Category: book review

February 27, 2019

DK Eyewitness Books: Bible Lands

Take a journey through the Holy Land – learning its history, geography and people.

About Bible Lands

From the early ancestors of the middle stone ages to the Greeks and Romans in 40 BCE, countless civilizations and people have lived in the eastern Mediterranean area known as the Bible Lands. Discover the story of the Holy Lands and the people who lived there before the time of Christ in DK Eyewitness Books: Bible Lands.

Learn what kind of jewelry and pottery the Canaanites traded with Egypt and see armor from ancient Assyria. Explore the different gods and goddesses each civilization worshiped, how the people of the Bible Lands defended their cities, and more.

My Thoughts

I am a huge history buff – I can spend hours reading books, watching documentaries and in museums. I love learning about the past, the culture, the beliefs and the people themselves. I could not wait to learn more about the Holy Land which is a land rich in history and mystery for me.

This beautiful hard cover book is a history lover’s dream with page after page of bold images and insights into the Holy Land. We learn about the people that lived during this time period and what they wore, what they ate, what they created and so much more. It contains a fantastic blend of photos, information and points of interest.

The book starts off describing the lands of the Bible, with a large two page map that really helps give a better understanding of the lands, rivers and areas they will be discussing in relation to each other. We then immediately jump into early ancestors and the patriarchs, learning about the times they lived in, the items they used and some of their cultural beliefs. We then jump into Middle Bronze Age in Egypt and the Philistines and Canaanites. We are re-exposed to stories we may be familiar with (the parting of the Red Sea in the Hebrew Exodus) and learn new facts and aspects of daily life. I loved learning about the artifacts from pots to dippers to jewellery to plaques, the book covered a lot of different angles of every day life. As we continue on in the book we dive into the Israelites, the Phoenicians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persons, Greeks, Romans and King Herod! While some were familiar to me, learning about the Assyrians was new and I enjoyed learning about that kingdom and their culture.

This is a great book for children, young adults and parents to read with their children as they learn more about the civilizations that lived during these time periods in the Holy Land. While we learn so much at a young age, we never learn enough about the culture and the day to day lives of these people, so learning about what they ate, what they wore, who they worshipped is an important part of our faith and understanding. A great read from start to finish!

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

Rating: 5/5

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

February 15, 2019

Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown and the Schoolyard Bully

Begin to discuss the important topic of bullying with your child using Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown and friends.

About Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown and the Schoolyard Bully

Anna Pierri’s Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown and the Schoolyard Bully is a strong introduction to the concept of bullying through easy-to-read rhymes and vibrant cartoon-style illustrations. In this first book of the series, the reader is introduced to the hero, Buster – a young mouse who’s large for his age and has “a heart that’s as big as a huge Redwood tree.” When trouble (a.k.a. old Rocky Ratnik) comes knocking for his trusty sidekick, Just Billy, Buster learns that dealing with a bully by acting like a bully is not the answer.

My Thoughts

“Because you are bigger and have strength and have might, you should use it for good – not to bully and fight” – Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown

That quote sums up this story for me perfectly. It is a fantastic, rhyming story for young children that addresses size, bullying, standing up for yourself but also using our size for good not just to intimidate. Your child will love the rhymes and bright, bold illustrations and you as the parent will love the lessons that they are learning.

We hear a lot about bullying and fighting in schools (and in general) and I know most schools put a lot of effort in to anti-bullying but sometimes the messages just don’t seem to go through. Some kids use their size to intimidate others or force them to do something they want them to do. While others may use their size to try to stand up for the weak but this can be just as wrong. Children have to learn to find that balance but also be confident in themselves to stand up and use their voices for change.

This book follows Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown (we had so much fun with his name!), who is a mouse that is large for his size and has four sisters. He has a good and kind heart and wants to protect those around him, something to be admired! He meets Just Billy (his new best friend), who is quite small for his age, intelligent but worried he is not as strong and who tends to get picked on by the larger students. Together they make a plan to stop Just Billy from being picked on but it doesn’t quite work out as planned as Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown appears to be the bully to the school teacher after pushing the real bully to the ground (and very kindly apologizes for wanting to hit the bully, which so many children can relate to!).

