Last modified: September 28, 2004
The
Bloomsbury Review
Essential Atlas of the World IL, Book of Knowledge IL,
Mysteries and Marvels of Nature IL, ABC Jigsaw Book and
Jigsaw World Atlas
"Children's Books" by
Virginia Nelson
Usborne books are the brainchild of Peter Usborne, who wanted to make
educational nonfiction children's books that would be appealing enough to
compete with television and comics. Borrowing ideas from both these media and
working with educational consultants, Usborne has done just that. Since 1973,
his titles have covered a wide range of subjects, including hobbies, history,
science, nature, geography, and more. Rich illustrations, creative layouts, and
oodles of information are hallmarks of these books. And many are now Internet
linked, so children can easily log on to websites that will help them delve
further into specific subjects.
Essential Atlas of the World, which contains 30 maps, explains how maps
are made, describes time zones, defines various types of government, and
presents a gazetteer of 193 independent states along with key facts about each
one. Book of Knowledge is a terrific, all-encompassing reference that touches on
everything from "Astronomy and Space" to "The Human Body." Vivid
photographs and varied subjects have made it a family favorite. Mysteries and
Marvels of Nature is a marvel in and of itself. It vibrantly sheds light on
subjects such as animal-eating plants, ocean partners, animal impersonators, and
the life-cycle of humpback whales.
Another Usborne feature is the inclusion of interactive activities, which
make the pages more enticing. Farmyard Tales ABC Jigsaw Book and Jigsaw World
Atlas have incorporated puzzles into the layout. Double the fun for readers!
And, as if another selling point were needed, all Usborne books are "made with
paper form a sustainable forest."
Peter Usborne's concept has given birth to an impressive body of children's literature. The
books tap into imagination, fascination, and reality; they demonstrate how
these values intersect.
Washington
Parent
Help Your Child Learn to Read
Excerpt from
"Go Back-to-School With Books" by Mary Quattlebaum
How
can you pave the way to a love of reading? How do you provide a rich,
preliterate environment at home? Help Your Child Learn to Read (Usborne, 1988,
adult, $7.95) takes a wider approach than just a focus on books. Rather than
pushing flashcards, this classic guide advocates cozy times set aside for
reading aloud, lots of fantasy play and homemade word games (examples provided).
Author Betty Root, a reading specialist, discusses the strong connection between
reading and writing and recommends making pencils, markers and paper readily
available to kids interested in shaping letters and copying words. (This desire
usually surfaces around the age of four or five.) For parents confused about the
different educational strategies to teach reading, Root explains the phonics,
look-and-say and context-support methods and the language-experience approach.
Parents will turn often to this accessible volume for practical advice and fun
tips to engage kids from the tot to early school years.
Children's Bookwatch
Visitor's Guide to the Ancient World
"The History Shelf"
A Visitor's Guide to the Ancient World is an ideal introduction for
young readers to the antiquarian lands of Egypt, Rome, and Greece. Wonderfully
enhanced with three fold-out maps, "Top Tips for Tourists", and colorful
illustrations throughout, this informed and informative compendium is presented
as a kind of "tourist guide" complete with antiquarian shopping,
sight-seeing, and leisure activities. Complete with thematically appropriate
Internet links, bibliography, and a thoroughly "user friendly" index, A
Visitor's Guide to the Ancient World is an enthusiastically recommended
reading.
Learning Magazine
Complete Book of the Human Body IL
Back-to-School 2004 issue - "Resources for Successful Teaching -
Science"
With the right educational resources, you can turn a good lesson into a great one! Here's a look
at products that can help. They're arranged by category: cross-curricular, arts
and crafts, language arts, math, science, social studies, and professional.
Take a look!.
Reveal the inner workings of the human body through the photos, scans, X-rays, microscopic
images, and detailed diagrams in this book. Includes activities showing
students how to take their pulses, test their reaction times, and fool their
brains with optical illusions.
Learning Magazine
Animal Jokes
Back-to-School 2004 issue - "If They Love It, They'll Learn It!"
Finding resources that tap in to kids' hobbies and interests guarantees that you'll capture -
and enrapture - your learners. This issue: products related to animals.
"What do aardvarks eat for breakfast?" "Aard-boiled eggs!" Crack
open this joke book and crack up your young animal lovers.
Today's Parent
Recorder Tunes for Children IR
"Tunes For A Kid-Sized Musical Instrument" by Norma D. Kellam
While rummaging through boxes in your attic, you find a recorder. A book of tunes written
especially for this small wind instrument can put it back to use and provide
your kids with hours of fun.
Recorder Tunes for Children by Anthony Marks, for ages 7 to about 12, provides music notation
for tunes children can play on a recorder and suggestions to improve their
playing. Kids who are not familiar with reading music will need help. Children
can listen to all the tunes on the Internet to learn how they are supposed to
sound. A chart shows kids where to place their fingers on the recorder holes
for the different notes. A star above a note in a tune indicates that children
should check the final page for an easier substitute fingering.
The tunes represent a variety of countries, such as an Italian folk song titled, "Santa Lucia"
and an old tune from France titled "The Sailor Woman." The author wrote two of
the tunes and a variation of a Portuguese tune. Each tune has a brief
introduction. The one for "Shenandoah" begins, "Shenandoah was a Native
American chief who lived by the Missouri River."
Simone Abel and Kim Blundell's intriguing cartoon characters include
people, globbish characters resembling people, and animals. Kids will enjoy the
unconventional use of color, including green and purple people. Cartoon
characters provide instruction or information, presented in speech balloons; a
mouse warns that blowing with excessive force results in a squeaky sound. Beside
each tune is a small black-and-white picture; after kids have learned a tune,
they can put a matching colorful sticker from the center pages over this
picture. This paperback book belongs to the "Easy Tunes" series.
Lane Education Service District
Introduction to Weather and Climate Change IL
Rating: 5
By M.J. Huisman, Junction City, SD
A wide variety of weather topics are presented in this nonfiction, paperback book. A durable,
colorful cover prepares the reader for page after page of photographs,
drawings, interesting facts, charts, and much more. The organization of the 18
different topics is clearly defined in the table of contents. Topics range from
2 to 4 pages in length, and will keep the reader engaged. The links to the
Internet are in easy-to-find boxes throughout the book. Students will find this
book fascinating, even without the use of the Internet. Added features in the
back of the book include a Disagreement section that presents both sides of the
global warming issue, a Climate Data section, a Test Yourself page, an
extensive Glossary, and helpful Index. This Usborne Weather & Climate
Change book receives a rating of five, making it a must buy for elementary,
middle, and high school libraries. It is packed with weather related
information that is sure to be useful to those doing research and will
definitely hook those curious about climate questions.
