Abrams books | Page 9 of 11

Strange Nature, amazing close-up images kids want to see

It takes a special kind of person to oversee a fourth-grade report. In most cases those students are presented with a wide variety of options to choose from and more often than not, they’ll go for the more obscure animals. When I oversee kids doing a report like this I always encourage them to do the research in a book. The way that elementary kids use computers to research things is limited to what they see on the screen. They won’t let their natural curiosity turn the page before they’ve written down an information point that their teacher has asked for. Strange Nature, The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss is the kind of slow boiling, detail-filled book on bizarre insects that most kids will never see, but will know something about.

Bugs you can love. Photography you’ll crave.

Thanks A Ton!, teaches ‘thanks’ as only Hello!Lucky can

When we last saw the Hello!Lucky team, they were up and at ‘em with Go Get ‘Em Tiger. In Thanks A Ton! their bright, maniacally happy presentation is back with a cadre of animals and the goal of getting kids to laugh and say ‘thank you. If you haven’t seen a Hello!Lucky book or any of their graphic artwork it’s unmistakable.

It’s a book for children, keep telling yourself that

This Is The Glade Where Jack Lives, an offbeat, charming tale

I just had to look up the difference between a glade and a moor, essentially one is reserved for shooting while the other is merely an open space in a forest. This Is The Glade Where Jack Lives immediately reminded me of the book that it reminded you of. This Is The House That Jack Built is that backward told tale that was as great as the person reading it to you. If the reader is full of emotion and passion, then the story leaped off of the page. This Is The Glade Where Jack Lives, Or How a Unicorn Saved the Day takes that template, amps up the silly factor, and adds some fabulous illustrations to make a great good-night that will leave kids four-eight laughing regardless of when they read it.

This is the book, kids rightly mistook for a great good-night read

Old Enough to Save the Planet succeeds for many reasons

If Old Enough to Save the Planet were a time then it would be a sunny, warm weekend afternoon. From time to time there would be a cool breeze and there’d also hear a symphony of birds from a variety of branches in the tree above you. There’s a lot to like about Old Enough to Save the Planet. It’s all presented from an easy-going, leisurely perspective that provides elementary-aged children a dozen real-life examples of youth that saw a problem and are actively doing something about it.

A soft teaching eco book that works with illustrations and kids

Donner Dinner Party, Bigger & Badder Edition, the size the book deserves

Sometimes when I read I curse my middle-aged eyesight. I do that especially when I read any of the books in Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales book series. As a graphic novel by any measurable barometer that series is outstanding for those upper-elementary school readers and up. It’s one of those series where the ‘and up’ qualifier is especially apt. If I were just reading them I would enjoy them as much from an entertainment perspective, as much as the educator in me likes them for the non-fiction stories they tell. Donner Dinner Party, A Pioneer Tale, Bigger & Badder Edition is a great example of taking something great and improving upon it.

Bigger is better in this case

Everything You Need to Know When You Are 10 is apt, effective and fun

What better place to ask kids about Everything You Need to Know When You Are 10 then to a fourth-grade-class? I looked over the book and enjoyed its approach towards dealing with this age. It balances a wide variety of topics and interests, some of which are quite silly, while others let themselves be known that it’s a serious subject. The book deftly weaves between them all in a manner that’s entertaining and educational. But is the book as on point with that elusive 10-year-old audience as I think it is?

Turning 10? This is a book you need to see

My Mighty Marvel First Book Black Panther is classic and new

Saying that board books are for babies is like saying pizza is mostly circular. While that is true, you could also talk about the myriad number of ingredients, the thickness of crust, and so on. Sandra Boynton is the queen of board books. However, her style of board books is just like that classic pepperoni pizza, it’s one style. My Mighty Marvel First Book is a series of board books from Abrams Appleseed. This series absolutely nails to the floor the aspects, appearance, enjoyment, and characteristics that make up a great board book for crawlers and up.

Let’s take a look at The Incredible Hulk and Black Panther. “Those pictures look old”, our 11-year-old said while looking over the book. Obviously, these board books are meant for crawlers through early elementary school. However, I knew what he was talking about with his ‘old’ adjective. Black Panther is illustrated by John Buscema and The Incredible Hulk is done by Sal Buscema. John and his younger brother are legends in the Marvel Comic world. Their representation of every superhero at Marvel Comics came to define the appearance and personality of their superheroes for a generation. Sal had a 10-year run illustrating The Incredible Hulk, whereas John did at least one issue of every Marvel Comic book and then some. Suffice it to say, any parent that picks up either of these My Mighty Marvel First Books will have some sort of memory when they look at the art.

Board Books with punch that kids will love

Slamdown Town: Ragtag Team, pile drives the fun for ages 10 and up

Slamdown Town: Ragtag Team is the second book in the series by Maxwell Nicoll and Matthew Smith. The first book, Slamdown Town was a slice of Tom Hank’s Big, The Main Event on Netflix, as well as a fantasy that most kids have. What if something you did magically gave you powers? In the case of Ollie, a young teenage boy, it’s a piece of gum that transforms him into a massive, hulk of a man who can wrestle like Kurt Angle. Whenever he chews it he’s Big Chew, an adult who throws elbows in the ring and when he doesn’t he’s just Hollis’ little brother, in addition to being a best friend to Tamiko.

Wacky, goofy fun about wrestling, magic gum and making friends