Elementary school | Page 14 of 30

Name That Thing!, the center of quiz, fun and daydream illustrated book

Any book that sounds like a failed show on Netflix or has a page on “how to use this book” in it, can’t be entertaining, it’s probably needlessly complex or not interesting for young readers. Note: I prefer using the term young readers, as opposed to children or students because the latter will imply to them that it’s studious and not fun, while the former infers that they’re young and might not know certain things. Name That Thing! is a puzzle book that’s smarter than most elementary school ages, has a presentation that’s agreeable to anyone and information that runs the gamut from general trivia to world flags and food from around the world. With any luck, Netflix is working on a game show with the same premise.

Name That Thing! is a picture quiz book that ranges from trivial knowledge to STEM facts for ages seven and up.

quiz, reference, rainy day fun lazy book

Big Sister, Long Coat, pleasant, albeit forgettable lesson about change

There’s a hazy, fine line between a book that’s relaxing and the same one verging into sleepy. Big Sister, Long Coat is an illustrated book that straddles that line but also runs deeply into the other category, depending on the audience. It’s a book that could easily make for a relaxing story time session on the alphabet carpet at the end of the day, it can also end the day as little ones fade away, but also might escort some kids to slumber when it’s not intended. Big Sister, Long Coat also sounds like the start to a song by Cake that exists in an alternate universe.

Big Sister, Long Coat, uses varying perspectives and stark colors to show two sisters making the most of a day that goes south.

An illustrated book that’s cute, but not classic

Find Out About: Animal Tools, talk about story time for ages 5-8

Find Out About is a book series by Martin Jenkins with illustrations by Jane McGuinness that focus on certain aspects or characteristics of animals.They’re soft, entry-level books about Animal Babies, Animal Homes an Animal Camouflage, with the fourth book being, Animal Tools. All of these use the same gentle, easy-to-follow nature book template that shows young ages an example, and uses font in two different sizes to drive it home. It’s a read-aloud book that will keep those pre-K kids quiet and the K and first grade students chiming in with their own examples of animal tools.

Find Out About: Animal Tools is a gentle illustrated book that leads with illustrations and drives home the non-fiction with short scenes of animals using tools that get’s kids to think.

animal tools, and not the feeble-minded ones

The Door That Had Never Been Opened Before, a timeless new classic

The Door That Had Never Been Opened Before is an illustrated book with a look. It’s tactile appearance makes you reach out and touch the flat pages within the book as if you want to open the door or flick the characters to see if they’re drawn on a spring and move if you push just a little bit. The story is timeless, and a child’s first encounter with an age-appropriate M.C. Escher illustration. Combine the two and there’s a trippy dippy creative real-along illustrated book that will have the younger ones laughing while you’re reading it, and place a wide, silent grin on the older kids that pick the book up for some alone time when you’re not around.

The Door That Had Never Been Opened Before is an illustrated book that due to its look, has an old soul, and due to its totality is a new classic.

The M.s. Escher vibe is only the start of the fun

The Mighty Bite: Walrus Brawl as the Mall!, absurd so good

That song from Mellencamp is so overplayed in the summer. Is it that terrestrial radio plays certain songs more during that time of year, or are you simply listening to the radio more? In other news, have you ever not had something because the other thing you consumed from that entity was so good? We eat at a pizza place like that. Their pizza is so great, but I’m hesitant to order other things off the menu out of fear that it wouldn’t measure up to the thing I already like from them. Nathan Hale has a pizza place, it’s called Hazardous Tales. They’re a series of non-fiction graphic novels that makes American history entertaining and allows upper-elementary through high school and older the chance to actually enjoy learning through reading. When I first saw The Mighty Bite from Nathan Hale I immediately knew it was from his kitchen, but I didn’t try any of it. The Mighty Bite: Walrus Brawl at the Mall! is the second entry in this series and proves that you need to try new things on the menu. Not only is Walrus Brawl at the Mall! a great graphic novel for fans of Hazardous Tales, it enters the all-age graphic novel smackdown and lays competition to Investigators and Dog Man.

The Mighty Bite: Walrus Brawl at the Mall! is the second in this graphic novel series that adds its name to the must-read club for ages 8 and up.

Extemporaneously speaking

Simone has promise and a great story, but a side agenda of obvious also

Children almost certainly don’t think of books as a gateway to a different world or an opportunity to learn something in a second-hand, entertaining manner. Granted, those two takeaways are a major reason why people enjoy reading books, but to some young elementary ages books are more of a thing that you have to do, and doing things under duress is very rarely cool. Simone is not the first illustrated book that mid to upper-elementary students will look for. Its indistinct cover implies nothing about the book’s plot. All you see is an Asian girl with a sketchbook and paintbrushes, wistfully looking out as waves of colors bend ahead of her.

Simone has beautiful art and a unique, approachable story, but comes with a lesson or agenda that elementary ages know ad nausea.

The art is effective, the story is ok

What Can a Mess Make?, timeless read-aloud that soothes pre-k – 2nd grade

There is a difference between a mess and being messy. Likewise, something dreamy does not mandate that it is sleepy. Unless it’s meant to be read at bedtime, a sleepy illustrated book is not ideal for describing something you want kids to enjoy. Any child can make a mess, yet every child is not messy. What Can a Mess Make? is an illustrated book about a pair of sisters who make the most of their messes via creativity, sharing, forgiveness, patience and life.

What Can a Mess Make? is an illustrated book that brings the feel-goods and constant smiles as comfort food for ages four through eight.

The feel-good times of constant smiles and happy memories await

A Tour of the Human Body, factoid fun for grades 1-4

For a period in every elementary student’s life, they are factoid machines. They have competition between themselves to seek out and parrot one or two-line facts about animals, the more disgusting, bizarre or unknown, the better. This is the age of the exception. Kids may not be able to tell you how many ounces are in a pound, but they’ll be able to tell you at a moment’s notice that you swallow an average of 1,500 pounds of food a year. A Tour of the Human Body: Amazing Numbers-Fantastic Facts is an illustrated book that introduces elementary-aged students to this bag of flesh, organs and bones that accommodate us during our time on Earth.

A Tour of the Human Body is an illustrated book that introduces this complex bag of bones and muscles to kids aged 5-9.

Factoids, the life blood of early elementary shool kids