Today's Books
Book of Knowledge IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Visitor's Guide to the Ancient World
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Mysteries and Marvels of Nature IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
First Thousand Words in Hebrew
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Jigsaw World Atlas
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Art Skills
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Drawing Cartoons IL
Rated a Must Read
Today's Books
Complete Book of Chess IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
German Dictionary for Beginners IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Big Book of Playtime Activities
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Spanish Dictionary for Beginners IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Picture Dictionary in Spanish IR
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Children's Encyclopedia IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Encyclopedia of the Ancient World IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Mini Christmas Treasury
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Encyclopedia of World History IL (Paperback)
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Science Encyclopedia IL (Paperback)
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Pocket Nature IL
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Big Book of Things to Spot
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Children's Cookbook (FYT)
Rated Exceptional
Today's Books
Children's World Atlas IL
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Dinosaurs Luxury Lift-the-Flap
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Astronomy and Space IL
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Great Wildlife Search
Rated
Exceptional
Tdmonthly
Jigsaw World Atlas
What In The World? By Angelo Spyropoulos
Open
this book, take apart a continent, then piece it back together. It's simple to
do since the pages of the Usborne Jigsaw World Atlas ($14.95; ages 5+) include
the same designs as those appearing on each puzzle piece. The illustrations are
vivid, inviting and informative. For each region of the world, there is also a
section which asks the question, "Can you spot these things on the map?" The
book not only teaches children what country is where, but also, what the key
characteristics of each place are. For example, there are pictures of camels in
the Sahara Desert, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, a picture of the Kennedy
Space Center in North America, etc.
Tdmonthly
Racing Cars Kid Kit
Excerpt from
"Batteries Not Included - And Not Needed!: Wooden Toys That Stand the Test of
Time" by Susan Maddela
"Read,
Build and Paint"
 The
Racing Cars Kid Kit by EDC Publishing ($15.95; ages 7+) combines
several elements that will inspire young race car enthusiasts to read about
cars, build one, and then paint it. The kit includes The Usborne Book Of Racing
Cars which contains information about various race cars and their parts, as well
as the actual races that they partake in. There are numerous vivid and inviting
illustrations to inspire the next level of the kit, which is the assembly of a
car.
The
kit includes expertly cut pieces of wood as well as glue, acrylic paint and a
paintbrush. There is also a rubber band that is placed through the rear wheel
assembly so that children can race their cars against others. The standard
length for the race track is ten feet, but the cars can also be raced for long
distance.
Today's Parent
"Entertaining Math" by Norma D. Kellam
Worms, slugs, and bugs provide a delightful lunch for lizards. From an exercise in an amusing
arithmetic book, kids learn about mathematical sets by putting stickers of
these tiny creatures on pictures of plates to prepare a lizard's meal.
Sticker Math Fun for 5-6 Year Olds by Fiona Watt, which includes 16 pages of stickers, combines
four previously published books: Numbers, Adding, Taking Away, and Starting
Times Tables. A combination of simple text and Rachel Wells' cartoon drawings,
in sturdy colors, presents fun math problems, using an assortment of animals in
diverse situations. Children write a few of the answers, but the solutions to
most of the problems require stickers.
A dot-to-dot activity gives youngsters practice following a sequence of numbers, some of which
are words rather than digits. One of the sticker-requiring exercises shows
rabbits racing in carrot cars; the orange part forms the body of each car, with
the green leaves extending from the back. Kids add five to each car's number
and put a sticker depicting the sum of the leaves. In another exercise,
children put eight bone stickers, each containing a subtraction problem, on a
different dog's dish so that the answer matches the number hanging from the
dog's collar.
A gradual increase in difficulty enables learning to progress
systematically, building on previously presented concepts. The first two
exercises require counting. In the final section, preliminary activities
involving equal sets, such as three mice each holding a set of two balloons,
provide a natural lead-in to multiplication problems. A simple explanation
clarifies this transition: "Another way of writing 'sets of' is to use the
times table sign, which looks like this: X." This paperback book belongs to
the "Sticker Math" series.
For Kids Only
First Book of America
This is a fun and colorful way to learn about American history and travel throughout the United
States. States and regions of the country are covered in picture maps.
Did you know an Indian tribe called the Seminoles still live in the Everglades in Florida in
open-sided thatched huts, called Chickees? The Crater of Diamonds Park in
Arkansas, is the only place in the USA where diamonds are found. For a fee you
can dig for them. You may keep any you are lucky enough to find!
At a mountain in South Dakota, is a carving of Crazy Horse, a Sioux Indian chief not yet
finished, at 650 ft. it will be the world's largest statue.
In Amarillo, Texas, you can take part in a "Cowboy" morning and travel by horse-drawn wagon to
the rim of Palo Duro Canyon, amble on to the Crow Fair pow-wow in August in
Montana you can sleep in a teepee!
At Mesa Verde Park in Colorado, you can explore the remains of houses
clinging to the cliffs. They were built by an ancient Indian tribe, called the
Anasazi. At the Wells Fargo Bank Museum in San Francisco you can send a coded
message by telegraph and sit in a model of an old stagecoach.
For Kids Only
Inventors
This book is a must for any kid who loves to learn about inventions. It goes back to the wheel
and Mesopotamia c. 3200 B.C. and covers inventions such as central heating (the
Romans), writing (the Sumerians of Mesopotamia), measuring instruments from
early clocks to Geiger Counters.
Telescopes, radar, manufacturing and automation (steam engines, sewing machines and robots), to
motor cars, trains and railways, sea transport steam power and deep sea diving
apparatus to Air transport, first balloon flights helicopters and space
shuttles, home inventions from first electric irons to microwave ovens and
canned food.
We also visit office inventions from the ballpoint pen to printing, communications and machines,
Morse code to satellites, photography, film, radio and television, and medical
inventions to today's laser surgery, weapons and calculators and computers.
