Steve Moline

Large, bold print make this seem like a younger reader than it is. I think I would expect 3rd graders to be able to read it. Like an adult book, it starts with 'Table of Contents' and 'About This Book', and ends with an index.
Eight pages of diary, labelled with the week of age, have a photograph on top. A description of what has changed is set side-by-side with a line drawing of that photo describing what items of interest can be identified.
The diary is followed by 4 pages of Frog Facts, including a chart of their food at different stages, diagram of the life cycle, and a drawing of the series of steps in a frog's tongue flick.
The steps needed for raising a tadpole end with the advice to be sure to return them to the pond. The back cover includes a layout of the 16 weeks of a tadpole's growth which could be used as a kind of "Chutes and Ladders" game, with the need to start over if you land on the square where the snake eats you!… (més)

Somewhere in the universe is Jason’s house. Can you find it?

And so this book challenges young readers to explore the universe . . . to find the Milky Way . . . the Sun and its planets . . . Earth . . . the country where we live . . . the state where we live . . . the street in our town where Jason lives beside the park. Then, can you find Jason hiding in the grass?

This Big Book, part of the Informazing! series, uses a predictable pattern, making it easy for young readers to follow the story, beginning with a general understanding [the universe] and moving to the well-understood and relatable [a house and yard], allowing the child to easily make the necessary connections. Suggestions for picture talking are included, helping to guide the young reader’s understanding of the information and relating that understanding to themselves and the world in which they live.

Written prior to Pluto’s demotion from planet to dwarf planet, the solar system page in this book references nine planets orbiting our Sun. It’s a perfect opportunity to discuss how scientists reach conclusions and make decisions based on new discoveries and understandings.

Young readers will have fun locating Jason’s house; they are sure to find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.… (més)

The year is 2095. Jessie and Kate are on a year-long journey through the solar system. As they travel, they write postcards describing what they’ve seen and send them back to members of their family.

This story, a future possibility, is fiction. However, the information about each of the planets is factual and accurate in its depiction of what it would feel like to visit each of the planets. Each page depicts something the children see or experience as they travel through the solar system; colorful illustrations support the narrative.

This science education book is perfect for young readers interested in outer space, space exploration, or planetary science. It could also serve as a supplement for the lower elementary classroom.

[For classroom instruction, the Big Book version of “Postcards from the Planets” is perfect for group reading or science instruction.]

Highly recommended.… (més)