Four fine books

What's New At the Zoo? An Animal Adding Adventure by Suzanne Slade

The brief, rhyming text on each page ends with a question - how many ... ? Your child will have plenty of opportunity to count as high as 20.

There is more material in the back of the book, from tips on adding, an explanation of 'fact families', to an animal matching activity - you read the text, the child finds the picture.

Use this with any child learning to count, and animal lovers, too.


To the Beach by Thomas Docherty

I love this imaginative tale of a trip to the beach. It is raining outside, but this little boy still has BIG plans. He is going to the beach and all he needs is ... a plane, a sailboat, a truck, a camel, some sand, the sea and ... a friend.

The text is brief; the illustrations will bring you back to read it again and again.

For preschoolers, transportation lovers and anyone who wants to go to the beach.






My Uncle Emily by Jane Yolen

This book is decidely more serious, and looks at the relationship between Emily Dickinson and her nephew Gib. The author tells the reader in the end notes what is true about this story. The illustrations easily carry us back in time to when Emily Dickinson wrote short poems for her nephew on the backs of old envelopes. She doted on him, and she was a special person to Gib, too.

This is easily part of a history or poetry lesson, and the best part is, you, as an adult reader, will learn things, too!




Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed by J. C. Phillipps

I love this story about Wink! He wanted to be a ninja, was accepted to ninja school, but then discovered that a ninja was expected to be quiet, stealthy and almost invisible. But Wink wated to be noticed! Wink finds his way, not as a ninja, but as a circus performer where he becomes, 'the Nimble Ninja.' Now everyone can see his great feats, and Wink is happy.

Read this to your budding martial arts kids, the non-conformists and any who have not quite found their place in the grand scheme of things.