The best part is a history of inventions datebook from 4241 BC and the
Egyptian calendar to 1990 and the first transmission of high definition
television.
Today's Books
Children's Encyclopedia IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Encyclopedia of the Ancient World IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Mini Christmas Treasury
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Encyclopedia of World History IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Science Encyclopedia IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Farmyard Tales Children's Cookbook
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Children's World Atlas IL
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Dinosaurs Lift the Flap
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Astronomy and Space IL
Rated Exceptional
Today's Books
Great Wildlife Search
Rated
Exceptional
Washington Parent
Bugs IL
Excerpt from "Celebrating Mothers"
Rosie Dickens brings a keen eye to Bugs (Usborne, 2002, ages 5 to 12,
$8.95). The book is crammed with cool facts about things creepy crawly. Did you
know that one ladybug can consume 5,000 garden-chomping aphids in a lifetime? Or
that the beautiful monarch butterfly can make most animals sick when eaten?
Especially compelling are the numerous color photographs and illustrations by
John Woodcock, in which these insects loom much larger than life. Young readers
will have a great time examining hatching caterpillars and spotting the dung
beetle carefully creating a dung ball supper for its babies. Each double-page
spread includes information on the Internet links, encouraging budding
entomologists to go beyond these pages to discover more about bugs.
Today's Books
Art Skills
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Drawing Cartoons IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Complete Book of Chess IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
German Dictionary for Beginners IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Big Book of Playtime Activities
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Spanish Dictionary for Beginners
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Picture Dictionary in Spanish
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Pocket Nature IL
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Big Book of Things to Spot
Rated
Exceptional
Children's Bookwatch
Activities for All Year Round
Activities
For All Year Round by Angela Wilkes is an engaging, full-color guide for
children of all ages, featuring fun and educational things to do that can be
undertaken in various locations or seasons. From pondwatching for wildlife; to
observing constellations in the night sky; to spotting and recognizing different
types of trees; to baking potatoes; to collecting treasures on the beach, and
more, Activities For All Year Round is the absorbing, highly recommended idea
sourcebook that especially promotes learning more about and appreciating the
bounty of nature.
Today's Parent
"Wet Book? No Problem" by Norma D. Kellam
As you lift your 2-year-old daughter into the bathtub, you notice she is still clutching her
favorite book. Loud crying results as you try to take it from her. If only she
had a book that she could take into the tub.
Duck By the Sea Bath Book, by Jenny Tyler and Stephen
Cartwright, for ages 9 months to about 3 years, can avoid this hassle. This
six-page, vinyl book can go right into the bathtub with your child. The filling
material inside each page makes the pages fun to squeeze.
Duck, who occupies a prominent place in each of Stephen Cartwright's cartoon drawings, looks
like a floating duck with no legs or feet. Your child may have a toy duck that
looks similar. Youngsters will notice a duck picture on one of the sails of
Duck's boat. The predominant background colors are blue and yellow, with blue
representing the sea and the sky and yellow representing the sand on the beach.
One of the illustrations shows Duck, in a wide-brimmed straw had, looking into
a tide pool. Among the contents of the tide pool are two sea anemones, a crab,
two fish, and a starfish.
Two lines of simple text enhance each of the first five pages, with the
final page containing three lines. Plentiful repetition will appeal to young
children. The left half of each double page starts with "Duck's friend."
followed by the name of an animal, such as, "Duck's friend Crab wants to
play in the sand." Each facing page starts with Duck saying, "Quack."
Duck's other friends consist of a fish and a dog. This is the third book in
the "Bath Books" series.
Washington Parent
Excerpt from "Celebrating April"
Kids curious about cadences and chords will find a great guide in
Music Theory for Beginners (Usborne, 2003, ages 8 and up, $8.95). Emma Danes's
accessible text features side bars, mini bios of musicians and composers and
intriguing treatments of topics such as rhythm, ways of writing music and the
development of instruments. Full-color illustrations by Gerald Wood, a scale
chart and glossaries of musical symbols and terms add to the book's kid
appeal. And for the tech-savvy younger generation, Usborne editors have designed
an accompanying website that includes links, games and a virtual keyboard that
allows readers to play and hear the musical examples in the book.
Puget Sound Council for the Review of
Children's Media
Picture Dictionary in Spanish
Rating - R (Recommended, buy)
The
five pages of verb forms will be a welcome resource for anyone studying the
language. There are seven pages of word lists with English translations that are
available for quick reference. A three-page introduction on the use of the
dictionary starts this volume. Each word is presented in English with both
feminine and masculine equivalents in Spanish and the word is used in a sentence
that is presented in Spanish and English. There are twelve words in 3x3 inch
boxes on each page. Most letters have 3-5 pages of words. Colors, shapes,
numbers, family, days and months and seasons each have a page at the end of the
book. An additional five pages tells us words that are used a lot, grammatical
construction, how to make questions, and additional useful words. Pronunciation
is available through the Usborne site, Quicklinks, that is updated by the book
publisher so that it will not become dated and the links will still be valid.
This is a nice resource and deserves a place in every library.
Metro West Daily News
Excerpt from "Oink, Moo and Squeak for These Fun Animal Books"
Usborne Chunkies Dinosaurs
(Usborne: $4.95) is the perfect first book for little hands. The pages are very
thick, and the illustrations of interesting extinct creatures are
non-threatening.
Puget Sound Council for the Review of
Children's Media
Encyclopedia of World Religions IL
Rating - Ad+ (Additional, up to library standards, buy if there is a
need)
Thirteen
major religions of the world are presented with 2 to 12 pages dedicated to each.
Besides the most well known are Jainism, Baha'i faith, Zoroastrianism and
Rastafarianism. Several pages cover local or primal religions practiced by
ancient civilizations an in some cases continue today. Also discussed is history
of religion, famous leaders, architecture, and religious wars. An excellent
world map and time chart from 4000BC to the present is also included, along with
the usual nonfiction features. Internet links are indexed and updated on
Usborne's website making this a most valuable tool for research. The layout
matches the high standard of most Usborne books with photographs, charts and
diagrams surrounded by text on various colored backgrounds.
Puget Sound Council for the Review of
Children's Media
Peoples of the World
Rating - Ad+ (Additional, up to library standards, buy if there is a
need)
This
book provides a brief overview of people and their customs throughout the world.
