Thursday, September 6, 2012

Book Reviews: Forget-Me-Nots Poems to Learn by Heart by Mary Ann Hoberman / How? by Catherine Ripley



Illustrated by: Michael Emberley
Published by: Little Brown
Released on: April 3rd, 2012
Source: book from publisher to review
Ages: 5 & up
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

When you learn a poem by heart, it becomes a part of you. You know it in your mind, in your mouth, in your ears, in your whole body. And best of all, you know it forever. 
From the creators of the bestselling You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series comes this new collection of poems especially suitable for learning by heart and saying aloud. With personal introductions by former Children's Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman -- as well as her own time-tested tips and tools for memorization and recitation -- and vivid illustrations by Michael Emberley featuring his trademark wit and lively characters, Forget-Me-Nots includes more than 120 works from both classic and contemporary poets, from childhood favorites to lesser-known treasures.
This anthology will inspire a love of learning poetry! - quoted from Goodreads

What a fabulous collection of poems! I've always been someone who has loved poems, and I really enjoyed being able to sit down and read through these poems with my kids. I like that the book's large collection of poems is broken up into sections. There's poems for the various seasons, about animals, Storybooks, Time and much more. I love the great collection of a various poems that make up this book. Some of these poems are ones I remember from when I was a kid, and many were ones I hadn't heard of before. Some were silly, entertaining and others were just plain fun to read. There's short poems and long poems, and some really cute illustrations to accompany them. This is another fabulous book that is perfect for the home, classroom and library!



Illustrated by: Scot Ritchie
Published by: Owl Kids
Released on: May 15th, 2012
Source: book from publisher to review
Ages: 5 & up
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

When Oma arrives to stay with Jake, Lizzie, and their parents, they want to make her visit extra special — so off the family goes to Jake's birthday party, the library, the beach, and many other places! These familiar childhood excursions prompt many questions from Jake and Lizzie. How do candles stay on fire? How do librarians remember where all the books go? How does the sand get so hot? Curious kids everywhere want to know — and no adult has all the answers.

In the same style as the highly successful Why?, How? provides kid-friendly explanations for nearly one hundred everyday mysteries. Bright, playful illustrations from Scot Ritchie complement the clear text and set the scenes for the common questions that kids ask. A scrapbook-style page at the end of each chapter offers additional information in snapshots and captions. How? combines the best qualities of non-fiction and picture books to delight young readers again and again. -quoted from Goodreads

Ever wondered where birthday parties originated from, where libraries get their books from, and why some animals act the way they do? These are just a few of the questions that are answered in this new book for inquisitive kids. Questions from why do we get sick to how a car works, to questions about how sand is made, and much, much are answered and explained in a way that young kids will understand. With it's fun illustrations and easy to read text, HOW? would make a great addition to any home, school room or library. 
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~