What Kids Should Read » Insects

Oh, Yuck!: The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty by Joy Masoff

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:45:00 +0000

If your child is extremely inquisitive and loves to learn this is the book is for them. While you may sensor some of what you want to read the book is interesting and captivating to children. Everything from Ants, barf, leaches,rats to cannibalism is discussed at length. Children will truly get an idea of what these things really mean, My son is only four and he loves hearing about the different topics and has even learned quite a few things that he still remembers. This shows me that not only is he interested in the topics as I am reading them, but he is learning. I love this book and find myself learning things I never knew as well. I do skip certain things while reading, as it is a bit too much knowledge for a four year old, but still find it worth it. Every day he looks forward to me reading about another “nasty” topic.

Philippe in Monet’s Garden by Lisa Jobe Carmack

Sun, 04 May 2008 04:10:40 +0000

Beautifully Illustrated by Lisa Canney Chesaux

This book is a great way to introduce a child to art. It has a light story that focuses on a French frog who ends up living in the garden Monet liked to paint. Children are able to learn a little bit about the artist and his great style and use of color. A side benefit from this book is that it teaches children that though Philippe is different from the other frogs and endures a lot of teasing, he is still special. All children need to be reminded of how special they are and to not let teasing bother them. This book is a great way to open up discussion.

The Ant Bully by John Nickle

Sun, 04 May 2008 03:59:35 +0000

This book deals with the very important issue of bullying. It teaches children the importance of treating people the same way you want to be treated. We see the main character Lucas in both roles as someone who gets bullied and someone who bullies. The ants teach him a strong and powerful lesson by introducing him to their world. Once in that world Lucas is able to learn valuable lessons. These lessons include working together, the importance of all creatures on earth, and that everyone has feelings. This book also teaches about life in the ant colony and can open up discussion and research about the life of ants.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar written by Eric Carle

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:32:18 +0000

Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar teaches children several major concepts in one tiny book. On the surface you can utilize the book to teach the basic life cycle of the butterfly. If you look a little deeper, their are lessons about the days of the week, counting, color, time of day, and even nutrition. As you can see this book can be a spring board into many exciting areas of learning for your child. The other aspect of this book worth mentioning is the art. Their is a distinctive style in all fo Eric Carle’s books that can lead to hands on art experiences for your child. Lastly the book very carefully uses repetitive language making it easy for children to retell from memory, one of the first steps when learning how to read.