It is organized by continents excluding Antarctica and along with Australia is
included New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Oceania. Each two-page spread shows
3-4 cropped photographs placed on colored background next to 4-5 paragraphs of
text. Each paragraph is subtitled making it easy for young readers to scan for
specific information. The photos selected are not of everyday people, but rather
show them in native or ceremonial costume or in action. For example, the
background for the North America title is a stadium close-up of a sea of faces
and waving blue pompoms. The people in the section on Europe are represented
with pictures of opera performers in costume, a flamingo dancer in action, a
Saami reindeer herder in his native costume and a young boy snowplowing on skis.
Needless to say, this is a VERY eye-catching book with nuggets of information.
Also included are several detailed maps, table of contents, an extensive index,
and an informational page on using the Internet links provided through
Usborne's website.
Puget Sound Council for the Review of
Children's Media
1001 Things to Spot on the Farm
Rating - Ad+ (Additional, up to library standards, buy if there is a
need)
This
is a combination counting and "search and find" book with a farm theme. Each
two-page spread features a different kind of aspect of farm life, such as the
greenhouse, milking time, baby animals, the rice fields, a sheep farm, and a
honey farm. Along 2 borders of each detailed illustration are the isolated
objects to locate, each labeled with a number and name. For example on Sheep
farm we want to find 10 white sheep with black faces, 2 pairs of clippers, 9
rabbits, etc. The watercolor illustrations are intriguing and yet not too busy.
Preschoolers would enjoy this book independently, as well as any "search and
find" fan.
Puget Sound Council for the Review of
Children's Media
Whales and Dolphins IL
Rating - Ad+ (Additional, up to library standards, buy if there is a
need)
This
book contains a wealth of information given to the reader through text,
drawings, and photos. A table of contents, one-sentence facts at the bottom of
every couple of pages, amazing facts compressed into two pages, and an index are
included. One page is devoted to helpful information on using the Internet. The
book is "internet-linked" to the Usborne home page guaranteeing that the
links are up-to-date. Some drawings indicated by a star can also be downloaded
from their website. The book has a glossy colorful cover and library binding.
Puget Sound Council for the Review of
Children's Media
Alphabet Book
Rating - Ad+ (Additional, up to library standards, buy if there is a
need)
This
Usborne Farmyard Tales book is not only appealing but would challenge children
to study the pictures and THINK! The alphabet is presented with upper and lower
case letters, a sentence about the picture using alliteration and the alphabet
indicating the placement of the featured letter. A question is posed at the end
of the sentence, such as on the J page, "What's in Poppy's jar?" From
the picture we see it must be jam. Each picture contains more objects which
start with the featured letter, but not all objects, so children must be
discerning. Three children who appear to be siblings, their pets and a hidden
rubber duck appear on all pages creating continuity. The last pages once again
go through the alphabet with a picture and label. This would be a fun read aloud
one on one with preschoolers. Second graders would be able to read it on their
own.
Publisher's Weekly - February 16, 2004
"The Field's Biggest Players"
In the 23 years since Scholastic entered the school
book fair business by purchasing California School Book Fairs, it has become
the largest book fair operator in the U.S. Its Scholastic book Fairs division,
with offices in Lake Mary, Fla., has 76 warehouses throughout the country and
puts on more than 100,000 fairs a year. Over the years, Scholastic's book fair
growth has continued through strategic acquisitions. It went national in 1983
with the purchase of Great American book Fairs; in 1998, it acquired Pages Book
Fairs; and in 2001, it acquired its remaining large-scale competitor, Troll
Book Fairs. According to the company's most recent 10-K filing, book fairs
accounted for 27.5% of the revenues for Scholastic's Children's Book Publishing
and Distribution segment and generated $327.6 million in the 2003 fiscal year,
which ended May 31.
For senior v-p of book fairs Alan Boyko, who joined the
company 15 years ago when he sold Apple Book Fair Company to Scholastic, the
division's size in no way diminishes the importance of individual book fairs.
"The magic of book fairs, " he says, "is bringing kids and parents and books
together." Scholastic has many ways to enhance the magic, including an annual
Kids Are Authors competition for grades k-8 and a series of short videos with
authors such as Artemis Fowl's Eoin
Colfer and Double Fudge's Judy Blume.
The company also has operates a separate book fair Web site
(www.scholastic.com/book fairs) offering parents' guides, chairpersons' guides
and listings of featured titles.
Like many book fairs, Scholastic's biggest fans are
children in preschool and elementary school. To improve sales at middle
schools, where Clifford the Big Red Dog is no longer an attraction, this fall
Scholastic implemented a redesign, called the Student Exchange Program. "We've
designed the fairs to be a little hipper, a little cooler," says Boyko. But the
most innovative piece of the new middle school fairs may be the use of student
volunteers to run them. Although it's too soon to know how successful these new
fairs will be, the company has worked hard to distinguish them from elementary
school fairs by using a different color scheme and case fixtures.
But it's not just Scholastic or large independent book
fair companies that compete with retailers for book fair sales, but publishing
houses with multilevel selling models, such as Educational Development
Corporation in Tulsa, Okla., which distributes U.K.-based Usborne Books in the
U.S. Through the school division that EDC set up a decade ago as part of its
direct-selling program, Usborne Books at Home, the company does school fairs
that have been organized by its home sellers, or consultants. According to
Educational Services manager Todd White, of the company's 8,000 home
consultant, about 3,000 work with the schools. "We probably do close to a
couple thousand book fairs annually. There are hardly any other options left
other than us and Scholastic," says White, who estimates that school fairs will
bring in between $3 million and $4 million in sales for the fiscal year ending
February 29. "We can operate on the other side of the fence from what
Scholastic does. We do strictly cash and carry. Most of our fairs are straight
out of the catalog. All the consultants do is show the inventory." Like
Scholastic, EDC offers a strong financial incentive for schools to order from
them. " If the consultant sells over %500, the school gets back 50% in books,"
explains White. In July, EDC was named one of the 200 fastest-growing small
businesses by Fortune magazine. It
has made the Forbes list twice.
Recently, Barefoot Books embarked on a similar direct-sales program of its own,
the Barefoot Stallholder Program. "We launched at the beginning of November
[2003] in the U.S.," says Barefoot president Nancy Traversy. "For us, it's
obviously a way to get our name out. We're not trying to take on Scholastic,
and we continue to sell our books to them." Traversy is encouraging
Stallholders to de events in people's homes rather than in schools.
