Category: childrens books

June 11, 2019

Knowledge Genius

Open the pages of Knowledge Genius to find out what you know, and challenge yourself to learn even more!

About Knowledge Genius

A fun general knowledge quiz book for kids – test their brain and see who will be crowned a genius!

Children won’t be able to resist the Knowledge Genius brain-busting challenge. For every topic, pages are packed with eye-popping pictures – but do you know what they show? To help you, “Test Yourself” panels list what you’re looking for. With three levels of difficulty, the challenge gets harder as you work your way from Starter, to Challenger, and finally the truly tricky Genius category. If you need it, there’s a fun fact with every picture to give a helpful clue.

With more than 60 topics, from across the encyclopedia, there’s something for everyone. Can you name the most famous rivers worldwide? Do you know your cranium from your clavicle, or do you need to bone up on the parts of the human skeleton? Are you a demon on dinosaurs, and able to spot the difference between an archaeopteryx and an allosaurus? Perhaps you’re a brain box and can do all of this standing on your head? You can!

Our Thoughts

This amazing hard cover book was so much fun learning both together and on my own (I say on my own because I wanted to cheat a bit and study before we quizzed each other the second time!).

In order to use this book, you start off each chapter with learning about the basics of that chapters (chapters include: space, nature, geography, history and culture). Then comes the harder parts, you need to challenge yourself by looking at the test yourself section and then the quizzes. Each page has helpful pictures and clues to help guide you to your answer, along with increasingly difficult questions. You can find the answers at the bottom of each page upside down. Each chapter starts with its own picture quiz, which I didn’t realize at first!

This is an excellent learning tool and activity to play together as a family and especially for those little ones who may not be always so keen on reading by themselves. They will truly enjoy the challenge of answering the questions, reading the clues and looking at the pictures. You definitely don’t have to do the whole chapter at a time – you don’t even have to go in order. The learning should be fun – I started with History which I love (and knew I could beat those kids with!!) but they loved the nature section. This will become a true family favourite in all homes.

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

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

June 3, 2019

The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs

By empowering young chefs to make their own choices in the kitchen, America’s Test Kitchen is building a new generation of cooks, engaged eaters, and curious experimenters.

About The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs

Want to bake the most-awesome-ever cupcakes? Or surprise your family with breakfast tacos on Sunday morning? Looking for a quick snack after school? Or maybe something special for a sleepover?

Using kid-tested and approved recipes, America’s Test Kitchen has created a cookbook that every kid chef needs in their home. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, your friends, or your family, The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs has delicious recipes that everyone will love.

Recipes were thoroughly tested by more than 750 kids to get them just right for cooks of all skill levels— and this includes recipes for breakfast, snacks and beverages, dinners, desserts, and more.

Our Thoughts

There is nothing more empowering for a child than learning an important life skill (like cooking) from their parents. This was not a skill that as a child or teenager that I thought was important and I suffered for this when I left my childhood home to live on my own. Eating five minute rice and breakfast sausages for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the first year of University was not pleasant and I am determined for my boys not to be the same.

This hardcover book is packed full of not only recipes but also an introduction to the kitchen (measuring, prep-work, tools, etc..) and healthy eating and how to read recipe and nutrition labels (calories, macro and micro nutrients). This is very important for young children (and some adults!) as they begin to learn their way around the kitchen and get comfortable with new words, labeling and instructions. Plus they let you know that mistakes are okay, how many of us have started to make something in the kitchen only for it to turn into a disaster? It is so important for young ones starting out that they know that this is normal and happens to everyone. I know that I have created several desserts and dinners that have needed to go straight into the green bin.

I loved how the book was divided up into sections, making it easy for you to find recipes and jump back and forth. Each recipe comes with its own coding for beginner, intermediate and advanced and also if it requires the use of a knife, stove top. Each recipe comes with either a photo of the finished product or multiple photos showing the steps along the way (featuring children – not adults!). We found that this helped us decide on what we wanted to try out first, some of the final photos looked too delicious for words! The font, colours and instructions are well geared to children and teens. They should have no problem following along with the instructions.

This is an excellent resource for young children as they start out in the kitchen, with a good variety of recipes that will suit the needs of even the pickiest eater in the house.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

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

April 23, 2019

Calm Mindfulness for Kids Book Review

Calm: Mindfulness for Kids shows that supporting a child’s positive mental health doesn’t need to be expensive, time-consuming, or difficult. Activities help children to de-stress, focus, and get moving while having fun.

About Calm Mindfulness for Kids

Teach your kids how to focus their thoughts and notice the world around them with this fun mindfulness kids activity book.

Mindfulness activities are a great way to teach children about their thoughts and feelings and how to understand them–while having fun at the same time.

This book is packed with activities–make a mindfulness jar, learn how to appreciate food with mindful eating, and get out into nature and explore the outside world. An illustrated journal section at the back of the book encourages children to make notes about their own thoughts and feelings.

Calm: Mindfulness for Kids has everything you need to know about focusing your child’s mind to help them enjoy and appreciate things that they take for granted every day, while boosting their confidence and self-esteem. Children are guided through each activity, to make sure they achieve maximum enjoyment and awareness. All children will learn and react to each activity in a different way and parent’s notes give advice on how to encourage children to embrace mindfulness in the modern world. Each specially designed activity is flexible for each child’s needs and inspires them to seek calmness and tranquility in all situations.

