Busy Pandas by John Schindel, photography by Lisa and Mike Husar
For today's Nonfiction Monday selection, I'm bringing you a book for the smallest nonfiction lovers in your family.
Back in March, I reviewed four board books in Tricycle Press's Busy Book Series. They continue to be a favorite in our house, especially Busy Kitties. Well, Tricycle Press kindly sent the latest book in the series, Busy Pandas. After a recent trip to the National Zoo where my daughter saw the pandas and received her very own tiny stuffed panda, she has been entranced by this book.
Following the same format as the other books in the series, each page in the book features a full-color photographs of pandas demonstrating the action word on the page that will help your child build vocabulary. Both baby and adult pandas are in the book doing many things young children will be familiar with. For example, we see a "panda eating," a stalk of bamboo another "panda hiding" behind bamboo, a big "panda sliding" in the snow on its back, and tiny baby "panda napping" with its mother.
The sturdy board book with thick pages makes it an ideal choice for not-so-gentle toddlers. I highly recommend this book and the others in the series. Not only do they teach fun action words, but the beautiful photographs will keep even the smallest of kids engaged.
More Info:
- Reading level: Baby-Preschool
- Board book: 19 pages
- Publisher: Tricycle Press; Brdbk edition (October 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1582462593
- ISBN-13: 978-1582462592
Other books in the series include:
- Busy Bunnies, by John Schindel, photography by Steven Holt
- Busy Horsies, by John Schindel, photography by Casi Clark
- Busy Piggies, by John Schindel, photography by Steven Holt
- Busy Barnyard, by John Schindel, photography by Steven Holt
- Busy Kitties, by John Schindel, photography by Sean Franzen
- Busy Penguins, by John Schindel, photography by Jonathan Chester
- Busy Doggies, by John Schindel, photography by Beverly Sparks
- Busy Monkeys, by John Schindel, photography by Luiz Claudio Marigo
With three cats and a dog in our house, we are definitely animal lovers, and my daughter, who will turn one in just a couple of weeks, absolutely loves our animals. She also loves Tricycle Press's Busy Animal Board Books.
We own four of the eight books in the series:
- Busy Kitties, by John Schindel, photography by Sean Franzen
- Busy Penguins, by John Schindel, photography by Jonathan Chester
- Busy Doggies, by John Schindel, photography by Beverly Sparks
- Busy Monkeys, by John Schindel, photography by Luiz Claudio Marigo
Each page in the book features a full-color photographs of an animal(s) demonstrating the action word on the page that will help your child build vocabulary. For example, in the Busy Kitties book, we see "Kitty hissing/ Kitty kissing/ Kitty running/ Kitty sunning" and more.
My daughter is fascinated by the photographs in these sturdy books and just sits there and smiles as she flips the pages. I also appreciate that they will introduce her to other animals, like monkeys and penguins, that she doesn't have the chance to see in their natural habitats.
Other books in the series that we're adding to our wish list include:
These would all make a great addition to your young child's library.
I've had this story percolating for a long time. It just hasn't jelled yet. To jump start it, I decided to color one of my sketches. Let's hope this is the start of something good.
I've had a lot of interesting things happen lately. I saw Louise Hay on Oprah, which reminded me to think positively, develop a vision, and to let it go. I don't really believe that "put it out to the universe" thing. I believe, rather, that when you have a vision and think positively, you are more aware of the opportunities that come your way. That being said, "The Universe" is messing with me. One of the many things that have happened in the last week is that I had a passing thought that a gym membership would be a good thing to have in order to build my strength for skiing. It's not in the budget right now, but the day after that thought, a free 30 day trial coupon arrived from my old gym. Spooky. If the universe is listening, I'd like to win the lottery;-)
by Cynthia Rylant
illustrated by Diane Goode
Harcourt 2007
After a visit to a museum a boy decides he'd rather be an alligator. A gift of a costume alligator tail and head provide an instant transformation. Now he can deal with bullies fearlessly, enjoys school more, thrives.
Rylant's breezy rhyme and Goode's light drawings make an absurd-but-real situation and make it fun. Perfect for reading to the little boy who insists on wearing his superhero pajamas all the time, equally for any child who feels they are somehow different, trapped within conformity.
My only complaint is that as good as it is, it feels thin. I'm not so sure this deserves its own book as it does a place in a collection of shorter story-poems, the way Edward Lear's works were collected.
Busy Pandas by John Schindel, photography by Lisa and Mike Husar
I couldn't help but love that the book didn't end with the kid being told he couldn't be an alligator 24/7. I agree with you about how thin the book feels. Also, the rhymes don't always scan as nicely as they might. Still, a lovely little book.