"Stallholders get back a percentage of their sales or a host gift, which they
can then give back to the schools," she says.
Puget Sound Council for the Review of Children's Media
El Castillo Misteriosos/Mystery Castle
Rating - Ad+ (Additional, up to library standards, buy if there is a
need)
An "Usborne First Bilingual Reader" this is a Spanish Puzzle Story. Silvia has
been asked to solve the problem of a monster in the dungeons at the castle. It
needs to be taken care of before the banquet that night. On each page Silvia
faces a new challenge, explained in Spanish and English. The clues to solving
the challenge are in Spanish, with an inset dictionary for quick translation.
Readers look for things, solve puzzles, and use logic, all the while learning
some basic Spanish. Actually this is a cute idea. The story is engaging and the
puzzles are fun, but not so challenging as to be discouraging. The cartoonish
illustrations are bright and full of kid-appeal. A word list and punctuation
guide is included. A nice addition to language collections.
Today's Parent
"Switched Roles" by Norma D. Kellam
"Joe won't miss it," your son says when you ask where
he got a candy bar. How can you impress on him that stealing is wrong, even if
he doesn't get caught? A new book uses a clever story to present this concept.
The Burglar's
Breakfast, by Felicity Everett, is a story for beginning readers about
a burglar named Alfie, who learns that being the victim of a theft is no fun. A
reading consultant helped with preparation of the text for this easy-to-read,
paperback book, which belongs to the Young Reading Series 1.
Christyan Fox's cartoon drawings, in pleasing colors,
will aid youngsters in following the plot. Speech balloons help maintain the
reader's interest. Alfie steals a talking bird that yells, "Stop thief!" A view
through a magnifying glass shows ants carrying away Alfie's last grains of
sugar.
As each night of stealing ends, Alfie anticipates his
breakfast. One morning upon arriving home, he discovers one item after another
missing of his planned feast. He tracks down four of the five culprits, all of
which are animals. A drawing shows Alfie putting his cat outside for stealing
the sardines, but if children look closely at the picture, they will discover
the real thief. Another cat is lying on the window ledge, with a smile on its
face and the bones of a sardine in front of it.
Alfie is angry because he has no breakfast. The following statement expresses
his next thoughts: "Maybe this was how people felt when he burgled their
houses. Alfie felt ashamed." Children will be surprised about the job Alfie
finds - one that makes good use of the skills he already has.
Children's Bookwatch
Pasta & Pizza for Beginners
Part
of the Usborne Cooking School series, Pasta & Pizza for Beginners is the collaborative effort of author Fiona Watt,
designer Mary Cartwright, illustrator Howard Allman, and features the recipes of
Julia Kirby-Jones, as well as food preparation tips by Ricky Turner and Lizzie
Harris. Young chefs will learn how to properly cook pasta, master a delicious
variety of past recipes, make a pizza base, and successfully execute a welcome
diversity of pizza recipes. A perfect, "kid friendly" introduction to making
delicious past dishes and appetizing pizzas, Pasta & Pizza for Beginners is enthusiastically recommended for
all aspiring young cooks!
Today's Books
Children's Encyclopedia IL
Rated
a Must Read.
Today's Books
Encyclopedia of the Ancient World IL
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Farmyard Tales Children's Cookbook
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Children's World Atlas IL
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Christmas Treasury
Rated
a Must Read
Today's Books
Christmas Mice
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Dinosaurs Lift-the-Flap
Rated
Exceptional
Today's Books
Sparkly Christmas Rattle Book
Rated
Good
Metro West Daily News
Excerpt from "Non-Fiction Nuggets for Children
and Young Adults"
Usborne has a range of fabulous
how-to books for all ages, most of them linked to Internet sites at
www.usborne-quicklinks.com. Their books also work on their own as
outstanding beginner's guides in everything from learning languages to using
software. Here are a few:
Drawing
Cartoons ($8.95) overflows with inventive ideas for drawing, with
step-by-step instructions to show kids how to create wacky faces, funny animal
scenes, and flip-book animations. Techniques are detailed, from inking with
felt-tip pens, creating on the computer, and painting with watercolors.
First
Thousand Words in Japanese and Italian
Dictionary for Beginners (both $12.95) make learning other languages
easy and fun, with words grouped thematically and illustrated with amusing
pictures and busy scenes. Listen to actual speakers online at the Web site.
Internet-linked
Complete Book of Chess is full of winning moves, tactical tricks and
clever plans needed to play excellent chess. Complete beginners and more
experienced players alike can make good use of this book. Lay deadly traps for
enemy pieces, plan move combos, launch attacks and defenses. Over 80 chess
puzzles.
Usborne's Introduction to Powerpoint helps kids learn how to produce really professional slide show
presentations. The book is written in simple, jargon-free language, with useful
illustrations, to help kids plan design, and put on presentations for school
projects.
Puget Sound Council for the Review of
Children's Media
Dinosaurs IL
Rating - R (Recommended, buy)
Usborne
Discovery Dinosaurs is a wonderful non-fiction addition about these
prehistoric creatures. The table of contents offers intriguing topics, like
Honking hadrosaurs, Dreadful dromaeosaurs, and Slow and stupid? Each two-page
spread has interesting facts and pictures. For instance, one T-rex fossil was
found to have gout, a disease brought on by eating too much red meat. [T]hat
will teach the big carnivore. The many Internet links included give students the
opportunity to learn more and even download information for school projects.
Puget Sound Council for the Review of
Children's Media
Snakes IL
Rating - R (Recommended, buy)
This Usborne Internet-Linked book is
sure to be a popular choice. After all, it's about snakes. First snakes are
defined, then readers learn about snake shapes, skeletons, bodies, and internal
organs. (Did you know they usually have 2 lungs but only use one?) Snake
movement, senses, and life cycles are also explored. Predation, defense and
even myths are briefly covered. The book is chock-a-block full of interesting
snake facts, and lots of highly informative photographs and illustrations.
Using the Usborne website readers can search constantly updated websites about
snakes as well. The book includes glossary and index. Oddly, however, neither
glossary nor index references the terms "colubrid" nor "elapid" although the
terms are used in the text in a way that begs further description. Doubtless
young readers will turn to a dictionary, as did this reviewer. Still, this is
sure to be a hit with young snake fans. You'll want to have it on your shelves.
