the Review Source
I love giving books to children - and adults! Books make great gifts for special days such as Children's Day, Birthdays or for any time! Consider some of these books for your gift-giving to children!
Candlewick Press
|
|
Illustrator - Ernie Kwiat Ages - 4-7 |
|
-
Favorite Features -
-
available in hard cover copy or as four paper back stories in a slipcover
-
part of the "Brand New Readers" series
-
includes eight tips how to make first time reading easy and fun
-
includes four stories
-
each story has an introduction and simple repetitive text
-
colorful illustrations
-
Sesame Street friends are sure to delight children
-
encourages cleaning, counting, sharing, difference between happy and grouchy , body parts and moving
-
|
Ernie and his Friends Illustrator - Tom Brannon Ages 4-7 |
-
Favorite Features -
-
all the same features as mentioned above in the Big Bird book
-
encourages getting dressed, color recognition, directions, big and little and counting
-
I love these simple early reader books! Children will be delighted by the simple stories featuring their friends from Sesame Street and will feel a sense of accomplishment as they learn to read these fun stories with simple, repetitive text. Tremendously well done!
|
|
Author - Hallie Durand Illustrator - Tony Fucile Ages 3 - 8 |
- Favorite Features -
- encourages imagination and playing with your dad!
- fun, colorful illustrations
- fun story - little ones will be able to identify with Mitchell - I know my 2 year old grandson sure does!
Fun book for little ones to enjoy with their parents! My grandson loves this book - parents could read the book with their child and then spend some times "pretending" and playing with their children like Mitchell does with his dad in the story. A "must-have" for any family with a preschool boy! Tremendously well done!
 |
Author - Douglas Wood Illustrator - P.J. Lynch Ages 4-8 |
- Favorite Features -
- amazing, beautiful and detailed illustrations
- encourages being thankful for who you are and the amazing things you can do
- illustrations show children of different races
I love this book! While the author does not tie in the special things about each person with the way God created them to be unique and amazing, parents could certainly use this book to talk with their child about how God made them unique and how God knows what they think and feel! It provides a wonderful opportunity to rejoice over the special person God made them to be! This unique and beautiful book is one to share with your children and grandchildren! Tremendously well done!
 |
Author - Ann Stott Illustrator - Matt Phelan Ages 3 - 8 |
- Favorite Features -
- encourages recognizing how a child is growing up and reaffirms their parent's love for them
- fun illustrations
- touching story little ones will enjoy and will bring a tear to mom's eye!
Fun book for little ones to enjoy with their parents! Provides a wonderful opportunity for parents to rejoice with their child over how they are growing and talk about the amazing way God made them, while reminding a child, they will always be loved. Extremely well done!
 |
Author - Peter Stein Illustrator - Bob Staake Ages 4-8 |
|
- Favorite Features -
- simple, fun text
- encourages fun, creativity, color recognition and identifying cars by their description
- I love the colors and illustrations - any child - or o parent who loves cars will love this book!
This is a very fun book! My grandson loves this book and loves to identify each car in the illustrations from the way they are described in the text. Tremendously well done!
 |
Authors/Illustrators - Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda Ages - 5+ |
- Favorite Features -
- creative, unique approach to presenting some of history's "monsters" and "dragons"
- fold-outs and pop-ups are amazing and add to the fun
- encourages learning stories and legends from the past and developing an interest in paper engineering
Even though this book talks about monsters, it is a very fun book! The paper engineering - pop-ups are amazing . . . this book encourages creativity, imagination and challenges a child to learn! Creative and unique this is a book adults will enjoy, too! Tremendously well done!
 |
Author - Harriet Ziefert
Illustrator - Simms Taback
Ages 3+
|
- Favorite Features -
- encourages animal recognition and moving in different ways
- fun illustrations
- a trip to the zoo in a book!
