Children's Books discussion

Cheryl wrote: "I gave Luz Makes a Splash four stars.

(Did not read the first yet.)

Fun and, yes, empowering. Kids can make a difference, and they deserve to see how."

I want to get to some fun and entertaining science and technology books as well, but I really do find it wonderful how many good non fiction STEM books are out there (certainly lots more than when I was a tween and teen).

I am reading Fred Bortz' The Periodic Table of Elements and Dmitry Mendeleyev on Open Library, and the book is basically the same as his Johannes Kepler and the Three Laws of Planetary Motion and equally brilliant (and so I will be trying to get the entire series of Bortz' books on what he calls science pioneers). And I sure wish that we had had books like this in the late 1970s and early 1980s for use in our middle and high school science classes.

Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook: Teaching Basic English Skills and Healthy Nutrition One Bite at a Time! (non fiction, mostly a cookbook of course, but there also lots of nutritional information, based on science)

I do have to admit that albeit my inner child has definitely enjoyed the rhyming text of the alphabet section for Mariah and Teri Ecker's 2022 Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook: Teaching Basic English Skills and Healthy Nutrition One Bite at a Time! and adores how text and images in said section generally focus on both healthy eating and also on the same being something fun, tasty and thus equally not that much a chore, my older adult self kind of wishes that for the sections on eggs (the letter e), honey (the letter h) and when butter is being mentioned the co-authors would do the same as happens in the section on milk (the letter m) and also list vegan alternatives (and not to mention that for me, even though I love eating jam, ice cream, cookies and cakes, I do have to question if these sugar heavy treats should really be appearing in a book that is supposed to be promoting healthy eating habits and good basic nutrition).

But be that as it may, my personal questions regarding the abecedarian area of Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook: Teaching Basic English Skills and Healthy Nutrition One Bite at a Time! are actually pretty minor and kind of almost fade into the background for me since the recipe section that follows the A to Z part of the book is pretty amazing and wonderful, is delightfully child friendly in set-up with easy to follow meal ideas that can be made, that can be created by both adults and children, and with (except for vegan alternatives for eggs, cheese and honey) Mariah and Teri Ecker usually providing non animal based alternative ingredients, suggesting low sodium soup stocks and with the focus of Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook: Teaching Basic English Skills and Healthy Nutrition One Bite at a Time! being very much on vegetables and fruits as a main part of any healthy meal (and that yes, I also adore and appreciate the list of one hundred thematic words from the alphabet section of Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook: Teaching Basic English Skills and Healthy Nutrition One Bite at a Time! but do kind of wish that there could be more activities presented and that alongside the wonderful recipes and informative informational tips on healthy eating that for every recipes a photograph of the end product could also be provided, as the absence of this does kind of bother me and in particular so in a cookbook specifically geared towards children and also towards promoting healthy eating and cooking habits, since many of us are visual learners and need and also want both text and images in cookbooks).

And in conclusion, while for myself as an older and critical adult reader Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook: Teaching Basic English Skills and Healthy Nutrition One Bite at a Time! is solidly three stars and could definitely be improved a wee bit, well, since my inner child has not only totally enjoyed and appreciated every single part and every single presented word and thought featured in Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook: Teaching Basic English Skills and Healthy Nutrition One Bite at a Time!, my star rating will be four stars and is also generally warmly recommended (and with my final assessment of and for Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook: Teaching Basic English Skills and Healthy Nutrition One Bite at a Time! being that Mariah and Teri Ecker are providing a fun, informative, educational cookbook and celebration/promotion of healthy nutritious eating and encouraging such habits early on, a book to definitely consider for both children and also of course for parents cooking with their children).

The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora (non fiction, not recommended though as I have found quite a few errors)

While Michael Largo's The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora is definitely penned in a decently engaging and interesting enough manner, well, after noticing already four what I would personally consider as rather major factual mistakes by the time I had arrived only at the letter C (and since as The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora is organised alphabetically, there were of course still twenty-four letter sections to peruse), I decided to quit and find something better and less filled with likely and probable errors for my reading pleasure (for if there is one thing that I absolutely CANNOT STAND, that would indeed be non fiction books with sloppy research and obvious mistakes).

Now I am indeed NOT and NEVER will be either a professional or even an amateur botanist and thus I can actually also not in any manner be totally sure and confident as to whether most of the floral, as to whether the botanical and biological information presented by Michael Largo in The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora demonstrates generally sound scientific research and true, correct and also contemporary, current information and plant details (but indeed, I have certainly noticed that most of the critical online reviews of The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora by both amateur and semi-professional plant experts, and there are definitely a very goodly number of these reviews present, do tend to claim that The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora is simply too full of and replete with botanical and scientific mistakes and gaffes to be taken in any way seriously and to be accepted as well-researched on a scientific level).

But yes, while I might not be a plant expert, I do indeed know (with my college and university level background in language and linguistics) something about basic word origins, I am aware of what constitutes good word etymologies. And indeed, it has definitely been rather majorly disconcerting to say the least that for example, for both the noun nettle and the noun beech, Michael Largo is in The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora definitely and certainly claiming erroneous etymologies, that he is using word origin stories that might sound reasonable on the surface but which even with a bit of research in any either online or dead tree etymological dictionary worth its linguistic salt would definitely show that nettle is actually not in any way directly related to needle even if the two nouns do look similar and both have similarly stinging qualities and that beech is in fact not based on the German noun for book but rather that the German noun for book, that das Buch (and in fact also the English noun book), stem directly from the noun die Buche which (guess what) does indeed mean beech in the German language (and that this has occurred because the Germanic runes, that the first basic letters used by the Germanic tribes, and not for actual reading and writing, but more for magic and divination, were in fact made of beech wood tablets).

And finally, even though I am as already stated above not in any manner a plant expert, I do indeed know for a fact that unlike what Michael Largo claims in his section on alfalfa, alfalfa has NOT been genetically modified to actually contain the weed-killer Round-Up, that instead, GM alfalfa has been genetically modified to be RESISTANT to Round-Up (a very big and substantial difference that in my humble opinion the author really should easily have noticed as ANY information found online on GM alfalfa clearly does state that GM alfalfa is resistant to Round-Up and not that it somehow contains Round-Up as part of its new genetic structure). Furthermore, while it is indeed true that amanita mushrooms are deadly poisonous, should they (and should the entire section on fungi itself) even be part of The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora, considering that funguses, that mushrooms, moulds etc. are not considered part of the plant kingdom and are now even often approached by biologists as more closely and genetically linked to animals than to plants?