Puget Sound Council for the Review of
Children's Media
Who Were the First North Americans?
Rating - Ad (Additional, up to library standards, buy if there is a
need)
This
informational book about native peoples is in a question and answer format. Very
busy pages have several questions and answers, and illustration with labels,
descriptions or "fun facts"/comments. A fun browsing book.
From Children's
Bookwatch
The Gaming Shelf
By
James A. Cox
 The Usborne Internet-Linked Complete Book of Chess is a
straightforward introduction to the classic game of chess written by Elizabeth
Dalby, and highly recommended for young players. From a fundamental tutorial
about basic moves, to deadly and complex traps for enemy pieces, to solid
attack and defense strategies, to 80 brain-twisting chess puzzles, and so much
more, The Usborne Internet-Linked Complete Book of Chess is s a superbly
organized and "kid friendly" guide featuring full color illustrations,
diagrams, and offering a wealth of useful internet links.
James Cox is the Editor-in-Chief for Midwest Book Review
Usborne World History: Ancient World and Medieval World
By
Cathy
Duffy
 These two,
beautifully-illustrated, hardcover history books can be used to cover world
history up through the Middle Ages for students in grades 4 through 6. History
and culture are combined as is appropriate for these grade levels. Although the
text is broken up by illustrations, it flows in columns, making it fairly easy
to read. Illustrations all have helpful descriptions-children are likely to
browse through these books just "reading" illustrations and
their descriptions. Timelines running across the bottom of every page are
helpful. Coverage is necessarily spotty, but these books should give children a
good introduction to world history. Interestingly, Ancient World skips cave men
and begins with the first farming communities. It briefly touches on a few
examples of ancient
towns then moves on to the Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations. Hittites,
Canaanites, Phoenicians, Assyrians, Hebrews, and other ancient civilizations
also get brief coverage. Coverage of ancient Greece and Rome is given more
space, and China, Japan, Africa, India, and the Americas also get attention.
Medieval World picks up where Ancient
World leaves off, around 500 A.D.
It begins with the Byzantine Empire, skipping over the
barbarian invasions
to discuss the barbarian kingdoms that arose. Arabs and Islam, Vikings,
Anglo-Saxon England, Charlemagne, and the Holy Roman Empire typify the range of
topics covered next. Castles, towns, trade, and the Church all receive
attention as significant historical factors. Coverage expands beyond western
civilization to worldwide, including the rise of the Russians, conquest of
North Africa, East Africa, Southern India, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islanders,
the Americas, and other civilizations up through about 1400A.D. I suggest using
these books along with Greenleaf Guides or other books. Christians will
probably want more coverage of Christian history than we find here since these
books strive for religious neutrality. Note also that Usborne books sometimes
have drawings of nude figures. Some parents use felt markers to
"clothe" figures when this is a problem.
Cathy Duffy is writer and publisher of the well-known Christian
Home Educators
Curriculum Manuals from Grove Publishing
http://www.grovepublishing.com/
True
Stories of The Second World War
By Frank Fogg
 True Stories of the Second World War is a collection of short
stories about some of the events of World War II and the people involved. This
is a paperback book of about 170 pages.
Each story in this collection covers a different perspective of the war. Some of
the topics include the battleship Bismarck, women aviators in the Soviet Air
Force, the Nazis involved in the "final solution", British spies, and
the development of the atomic bomb and its use by the United States to end the
war. All of the stories are fairly short, running from 10 to 20 pages or so,
enough to develop the main theme without too much detail. Sections at the
beginning and end discuss the start and end of the war, providing a background
to reference the stories against.
One strength of this book is that the stories are often sprinkled with
first-person memories of the people associated with the story. This aspect helps
one to grasp the impact of those troubled times on the people involved in the
conflict. It includes stories that will be familiar to historians, but are
probably unknown in the current era.
Any reader interested in learning more about the Second World War will find this
book a quick primer that covers a wide variety of topics in clear and simple
language. The stories are real, and the first-person perspective increases their
interest to the reader.
Book Review From Frank Fogg's website:
http://www.fogg.cc/reviews/books/breview185.htm
Learn to Play Electric Guitar
By Frank Fogg
Learn to Play
Electric Guitar is a paperback book targeted to the beginning guitar player.
This is a full color paperback book of 48 pages.
This book covers a variety of general information about how to play electric
guitar and looks at aspects of playing electric that are different than a
standard acoustical guitar. It begins by explaining the basics including how to
hold the guitar, tuning, changing strings, reading standard and tablature style
sheet music, and how to develop proper techniques. It quickly moves on to more
advanced subjects such as using electronic effects and specialized notes such as
playing harmonics and bends.
As the reader progresses through the book, a variety of short songs are shown
that demonstrate the use of a particular technique in the structure of a song.
Sections also show different styles of music, how to write or improvise songs,
and playing leads, solos and chords. A few pages also discuss how an electric
bass guitar is used and playing with a band.
Throughout the book is a large quantity of excellent pictures of artists
performing from all styles of music. Each picture is subtitled with the artist's
name and tells a little about them, often detailing their specific stylistic
contribution to music. Almost all will be familiar to musicians and fans alike.
Although this book is very ambitious, it will be a little overwhelming for a
complete beginner. For those that have had a few lessons or plucked around for a
while, there is bound to be some new technique to be learned from this book.
Other information about using electronic effects, accessories, and how to
navigate the fretboard will also prove valuable to the novice.
While Learn to Play Electric Guitar is not a begin-to-play book, it will take
the novice player to a new level by showing how more advanced techniques are
accomplished. The huge quantity of pictures of guitarists, while not directly
related to the learning process, is also fascinating. I would recommend this
book to novice players wanting to learn a few new and hot techniques to improve
their playing.
Book
Review From Frank Fogg's website http://www.fogg.cc/reviews/books/breview186.htm
Book Review from Frank Fogg's website www.fogg.ccc
Usborne Easy Spanish
By
Frank Fogg
 Usborne
Easy Spanish is a fun way for teens and beginners to learn the Spanish language.
This is a paperback book of 128 pages.
This book is an easy and fun guide to the Spanish language. There is actually a
mystery story that involves a brother and sister named Fede and Carmen, their
friend Maria, and Maria's parents Alicia and Pedro. Other characters include a
crook, Ramon, a local police officer and Maria's dog Guau Guau.
