Books for Young Children

	Books for Young Children
Home Arctic Antarctic Art Organizations Book Reviews Children's Books Events Museums How to contact us About us Terms and Conditions 'Don't go looking for Antarctica without this book.' - Susan Solomon Click here for more information	The Life Cycle of a Penguin by Lisa Trumauer Capstone Press - Pebble ISBN: 0 7368 2090 6 Price: US$11.95 Ages: 5-7 years This is a small, easily manageable book aimed at very young children. It would be suitable for those unable to read on their own as the photographs are so special. The photographs of penguins are captivating and beautiful. Children love to look at photographs (in fact, even babies do) and these pictures would be no exception as the images of penguins are clear, colourful and do offer some information as to the life cycle of the penguin. For those learning to read the text is clear, simple and understandable. As the introduction correctly states, 'The repetition of words and phrases helps early readers learn new words'. The back pages contain Words to Know, Read More, Internet Sites and an Index/Word List. I love this - encouraging children to investigate and instigate their own learning. It is also worth noting that this series supports national science standards. Penguins and Their Chicks by Margaret Hall Capstone Press - Pebble Plus ISBN: 0 7368 2109 0 Price: US$12.95 Ages: 5-7 years Penguins and Their Chicks is on a slightly larger scale than the previous book. It is again full of wonderful photographs of penguins and the same clear, simple easy to read text. The book tells us exactly what penguins do and how they live. And again, useful information is presented on the back pages, enabling and encouraging children to learn, and to learn by their own research. These two books are very similar and I wondered why they couldn't be incorporated, and then perhaps offered in both sizes. Life in a Polar Region by Carol K. Lindeen Capstone Press - Pebble Plus ISBN: 0 7368 2100 7 Price: US$12.95 Ages: 5-7 years For me this book is worth it just for the photographs of the polar bear and the arctic fox. Again in clear simple language the book describes what a polar region is, where they are and the animals that live there. Each description is supported by a beautiful image, and this time as well as polar animals the book tells us about polar plants. The descriptions are very brief, but again there is tons of information on the back pages. The Inuit: Ivory Carvers of the North by Rachel A. Koestler-Grack Blue Earth Books ISBN: 0 7368 2171 6 Price: US$17.95 Ages: 7 -9 years This book is a great resource aimed at older children. It has chapters with much more detail and information than the previous books mentioned. The book has tons of information, from why they are called Inuit, to finding food and hunting, their homes and how they build them. The book also covers their ancestors, art, jewellery, carving, shamans, storytelling, how they have developed and what they do today. The reader can find out how to make a carving from soap and instructions on making a genuine Inuit game. There is also an Inuit story telling how a crow brings daylight to the Arctic in summer, and even a recipe for blueberry-topped snowcream! This book really brings to life how very resourceful and tenacious the Inuit are. 'They made walrus skin into waterproof boats. Sealskin boots and mittens kept feet and hands warm and dry. They melted snow inside animal bladders for drinking water. To light their homes, the Inuit burned oil made from seal fat.' We are told how the Inuit invented Parkas and snow goggles and how they are committed to keeping their culture and traditions alive. This book is interesting, informative and accessible. Each chapter is very concise, yet builds a vivid picture of the Inuit and their culture, using photographs and illustrations to great effect. I was surprised just how much information, both written and pictorial, was packed into these pages. Do Penguins Have Puppies? A Book About Animal Babies by Michael Dahl, Illustrated by Sandra D'Antonio Picture Window Books ISBN: 1 4048 0102 2MC Price: US$15.95 Ages: 4-8 years The idea of this book is to enable children to learn about baby animals, and it certainly succeeds in its aim to introduce interesting snippets of information, such as what baby animals are called, what they can do, what they like to do, special physical attributes and so on. So for example, the young reader learns that 'baby horses, called foals, can stand an hour or two after they are born. Soon they are running, jumping and playing. Foals also have a good sense of smell. A foal can find its