Thus, even though I do perhaps feel a trifle guilty to be rating and negatively reviewing Michael Largo's The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora when I only intensely and meticulously read the book up to about the C section (albeit that I did indeed basically and briefly try to skim over the rest of The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora in a very cursory fashion), the fact that in the three sections I critically perused, I personally have found at least four major factual mistakes and that according to other reviews, these errors also do not cease as The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora progresses but seem to continue unabated, I can and will only consider a one star rating at best and to not recommend The Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora except with absolutely major and massive reservations (and definitely not for educational purposes).

Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the World (non fiction, scientifically sound botanical information, but a very misleading title, as there is ONLY one small part about toxic plants)

Maybe I should not be starting my review of Paul Rockett's 2015 Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the World with somewhat of an annoyed and frustrated rant. But yes, I am honestly more than a trifle ticked off at how a textually wonderful and enlightening infographics themed picture book on plants in general (and yes, even if I aesthetically do not happen to find Mark Ruffle'f accompanying artwork all that visually appealing for my eyes) would have a book title insinuating that Rockett's presented text is going to be all or at least mostly about poisonous plants (when in fact, Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the World only has about two pages maximum on plants that are toxic and that the rest of Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the World is basically about plants and botany in general). For I honestly do NOT AT ALL understand why Paul Rockett has chosen Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the World as his book title, when he actually only features a pretty limited amount of actual information on and regarding plant toxicity. And I can only speculate that perhaps this has been done on purpose by Rockett to quasi reign in potential readers with a somewhat outrageous and with freak out potential sounding title, but that for me personally (and both for my adult self and even more so for my inner child), to say that this has really has majorly backfired with regard to Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the wOrld, this is not only the ruth but also quite the major, the massive (and frustrated) understatement.

Because to tell the truth, when I realised that Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the World is basically about ALL plants, about plants in general, and NOT only on poisonous plants, while the presented details definitely have been interesting and enlightening and that I also and surprisingly for me have not even been minding the focus on numbers and infographics, the misleading book heading has indeed made me feel pretty hugely cheated and so much so that I actually came very close to not even bothering to continue with Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the World.

And therefore, and for me personally, while what Paul Rocket is featuring about plants in Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the World (about plant biology, their evolution, how plants are used, what environmental threats they face and that yes some plants are indeed toxic) is well researched, scientifically sound and also nicely engagingly penned, my issues with the above mentioned misleading book title and that I also do find Mark Ruffle's artwork not really to my visual tastes, well, for me, Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the World can only ever be a three star rating (and that I do kind of hope that Paul Rockett would consider rereleasing Ten Thousand Poisonous Plants in the World with a less misleading book title, with a book title that is about botany and plants in general and not focusing on one very small part of the featured contents).

I have definitely enjoyed Steve Jenkins' science themed picture books, but do find it annoying that he does not always provide bibliographies and that most of the Steve Jenkins picture books I have as E-Books doe not visually work all that well.

My favourite Steve Jenkins picture book is probably Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution, and I also and surprisingly really liked Animals by the Numbers: A Book of Infographics (although the lack of a bibliography and the rather featureless illustrations kind of annoy me).

Animals by the Numbers: A Book of Infographics (non fiction)

If I were to approach Steve Jenkins' Animals by the Numbers: A Book on Infographics simply with consideration as to what the author textually presents and how he makes numbers not only interesting to and for children (older children above the age of nine or so, as the vocabulary used is by necessity and nature rather advanced at times) but also how Jenkins delightfully and evocatively demonstrates the importance of numbers and infographics with regard to biology and zoology (by statistically comparing and contrasting animal species, how fast they are, how much they weigh, rates of extinction, migration distances and so on and so on) I would most definitely be ranking By the Numbers: A Book on Infographics with four or perhaps even five stars. However, as informative and yes even as fun and as personally educational as I have found Animals by the Numbers: A Book on Infographics to be (and I sure do wish that I had had a book like this as a child, as it might well have made numbers and even mathematics more interesting, more relevant and less potentially frightening and frustrating) I do find it rather majorly annoying that there are no suggestions for further reading, for additional study and research included (and that the Kindle edition of Animals by the Numbers: A Book on Infographics sports a text, sports written words rendered, featured in such a tiny font, with such low and washed out contrast so as to make reading difficult at best and pretty much eye-strain and headache inducing for those of us with less than perfect vision). Still, I would nevertheless highly recommend Animals by the Numbers: A Book on Infographics both for entertainment and educational purposes (as I do well realise that for the intended audience, the lack of a bibliography with suggestions for further reading would probably not be that much of an issue, but I would most vehemently and definitely NOT recommend reading Animals by the Numbers: A Book on Infographics on the Kindle, as an e-book, I would absolutely suggest perusing it as a paper, as a so-called dead tree book instead, because the tiny font sizes of the Kindle version do leave very much to be desired).

Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution (non fiction)

Clearly, succinctly presented, shown and explained to older children from about eight or nine years of age (but in my opinion also very much suitable for interested teenagers and adults), and while more than adequately detailed without being overly so, and thankfully also avoiding the tendency of the featured subject matter, of the concept and theory of evolution being dumbed down, in other words that Steve Jenkins' text never appears as either too simplistic or worse, in any fashion silly and/or artificially humorous, Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution truly is both a joy to read and an academically sound, scientific gem (absolutely brilliantly focusing on ALL of the important and necessary points of the story of life on earth, on the theory of evolution, including of course, a short but sufficient introduction to Charles Darwin and his philosophy of survival of the fittest, that animals change over time, passing on those genetic traits that produce the most offspring, that increase the chance of survival and successsful breeding, that extinctions, including mass extinctions have always been part and parcel to life's story, as well as presenting that wonderfully imaginative albeit also tried and true timeline of showing the history of life on earth on the scale of a twenty-four hour clock).

Combined with Steve Jenkins' signature and always evocative, visually stunning collage like accompanying illustrations, Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution is indeed most highly recommended, with the suggestions for further reading and bibliography an added and appreciated academic, intellectual bonus (although I do have to rather wonder and more than a bit at that, why Jenkins has NOT also included at the very least Charles Darwin's seminal The Origin of Species and The Voyage of the Beagle as two of his primary bibliographic sources). And finally, although I have in fact read Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution as a Kindle download on my Ipad, I would not really recommend perusing this as an e-book (for while the Kindle edition of Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution is not in any way terrible, and certainly more than adequately presents both Steve Jenkins' text and images, I for one do find the electronic text just a trifle too small with regard to font size, especially for my ageing eyes).

Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System (non fiction)

Because of the publication date, rather dated (and still lists Pluto as the ninth planet), but a book I really enjoyed and that my inner child totally adored.

I (personally) most definitely have very much enjoyed Alvin Jenkins' Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System (and just to point out, author Alvin Jenkins is a former physics professor and the father of well-known children's author and illustrator Steve Jenkins, who does in fact provide the accompanying illustrations here). And first and foremost, I do very much appreciate the clear, concise, exceedingly well organised, factually astute and enlightening narrative of Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System (ranging from the birth to the solar system to a detailed analysis of not only each the nine planets but also how long it would take for a human driving a car at around the speed of 60 miles per hour to reach each of them, that it would take for example 50 years to reach our nearest neighbour, the planet Venus, 90 years to reach Mars, but that to reach the outer limits of the solar system, it would take thousands of years).

However, and yes indeed, because Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System was published in 2004 and thus before the demotion of Pluto to dwarf planetoid status, the latter is of course still depicted and described as the ninth planet, something that I for one both appreciate and yes indeed also very much love, as I am still rather majorly ticked off that Pluto was basically "killed" as a planet, and although it might well now be considered scientifically in error, I personally will always consider Pluto as a true planet, especially since I have recently become aware of the fact that NOT EVERYONE is even in agreement with it no longer being considered a bona fide planet. But if you absolutely do want the most recently published, the most current information on the solar system, Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System is of course by nature and necessity of its publication date obviously not this, is actually if truth be told, more than fourteen years out of date (something to definitely consider, as for example, even with Pluto, Alvin Jenkins did in 2004 bien sûr not yet know that there is in fact more than one moon orbiting it). Still and nevertheless, I for one do think that Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System is a wonderfully enlightening introduction to our solar system, to the sun and its planets (and although I personally would have appreciated both photographs and Steve Jenkins' collage like illustrations, they do provide a visually stunning compliment to Alvin Jenkins', to his father's scientific but always engaging and interesting printed words).

Highly recommended (but definitely with the necessary caveat that both text and obviously also the very much appreciated listed bibliography will of course not contain any post 2004 information and details, something that must be taken into account but something that is also and always with regard to non fiction, first and foremost the unavoidable nature of the academic and intellectual beast).

Wise Trees (non fiction)

While the information on global trees (be it historical, cultural or scientific) is most definitely enlightening, informative and thankfully also for the most part penned and presented in a readable, non textbook-like, light, airy and non jargon heavy mode of expression (and although the accompanying photographs gracing the pages of Diane Cook and Len Jenshel's Wise Trees are indeed absolutely and wonderfully a true and enchanting feast for the eyes and almost a visual prayer of spirituality for those of us who love and appreciate trees, who like Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables cannot really imagine living and exiting in a treeless environment), there are sadly also more than a few factual shortcomings with regard to Wise Trees that have made me more than a bit annoyed and frustrated, mostly concerning areas of the world which trees have not been (at least in my humble opinion) in any manner adequately depicted and described.

For yes, while the authors feature and present more than enough examples of Asian trees and United States of America trees, I for one would certainly want a bit more of a global sense of balance shown, especially with regard to Europe and South America. I mean, why are there but one tree from Ireland, one tree from the United Kingdom and one tree from continental Europe, from Germany, featured, and then such a huge amount of Asian trees and USA trees (and no mention AT ALL of South America and the living fossil trees of the Andes)? Therefore, while I have certainly much enjoyed reading the arboreal details Diane Cook and Len Jenshel have provided (including how important trees have always been for spirituality, for prayer, for religion, folklore and superstition), I do have to internally growl more than a bit at the fact that Wise Trees is not in any manner extensive and global enough for me (and is in fact so one sided with and in its depiction and analysis of trees of the world, that I for one will only give a high two star ranking at best).

And indeed, the ONLY reason why Wise Trees even still deserves that two star ranking from me is that I absolutely do love love love the accompanying and often glowingly spiritual photographs of the trees being described. For the textual, the thematic shortcomings, because of what has been omitted or perhaps I guess forgotten to be included by the authors and the annoying truth of the matter and fact that especially European and South American trees have received a total and unacceptable short shrift (in my opinion), this all does leave very much for me to be personally desired and accepted, not to mention that there is also no bibliography and no source acknowledgments whatsoever included with Wise Trees (except for photo credits), which with regard to completely non fiction tomes always does tend to majorly rub me the wrong proverbial way, for aside from this being academically suspect and perhaps even dishonest, this also seriously limits supplemental research and/or checking the veracity and truth of Diane Cook's and Len Jenshel's printed words.

30 Million Different Insects in the Rainforest (non fiction)

I can certainly see and also totally understand that children from about the age of eight or nine onwards who are really heavily into and interested in numbers and mathematics would probably, would likely find Paul Rockett’s 2015 infographics picture book The Big Countdown: 30 Million Different Insects in the Rainforest (as well as the other five books of the series and which all seem to follow a pretty well similar reading path as The Big Countdown: 30 Million Different Insects on the Rainforest) not only interesting and enlightening but also numerically challenging and engaging. However, for me and for my general aversion since childhood to all things mathematically and number themed, I do have to admit that both my adult self and my inner child are finding the absolutely incessant concentration on numbers, numbers, numbers I have encountered in The Big Countdown: 30 Million Different Insects in the Rainforest rather bit tedious and also quite frustratingly one sided, not enough for me to not at all enjoy The Big Countdown: 30 Million Different Insects in the Rainforest but definitely sufficient for me to feel more than a bit overwhelmed at times and annoyed at how totally math and numerical data oriented everything is.

But nevertheless, the huge numbers by the millions presented in The Big Countdown: 30 Million Different Insects in the Rainforest regarding in particular the as yet undiscovered insect and plant species that likely exist in especially the vast expanses of the Amazon, this certainly should make anyone both child and adult realise that the rainforests absolutely do need to be protected from unscrupulous development, from logging and the like. And yes, even though there is a bit too much of a numerical emphasis provided by Paul Rockett for my own reading tastes and wants, that I am also not really all that aesthetically enamoured of Paul Ruffle’s at times a bit visually distracting and overly detailed artwork (which tends to overcrowd the pages and give me a bit of eye strain) and that the included bibliography is a good start but in my opinion (considering the rather massive amount of facts and data provided) should definitely be a bit more expansive, I will still consider The Big Countdown: 30 Million Different Insects in the Rainforest as highly recommendable and a very decent and very decently useable reference text to for both at home or in class instruction.