Our Thoughts

Mindfulness is something we hear a lot about in the news, media and research. It is an important to tool in the busy times we live in. It helps us to focus, pay attention and remain present in the moment.

Sometimes, children can be overlooked and brushed off as being too emotional or acting out. Children feel a lot of emotions but many don’t have the tools to help them understand their feelings and how to process them. We need to teach our kids these skills in order to be successful later in life.

What I really liked is this book is geared towards children. She writes to the child first – you as a parent can read a long and help but the child is the most important part in this book. She speaks to the child in a mature, open and caring manner that encourages your child to open up, read more and try each activity presented.

She presents six chapters and encourages your child to move through them in any order they need – the choice is up to them. The chapters include: focus, calm, move, change, care and reflect. Each chapter has activities, crafts and exercises that they can do alone or with a parent or a friend. Each section has helpful tools to encourage your child to reflect on the activity, exercise or craft – this helps to reinforce the learning process. We started with rainbow breath and unwind stress – these were also amazing for Mom too! Our next craft to try is energy slime!

This is an extremely thoughtful book for children of all ages to help them get in touch with their emotions, feelings and body and encourage a positive outlet for them.

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

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

April 23, 2019

Celebrate Earth Day All Year with Did You Know? Earth

Learn all about our beautiful planet with this fun and exciting book guaranteed to answer your child’s biggest questions.

About Did You Know? Earth

This Earth encyclopedia answers all the probing questions children ask about our planet, in a fun question and answer format.

Can you freeze in a desert? How do living things become fossils? What is a biome?

Earth explains volcanoes, earthquakes, oceans, space, and much more! It focuses on the subjects that kids really want to know about and the questions they ask, helping them learn new information.

Get your children learning with this amazing book, which is packed with fantastic facts for curious minds.

Our Thoughts

This beautiful hardcover book geared towards children is a great way to get children interested in the world around them and why it is so important we do everything we can to protect it.

The book covers our planet basics (how did the Earth form, why don’t things float) to the Earth’s surface (sinkhole, fossil, soil) to the Blue planet (waterfalls, icebergs) to the air (seasons, lightning, tornadoes) to living on Earth and why we need to protect it.

The pictures are bright and bold with good movement around the pages. It really helps you to follow the content and to keep younger children entertained. The content is perfect for young children, it gives them just enough to spark their curiosity but not too much to overwhelm them. I loved how each section had a true and false block! Some of these really stumped me but we had a lot of fun learning the answers and new facts (like did you know it didn’t rain for 14 years in Arica, Chile between 11903 and 1918!).

What is so important about this book is not only the learning around how precious our planet is (and how vital this is to animals and humans) but how we are harming it. One part that stuck out to me the most, was the quote that ‘some scientists think there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050’. If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will. Seeing that on paper, really helps to motivate you to do more.

This book provides you with not only an excellent learning opportunity for your child but to also start talking about the little ways that you can make a difference at home. Maybe you can recycle more, walk to school or work, participate in clean up days or even reduce the amount of water you use, start a garden. The possibilities are endless!

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

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

April 11, 2019

Wish Book Review

Rabbit has never had a wish before; but one day he gets not just one, but three!

About Wish!

Rabbit has never had a wish before; but one day he gets not just one, but three! Wish is a touching story about the power of kindness and the magic of friendship, with beautiful and emotive illustrations from Chris Saunders.

Once every year wishes take flight,
filled with hope and twinkling light.
They dance in the air, with a swirl and a swish,
you have to be lucky to be chosen by a wish.

Rabbit cannot decide what to wish for, so he asks his friends Mouse, Fox, and Bear what they would do if they had a wish. Being selfless and kind, Rabbit grants all three wishes to his friends. They are so grateful for his kindness and generosity, they share their wishes with him.

Our Thoughts

Wish is an adorable story of friendship, kindness and caring for others. A much needed book in times when we hear so much about bullying. Rabbit is a breath of fresh air. He has such a good heart – he is gifted with three wishes in our story but he is not quite sure what to do with the great gift he has been given.

Does Rabbit use the wishes for himself? What should he wish for? He decides to speak to his three closest friends to get a good idea of what a wish should be. Rabbit decides to grant his wishes to his friends and he is rewarded in return with a very special surprise. A great reminder that when we put good out in to the world we receive it back.

We loved the message of the story and the delivery. It was a great read to our youngest son and really helped us begin that conversation about kindness, helping others and friendships. It was easy to read out loud and to not only be serious but also add a little humour as we acted out the characters (I loved the Fox!).

The illustrations were just beautiful. They are whimsical and fit the story perfectly. They really helped to bring the story alive.

This is an excellent book for young children that teaches a very important lesson on friendship and kindness. A perfect addition to your home library!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Chris Saunders is a freelance illustrator who received an Illustration BA Honours Degree (First Class) from the University of Northampton. He was awarded the 2010 e-Creative nomination for new talent in the field of illustration. Chris lives in Bishop Auckland, in the northeast.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.