Kids Can Press | Daddy Mojo

Germy Science is the cure for the STEM reluctant reader

Some books that cross our desk take a moment or two to peg down exactly who’s the audience for it. Other books hit the nail so squarely on the head that one might question if the book was ghostwritten a member of its intended audience. Gross Science is a series of illustrated reference books from Kids Can Press and Germy Science is the second release within that series. It’s written by Edward Kay and while I’ve never personally met him, his online photo appears to be that of someone who is older than a fifth-grader.

Germy Science is exactly how a fifth-grade student wants to learn about germs and viruses presented with humor and gross facts.

How you, as a 10 YO, would want to learn about germs

The Collectors, steady, calm, curious storytelling for ages 4 and up

Kids love to explore spaces and imagine that the stick that they find outside is a dinosaur bone. The Collectors is an illustrated book that taps into that curious and playful spirit that kids of a certain age have. As with any discovery or adventure, the aspect of doing it, is only part of the story and sometimes the journey is the destination. In The Collectors, we meet Winslow and Rosie, two young girls who have amassed a huge collection of natural wonders but strive for something more. What follows is a trip into the countryside where the girls find some great examples of things that they haven’t seen or otherwise might not be attainable.

Easy going, old soul, curious and easy to embrace

Bringing Back The Wolves, the perfect nexus of art and eco education

Middle school students do not need to fear illustrated books and Bringing Back The Wolves is a great example of that. In 1926 Yellowstone National Park has so many wolves that the government offered a bounty for each one that was killed. Around that time thousands of people moving west and wolves were the apex predator to beat. They were attacking cattle with ease which drove a wedge of fear to those farmers who were trying to feed the massive amount of people. Bringing Back The Wolves takes a surprisingly detailed look at the unforeseen effects of these actions and how that environment rebounded.

Wolves, art, education and more in an illustrated book

The Boreal Forest is a perfect mid-grade biome book

In theory, I know where the Boreal Forest is. For us it’s similar to The Isle of Man; both of which are such perfectly named places that they’d only exist in some middle earth novel or on the outskirts of my geography knowledge. In this case, The Boreal Forest, A Year in the World’s Largest Land Biome is a children’s illustrated book that effortlessly blends art and entertainment into a book that nature kids will relish and casual kidlit readers will enjoy.

The illustrated book as educational tool is a great thing