Olympic Math: Working With Percentages and Decimals (non fiction)

I have to admit that I am really and majorly conflicted regarding Greg Roza's 2006 non fiction picture book Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals. Yes, Roza textually presents in Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals a basic introduction to the Olympic Games (both the ancient Olympics of Athens and the modern games which started in 1896), not extensive and certainly not in any manner in-depth but with enough detail to give young readers from about the age of ten to twelve or so an adequate but very general knowledge of the Olympic Games (indeed a bit overly USA centric for me, however still international enough for a decently general overview). And while the mathematics parts of Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals (on percentages and decimals) do not really interest me personally all that much in and of themselves (as I am simply not at all a numbers person and have always found in particular percentages and decimals not only difficult to understand but also rather tedious), I must admit that I really do appreciate how Greg Roza ties mathematics to the Olympics in Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals and presents percentage and decimal equations and exercises that totally mirror his featured facts (and indeed, if when I was of the intended age group and absolutely and totally hating Middle School math, a book like Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals would definitely have made percentages and decimals more interesting and also more relatable to the real world and to topics of interest to and for me, such as of course the Olympics, which I certainly much enjoyed watching on television when I was younger).

However, while my inner child majorly and wholly appreciates Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals (and in particular the mathematics contents, as yes, Greg Roza definitely shows how percentages and decimals do not just exist in a vacuum), my older and more critical adult self is finding too many informational holes and gaps regarding Olympic history for me to consider more than three stars for Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals.

For one, since the Olympic Games information Greg Roza features is totally non-fiction and would therefore have required secondary research, that Roza fails to acknowledge his sources in Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals, that there are no footnotes, no endnotes, no bibliographical materials whatsoever to be found, well, I do find this academically problematic and certainly (even with the math focus) kind of lessening and limiting the educational value of of Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals. And for two, and even more of an issue for me, that Greg Roza generally shies away from textually featuring in Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals most controversies regarding in particular the modern Olympic Games, that there is nothing about the ever increasing costs of hosting the Olympics (and that with some countries, citizens have been kicked out of their homes to make room for stadiums and athlete villages), nada about political controversies (boycotts and the like) and that Greg Roza also obviously does not even dare touch the problem with performance enhancing drug use, yes, that really does make me a bit livid, as Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals only really tells one side of the Olympic Games and thus also a story that is in my opinion totally and also not all that acceptably smelling completely and utterly of the proverbial roses (and no, Mr. Roza, at the end of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, it is certainly NOT TRUE as you claim in Olympic Math: Working with Percentages and Decimals that every nation was cheering the success of African American athlete Jesse Owens, for that was certainly NOT the case for the host country of Nazi Germany, and you should at least have pointed out that Adolf Hitler was most displeased and also refused to congratulate Jesse Owens, that he refused to shake his hand and ONLY because Jesse Owens was not of what Hitler deemed "Aryan" background, that Owens was according to the Nazis lesser because of him being African American).

The Penny Pot (fiction)

Stuart J. Murphy's The Penny Pot basically and for all intents and purposes simply but wonderfully features a standard but in my opinion also generally engaging little anecdote of how young Jessie is able to use (and count up) the change left in a so-called penny pot in order to obtain enough cash to get her face painted at the June School Fair (it costs fifty cents, but she only has thirty-nine cents in her pocket and thus she requires eleven cents more). And not only are different types of coins featured and depicted (for basic recognition patterns, pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, all American currency though, as The Penny Pot is printed/published in the USA), but different combinations of said coins are also shown in order to practice actual, mathematical counting (and by extension, of course, also making monetary change).

Now as to Lynne Cravath's accompanying illustrations for The Penny Pot, they are bright and imbued with much lively and humorous fun, a bit too exaggerated and cartoon like for me to completely enjoy them on an aesthetic level, but still and nevertheless a delightful mirror of Stuart J. Murphy’s featured narrative (thus indeed, presenting a rather sweet and engaging marriage of text and image, one that while not spectacular and with a major "wow" factor does in an entertainingly engaging and informative manner teach both basic numeracy and financial literacy).

Recommended for both at home and in-class use (and with the activity suggestions, math games and suggestions for further reading on pages 32/33 being an added and much appreciated bonus, greatly enhancing the already stellar teaching and learning value of The Penny Pot and showing both children and adults that mathematical concepts are indeed not only an important but also a fun and interesting, engaging part of our lives).

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (fiction)

Although Margaret McNamara's engaging, evocative narrative is perhaps a bit too math-oriented for me to ever consider How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin a personal favourite (as I am just not that enamoured of math as a subject), this is indeed a delightful little story, and perfect for an elementary school math class (or a unit on sizes and comparisons, contrasts), especially around Thanksgiving or Halloween (and not just in the classroom, but also for either at home or home-schooling use).

And yes, I absolutely love and also greatly appreciate how teacher Mr. Tiffin always actively and imaginatively strives to make his math lessons engaging, fun and meaningful for his students, and how he shows little Charlie that being the smallest student in class is simply a fact of life and entirely relative (as the small pumpkin Charlie carves actually ends up containing the most seeds).

As to G. Brian Karas' accompanying illustrations, while by themselves they are a bit too cartoon-like and garish for my aesthetics, for my personal tastes, in conjunction with Margaret McNamara's narrative, they work exceedingly well, presenting a fun and successful marriage of text and image (depicting an ethnically diverse group of students, and a smiling teacher who makes math, who makes learning fun and meaningful). Highly recommended (and even though personally, I would have liked more supplemental pumpkin facts, those who know me should realise by now that I almost always want more information).

Manybooks wrote: "Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook: Teaching Basic English Skills and Healthy Nutrition One Bite at a Time! (non fiction, mostly a cookbook of course, but there also lots of nutritional ..."

Oh I will have to take a look at that! Cooking is definitely a science, as well as an art!

Cheryl wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Queen Bee's Alphabet Cookbook: Teaching Basic English Skills and Healthy Nutrition One Bite at a Time! (non fiction, mostly a cookbook of course, but there also lo..."