This is a wonderful book for you and your child to read together and begin the process of talking about bullying, peer pressure and how to stand up for ourselves. It gives them tools but also allows you to talk to them about what is going on in their own lives and help guide them in their own reactions. This will be a great resource and starting point for parents and children.

You can purchase a copy of this book here.

About the Author

ANNA PIERRI calls Caledon, Ontario, home, where the local wildlife, and especially the mice, give her daily inspiration for her writing. An avid storyteller from a young age, Pierri realized her dream of becoming an author with the Buster Bartholomew Benjamin Brown series. She is also the founder of Ruby Two Shoes Publishing Inc.

About the Illustrator

STEVE SLAWICH’s vibrant and animation-style artwork in the Buster series draws from his years of cartooning experience and working with licensed children’s products for companies like Nelvana and Disney Studios, where he had a six-year, full-time stint drawing another famous mouse. Slawich currently lives with his wife and son in Huntersville, North Carolina.

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

February 4, 2019

Bring Star Wars to Life with Star Wars Maker Lab

Ever wanted to move things without touching them like a Jedi can? Or grow your own kyber crystal? Now you can (and maybe just maybe you can share with your child!).

About Star Wars Maker Lab

With 20 amazing projects, Star Wars™ Maker Lab teaches your child how to become a Master of science, in both the real world and the Star Wars galaxy. Using clear step-by-step instructions, the book guides scientists and makers through each experiment – from making Jabba’s gooey slime or a hovering landspeeder, to an Ewok catapult and a glowing Gungan Globe of Peace. Each experiment has fact-filled panels to explain the real-world science as well as the Star Wars science fiction from the movies.

With projects that are out of this world, this Star Wars book can keep children entertained for hours, making use of many household items such as cardboard tubes, baking soda, cornstarch, straws, balloons, and food coloring. There is also plenty to keep adventurous scientists engaged, with instructions on how to make your own bristlebot mouse droid, lightsaber duel, and Mustafar volcano. Star Wars Maker Lab supports STREAM topics and helps children to learn the basics of science by traveling through the Star Wars galaxy.

My Thoughts

This beautiful hard cover book is a child (and adults) dream come true. We are huge Star Wars fans although we do argue over if the newer or older movies are better (I still love the oldies!). This bold, vibrant book is full of ideas that help make the popular series come to life.

I have to be honest, some of the experiments would require you to have to go out and make a special purchase as you may not have them lying around the house. Which is perfectly okay – you just would have to plan out the projects to ensure you had every item (I don’t own a hamster ball but that project looked like so much fun).

We decided to tackle making Kyber crystals this weekend. I had most of the items needed except for clothespins but we improvised and it still worked. The kids loved the craft but were a bit impatient with wanting to eat the crystals as soon as possible. I loved how the book explained the process of creating the cyrstals and how it worked while incorporating a Star Wars theme. I was also a bit impatient and kept pulling the skewers out of the solution to check on the state of the crystal formation, this was fascinating to watch even as an adult!

This is an excellent craft book for any Star Wars fan. You will want to plan ahead to ensure you have everything you need to create the crafts but you will not be disappointed (our next item to tackle is creating our own light sabres – awesome right?). The instructions are easy to follow, a lot of illustrations to help you along the way and helpful hints (like watch the hot sugar boiling but this Mom still managed to splash herself!). Enjoy hours of Star Wars themed fun with this book – you will never have a dull PA or snow day again!

You can learn more about this book on the DK Canada website and purchase a copy on Amazon.

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

January 28, 2019

Making Math Fun with The Incredible Math Games Book

Kid approved games in a book that makes math a win win for parents and kids a like!

