Book Review: A Party For Clouds, Thunderstorms

Now that April has finally arrived, I thought it was time to start gathering some weather related ideas. I knew what I wanted to do for science and art, but I was on the lookout for some new books. My pre-k 4 class is into Writer's Workshop this year and we often use stories to jump start our topic selection. I had some books that I've used in the past and I was ready to begin my research when this book popped up on my Net Galley feed. Needless to say, I thought it would be perfect and I was thrilled when I was approved for the download.



This book has everything my class loves. It's a chapter book, so I can start it before lunch and finish it later. It contains a glossary which is a huge plus when we make vocabulary lists. The illustrations are fun and will definitely help the children relate to the fear they can feel when a thunderstorm approaches. Each page also contains a very clear and child-friendly explanation of what actually occurs during a storm. As a bonus, the book also includes a very quick and fun experiment that helps explain the sound that thunder makes.

This book was published in March, 2016. You can find it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble.
Title: A Party For Clouds, Thunderstorms
Author: Belinda Jensen
Illustrator: Renee Kurilla
Published: March, 2016
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group

First Day Of School Books

Pete The Cat - Too Cool For School
First Day Jitters
The Night Before Kindergarten
Curious George's First Day Of School
The Night Before Preschool
Miss Mingo And The First Day Of School
First Day Hooray
First Day Of School

Book Review - Spud The Couch Potato by Sean Jackson

I suppose it speaks volumes, that as I'm typing this review, I can look out my window and see that it's an absolutely beautiful day and yet not a single child is playing outside. And that seems to be the norm most days around here. I'd like to think that they're all inside reading or off visiting a friend but I suspect that what's really going on is very similar to what's happening in this story.

Our young subject, Spud, would much rather stay inside glued to his TV than be outside doing something with his friends or with anyone for that matter. Through a series of clever rhymes and humorous illustrations we see the many fun and interesting things that Spud would prefer not to be doing. Until the day his television stops working.

As a teacher, I know this story will hit home with both children and parents. Times have changed and how families fill their free time has too. But this story serves as a gentle and funny reminder that there is much more to life than staring at a screen. The story is short, but loaded with meaning. A must for any family or classroom library.

Buy Spud The Couch Potato on Amazon.

This title was graciously passed along to me through NetGalley.com