- sturdy board book format
 |
Mobiles by Flensted
Text by Harriet Ziefert
Ages 4-8
|
- Favorite Features -
- includes information on mobiles
- encourages counting, animal and color recognition, beginning math with adding, subtracting
- I love the colors and illustrations - raised images add to the fun
- story problems on each page
 |
Authors - Sharon Werner & Sarah Forss
Ages - 4-8
|
 |
- Favorite Features -
- creative, unique and fun new approach to learning the abc's
- fold-outs add to the fun
- each letter has additional things that start with it and is shown in multiple type-faces
- could absolutely do without the tarantula for T - why not tigers or turtles or toucans or tamarinds???
- encourages learning letters, recognizing animals and developing an interest in type
  |
Author - Daniel Pinkwater
Illustrator - Jack E. Davis
Ages - 4-8
|
- Favorite Features -
- colorful, fun illustrations
- funny, goofy story - except for the part about the child eating "kibble"
- encourages imagination and pretending
  |
Authors - Patricia MacLachlan & Emily MacLachlan Charest
Illustrator - Katy Schneider
Ages - 4-8
|
- Favorite Features -
- lovely illustrations
- enjoyable dog "perspectives"
  |
Author - Jane O'Connor
Illustrator - Robin Preiss Glasser
Ages - 4-8
|
- Favorite Features -
- "I Can Read Level 1 Beginning Reader" book
- great lessons on listening in this fun story
- fancy big words - list in the back of book
- fun illustrations we have come to love
  |
Author - C. S. Lewis
Special Read-Aloud Edition
Illustrated by - Pauline Baynec
Original Novels
Unabridged on CD
|
- Favorite Features -
- Original Novels includes all seven books in one - perfect for the Narnia fan
- CD is performed by Derek Jacobi - I liked his presentation except for the voices of Reeipicheep the Mouse and for Lucy.
- CD includes interactive bonus materials
 |
Melissa Iwai
Ages 2-5
|
- Favorite Features -
- simple text and short story
- colorful illustrations
- encourages helping, eating healthy foods and imagination
- includes recipe for Snowy Day Vegetable Soup
 |
Author - Lemony Snicket
Illustrator - Maira Kalman
Ages 4-7
|
- Favorite Features -
- this story is built around 13 "essential" words - bird, despondent, cake, dog, busy, convertible, goat, hat, haberdashery, scarlet, baby, panache and Mezzo-Soprano
- colorful, interesting paintings add to the "atmosphere" of this book
 |
Author - Jane O'Connor
Illustrator - Robin Preiss Glasser
Ages 4-8
|
- Favorite Features -
- simple text and short story
- colorful illustrations
- encourages spelling, confidence and doing your best
- includes tips for parents to help their child learn to read - this is a Level One Beginning Reader book
 |
Author - Arthur Yorinks
Illustrator - Aleksey & Olga Ivanov
Ages 4-8
|
- Favorite Features -
- This Level 2 I Can Read Book has three stories in one
- colorful illustrations add to the fun of this book
 |
Author - Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Illustrator - Pat Schories
Ages 3-5
|
- Favorite Features -
- My First Shared Reading book
- colorful illustrations
- encourages helping, early reading
- short, simple story
|
|
Designed by Joyce White
Based on character by - Margret & H. A. Rey
Ages 2+
|
|
- Favorite Features -
-
sturdy board book
-
loved friend George has fun with vehicles
-
includes a "moveable" George
-
encourages imagination
| Curious George Puzzle Books | ||
 |
Written by - Cynthia Platt
Art by - Greg Paprocki
Ages 2+
|
 |
- Favorite Features -
- each book has four four piece puzzles
- sturdy board book
- seasons book teaches the four seasons and activities
- animals book teaches animal recognition of animals at the farm, zoo, aquarium and school
 |
Author - Denise Dowling Mortensen
Illustrator - Melissa Iwai
Ages 2+
|
|
- Favorite Features -
- two books in one!