I really found the recipes interesting and very into providing nutritious and tasty meals (and having kids help with the cooking).

Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them (non fiction)

First published in France under the title, Bizarbres mais vrais! (in 2013), for the 2016 English language edition, titled Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them (which has been translated by Yolanda Stern Broad), I do have to say that considering the "punny" title of Bernadette Pourquié's original French version, I am a trifle disappointed that the English language edition does not present itself with a similarly interesting and word-gamy, witty heading.

Now the sixteen depicted so-called strange trees (from every continent except for Europe and of course Antarctica) and their individual stories are generally and for all intents and purposes both interestingly, evocatively recounted and also do much promote important messages of and for environmental conservation but without thankfully being too overt and heavy-handed with regard to this. That being said, I personally find Bernadette Pourquié's conversational, first person narrative rather annoying and even kind of presumptuous (I guess I would rather be told about the trees than to have the trees themselves narrate their own stories, but perhaps for the target audience, for the picture book crowd, a personal first person narrative might better keep children's interest and attention, especially considering the rather massive amounts of text, of information that are presented for each of the featured trees).

And while the general set-up and presentation of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them is successful and more than adequate, as someone with now less than stellar eyesight, I would definitely prefer the font size of the text, of the printed words to be a bit larger and the lettering a trifle bolder (not a huge and problematic issue by any means, but I do have to wear reading glasses for easy perusal of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them, and if I were actually reading this book aloud to a child or a group of children, the small and in my opinion rather cramped textual display would have me worried about possibly accidentally missing or skipping important information and details). But even more of a personal and academic annoyance is that there are no supplemental scientific, biologic details included and sadly, also no bibliographies and suggestions for further reading (which would greatly augment and improve the teaching and learning potentials and value of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them). And really, why are there NO trees from Europe included? While I realise that many European trees are pretty standard and not I guess strange or bizarre enough to be considered (at least according to the author’s philosophy), I beg to differ, as in my humble opinion, there are indeed also numerous examples of trees native to Europe that could be considered rather different and interesting, and thus worthy of inclusion (such as European Larch trees, for example, which while coniferous, in fact do actually lose their foliage in the winter similar to deciduous trees).

Cécile Gambini's accompanying full page illustrations are bright, evocative and descriptive, and while they would not generally be personal favourites by themselves (and as works of art), they work very well in conjunction with and to Bernadette's Pourquié's text (and of course by extension Yolanda Stern Broad's translation), both successfully mirroring the printed words and even at times providing appreciated additional details. However, and my general appreciation of the illustrations and how they work with, how they compliment the text quite notwithstanding, I have to personally comment that I find it somewhat insulting to French trees that Cécile Gambini seems to believe (from the information contained on the side flaps of the dust jacket) that the trees where she lives are beautiful but supposedly simply and utterly ordinary (as to and for me that gives a negative or at least can give a potentially negative attitude towards French trees as plants, as entities, as though the only worthwhile trees are the so-labelled extraordinary ones featured and found within the pages of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them).

Russell Freedman's The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane gets four stars from me.

Ok, it must be worthy of its Newbery Honor designation. Otherwise, why would I read every word in just one afternoon, when I have piles of other books waiting for me from the same library haul? I love that it was both about the inspirational, hard-working young men (and their mother, sister, and the rest of the family), and about the technical challenges & accomplishments. A youngster reading this, who is interested in aviation, would likely be thrilled. The photos and backmatter make it worthy of being kept in libraries even if the kids aren't currently interested.

Cheryl wrote: "Russell Freedman's The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane gets four stars from me.

Ok, it must be worthy of its Newbery Honor designation. Otherwise, why w..."

I wonder if sometimes teachers and parents are not doing enough to make kids interested in books like The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane. I often had teachers suggesting books of possible interest to me (late 70s and early 80s), and I wonder if that is the same today, but of course I am also left wondering if with all of the book banning etc. that is happening, many teachers might really be too scared to even suggest books to their students and afraid of getting fired or worse if a parent freaks out and complains (and although my parents did not really recommend any English language children's books to me, as they basically knew nothing about English language children's books, I did get a lot of classic German literature suggestions in particular from my mother, but that was sometimes annoying when those books were impossible to find in Canada, and before Amazon, to order).

There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods (non fiction)

Yes indeed, with There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods (and please note that in the review itself I will be spelling favorite in the English and Canadian manner, as favourite, so please, no comments about spelling gaffes) Kim Zachman presents lots and lots of both enlightening and also sometimes a bit humorous information (both fact and folklore, both reality and legends, as well as also including some interesting recipes and food based activities) regarding ten (American) food items, and these being hamburgers, potatoes, pizza, hot dogs, ice cream, chicken, peanut butter, cookies, hot chocolate and cereal, and with it certainly being at first rather strange and surprising that there are no green vegetables, no apples, no berries (and also no seafood and no pasta dishes) included in There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods. But well, I do actually also kind of understand why and how in particular the ten featured foods of There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods are such constant and perennial favourites (are such so-called comfort foods and thus make the list for Kim Zachman), since with basically all of them, their high salt, fat and sugar content (or that they are often and even generally prepared using lots of fat, salt and sugar), this makes them something that humans tend to crave and also to be genetically programmed to crave.

Interestingly and engagingly penned and combining cultural, historical facts and fiction with just enough science and technology is There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods, and certainly showing how many stories regarding the favourite food items featured in There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods are folklore but usually also containing grains of truth, such as for example Kim Zachman showing in the section on peanut butter how George Washington Carver did not as it so often believed and related invent peanut butter, but that he popularised large scale peanut farming and successfully proved that growing peanuts and cotton in alternate years would help the soil retain nutrients and become increasingly fertile and that there are many (and mostly legendary, folkloric but also with retained truth) tales out there regarding how hamburger patties got put into buns and how hot dogs ended up being called hot dogs.

And no, I am not at all surprised reading in There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods that there are more than a thousand types of different sausages in Germany (considering that basically every German city and even many smaller towns have their own particular types of locally produced sausages), but that I do wish it were mentioned in There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods that sausages are popular and abundant not only in Germany but in fact in most of Western and Central Europe, and that for the section of There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods on breakfast cereal, I do wonder why ONLY American cereal pioneers and companies are mentioned by Kim Zachman, since with the increasing popularity of Müsli (even in the USA), Swiss nutritional pioneer Dr. Maximillian Bircher-Brenner and his sweetened with mostly just fruit and a tiny bit of honey Bircher Müsli (and which has always been considerably more popular at least in Europe than Kelloggs et al) should at least be mentioned alongside of the Kellogg brothers.

