Children's books

One of the military families that I share books with has young children so I signed up to review and was entertained by the following books...

 


                                          

4.5 out of 5 stars

Is That My Cat? by Jonathan Allen is a delightfully illustrated children’s book that follows the puzzling discovery that a cat is no longer the sleek slim pussycat once known. The struggle to fit through the cat door, clean plates that used to hold rejected food, and lack of energy is explained once the mystery behind the closet door is explained. What a fun book, filled with such great drawings that follow the mystery of the changes in the cat who is so different from the narrator’s memories. A delightful read for any age but a great way to explore the cycle of life with a child.






 

3 3/4 out of 5 stars

Dinosaur Colors by Paul Stickland provides a vivid collection of drawings depicting eight different colors. I would think that it might be a little confusing since some of the dinosaurs have more than one color on them besides the featured one and again, I have my concerns about how well the pages would survive the handling by very young readers. I also love the drawings of the dinosaurs but I think that the footprints that track across the bottoms of the pages should match the feet of the dinosaurs depicted although I realize they are just there to illustrate the particular color.




4.5 out of 5 stars


Dinosaur Numbers by Paul Stickland is a very cute book that has delightful illustrations of dinosaurs who help teach little ones to count. The catchy rhymes combined with the appropriate number of dinosaurs on each page make this a fun way to learn. My common complaint with this series is my concern about how well the book will withstand rough handling but I still think this is a great way to teach a young child about numbers.


 
4 out of 5 stars

Dinosaur Shapes by Paul Stickland is a cute book for very young children that is filled with brightly colored illustrations that aid in teaching about basic shapes using friendly dinosaurs. There are basic exercises in identifying particular shapes with a summary at the end. I thought this was an excellent combination of colors, shapes and size comparisons and my only concern is that I don’t think the book will stand up to the sometimes rather strenuous handling that very young children subject books to, i.e. I think that it probably would be better as a board book.



3 out of 5 stars


Dinosaur Opposites by Paul Stickland has vibrant illustrations but I think that the concepts were not well conveyed. It is possible that the words were too abstract to depict as I was confused by some of the comparisons, perhaps the words should have been positioned closer to the dinosaur that they pertain to. Even the expressions such as sweet and grumpy or happy and sad are not quite exaggerated enough to reflect those emotions. Perhaps a ruler to demonstrate the difference between short and long and the ‘fast’ dinosaurs in front of the ‘slow’ one would be more effective. Beautiful drawings but not quite effective.