Category: children

Learn all about those animals that were given a bad name in The (Not) Bad Animals – a perfect book for kids and adults alike.

About The (Not) Bad Animals

We all have a certain creature that makes our skin scrawl and give us the ‘heebie jeebies’. Spiders that make us scream, mice that make us jump on top of furniture until the coast is clear, or bats that make us shudder at the thought of them flapping around our hair. There are creatures big and small all over the world that make us squirm and wriggle in our seats just at the mere thought of them.

But what did these animals ever do to deserve such a bad reputation? Most of the time it’s humans that have labelled them ugly, dangerous and downright gross. But it’s one false acquisition too many for these little guys. They’ve had enough of being called scary, slimy, nasty and ewwy. They’re here to dispel these false acquisitions and set the record straight once and for all!

With laugh-out-loud illustrations from the immensely talented Sophie Corrigan, uncover the truth behind the animal and learn all about how each creature plays an important role in our world. With bitesize text that will leave you giggling and a fact box about each misrepresented creature, this is the perfect introduction to over 30 critters big and small who really aren’t all that bad at all!

Our Thoughts

This book contains many of the creatures that make my skin crawl – from spiders and ants, to mice and slugs and centipedes! The book examines common misconceptions of those animals that have gained an undeserved bad reputation and why they are really good.

There were quite a few animals that I expected to see on their list but quite a few I didn’t think of like pigeons, pigs and snapping turtles. I loved the tone of this book – it is written as though the animals were telling the story (which is super cute). They tell their tale, the common misconceptions about them and tell you why you shouldn’t believe those rumours.

Each animal has four pages devoted to it – the first two explore the common misconceptions people have about them and the second two pages give the animal viewpoint about why none of that is true. I was actually surprised at how many of the misconceptions I had heard before but maybe did not pay too much attention to or assumed it was true. I was even more surprised as we turned the page to see the truth. One that I was not aware of was that hyenas actually catch 50% of their own meals! I had no idea, I thought they only scavenged for their food.

The illustrations are spot on, I loved how the first two pages show the animals how we picture them (creepy, mean, and scary) and in the next two the animals are kind, sweet and show a truer representation of them. I could almost feel bad for the mouse (okay I did, they made them look so cute!).

The (Not) Bad Animals is a fun book to read with your child as you work through some common misconceptions and maybe talk about your own fears with your child. The book is a bit longer so we would read about a few animals at a time and then talked about how we felt about those animals and our own fears.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Sophie Corrigan is a full-time freelance illustrator based in the UK. She graduated from University of Central Lancashire in 2013 with a first class degree in Illustration, and has recently completed a Masters degree in Children’s Book Illustration, for which she received a Distinction.

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

In case you needed a reminder – check out these 50 reasons to love animals!

About 50 Reasons to Love Animals

Discover 50 reasons to love animals! Lions have magnificent shaggy manes, penguins go tobogganing on their tummies, bears wiggle and dance as they scratch, whales sing songs, and elephants can feel sadness. But all the animals in this book especially need our love – now more than ever. Learn about their habitats, what makes them special, and show them you care with simple activities you can do at home.

Our Thoughts

We love animals in our home – from taking care of our own dogs to learning about new animals and experiencing rescue shelters on our trip to Botswana. Animals are a huge part of our life and we all should do everything we can to protect these beautiful creatures.

50 Reasons to Love Animals looks at six habitats and the animals that call it home. We look at the dry savanna, the coral reef, icy poles, evergreen forests, the open ocean and tropical forests. The book gives a brief overview over several pages of the habitat and the animals that live there. Each two page spread contains roughly three featured animals of that habitat and an interesting fact about them. I have to admit, I learned some pretty cool facts about animals from this book (I never knew that hippos released their own fluid to help protect their skin from the sun!). You can also find suggestions on how to protect and show your love for a particular animal throughout the book.

50 Reasons to Love animals is a wonderfully illustrated and easy to read book for young children. The illustrations are lovely and capture the innocence of the animals perfectly (I personally loved the eyes the most on each animal, they just drew me right in). The book itself is easy to read with your child and encourages you to do more research and help give back. You have suggestions on how to show your love for these animals that are easy to accomplish for a child, for example creating a list of ways that your child can help fight climate change at home. The book flows nicely and has the right amount of text to illustration to capture a child’s attention and interest.

This is a beautiful book for a child that loves animals, who wants to learn more and is passionate about protecting our animals and environment.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Catherine Barr studied Ecology at Leeds University and trained as a journalist. She worked at Greenpeace International for seven years as a wildlife and forestry campaigner and has a long-running interest in environmental issues. While working as an editor at the Natural History Museum, she researched and wrote two major summer exhibitions: Dinosaurs of the Gobi Desert and Myths and Monsters. She is now a partner in communications company bwa design. She lives on a hill near Hay-on-Wye in Herefordshire with her partner and two daughters. She is a proud Patron of Reading for a local school, and mother of two teenage girls. Catherine’s first book, The Story of Life, was shortlisted for The English Association Picture Book Award.

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

The Kringle family cookbook has gone missing, and Santa can’t remember the recipe for the special cookies he makes every year. But where can he turn for help? From the experts at America’s Test Kitchen comes a new twist on a holiday tradition.

About Cookies for Santa: The Story of How Santa’s Favourite Cookie Saved Christmas

Millions of people bake special Christmas cookies during the holidays―including Santa! In fact, every year he bakes his family’s favorite cookie and gives them to the elves and reindeer to show them how much he cares, just like his father and grandfather did. But it’s just days before Christmas, and the Kringle family cookbook is nowhere to be found! If he has no recipe, he can’t bake his cookies. And if he can’t bake his cookies, Christmas might as well be canceled! Luckily, a little girl finds the cookbook and, with the help of America’s Test Kitchen, inspires families from all over the world to work together to make sure that Santa and his family have a happy holiday.

This book also includes the delicious cookie recipe.

Our Thoughts

Cookies for Santa is a beautiful book about the true meaning of Christmas, people working together for a greater cause and the warmth of family and friends.

In Cookies for Santa, Santa can’t find his cookbook which holds all of the recipes handed down from generation to generation. Santa loves to bake and he loves to share this love with the people, elves and animals that mean the world to him. When he loses the book, he feels all is lost and doesn’t know if he can go on with Christmas. A young girl finds his cookbook and comes up with the brilliant idea to bake cookies for Santa with the help of America’s Test Kitchen! Soon, kids all around the world are showing their love for Santa by helping bake his favourite cookies.

I love to bake for others, there is something so satisfying when you can share the time and energy you put into baking with someone you love. I can only imagine how Santa would have felt losing his cookbook – I love the recipes that my Dad cooks, they hold so many memories. I would be devastated losing something like that.

What was so beautiful about this book, was the way the community came together to support and show their love for Santa. People all over the world made his favourite cookies as a symbol of their love and support. This was a beautiful gesture and so very touching.

We loved the illustrations and the ease of reading this book aloud. It was a beautiful story that showcases the true meaning of Christmas. A huge bonus was the delicious Santa’s Chocolate Krinkle Cookies at the back of the book, that your child and you can bake together!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN is the most authoritative resource for reliable, kitchen-tested recipes and cooking information. They value process, curiosity, practicality, and honesty. They believe everyone can learn to be a successful cook and their mission is to test recipes over and over until they understand how and why they work, and arrive at the best version.

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