In the story, you travel with Carmen and Pedro to Villaterresto to see Maria and
her parents (and of course.her dog.) The three friends discover that there is
a family treasure and they begin to look for clues to help them find where it is
hidden.
The story is illustrated with colorful comic book style drawings. Each part of
the story includes a box that highlights the Spanish vocabulary used in the
chapter. After every part of the story, an element of Spanish is highlighted.
These intermissions include adjectives, verbs, tenses, pronouns, reflexive verbs
and conditional expressions. The reader then gets a chance to exercise their
new- found ability in the next part of the story.
Easy Spanish is a great way to refresh your high school Spanish or to start from
scratch. The story makes the lessons fun for teens and adults and provides a
vehicle to use what has been learned. In a word, it's awesome!
Book Review From Frank Fogg's website www.fogg.cc
The
Complete Book of Chess
By Frank Fogg
 The Usborne Complete Book of Chess is a hardcover book that covers
many major aspects of the game. Geared toward a beginning to intermediate level
player, this guide is colorfully illustrated and contains 96 pages.
With a complex game like chess, no one book can ever hope to fully cover the
subtle intricacies of the game, but this one deals with the major aspects
masterfully. It begins with a section that shows how to link to the EDC site to
learn more about chess, then a short section that briefly describes the game.
The next few sections deal with each piece individually. These sections describe
each piece's function in the game and its strengths and weaknesses. Small
colorful gameboards illustrate the way each piece is used in the game.
The book then moves on to the opening moves of chess. There are sections for a
number of popular opening attacks and defenses and each section shows the
advantage of using that strategy. Other sections show how the middle game
progresses, finally ending in sections that show the endgame and how to
checkmate with various combinations of pieces. Interesting chapters also cover
historical chess personalities, chess playing computers and alternative chess
games such as suicide chess and 3-D chess.
Scattered through the book is a variety of challenging chess puzzles with
various degrees of difficulty. Most of the puzzles include a hint that will help
the beginner solve the problem, and complete solutions are given at the back of
the book. As anybody familiar with the game will tell you, these puzzles are
often the path to great improvements in one's chess thinking.
Any beginner wanting to improve his game will find this guide highly
informative. The book covers only the most important aspects of playing chess
using common, simple language. This is a key style to the Usborne strategy of
teaching chess, and in this book it succeeds well. There is a little something
in this guide for anybody that likes Chess and the large number of puzzles will
even interest intermediate level players. If you want to improve your game, the
Usborne Complete Book of Chess will take you there.
Book Reviews from Lane Education Service District
Lane Rating System: 1 to
5
(1) Limited use in a School Library
(2) Recommended for libraries with big budgets
(3) Good all around title
(4) Excellent choice
(5) Must buy
Baby Animals Jigsaw
Book Rating: 1
Milbourne, Anna Usborne 2003 $8.95 Gr. Pre-1 0794504485
Teena Seckler, Thurston Elementary, Springfield SD
Baby Animals Jigsaw Book is an interesting hardbound, nonfiction picture book
with lovely pictures of grown and baby animals. The hidden babies beneath the
jigsaw puzzle picture page are likewise engaging and the text is sweetly simple
while ending each page with a question that invites the reader's attention to
the opposite puzzle page. And there, the consideration for school libraries
ends. The puzzle pages are nice to look at and feature a baby animal
camouflaged within (and underneath), but the puzzle pieces are thin and a bit
awkward to use for any sized fingers and would likely be lost within the first
few check-outs. Even though the picture beneath the puzzle is cute, this one
star book might be much better for classroom or at-home libraries, except for
the warning on the back which reads, "Not suitable for children under 36 months
because of small parts," which might pose a problem for younger siblings.
Great Animal Search
Rating: 4
Young, Caroline EDC Publishing 2002 $9.95 Gr. 1-8 0794504264
Teena Seckler, Thurston Elementary, Springfield SD
"I Spy" and "Where's Waldo?" with educational value defines "The Great Animal
Search" written by Caroline Young and illustrated by Ian Jackson. Each
double-page spread is a large colorful illustration of different habitats of
the world filled with the kinds of animals that live there, filled with animals
for the reader to find. There are 18 different habitats shown which should
engage readers for hours and at the next to the last page of the book is a map
of the world to show where each habitat is found. The back of the book includes
the answers to where each animal is and an index to the animals' facts and
pictures. Although picture and detail-rich, the text offers only small tidbits
of facts at the rate of one or two sentences per animal. Readers evidently are
expected to learn more from observation than from reading. Biology teachers as
an enrichment book to extend understanding of various habitats and the variety
of animals inhabiting it could use it. This 4 star paperback book is affordable
and is one that will be checked out a lot, but probably will wear out fairly
quickly from all the use it will get once the readers discover it. This book is
one of a series that includes, "The Big Bug Search," "The Great Prehistoric
Search," "The Great World Tour," and others.
World of Shakespeare
Rating: 4
Clayboure, Anna Usborne 2002 $9.95 Gr. 6-8 0794500145
Judy Peterson, Fern Ridge Middle School, Fern Ridge SD
This is the best introduction to Shakespeare. Having the reader travel back and
view life in Elizabethan England experiences Shakespeare's life, work and
world. Shakespeare's beginnings, Elizabethan beliefs, London life, the Globe
theatre, Shakespeare's different genera plays, and more are presented in an
appealing layout of pictures, photographs and historical manuscripts. The book
is a handy reference that includes plots of Shakespeare's plays, important
names in the world of Shakespeare, glossaries of terms, phrases, Shakespearean
words, and characters, important dates, Web sites, and an index. This is a
valuable book for students and teachers who want to learn more about
Shakespeare.
Lane Education Website: http://www.lane.k12.or.us/about.html
Today's Parent November
2003
"Civilization's Starting Point"
By
Norma D. Kellam
SPECIAL TO TODAY"S PARENT
 What would your kids do without
television, computers, or bicycles?
They may have difficulty imagining life without millenniums of previous inventions to build on.
A new book will help them learn how prehistoric people lived.
Who Were the First People? By Phil
Roxbee Cox and Struan Reid, for ages 6 to about 9, presents the scientific
viewpoint about the first humans, based on archaeological discoveries. The text
consist of questions dealing with such topics as food, hunting, use of fire,
and religion, followed by answers ranging from one to three short paragraphs.
