spots to avoid being spotted, why a sticky sundew means big trouble for insects, and what on Earth a radiolarian is. From opals to orchids and tapirs to toadstools, this beautiful collection brings more than 100 remarkable items from the natural world to life.

My Thoughts

This book blew my mind away – it is absolutely gorgeous when you pick it up. I loved the texture of the cover and the beautiful design and golden trim. It gives the book an almost whimsical and fairy tale feel to it. I was almost too nervous to open the book as I didn’t want to damage the outside. I would find myself tracing the design on the cover and back over and over as it is just stunning.

The inside of the book is just as beautiful as the outside. It has the same feel to the illustrations and the colours are soft, which suits the theme of the book well. I loved the introduction – ‘this book celebrates some of the millions of living things that call it home, as well as the rocks, fossils and other natural marvels that make up our world’. And this book truly is a celebration of all things in nature.

The book has four sections: rocks and minerals, microscopic life, plants and animals. We loved each section – my personal favourite was the plants section (loved learning about Dragon’s blood tree and Traveler’s Tree – both that I had never heard of before) and my son loved the animals (even learning some new animals like the porcupine fish and Gharial). Each featured item in each category had two pages devoted to it. I loved the large image contrasting with the smaller illustrations and factual quotes. Each item had two to three paragraphs dedicated to it and it blended in well with the illustrations, your eyes naturally followed both the story and imagery. There was a lot of thought put into the design, layout and theme in this book and it was well worth it.

This is a stunning book that you will love as an adult to have in your collection and perfect for the older child as they begin to appreciate nature and want to learn more. This would make an excellent gift for those who love the arts. I found myself wanting to sketch out the plants that were featured – they are just too beautiful for words. The Wonders of Nature is truly a celebration of the beauty and wonder in the world around us.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Ben Hoare is an editor and author of books on nature and natural history, including Eyewitness: Endangered Animals, Trees and Leaves, and Pond Life. A fellow of the Zoological Society of London, his work can also be seen published in BBC Wildlife and Birdlife magazines, and on several BBC websites.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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