Tag: Learning books

Coming to America: The Story of Immigration

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Coming to America: The Story of Immigration
written by Betsy Maestro, illustrated by Susannah Ryan

This picture book covers immigration to America from the beginning.  It starts with people who crossed over during the Ice Age and continues up to today’s new immigrants.  I really like that the book recognizes not only the hardships of the people traveling and arriving here, but also the impact these arrivals had on those who were already living here.  I appreciate the use of quotations around Columbus “discovering” the “New World.”  And I also appreciate that the book recognizes that not all people came to America because they wanted to.  While some immigrant stories were a bit glossed over in the book, like the immigrants who arrived in the west, I felt this book did a really good job overall covering the topic of immigration.  I enjoyed the ending page and its sentiments about how America’s “strength and independence” comes from its history of immigrants.  The timeline and interesting facts at the back of the book were also great additions.  If you’re studying immigration, this is a must-read.  But I also think it’s such an important read for any child to recognize the history and importance of America’s diverse people.

The Gnome Project

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The Gnome Project (2015) by Jessica Peill-Meininghaus

I can’t tell you how very rare it is for me to buy a book at full price these days, and especially one I’ve never read.  My usual pattern is checking out books from the library, then seeking out the ones I especially love at a used book store or on a used book site.

But, I also like to support independent bookshops when I can.  So, when The Gnome Project randomly caught my eye on a recent visit to a darling bookshop, I took a chance.  And I’m so glad I did.  Not only am I in love with these darling little gnomes and itching to make my own, but I’m inspired by the author’s story of searching for and finding a daily practice…well, inspired and a bit jealous.  Like Jessica, I’ve always struggled to commit to daily or weekly routines.  I’m hoping that after reading her story (a quick and very enjoyable read), I can find my own daily practice to pursue.

The American Sign Language Phrase Book

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Lou Fant and Barbara Bernstein Fant (2008)

This book is a wonderful introduction to American Sign Language.  While I’ve been learning signing vocabulary on my own for a little while, this book begins to explain how the language itself is formed.  ASL is very different from signing exact English, and I feel this book does a great job explaining how to construct phrases and sentences.  The illustrations throughout the book are clear and easy to follow, so while learning the structure of the language, I was also able to review and learn new signs.  This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in learning more about ASL.  Now if I could only find a group to practice with…

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?

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How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (2007)
written by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Charlie’s teacher has an assignment one fall day—to guess and count how many seeds are in three different-sized pumpkins.  The class separates the seeds and comes up with methods for counting them.  All are surprised by the results, and Charlie also learns to feel better about being the smallest one in the class.

While not a life-changing book, this is still a great fall or Halloween choice.  The story is simple, and my daughter loved that it took place at a school.  It introduces “skip counting” by 2s, 5s, and 10s and can lend itself to so many activities and lessons.  I learned a couple new things from the book too, which is always good.

We set out to count our own pumpkin seeds.  Well, at this stage, mostly Mama did the sorting and counting.  We ended up with a whopping 460 in a small-sized pumpkin, thus proving one of the book’s points.

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (2007)

 

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Halloween Books list

I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

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I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur (2006)
by Stella Blackstone and Clare Beaton

While looking for dino books for our 3-year old, I found surprisingly few that I actually liked.  This one gives a brief and easy intro to some of the dinosaurs during a short tale about a young child dreaming she’s a dinosaur.  The flowing, simple rhymes are cute, but the real highlight of this book for me is the amazing collage art done with fabric, ribbons, sequins, and the like.  (I want to be Clare Beaton’s friend, peek into her art studio, and take classes from her.  I am itching to get my hands on more of her books!)  My other favorite part of this book is actually the little glossary at the end that tells facts about the 13 dinos introduced in the book.

 

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