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By Mom Unplugged, July 15, 2007 10:36 am

This is a book that can be read on many different levels.

You could take the tale literally and say that it is about the life-cycle of an acorn. Or you could take a more metaphysical view and say that the book teaches how we are all part of one another, all made up of the same “stuff”…we are all one with nature and each other. Maybe this is a tale of letting go of fears and realizing how far you can go. You could even say the story is a life and death metaphor.

Whatever you choose to see in this lovely book, your kids will see a beautiful, comforting story, vividly illustrated, of a single little acorn and all it becomes…even after death.

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By Mom Unplugged, July 5, 2007 9:55 pm

The Look-Alikes series is wonderfully clever! Almost everything in the picture is actually something else, for example a tree might be broccoli, or a fence post might be a crayon. I can’t imagine how long these photos took to set up.

There is a list of all objects in each photo at the end of the book, so you can see how you did (if you want to). Personally, I prefer to just be happy discovering new objects each time I open the book. Unlike many other find-it books where you quickly learn what’s there, you can look at this book a hundred times and still see something new.

There is also a Look-Alikes Jr.: The More You Look, the More You See! with less detailed photos that are easier for younger kids to search.

The books are great for travel since they seem to keep kids happy for quite some time. This is entertaining searching for children as well as adults. Our favorite traveling-on-the-airplane game is when the adult says: “I see a penny” or “I see a comb” for example, and the kids have to try and find it.

Also check out Look-Alikes Christmas: The More You Look, the More You See!. I have not personally seen that one, but it sounds fun. If anyone can comment on the Christmas book, I’d love to hear from you!

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By Mom Unplugged, June 27, 2007 9:52 pm

A lovely lesson in “what goes around, comes around.” How one thoughtful act can ripple forward and positively affect the lives of many. My 5 and 6 year-olds both love this book and ask for it a lot.

What amazes me is how well they get the meaning. Sometimes when they hug me, they say “It’s just like Because Brian Hugged his Mother!” And I say “Yes, now we’ll all have a happy day!” My heart melts…

A nice, happy read about the wonder of spreading good feelings! Please, please, please read this book to your children!!!!!

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By Mom Unplugged, June 20, 2007 8:37 pm

This is a find-it alphabet book with a twist. The challenge is to find each letter of the alphabet in very realistic paintings of scenes of city-life (New York City is the inspiration). Some letters are very obvious, others not so easy.

I did an experiment, and upon opening the book randomly, the letters were hidden well enough that I couldn’t always figure out what I should be looking for. But if I went through the book in order so that I KNEW what was supposed to come next, it was easy (for me as an adult), but often quite cleverly disguised.

This is a really fun book for pre-readers (no words, just letters to search for) and readers alike. It is a great travel book, or one to keep in the car. It really makes both kids and adults learn to look at everyday objects with new eyes.

The artwork is truly amazing and each page is a pleasure to look at. No wonder it is a Caldecott Honor Book!

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By Mom Unplugged, June 13, 2007 10:42 am

This board book is not your ordinary inventory of baby cows, pigs, and ducks. As a resident of the Southwestern US, I could not resist buying this for my 17 month-old, and she loves it!

This book contains adorable photos of the following babies: prairie dog, bighorn sheep, roadrunner, skunk, red-tailed hawk, javelina, mountain lion, coyote, bobcat, and quail.

It is a sturdy board book format. Each two-page spread has a photo and a simple sentence about the animal (for example: “A baby javelina has a snout.”).

What a welcome change from all the baby farm animal books out there!