Disclosure: I received these books to review. Opinions shared are mine.
With school starting back this month, it might be harder than normal to convince your kids to read with you. They’re already getting a good dose of reading in the classroom, so coming home to read is rather redundant for some youngsters. Wondering what to read with your kids? At my house, the trick is to find a new book that captures my kids’ attention. I tested out this theory a few days ago with the new Noah’s Voyage book, and it worked like a charm! My son and niece cuddled up on the couch with me while we revisited the flood story.
Since Noah’s story is familiar to most children, they’ll be eager to look at the animals that board the ark. I especially liked the illustrations that showed the cross-section of the ark. Be aware that the parent must really be involved in the explanation of this book; my biggest concern is that the first few pages are confusing and ambiguous. Page one shows Noah’s anxiety about the ark, which is later explained when God says that he regrets making humans. Children will understandably be concerned about this situation. Noah’s Voyage is a good choice for developing readers. The longer sentences can be decoded with help, and the repetition of age-appropriate words helps to develop sight word recognition.
Littler readers will adore Noah’s Noisy Zoo. This bright, happy board book engages readers with textured, 3-dimensional pages. It’s visually stimulating as well as tactile-fulfilling. The book’s colorful animals pop right off the page, while fun fonts celebrate action words. The animals are celebrated in this story. Vivid images introduce animal names, such as “squawking birds” and “hissing snakes.” This would make a fabulous baby-shower gift or birthday present. Truthfully, this book is tempting for kids of all ages. I had just as much fun as my kids when reading Noah’s Noisy Zoo!
I Am Lucille Ball reminds me of the Value Tales biography-based books I read as a kid. It has a unique comic book format, mixed with paragraph form. As readers learn about Lucille’s childhood, it becomes clear that she had a larger-than-life personality. Author Brad Meltzer captures Lucille’s charisma and charm, plus her iconic red hair. Near the end of the story, readers find out that Lucille’s adventures weren’t always happy endings. She experienced disappointment and discouragement, like anyone else. The book’s theme is a reminder that ordinary people change the world, and Lucille is a great example of a woman who made America smile for decades. The only requirement? You simply must watch an episode of “I Love Lucy” with your kids so that they understand exactly what Lucille Ball was like! I’m going to put this book in my classroom; my students will enjoy reading about this brilliant woman. I Am Lucille Ball is a terrific way to introduce the biography genre to students without making it tedious and trite.
Have a great weekend and read with your kids!
What book did you enjoy as a child?
I love how bright the pictures are. Thank you
what a great book and story to be told in such a fun way for the children 🙂
I love that Noah’s Noisy Zoo is an interactive book for children. I also like that it makes the animal’s sounds!
It looks like a nice colorful book that would be fun for children .
I think my little niece would love this book she loves animals
Looks like it’d be a great birthday present for my niece.
Kids love animals. What a fun look at different animals in Noah’s ark!
This would be a great book for our daughters to read together.
Caroline recently posted…National Grid Gas Line
My nephews would love this. The pictures are great.
This looks like a really good children’s book for family reading time.
The fit together shapes part sounds really cute.
My daughter is at the age where she loves telling me the sounds animals make when I ask her. I think she would enjoy this book and I would love her learning about a Bible story. 🙂 Looks like a super cute book!
My grandson’s room is decorated with jungle animals and he’s 2 1/2 so this book is so perfect for him. So nice!! Thank-you. 🙂
My nephew would love this book it looks like fun
my little niece would love this book
my toddler would like the animals and it would also be good to save for our newborn as he grows
A great size and design for little hands.
This looks like such a fun book. My daughter would love it!
I like that it has colorful cutouts.
I like the idea of an interactive book for my nephew. Not only do you get a colorful book full of fun illustrations of animals, but kids can engage by trying to fit the shapes together.
This is a neat book. I have some great-grands who would love to have it to share. 2 boys and 3 sisters. Hoping ton be lucky. They really love to read. Thanks for a chance to win.
Maxie > mac262(at)me(dot)com <
My granddaughter would really enjoy this book
The book looks really cute, I would love for my cousin’s baby
My kids would love the book
I like that it talks about the animal sounds.
These are books my nieces would enjoy reading
This is such a sweet book and I love how interactive it is.