From Tadpole to Frog (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a nice book with attractive artwork that describes the two-year life cycle of the American Bullfrog. As a Stage One book "From Tadpole to Frog" uses simple sentences and concepts that are appropriate for toddlers, preschoolers, and young children up to about 8 or 9 years of age.
Besides a description of the Bullfrog lifecycle, and the 'where Bullfrogs can be found' map, there are pictures with brief descriptions of 5 other frogs, including the Leopard, Pickerel, Wood, Spring Peeper, and Gray Tree frogs.
Four Stars. Good artwork on every page. The color runs from edge to edge. Okay Read-aloud. The Bullfrog is interesting as even the tadpoles hibernate for one year. Nothing objectionable in my opinion; although I should note above that there is a brief mention of reproduction. [I mention this as some parents have concerns and have told me they appreciate such notes.] The book, in any case, says the following about frog reproduction:
At night you hear "Ba-ra-rooom... ba-ra-
room... ba-ra-rooom...". The males are calling
to their mates.
The female hear the call.
The male hugs his mate. He fertilizes her eggs as
she lays them in the water. Thousands of soft
jelly-covered eggs cling together in the cool water.
The artwork shows the frogs hugging, and neither art nor wordage was inappropriate or graphic, in my opinion. Certainly my children didn't think anything of it.
The AR reading level is given as 1.6 which means this is a book for a child in the second half of the first grade. While professionally assessed, this mom thinks quite a few first graders will need some help because of the vocabulary. More difficult words include: hibernate, thousands, whistle, creatures, stretching, fertilizes, speckled, and capture. Words they might not be familiar with are: mate, female, male, breathe, gills, and cling.

Click Here to see more reviews about: From Tadpole to Frog (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Wendy Pfeffer describes the amazing metamorphosis from tiny, jellylike egg, to little fishy tadpole, to great big bullfrog. Holly Keller has created the archetypal frog pond and we see it through the seasons as the tadpoles grow legs and lungs and eventually hop onto land: bullfrogs at last. "Well-designed ink drawings washed with soft-toned watercolors stretch across the double-page spreads, showing the action above and below water level. . . .an attractive, general introduction."-BL. 1994 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)Best Children's Science Books, 1994 (Science Books and Films)

Click here for more information about From Tadpole to Frog (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Santa Responds: He's Had Enough...and He's Writing Back Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)(I gave it 5 stars because it kept everyone at a family dinner laughing the whole time!)
Perfect for : Personal reading, great host/hostess gift (for the right person!)
In a nutshell: I don't know if my family has laughed this much in quite a while - at least not because of a book! We had relatives over for dinner one evening, and I decided to pull this book out to see what they thought. What I thought would be a quick five minute browse through the book ended up lasting over an hour as we passed the book back and forth, reading the children's letters and how Santa responded to them out loud. I've never had a better time during dinner! This is the perfect gift for someone with a great sense of humor, or someone who needs one! It would also be great after a long day of work, or holiday shopping - just grab a cocktail and start reading - your day will instantly get better! As I learned, this book is also a perfect ice breaker for a gathering - just make sure there are no kids who still believe in Santa, because just like the picture on the cover - this Santa isn't your normal "ho, ho, ho" jolly old Saint Nick, but rather a blunt pot-bellied, tattooed, cigar-smoking, drinking, cursing (not too bad) Santa who is finally telling kids exactly what he thinks!
Extended Review:
You've simply got to get this book this holiday season! If for some reason it offends you - I apologize, but I don't expect it to offend anyone. My parents were here when we read it out loud, and if anyone would have been offended, it would have been my Mom, who took everything in stride and laughed as much as the rest of us! While you are at it, pick up a copy for someone else who deserves a good laugh!
Characters: Santa is hilarious! He's pulling out all the stops and telling kids what the reality of the situation is!
Story-Line: This book is full of letters written by children to Santa, and his responses. Please note that it is NOT a book I would read to a child who still believes in Santa, or any child at all, as it is certainly filled with adult humor.
Readability: I found the book easy to read. One note here is that the kid's letters are in different fonts, and some really look like kids handwriting, which can get a bit tricky in some situations (think of the suggested cocktail above).
Overall: A holiday MUST HAVE this year, especially with the economic fears - everyone needs to laugh about something!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Santa Responds: He's Had Enough...and He's Writing Back

Ever wonder what Santa does with all those letters? (And all those cookies?) After a particularly long, cold night staring at nine smelly reindeer butts, the old man lets loose with the real answers to those stupid, whiny, hard-to-read letters from kids. Turns out, we really do get what we deserve. Dear Billy, I know you honestly believe that the good deeds you rattled off represent your behavior for the entire past year rather than the activities that occurred during the two hours leading up to the writing of this letter. Two hours of good behavior hardly justifies a new Playstation, let alone a trip to Disney World!! Your pal, Santa

Click here for more information about Santa Responds: He's Had Enough...and He's Writing Back

Riding the Ice Wind: By Kite and Sledge across Antarctica Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Oh dear.
I don't care for the sentimental maundering, but at least the author presents his own first-hand experiences with candor. He loses his way as soon as he departs from his own trip: misquoting and getting his facts wrong about some of the historical expeditions, and exposing his ignorance of the modern Antarctic scientific mission when he writes about Amundsen Scott South Pole Station. No, there is not a 25-to-1 support staff to scientist ratio (he based his math on the members of 1 science group, IceCube; all other scientists may be surprised to be demoted). He knows nothing about the nature of the endeavor going on inside, but he is quite happy to pontificate on the American presence based on the appearance of the front door. Apparently he is unfamiliar with the movement of the ice cap that has drawn the station closer to the geographic pole over the course of several decades (he prefers to blame pushy Americans for its proximity, that's more convenient). I wonder if he knows that he photographed and wrote about reaching the ceremonial pole marker, rather than the geographic one (re-surveyed every year due to that sneaky ice cap movement). He clearly doesn't know or care about the history of IGY and the original South Pole Station. He admires the quaint and atmospheric old Dome, whose power plant coated everything in the vicinity with soot; and disdains the (not so pretty) new station, with its much cleaner co-generators that combine heat and electricity production with pretty decent efficiency and low by-product.
I respect the achievement of sledging across the continent. The author should do his homework before he insults the achievements of others. I am proud that I have been able to be part of the international scientific mission at the South Pole, under an arguably fragile treaty that preserves the continent for discovery and peace rather than commercial development and resource exploitation. This author needs a stern editor, and a fact checker.
The author and I agree in our admiration for Apsley Cherry-Garrard, whose classic "The Worst Journey in the World" is readily available in many editions easily obtained online or even from a library.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Riding the Ice Wind: By Kite and Sledge across Antarctica

Leaving the security of friends, work, and a wife, Alastair Vere Nicoll joined a team of young men to harness the katabatic winds and haul and kite-surf across Antarctica: the coldest, windiest, most violent continent on earth. Not since Shackleton nearly perished attempting the same thing in his Endurance expedition had such a crossing been attempted. This is the story not only of the first West-to-East traverse of the continent of Antarctica, but of the crossing of two phases in the author’s life—from youth into manhood, fantasy into reality. It is also the story of a race against time, as he fought to get home for the birth of his first child. As Alastair battled through the freezing wastes, exploring the earth’s wildest continent and his deepest self, he was haunted by the ghosts of past explorers and by the question of what it is to be a "modern man.”

Get 28% OFF

Click here for more information about Riding the Ice Wind: By Kite and Sledge across Antarctica