But even though I do kind of think that There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods might rather be trifle too United States of American centric for me personally to consider a five star rating, what Kim Zachman has penned is most definitely informative and also at the same time interest retaining, well researched, engaging and enlightening, and as such a very much solid four star rating. For yes, I definitely do much appreciate (and have enjoyed reading) not just Zachman's general textual descriptions of hamburgers, potatoes, pizza, hot dogs, ice cream, chicken, peanut butter, cookies, hot chocolate and cereal, but I also do absolutely adore that for every food item being featured and described, in There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods, Zachman also provides scientifically solid and necessary details on nutrition and health, and it is definitely a very good thing that the author certainly and happily does not ever shy away from pointing out how basically ALL of the listed foods encountered in There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods should not be consumed too often, that there certainly are potential health issues with eating too many hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream and the like (and yes, that Kim Zachman having separate bibliographies for each of her ten featured food items is totally, is utterly wonderful and also makes There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods very user, very research friendly).

Um, well, there's certainly nothing objectionable in The Wright Brothers. I just think it's not new and shiny... librarians and other educators could encourage circulation of older book like this, I think, if they did more themed displays. I see themed displays sometimes, in some libraries, but not enough of them, esp. for books for older children.

Cheryl wrote: "Um, well, there's certainly nothing objectionable in The Wright Brothers. I just think it's not new and shiny... librarians and other educators could encourage circulation of older book like this, ..."

I agree, themes should work well.

I grudgingly do think that in particular the information on WWI airplanes at the back of The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI is interesting, factual and nicely STEM, but that the actual text unfortunately never once considers how science, technology, engineering etc. were used in WWI (and of course also beyond that time) to wreak havoc, to create weapons to kill and to kill increasingly faster with more casualties (not the WWI aircrafts perhaps, but I am kind of annoyed how much in The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI author and illustrator Wayne Vansant (in my opinion) kind of celebrates war.

Please note that I am extending the STEM thematic to August, as during the summer moths, there is often so much going on and people are busy, travelling, doing family and outdoor things.

Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission

Yes, from a textual point of view, and even though I am (I have to admit) rather annoyed at the non inclusion of secondary sources and a bibliography of books and websites for further study and reading, author and illustrator Mike Venezia does with his 2009 picture book biography Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission indeed present a generally very much decent, adequately extensive and delightfully factual job depicting not only Lise Meitner's life but also her scientific achievements and accomplishments (both in Germany and later after her exile from the Nazis in the United States of America) in the filed of nuclear, of atomic physics (and how Meitner was not only a pioneer regarding the latter but also regarding women studying hardcore sciences such as physics at university, becoming university professors and also making the same kinds of phenomenal and important scientific discoveries with their research and with their experiments etc. as their male counterparts were doing), with Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission being penned simply but informatively and giving a generally nicely rendered introduction to both Lise Meitner the person and the scientist as well as to nuclear physics in general and showing how Lise Meitner was basically the first person to split the atom, to create nuclear fission, and not to mention that Mike Venezia also very correctly and wonderfully points out in Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission that (prior to 1933 and the Third Reich with Adolf Hitler's anti Semitism) any barriers and hurdles that Lise Meitner experienced in the country of her birth, in Austria and later in Berlin, in Germany, were mostly gender-oriented, that Lise Meitner was often facing discrimination due to her being a woman and not because she was Jewish, well, at least until the 1930s and the Third Reich (and officially speaking, but never ever from her always supportive family).

And honestly, Mike Venezia's writing, Mike Venezia's printed words for Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission present for the most part a very good and more than adequate introduction to Lise Meitner, and my only textual complaints are the already mentioned above lack of secondary sources and titles for further reading and that at the beginning of Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission when Venezia writes about there being when Lise Meitner was studying physics at university not yet special and powerful microscopes available to be able to see atomic particles, well, the wording is in my opinion a trifle misleading and I would worry that the intended audience, that young readers from about the age of eight or so onwards might think that there were at the beginning to the 20th century when Lise Meitner was attending university no microscopes at all present, and which is of course totally not the truth.

However, even though what Mike Venezia writes in Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission is solidly three stars and is even with no bibliographical information and that potentially misleading information about microscopes warmly and highly recommended, I personally do absolutely and utterly visually despise, I truly and viscerally hate hate hate Venezia's comic strip like illustrations (for I guess Venezia is trying to insert some humour into Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission, but for me, both the pictures and the attempts at humour are ridiculous and a majorly epic failure and with in particular Venezia's caricature like humans with their exaggeratedly long and pointy noses appearing witch like and really and truly creepy and weird, and enough so for me to only consider but two stars for Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission as I aesthetically cannot AT ALL visually stomach Mike Venezia's artwork for Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission).

So, Mike Venezia has obviously written and illustrated a large amount of picture book biographies (on scientists/inventors, artists, musicians and American presidents) that basically are very similar to Lise Meitner: Had the Right Vision About Nuclear Fission, presenting a basic but decent enough textual introduction (but with no bibliographies, often leaving out some important details) and with accompanying comic book like artwork that I totally find ugly and aesthetically turning the characters of his text into caricatures. I was going to review the other Mike Venezia books on scientists and inventors that are available on Open Library (like Albert Einstein), but since ALL of Mike Venezia's picture books are basically the same, I do not think (at present) that I will bother.

I don't blame you. An author who has a successful formula only needs to be read once, if the reader is not a fan.

Cheryl wrote: "I don't blame you. An author who has a successful formula only needs to be read once, if the reader is not a fan."

The words themselves are nicely informative, a bit simplistic at times perhaps but a good introduction for younger readers and/or listeners. But the caricature like comic book illustrations I absolutely despise (and that is likely the main reason, I do not want to consider any more Mike Venezia).

Although I am assuming that Kim Zachman's to be released in July 2023 There's No Cream in Cream Soda: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Drinks will be pretty much the same as There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods, I am planning to get a copy and to read and review it, since I really did enjoy There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods and am really glad to own a copy of There's No Cream in Cream Soda: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Drinks.

A picture-book about girls who are adventurous explorers has a spread devoted to STEM: Beautiful. I gave the book five stars; see my review.