- variety of engines go to "sleep" as a child is tucked into bed
- variety of engines "wake up" as a child begins his day
- sturdy card stock pages
- colorful illustrations show the child playing with toy engines and then the "real" engines ending or beginning their day
Fun book for children to enjoy - particularly little boys who love cars! Encourages imagination and conversations about vehicles and how they move. An added bonus is this book is actually two books in one! Tremendously well done!
 |
Author - Allia Zobel Nolan
Illustrator- Maria Maddocks
Ages - 2-4
|
- Favorite Features -
- simple story
- sounds add to the fun with lift flaps
- batteries are replaceable
- encourages recognizing musical instruments and the sounds they make as well as imagination and fun
 |
Author - Karen Beaumont
Illustrator - Jackie Urbanowic
Ages - 4-7
|
- Favorite Features -
- colorful, fun illustrations
- encourages animal and sound recognition
- short, repetitive story
 |
Where Is Your Home? |
Author - Vincent Balas
Illustrator - Lucie Durbiano
Ages - Birth - 3
|
Where Is Your Mama? |
 |
|
|
||||
- Favorite Features -
- sturdy board book design
- part of the "Slide & See" series
- short, simple text
- children are sure to enjoy the "sliding" pages
- colorful illustrations
- encourages animal/home recognition
 |
Author - Susan Blackaby
Illustrator - Carmen Segovia
Ages - 3+
|
|
- Favorite Features -
- simple story
- simple illustrations - limited use of color helps convey winter's feel
- encourages finding common ground and turning someone into a friend
 |
Author - Bernette Ford
Illustrator - Sam Williams
Ages - 2-4
|
|
- Favorite Features -
- simple text - little ones are easily able to understand the point of this book
- colorful illustrations
- encourages using the potty!
 |
Author/Illustrator - David Soman and Jacky Davis
Ages 4-7
|
- Favorite Features -
- characters children will love - Lulu aka Ladybug Girl and her trusty basset hound, Bingo
- story children will understand and identify with - being told she is "too little", but discovering she is "big as the whole outdoors"
- colorful, fun illustrations - love the basset's ears blowing in the wind!
- encourages imagination, being creative and learning you can do things after all!
Zonderkidz Publishing
 |
 Authors - Mike Nawrocki, Cindy Kenney, Karen Poth, Lisa Vischer, Mary Murray
Ages 2-5
|
- Favorite Features -
- short, simple, fun stories with a point - to help teach children manners, helping, listening, sharing and more
- favorite Veggie Friends like Larry, Jr, Laura, Bob and the Peas add to the fun
- sturdy board books - great for little ones
- colorful and fun illustrations
Little ones will love these books with their Veggie friends and parents will appreciate the strong messages in the stories and the opportunities they provide to have important conversations with their children. Also make great gifts for grandparents to wrap individually and then allow their grandchildren to open a few days early - spread the fun out! Extremely well done!
|
Illustrator - Dennis Jones
Ages 6-9
|
- Favorite Features -
- NIrV for ease of understanding
- 16 full-color Bible character illustrations throughout Bible - I love Dennis Jones' illustrations!
- includes a dictionary
- colorful duo-tone cover
- small, portable size
- includes a guide to great Bible stories
This is a great first "real" Bible for children who are beginning to read. I especially like the NIrV as it is easier for children to understand and the illustrations from Dennis Jones are a real "plus"! Parents or grandparents, personalize this Bible with a note to your child and it is sure to be a Bible they will treasure! Tremendously well done!
  |
Authors - Lynn Hodges and Sue Buchanan
Illustrator - John Bendall Brunello
Ages - 6 and under
|
- Favorite Features -
- includes a CD with the lullaby
- strong message of a parent's love for their child and how it is like God's love for us
- I like the part of the song that is sung by Mary Peyton - would prefer to have the entire song sung by Mary
- beautiful illustrations
This book is a perfect choice for a bedtime routine story - colorful illustrations and encouraging text are sure to make it a favorite of young children! Extremely well done!
  |
Author - Charles Toscano
Illustrator - Sonja Lamut
Ages - 4-7
|
- Favorite Features -
- beautiful illustrations
- strong messages about the value of being kind and helping others
- beautiful story of God's love and provision for us
Touching and powerful the message in this book is one we all need to know! I love how the papa models generosity and compassion as well as trusting God! Tremendously well done!
|
|