The authors correct a common misconception about primitive people as follows: "They
were as likely to see a dinosaur wandering around then as we are today."
Another misconception is the idea that most prehistoric people lived in caves.
Based on archaeologists' concepts,
Gerald Wood's drawings, in realistic colors, depict early human beings,
including children. A small picture shows a girl playing with three puppies,
but they aren't pets. The adult canines had to work as hunting dogs. Scenes
with numerous captions explain lifestyles from the distant past. One such
picture shows people building a tent with sticks and animals skins.
A timeline along the bottom of four
consecutive pages gives children a concept of the relative time span during
which animals existed before humans. Readers can follow directions for making a
clay pot, utilizing methods similar to those used by primitive people. A chart
presents examples of pictographic and cuneiform writing.
By accessing one of the fifteen
listed Internet links, kids ca view cave paintings. The final page answers two
reader-directed questions and provides an index. This paperback book belongs to
the Starting Point History series.
"Today's
Parent" is published in Florida
Norma Kellam is a freelance writer from Westminster, California
Children's Book Watch
Volume 13, Number 11 November 2003
The Fairytale/Folklore Shelf
The Usborne
Book Of Castle Tales
Heather
Amery & Stephen Cartwright
Usborne
Publishing/EDC Publishing
$12.95 ISBN
0746025165
The Usborne Book Of Castle Tales is an easy reader anthology compiled by
Heather Amery that blends charming stories and Stephen Cartwright's expressive
color illustrations to create a delightful reading experience for children ages
4 to 7. The phrasing is deliberately clear in order to help young children
succeed at their first attempts to read entirely on their own. From pet dragons
to jousting tournaments, The Usborne Book Of Castle Tales is a captivating and
enjoyable collection and includes "The Princess And The Pig";
"The Little Dragon"; The Royal Broomstick"; and "The
Tournament". -- Midwest Book Review
The
Bloomsbury Review
Nov/Dec 2003
Usborne Touchy-Feely
Christmas Mice
Written by Fiona Watt
Illustrated by Rachel Wells
Usborne Publishing/EDC Publishing,
$11.95 board, ISBN 0794504825
The Christmas mice are very busy wrapping, decorating, and
hanging stocking in this richly colorful touch-and-feel book. Fluffy puppy
ears, soft pillowy stockings, and glossy wrapping paper are just a few of the
texture kids can feel as they follow the progress of the mice on Christmas Eve.
-Virginia Nelson
Usborne Christmas Story Jigsaw Book
Retold by Heather Amery
Illustrated by Norman Young
Designed by Brian Voakes
Usborne Publishing/EDC Publishing,
$8.95 board, ISBN 079450223
Appealing and sturdy, this book contains four easy puzzles
that help illustrate an already child-friendly version of the story of Jesus'
birth. Each page contains a whimsical puzzle picture that highlights a portion
of the Christmas story, retold in a simple text. - Virginia Nelson
Sparkly Christmas Rattle Book
Illustrated by Brenda Haw
Designed by Glen Bird
Usborne Publishing/EDC Publishing,
$6.95 board, ISBN 079450356X
This Christmas board book brings home the adage "Good things
come in small packages." Bright blue and star-shaped with a window containing
itty-bitty Christmas ornaments - before it's even opened this book will make a
child's eyes sparkle. Inside, each page has a single picture of a holiday item
surrounded by shiny stars. And the book is just the right size for 'Santa" to
stuff into a stocking. - Virginia Nelson
National
Wildlife Federation Wild Animal Baby Web Magazine
|
Animals
By Amanda Barlow
ISBN: 0746041020
|
Sheep,
fish and a polar bear are among the many animals you will meet in this unique
board book from Usborne. Each page has bright, vibrant, and entertaining
illustrations and the simple text identifies and describes each animal in a
unique way.
Book Review from
Today's Parent Magazine
"Off to the High-Tech World"
By Norma Kellam
 Many things in the modern world appear
magical until kids learn how they work. A new book will help children unravel
the puzzles of natural phenomena, such as sound and light, as well as
complicated modern inventions like electronic equipment.
"Light, Sound and Electricity" by Kirsteen Rogers, Phillip Clark, Alastair Smith, and Corinne
Henderson, for ages 9 to about 12, introduces the concept of waves, including
specific types such as sound and electromagnetic, before proceeding to
discussions of electricity, magnetism, and the more complex topics of
electronics, computers, telecommunications, and the Internet.
Colorful illustrations clarify the text's explanations. A magnified ladybug enhances the
discussion of microscopes. A diagram shows the route of a telephone call, and
overlapping circles demonstrate the result of mixing light of different colors.
A substantial part of the discussion of waves deals with light. Readers will appreciate the
following concise explanation about rainbows: "Water particles in the air act
like prism, separating sunlight into colors." Internet links direct readers to
websites, which supplement the written material; one site gives directions for
building a crystal radio. "See for yourself" boxes describe activities kids can
do, such as sending themselves an e-mail to check the speed of transmission.
Among data included in the "Facts and Lists" section are electrical symbols and the history of
computers. Next comes a self-test; page numbers direct readers to information
needed to answer each question. The index, as well as footnotes in text, gives
page numbers for locating specific topics. Most of the material in this
paperback book, which belongs to the Library of Science series, is also in
Science Encyclopedia by Kirsteen Rogers and others.
From Midwest Book Review by Sharon Stuart
Sharon's Bookshelf
www.midwestbookreview.com
Alphabet Lotto
Usborne Publishing, Ltd.
C/o EDC Publishing
P.O. Box 470663
Tulsa, OK 74146-6515
079403144 $12.95
www.edcpub.com
www.ubah.com
Part of the outstanding "Farmyard Tales Games" series from
Usborne Publishing, Alphabet Lotto is an fun and "kid friendly" educational
game for up to 4 players, and specifically designed for young folks ages 2-6.
Enhancing pre-reading skills such as word and picture matching, featuring
colorful cards of farmyard animals, as well as contents that can be adapted to
varied difficulties depending upon the children, Alphabet Lotto is a friendly,
inviting, and intellectually stimulating game. Parent's notes are included to
offer insight in helping young folks learn that words and reading can be fun.
Alpha |