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl looks like a fun fiction read, Middle Grade math genius w/supportive family. Even though it's also by Stacy McAnulty I think that I'll pass unless one of you loves it.

Cheryl wrote: "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl looks like a fun fiction read, Middle Grade math genius w/supportive family. Even though it's also by Stacy McAnulty I think t..."

I started this a few years ago and never got all that far since the book was due back at the library. I seem to remember that I was a bit annoyed how the main protagonist must automatically be nerdy and weird in order to be a math genius (and also needed to be struck by lightning in order to become a math genius).

Hm, those would be aspects of the characterization that would not thrill me, yes.

Cheryl wrote: "Hm, those would be aspects of the characterization that would not thrill me, yes."

Do not take my word for this, as I do not remember all that much.

The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy

Kathryn Lasky's The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy is both informative and engaging (Dr. Lowman is inspiring, and I appreciate that when she is introducing her two sons to the rainforest canopy, she is first and foremost concerned with and for their safety and that they do not needlessly interfere with the rainforest's diverse ecosystems). For a rather dense non fiction offering on the science of rainforest canopy exploration and research, the presented narrative actually reads very much flowingly and generally keeps one's interest throughout (although I do find the sequence at the end where Dr. Lowman is reading to her sons before bedtime, while sweet and poignant, somewhat distracting and keep catching myself skimming and rushing). As to Christopher G. Knight's accompanying photographs, while I (personally) would prefer a combination of photographs and line-drawing like illustrations, they do provide a realistic mirror of and to the author's narrative, and I also have to wonder if my somewhat lacklustre reaction to them might be due to the fact that I am reading The Most Beautiful Roof in the World on my Kindle (which seems to make many of the photographs appear somewhat unclear and overly small).

There's a bit of Science, the scientific method as applied to ecology, in Willodeen by Katherine Applegate. There's also a magical event. An odd little novel that I think a lot of readers will like a lot more than I did.

I would also like to show this here picture book as a prime example of how (in my opinion) NOT to present science and/or the history of science to younger readers.

Tiny Thinkers: Charlie and the Tortoise

Although I do to a point grudgingly understand that author M.J. Mouton wants with Charlie and the Tortoise to introduce Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution to young children, sorry, but to and for me, Charlie and the Tortoise actually is pretty much and infuriatingly a total and sad epic failure and in fact also makes use of a major fantasy and annoyingly grating falsehood. For the author's presented (fictional) storyline in Charlie and the Tortoise basically takes Charles Darwin and sends him as a very young boy on seemingly a solo mission to the Galapagos Islands (and has a talking glasses wearing tortoise appear for good measure, with said tortoise then also being the "person" teaching the young Charlie Darwin about the theory of evolution, triple yuck and sigh).

And no indeed, I for one cannot and will not even remotely accept this kind of groan-worthy authorial and narrational reimagining as in any way either scientifically or historically sound. For since Charles Darwin was an adult when he went on his famous voyages as naturalist on the H.M.S. Beagle, in my humble opinion, ANY children's books on Charles Darwin (and this also and definitely should equally pertain to picture books geared towards the very young) must (in my opinion) at least keep Darwin as an adult (and not render him like M.J. Mouton does in Charlie and the Tortoise into a young child when describing Darwin’s voyages on the Beagle, his discoveries, his considerations of survival of the fittest, as this is not only historically, factually untrue, it is to and for me personally and academically, intellectually also a total fairy tale and fantasy and as such as much a myth so to speak as the story of creation found in the Bible, not to mention a huge insult to children's intelligences and to children in general).

Combined with the fact that I have also found Jezreel S. Cueva's accompanying illustrations aesthetically much too cutesy, too cartoon like and rather offensively silly (at least to and for my own personal tastes) I can and will only consider a one star ranking at best for Charlie and the Tortoise and absolutely do NOT recommend this book in ANY manner as a good and above all a scientifically and actually more to the point a historically accurate, useful and acceptable introduction to both Charles Darwin the man, the naturalist and to his theory of evolution (and with especially the entire execution of how young "Charlie" learns about evolution via a talking Galapagos tortoise being so cringeworthy that I almost want to scream and growl with both anger and utter frustration that children are sometimes approached by authors as potential morons).

Just read The Little Red Fort and gave this story about a budding engineer five stars:

Oh my goodness. Not only does it have the best happy ending to any variant I've seen of The Little Red Hen, but it's got so much more. Expressive illustrations that overflow the page and tell a lot of the story. Illustrator is Sonia Sanchez and she paid homage to families in her culture. Ruby gets help, the art reveals, from mother and abuela... mostly about safety, though, as it's made clear in the beginning that she's an engineer already.

Bonus, there are suggestions for how the young reader can contrive a fort of their own. And an author's note which taught me that Little Red Hen is not, actually, an Aesop fable, as I had assumed.

Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers (Funny Gift Book for Science Lovers, Teachers, and Nerds) (enjoyable but for a board book geared towards toddlers, there really should be some explanations of the science gadget provided, thus only three stars)

As a fan of Margret Wise Brown's 1947 classic Goodnight Moon, reading Chris Ferrie's 2017 board book Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers as an older adult (and also as someone with a PhD, albeit admittedly not in the sciences but in the humanities), I certainly have found both Chris Ferrie's text and also the accompanying illustrations generally delightful and humorous, nicely imitating and showing the spirit and tone of Wise Brown's original words, whilst also clearly demonstrating with Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers what are some of the typical objects and gadgets encountered in a university science laboratory and of course then bidding goodnight to pliers, copper wire, a spectrometer, an ammeter, a thermometer, a laser, a voltmeter, liquid nitrogen, compressed air, lab coats, even a picture of Albert Einstein and a supervising professors demanding publications (with the publish or perish demand and mentality definitely making me smile and also making me nodd in agreement). And I do indeed love love love that the laboratory assistant, that student being featured by Chris Ferrie in Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers is a female and not a male graduate student (although I personally kind of would like it, would prefer it if the professor were female as well, and not a curmudgeonly old man).

