Rabbit
Book
Whether they already own one, or beg for one each Christmas and birthday, children love pets, and...
First Words for Kids and Toddlers Free: Preschool learning reading through letter recognition and spelling
Games and Education
App
Welcome to "First Words for Kids", the ultimate first words educational app that uses Synthetic...
Bearly Gold: A Goldilocks and the Three Bears Reimagining (Fairy Tale Fatale #2)
10.0
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Book
A Shapeshifter Fairy Tale: A Brave New Goldilocks, No Porridge Required On Earth Pact, no species...
Fantasy Romance Fairy Tale Retelling
Preschool! & Toddler kids learning Abby Games free
Education and Games
App
***** Parents‘ Choice Awards’ winner ***** Developed by an award-winning education studios,...
Under Her Skin (Shifter Shield #1)
9.0
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Book
She's lucky he's a charmer. He's lucky she doesn't bite. Much... Lindi Parker works hard at being...
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Face in the Mountain in Books
Dec 17, 2018
The Face in the Mountain </i>is a children’s picture book written by Tolulope Okudolo as part of the publishing company <i>Magnifying Children’s Horizons</i> vision of developing a world in which children learn about and appreciate nature.
The story is set in the fictional world of Vomper Creek where there is always an abundance of natural activity – that is if tree elves, giants and fairies count as “natural”. Papa and Boma are the only giants living in this area and are responsible for making sure nature does everything it is supposed to do. In fact it was Papa who built the mountains in this region to begin with. However Papa is old, frail and tired after working for over two hundred years. He needs to sleep for a century to regain his energy, thus leaving Boma, at a mere seven years of age, to take on all the important tasks.
So begins the main part of the story: Boma is scared and convinced he is unable to remember Papa’s instructions and tries to hide from all his duties. Without his help nature will not be able to function properly. Inspired by an artist he spies in the woods, Boma carves his father’s face into the side of one of the mountains so that he can always see it. This makes him feel less alone and he is able to complete all his jobs to perfection.
The purpose of this book is to help children discover the inner workings of nature and recognize that many things are connected together. For example the wind is needed to blow the seeds into places where they can sprout, then the rain, sun and soil provide the nutrients the plant needs to grow.
At the end of the story is <i>A Children’s Guide to Natural Beings</i>. This is essentially a glossary of the mythical beings featured in the book. The only issue with this is that calling them “natural beings” implies that they are real whereas there is no concrete evidence of their existence. This could give children the wrong impression about the way nature works.
The final pages of the book include a list of learning activities and discussion questions. These could be attempted in schools, in book clubs or at home with parents as a way for children to experience nature for themselves and examine the meaning of the story and the ways in which they can relate it to their own lives.
Eric Scott Fisher beautifully illustrates the book with realistic drawings that are appropriate for children of all ages. Yet there is a slight publishing issue in that the illustrations and body text do not work together. In some instances the text is overlaid on a picture, which makes it difficult to read.
The reading age of this book is approximately seven to ten year olds however younger children will be able to understand it if it is read to them by an adult. The storyline is not that strong but hopefully its purpose – to educate children about nature – will shine through the narrative.
Amanda (7 KP) rated Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Books
Sep 9, 2017
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Legend of Spud Murphy in Books
Nov 18, 2019
Colfer takes a classic tale of the plucky heroes pitted against an evil villain (in this case the titular librarian) and had a great deal of fun with it. It is an easy read, funny and engaging and enough jokes aimed at younger children and adults for it not to be a chore for parents to read. And of course a great introduction to the author.
When Clowns Attack
Book
Clowns are the scariest people on earth, and they're coming for your valuables, your children and...
Hook (1991)
7.9
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Movie Watch
When his young children are abducted by his old nemesis, Capt. Hook (Dustin Hoffman), middle-aged...