About The Incredible Math Games

The interactive The Incredible Math Games Book will capture and hold your child’s attention, making practicing math and play one and the same. With games like Zip to Zero, Shape Stepper, Math Maze, Times Tables Tug-of-War and more, kids will learn key math concepts while having fun. Everybody wins!

You can roll the dice, move the counters, lift-the-flaps, and learn with this fun-filled math game book designed for children ages 6-9.

My Thoughts

Math can be a very touchy topic for parents and students. The way math is taught in schools is quite different now (and the way my eldest learned math in grade two is now different then how my youngest is learning it) and sometimes we all struggle a bit. If you have a child going through a rough patch with math skills, it can be quite difficult at home and at school – they will not want to learn, may yell and even refuse to do the extra work sheets that come home.

I know that my kids usually learn the best when they are engaged, having fun and being hands on (I am the same way too – I am definitely a hands on learner). I had fantastic teachers throughout my elementary and high school years and what I remember the most is that they made the traditionally tougher classes of math and sciences FUN. Whether that was through games, hands on labs – the key was to grab our attention, get us laughing and in turn learning.

The Incredible Math Game Book incorporates important math skills with fun games, thinking questions and hidden answers. We were able to play a version of snakes and ladders, mazes, counted backwards to zero and so much more but it all centered around basic math skills of addition and subtraction. We could open up the flaps to reveal hidden questions or answers to some of the tougher questions. I loved that it got our minds working each time, even when we played the version of snakes and ladders – it was us prompting our son with questions like ‘you rolled a three – seventeen plus three equals?’ and him giving us his answer in order to move his marker. Even though we were having fun and playing games, he was still learning (and it even got my mind working – I am not the greatest at counting backwards!). The Incredible Math Game Book is an excellent teaching tool for you to have in your home that beats traditional work sheets hands down.

You can learn more about this book on the DK Canada website and purchase a copy on Amazon.

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

January 24, 2019

Challenge Yourself to Learn a new Language with DK Canada’s Visual Dictionaries

Ready to start the new year off by learning a new language? Maybe you are planning a trip? DK Canada has you covered with all of your language needs with their line of bilingual visual dictionaries.

About German-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary

Newly revised and updated, the German-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary is a quick and intuitive way to learn and recall everyday words in German.

Introduces a range of useful current vocabulary in thematic order, this dictionary uses full-color photographs and artworks to display and label all the elements of everyday life-from the home and office to sport, music, nature, and the countries of the world-with panel features on key nouns, verbs, and useful phrases.

Key features include:

A complete range of illustrated objects and scenes from everyday life.
Handy size ideal for travel.
Detailed index for instant reference.
Free companion audio app.

My Thoughts

You may have made the decision to learn a new language for a variety of reasons. You may have planned the trip of a lifetime, you may want to challenge yourself or you may be trying to learn more about your own heritage. No matter what the reason, you have made an empowering, exciting decision in your life that should be celebrated.

While exciting, it can be difficult to learn a new language. I remember as a child going to Italian classes and bringing my dictionary with me. The dictionary was old, contained no pictures, contained definitions and verbs that were far over my head. I constantly struggled to learn the language and the only thing I can now do at my age is write out – I am, he is, she is, they are.

The brilliantly designed visual bilingual dictionaries take learning to a new level. The books can fit into the palm of your hand and would easily fit in a large pocket or your purse/backpack. Each page is full of pictures to go along with each word (which I feel would come in handy if you are travelling and mispronouncing a word!).

Unlike your traditional dictionary which is alphabetical, the dictionary is broken down into main categories: people, home, services, shopping, food, work, transportation and so on. Each category is then further broken down into several pages with the most common words in that category. The book also comes with an index that can help you easily find the word and page you are looking for.

I really liked the size and easy to follow style of this book. It encourages the learning process and gives you the support you need to not give up. The introduction contains helpful tools and learning activities that will help guide you through the learning process. The free audio app is a must, as it is one thing to read the words but listening to the tone and pronunciation in the native tongue will further your language skills.

You can learn more about this series on the DK Canada Website and purchase a copy on Amazon.

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