As a fan of Margret Wise Brown's 1947 classic Goodnight Moon, reading Chris Ferrie's 2017 board book Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers as an older adult (and also as someone with a PhD, albeit admittedly not in the sciences but in the humanities), I certainly have found both Chris Ferrie's text and also the accompanying illustrations generally delightful and humorous, nicely imitating and showing the spirit and tone of Wise Brown's original words, whilst also clearly demonstrating with Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers what are some of the typical objects and gadgets encountered in a university science laboratory and of course then bidding goodnight to pliers, copper wire, a spectrometer, an ammeter, a thermometer, a laser, a voltmeter, liquid nitrogen, compressed air, lab coats, even a picture of Albert Einstein and a supervising professor demanding publications (with the publish or perish demand and mentality definitely making me smile and also making me nodd in agreement). And I do indeed equally and totally love love love that the laboratory assistant, that the graduate or post graduate student being featured by Chris Ferrie in Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers is female and of colour (although I personally kind of would like it, would prefer it if the professor being bid goodnight were female and of colour as well, and not a standard curmudgeonly old white man).

However and my personal appreciation and enjoyment of Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers notwithstanding, I also do not really think that Chris Ferrie's presented text is as the book title claims and suggests all that suitable for toddlers (for a traditional board book audience) but rather meant for older readers (for teenagers and adults) familiar with both a science laboratory and Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon. Because since many if not the majority of the objects being described in Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers are rather sophisticated and specific scientific tools, and since Chris Ferrie basically just mentions these gadgets by name and shows illustratively what they look like, well and in my opinion, without supplemental details describing what voltmeters, ammeters, thermometers and the like do and for what they are scientifically used, Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers is not (in my opinion) all that toddler friendly, is not really all that STEM in nature either and is for me basically also not a traditional board book, but rather a novelty item for teenaged/adult and science savvy fans of Goodnight Moon (and because we only get Chris Ferrie's parodistic text and nada regarding science itself, for me, Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody Bedtime Book for Toddlers has been fun, but is also a bit lacking and certainly not really something for toddlers without added explanations regarding the content and vocabulary being offered and provided).

Cheryl wrote: "There's a bit of Science, the scientific method as applied to ecology, in Willodeen by Katherine Applegate. There's also a magical event. An odd little novel that I..."

I might try this if I can find a copy easily, but message heaviness does get a bit stale (and I often do not like STEM and magic being combined as that kind of for me leaves a message that science is magic and vice versa).

Just found Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children, and the combination of botany, Native American stories and activities for children looks wonderful. Will post a review once I have actually finished reading (or skimming through) the book.

Manybooks wrote: "Just found Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children, and the combination of botany, Native American stories and activitie..."

The author is, unfortunately, not Native, but the illustrator is. It does look like a wonderful book.

Cheryl wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Just found Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children, and the combination of botany, Native American sto..."

There seem to be a few other books as well:

Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children

Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children

Keepers of the Night: Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children

I gave the MG graphic novel Lo and Behold four stars; here's my review:

Mass pulls it off again; she's so good at pulling all the themes together with all the details that make for an immersive read. Great for a STEM list, but also about empathy. Hospitals, and geocaching. Tortoises, and moon trees. Lots and lots of heart. And humor, and drama.

Btw, my adult son uses his VR to play games with his best friend, who lives across the country, and they both get a good workout. Mass probably isn't exaggerating much at all about what can be done with VR. See the back matter for more information.

Cheryl wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Just found Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children, and the combination of botany, Native American sto..."

It seems that for Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children, Joseph Bruchac provides the retellings of the Native American stories as well as the illustrations and Michael J. Caputo the scientific and ecological information and the activities, a great resource and with my only issue being a very small font for the non story sections. Here is a link for my review

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Yuzu the Pet Vet, Vol. 5 (and presumably the others in the series) have a fair bit about how one has to learn about what pets need in order to be able to take care of them. And that is science, iow, the things we understand the best we learned from scientists.

8 Little Planets: A Solar System Book for Kids with Unique Planet Cutouts

Cute, I guess, and a basic introduction to the solar system for a board book audience, but no, Pluto should not have been ignored (it is still dwarf planet) and I did not really like the poetry either or how the eight planets are described with human and often rather negative personalities.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Am going to be reading more of Chris Ferrie's STEM board books and hope that they are better than 8 Little Planets has been for me.

Evolution for Babies is a board book and part of Chris Ferrie's Baby University series. I am planning on reviewing all of them sometime in the near future, but I must say that I am not AT ALL pleased with Evolution for Babies and would definitely not recommend this board book as an introduction to the theory of evolution for young children, for a board book audience. Here is a link to my review, and which states precisely why I do not like this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And while I am hoping that Chris Ferrie's Baby University board books will for the most part (there are over thirty of them) be seriously and accurately STEM themed (and understandable to and for the intended audience), after my one star reaction to Evolution for Babies, I am certainly feeling some serious misgivings.

Unser Weg ins Weltall
An early reader only available in German, I do feel the need to post about this, and adding my full review....

Excellent early reader, covering in short the training apiring astronauts go through.
Hopefully inspires more girls to study STEM courses. (MINT Fächer in Germany).

And now, a small rant about why these women STILL haven't been able to go into space....
First I must note, they are both scientists, did all the necessary courses & qualifications and were picked as the 2 final contenders out of a group of 400 women. Second, it was clear from very early on only one of them will eventually get into space (there aren't that many flights...)

Initially planned for a 2021 journey to ISS, of course there's been a delay because of the 2020 pandemic. And the strained relation with Russia might have a small effect too.
But here's the MAIN REASON: FUNDS
MALE astronauts get sponsored by the state. Female astronauts are on their own...

From the official website of "Die Astronautin" (the organisation trying to gather the necessary funds)
Wir trainieren die erste deutsche Astronautin…

…um genau dieses Ziel zu erreichen und die Wissenschaft voranzutreiben! Dabei wird das gesamte Training allein über Spenden und Zuwendungen finanziert – ungleich zu den männlichen Vorgängern gibt es derzeit noch keine finanzielle Unterstützung von der Bundesregierung. Bisher haben Insa und Suzanna das Basis-Training, bestehend aus Parabelflügen, Tauchtraining und einem Flugschein, erfolgreich absolviert – und das alles neben hauptberuflichen Tätigkeiten als Wissenschaftlerinnen. Diese Scheine müssen mit regelmäßigen Flug- und Tauchstunden aufrechterhalten werden. Dazu kommt die theoretische Ausbildung über Funktion und Arbeitsweise der internationalen Raumstation. Als nächster Schritt steht dann das missionsspezifische Training an, das die beiden Astronautinnen ganz gezielt auf ihren Einsatz im Forschungsmodul der ISS vorbereitet..