Kids Science Books - spring

Thinking about spring gifts for Easter or birthdays? Do you value education? Kids science books are a great choice for a gift. To be more green we can all abide by the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle and "needs before wants" when we shop. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - "Everyone has the right to education." With that in mind, choose something educational, something you know for sure will be useful to the recipient - don't guess, ask them for input, assuming they are old enough! Here are my ideas and suggestions for shopping kids science books for gifts this spring.

For Easter and Spring Birthdays
It's nice to have a fun, educational, book or two in your Easter basket. Earth Day is also coming up, and you might know a kid or two with a spring birthday. Here are some best selling choices from Usborne:

• Early science understanding for infants and toddlers is really about observation, cause and effect, exploring with the senses, and learning to understand life, the environment, and what to expect. Books can be used to grow children in all these respects and to prepare for the reading part of their learning. Some great choices for infants to 3 years - Animal Hide and Seek, That's Not My Bunny, Noisy Animals, This is My Tractor.
• Three to six year olds are figuring out the difference between living and non-living. They can learn about lifecycles, habitats, and the seasons. They begin to notice that each living thing has needs and thrives under a set of circumstances. Good choices for 3 to 6 year olds include - The Butterfly, Creepy Crawlies Lift the Flap, 1001 Bugs to Spot.
• In the early elementary years books that are both educational and fun with easy reading are the best choices. 6 to 9 year olds can become confident readers while learning about the Earth and nature. Science books and reference shelf items start to become more important, such as - Great Planet Earth Search, See Inside Planet Earth, Trash and Recycling and more, Why Should I Bother About the Planet?
  

Usborne Books and More are very efficient at shipping and typically have a one business day turn-around. The warehouse is in Tulsa Oklahoma, which means it's too late for Easter delivery to either coast. However, I am in the Midwest and will be placing my own Easter order on Monday. If you need an estimate of shipping time to you please ask rather than assuming one way or the other. E-mail me or call me - my phone number is listed at UsborneKC.com.

Does your child have a favorite Usborne book or a favorite science book?

One of my friends just alerted me to a going out of business sale for certified organic candy. Some of their items are selling for less than half price. The company is College Farm and they have a very cute candy tin with organic lollipops which becomes a traditional metal lunch box and it's selling for $1.99 at 75% off. Excuse the pun, but that's a sweet deal! They also have certified organic lemon hard candy and my mouth is watering just thinking of it.

Learning from Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends

Thomas the Tank Engine stories at Amazon.com

Boys and their trains, that's usually how it goes. Who'd have thought though that cute little Thomas the Tank Engine from the small Island of Sodor, written by Rev A. W. Awdry and illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby, would have captured so many imaginations. Thomas is nothing short of a phenomenon; a character, created by a British author, who's name has surely been spoken in the majority of American homes. Personally I can't say I'm a particular fan of the modernized Thomas - take me out and shoot me if you have to now - but he certainly appeals to small children! I'll admit I'm a fan of steam trains and I enjoy the Thomas stories in their original format. I thought it would be fun to share some information, activities, and educational links related to Thomas the Tank Engine. I hope your kids, and you, enjoy them.

• Adults who want to know more about Thomas and his history and development may want to start with Wikipedia on Thomas the Tank Engine - information on the books, TV series, models, toys and how Thomas relates to real railway engines and railroad routes.
• At Thomas and Friends are games and activities for kids to explore - it's one of those annoying Flash sites which my computer security throws up blocks to so check it out and make sure it works for you before you get your kids excited.
• The Random House Thomas site has stuff about the books, printable activities, and some information about the authors.
  
• Visit the Unofficial Thomas the Tank Engine site for a nice collection of information about the original books and lots of links.
• You can read about the authors at the Awdry Family Official Website.
• Download paper models of Thomas and friends - these are very detailed. The website is in Japanese, but just click on the blue links next to the PDF graphic and the rest is self-explanatory!
• Here's a blogger who has created some very elaborate Brio Thomas track layouts for his boys.
  
• How Stuff works has a guide to all of the Thomas episodes. Now you can have the fun of quizzing each other about what happened and see if parents or kids have the better memory!
• Check out Wendy's blog and see very detailed instructions on how to make a very impressive Thomas the Tank Engine Birthday Cake and Alexa has written a blog totally about Thomas.
  
• More Thomas activities, including birthday party ideas and things to make at DLTK's.
• Lesson ideas for using Thomas to help kids with Autism at About.com.
• Of course you may have heard of the huge recall during 2007 because of lead in paint on Thomas toys - The New York Times on the Thomas recall and a lesson in morality.

Of course Thomas maybe has a few girl fans too, like Lori Ann of Simple Makes. Know a Thomas fan or have more links for me to add? Let me know.
Shop for Thomas the Tank Engine items at Amazon.com.

Fuzzy Books

Shop for That's Not My Snowman
I find that each of us has a sensory preference; luckily there are a large variety of books in the marketplace and something suitable for each child to enjoy. Fuzzy books, a sub-category of touchy feely books, are something that Usborne absolutely excels at.

In case you are lost... books on fuzzy logic at Amazon.com.

Take a look at this little snowman pictured on the left. His hat is made of soft, gray, fuzzy, fleece which begs to be touched. Each page of the book has a textured patch to enjoy, for instance one page has a red, fluffy scarf and another ribbed black buttons. The designers at Usborne don't stop at providing for the kid who loves touch though: there is a mouse to find on each page for visual interest and the wonderful repetitive text brings a rhythmic element which satisfies both the auditory learner and the child who loves music.

I'm told over and over by parents how much their child loves the That's Not My series. One family told me they constantly have them checked out of the library for their three children to enjoy. Even the 7 year old loves them! It doesn't even stop there because teachers tell me that the adjectives in That's Not My Books are incredible for developing vocabulary. Some teachers even claim to be able to pick out children who have read That's Not My books from other children in their classroom. It seems these books are a wonderful resource for learning that lasts from 6 months old to the early stages of reading.

Seasonal Books in the Usborne That's Not My... series: That's Not My Santa, That's Not My Reindeer, That's Not My Snowman.
Bestselling That's Not My... books: That's Not My Puppy, That's Not My Monkey, That's Not My Tractor, That's Not My Dolly, That's Not My Penguin, That's Not My Princess.

It's pretty hard to surpass the appeal of the Usborne That's Not My series. However if you just happen to have a little one who loves their blankie, take a look at Cuddly Baby from Usborne. The delightful, soft, cuddly blanket and other feely patches, which go along with the pastel illustrations of objects familiar to young children, make for a restful book to share at bedtime, or any time you are snuggled up together.

See inside Cuddly Baby. Also available are Busy Baby, Hide and Seek Baby, I Love You Baby and Sleepy Baby. See inside I Love You Baby.


At risk of confusing you with too much choice, the Usborne luxury touchy feely series provides books that have a little more story content and, while recommended for 9 months and up, are perfectly designed for active toddlers with developing language skills. Animal Hide and Seek has both fuzzy patches, flaps to lift, and items to find. This book demonstrates the wonderful thought that goes into making each and every Usborne book interactive, to engage a child in reading and learning. See inside Animal Hide and Seek, an Usborne Farmyard Tales book illustrated by Stephen Cartwright.

More touchy feely, fuzzy books by Usborne.
Seasonal touchy feely, fuzzy Usborne books: Hide and Seek Christmas, Christmas Mice, Nativity Touchy Feely, Sparkly Christmas Angel. An Amazon.com list of soft, squishy, cloth books.