Education | Page 14 of 40

KIBO Robot Kits are the STEAM skill toy you wish you had as a child

It would be deceiving to describe the KIBO Robot Kit as easy. Initially I compared it to the literary equivalent of a board book in that it’s geared towards younger users. KIBO Robot Kits are geared to a similar age as their book brethren, except their goal is much more in the STEAM camp. We’ve played with numerous “kid coding” toys and KIBO Robot Kits are easily the best-and most immersive for what they’re trying to accomplish. It is incredibly simple to use, has almost no learning curve and can challenge the older children for whom the robot is intended for.

If your 4YO can scan an item at the grocery store they can learn coding with KIBO

Mammal Takeover! is a full immersion educational graphic novel

Graphic novels can be so much more than entertaining and fun to read. They can be educational!! Really, they can be and they’re so much more than what some parents, educators or kids might think that they are. The Earth Before Us series from Amulet Books is a great example of how much and how different a graphic novel can be. Mammal Takeover! is the third book in this entertaining and educational series that is about old school Earth.

Mammal Takeover! is a semi-deep dive graphic novel into the prehistoric story of Earth

Life, The First Four Billion Years, lives and breathes

It takes a certain degree of gravitas and chutzpa to title a book Life, The First Four Billion Years and only have the book be 80 pages. A title like that implies that the book would be encyclopedia-esque, covering many volumes. This book doubles down on its confidence and is an oversized book that’s worthy of being on your coffee table, if you have one. Thankfully, Life delivers in its content and illustrations in a way that we’ve seen very few books accomplish. It covers incredibly complex material in a way that can be understood by those students in upper elementary who are interested in life.

If you’re looking for a book to pump up and encourage grades 5 and up about evolution, this is it

Science Comics: Cats, as enjoyable as a kitten video, but educational too

Graphic novels are meant to be entertaining and are incapable of being educational. Granted readers might gleam something from the art and the book’s cultural relevance, but on the whole, it’s for fun. It’s OK if you have thought that. Education and entertainment sometimes don’t mix. That’s why the best teachers, the ones that you still remember from middle school managed to entertain you while they were teaching you. They lower your defenses and then –BAM, start the soft messaging of teaching you something. Science Comics: Cats is like that and for middle school readers and up who want to learn about animals that will leave you feline fine keep on reading.

Science Comics: Cats by Andy Hirsch is an entertaining graphic novel masquerading as a cat bio book. Ages 8 and up will laugh, learn and love it.

Science Comics: Cats, as enjoyable as a kitten video, but educational too

Creepy and True, Mummies Exposed!, superb, non-fiction, mummy funny

Mummies are something that we’ve had a keen interest in for decades. When I was single and childless I would plan my vacations around places where mummies could be seen. On one particular excursion I was near Siwa, Egypt and visited a series of tombs that the locals were talking about.* Sure enough, there were mummies there, just chilling out in a series of enclaves that were cut into the side of a mountain. I never disturbed any of the remains-or took anything from the burial site. I’ve seen The Brady Bunch Hawaii episode, I know that taking things from sacred locations never, ever ends well.

If you’re a middle grade student and want mummies-you got em. You will really dig this.

Outback, A Photicular Book, jumps and educates in this moving series

Sometimes, I make noises when I open the mail. It’s the rare surprise or the latest in a series of books or author, that’s so superior that I just can’t wait to share it with my class, read it myself or have my children discover it. The Photicular Book series from Dan Kainen is one of these. The boys were on the other side of the room when I opened Outback and they dashed over to see what the hubbub was.

this series of books from Dan Kainen is superb and Outback is nothing short of exceptional

Professor Astro Cat’s Stargazing, exceptional early astronomy on any level

Professor Astro Cat is the bestselling book series that aims, and wildly succeeds, in explaining potentially complex issues that kids are curious about. The combination of beautifully simple art by Ben Newman and just detailed enough explanations by Dr. Dominic Walliman add up to an entry level education that kids will want to read. Professor Astro Cat’s Stargazing continues the excellence that their previous books have laid out, but this time takes young readers to the stars.

Professor Astro Cat’s Stargazing is a beautiful and education book on stars that’ll have ages 5 through 7 (and up) looking up and wondering.

The art will hook them, the text will relate to them-ages 4 and up will love Stargazing

It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! review

Just in time for children who are going into pre-K through second grade, It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus!. This is a children’s illustrated book by Jody Jensen, with illustrations by Claire Messer that’ll hit home with the really small children who are over the moon about getting on the big yellow monster.

The big yellow monster, that’s what my mother used to call it. I don’t remember too much about that name, other than she used to say, ‘here come the big yellow monsters’. I can only assume it wasn’t too malicious or required music from The Exorcist in the background because I loved school and education.

To young children the school bus can be a symbol of independence and not being a baby any more. It can also be terrifying. Having walked our kids to the bus stop this past week we’ve seen a couple kids who are in their first year of getting on the bus who did not take too kindly to it. Those kids that don’t want to get on the busy bus are akin to a cat who is being made to take a bath.

It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! is just the sort of pre-K comfort book food that kids who are looking forward to things would benefit from. ‘Looking forward to’ varies from small one to small one. Some small ones look forward to things so much that they irrationally use their young minds to freak out about getting on the busy bus. That’s where the book comes in handy.

It’s soft and beautifully illustrated in organic, old-school manners that will sooth the eyes of small sight readers. The text uses simple, short sentences that focus on how the bus will feel on the first day of school. Not surprisingly the bus is nervous also, but Ben the trusty bus driver puts its nerves at ease.

Much like School’s First Day of School from Adam Rex, It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! is squarely aimed at pre-K through second grade. Those older kids will be able to read it easily, but will still be able to learn lessons on dealing with new, potentially scary situations.