mother by her smell.' The book's illustrations are colourful and humorous. But for me it is the latter that presents the book's Achillies Heel, as the drawings require a small leap of the imagination to accurately identify the animals. Children at the age this book is aimed at need to recognise at this stage and not have to decipher. What I did like, however, came at the back of the book where we find a couple of pages of more animal facts and information, such as animal babies that are hatched from eggs and those that are born in the open air. It also includes animal words to know ('den - a place where a bear sleeps. A bear's den might be a cave or hollow tree') and a list of various websites. I certainly wouldn't purchase the book for its illustrations, but I liked all the animal facts and it is a good first stage to learning about animals. Who Grows Up in the Snow? A Book About Polar Animals and Their Offspring by Theresa Longenecker, Illustrated by Melissa Carpenter Picture Window Books ISBN: 1 4048 0028 XMC Price: US$14.95 Ages: 5-9 years Another book about baby animals, but this time only those that grow up in the snow. It's written in simple clear language, telling us what they are called and giving us interesting facts about the first few weeks of life. Again, at the back is much more information, which I feel widens the age suitability. It gives the names for baby animals, what they eat, how they are born, words for male and female and the words for the groups of animals, where they live and words to know. There is even an at-home experiment to help understand how snow animals keep warm. I liked this book - not only for all the extra stuff at the back, but in particular for the beautiful illustrations that present clear, understandable images. The Arctic Ocean and The Antarctic Ocean both books by Anne Ylvisaker Bridgestone Books ISBN: Arctic 0 7368 1423 XMC and Antarctic 0 7368 1420 5MC Price: US$18.60 each Ages: 5-10 years These two books give concise facts and figures about the Antarctic and Arctic Ocean in clear understandable English. The text is supported by photographs and diagrams. The books are full of jaw-dropping facts, such as 'The Antarctic Ocean covers about 8 million square miles.' I was constantly amazed at reading information like this (although for someone who was thrown out of geography at thirteen, perhaps this should be taken with a pinch of salt). As with the first two books reviewed there is more information at the back, such as an experiment, words to know, Internet sites and a book list. Each photograph is accompanied by a fun fact. We learn that 'In 1893, a Norwegian ship became stuck in ice in the Arctic Ocean. It stayed frozen in place for three years until it finally broke free. Luckily, the crew had bought enough food to last five years.' I wonder if the crew would have thought this as a fun fact? These books give good clear, concise information. The facts are amazing - but for some reason these books just don't excite me. It's all just pure information - a bit like reading an encyclopedia. But if a youngster already has an interest in the subject, the books probably have the wow factor that is missing for me. All the same, a useful addition to a children's library. I AM ESKIMO Aknik my name by Paul Green, illustrated by George Ahgupuk Alaska Northwest Publishing Company Ages: 7-12 years An authentic collection of Alaskan Eskimo stories with authentic illustrations. The author Paul Green (known as Aknik to other Eskimos) decided to write his own story of the Eskimo's after being unimpressed by visiting writers' accounts. An Eskimo friend George Ahgupuk (a well-respected artist) accompanies the writing with simple pen illustrations. This book is both economical with word and line. The line drawings are simple, honest representations of Eskimo life. The writing is simple and hasn't been westernized, and one soon starts to imagine the author's accent and acclimatises very quickly. There are many accounts of hunting, food, animals, stories and even kissing. 'I think that why our old Eskimo rubbing their nose for kiss, so they won't spread T.B. germ among themselves. Now we younger generation learn our kisses from white people and just forget about our old generation Eskimo rubbing nose kiss.' This is an interesting insight into Eskimo culture, giving a very clear picture of how they live. My only whinge is the cover. Why is a subject that is not main stream and deserving a wider audience portrayed in such a boring way? It looks like a post-War design for an Eskimos ration book. Reviews by Maureen Domoney

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