Review: Dinosaurs Hatched! by Ruth Owen

DINOSAURS HATCHED!

Dino-Sphere

by Ruth Owen

Bearport Publishing

24 pages

ages 4 to 7

They may have been the biggest animals to ever walk the Earth, but every dinosaur began life as a tiny baby that hatched from an egg! Each title in this new series digs deep into one fascinating area of the Dinosphere. The expertly crafted text with strong visual cues to support new vocabulary will engage early readers as they build their reading confidence. This 24-page book features controlled text with age-appropriate vocabulary and simple, clear sentences. A fresh design and fantastic artwork closely align with the descriptive text that will captivate young readers.

 MY TIDBITS

The fascinating world of dinosaurs and their eggs is brought to life and explained in a way appropriate for young dino enthusiasts.

The first two-page spread sets the atmosphere—cute, little dinosaur babies just breaking out of their eggs. The high quality of the worked photos throughout the book create an extremely realistic appearing setting, which is sure to catch the attention of young readers right away. How dinosaurs laid eggs, what their nests looked like, how the babies were card for and exactly why the eggs we find today were fossilized are topics which are all addressed. At the end of the book, there's a glossary to help with more difficult terms, a list of where to find more information about the topic and a website address to learn more as well.

The text is steered toward younger readers/listeners and kept at the minimum required to address a topic. The colorful bubbles of information sprinkled among the illustrations help point out certain aspects and offer more information. The information never runs too deep, but simply gives a general idea of dinosaurs and their eggs. Several different dinosaurs are addressed to illustrate the various nesting possibilities, and while this was interesting, some of the dinosaur types were not familiar to my listeners. Since the book does not dive into that aspect, this left a bit of a void.

Dinosaur fans are sure to enjoy this one!

Young kids love all things dinosaur! From fossil hunters to baby dinosaurs, this new series digs deep into all areas of The Dino-sphere! The expertly crafted text with strong visual cues to support new vocabulary will engage early readers as they build their reading confidence. Each 24-page book features controlled text with age-appropriate vocabulary and simple, clear sentences. A fresh design and fantastic artwork closely align with the descriptive text, which will captivate young readers. The Dino-sphere is part of Bearport’s Little Bits! First Readers program.

To learn more about this series, order the books, or anything else... go here!

Review: Harvest Mouse by Ruth Owen

HARVEST MOUSE

Wildlife Watchers

by Ruth Owen

Ruby Tuesday Books Ltd.

Picture Book / Non-Fiction

24 pages

ages 2 and up

In this title, join a tiny harvest mouse as she munches on blackberries, crunches on grasshoppers, weaves a nest from grass in a wheat field, and raises her family. The book combines repetitive text with high-frequency and familiar sight words. Unfamiliar vocabulary is supported by detailed photographic images with labels, close photo/text matches, and a picture glossary.

MY TIDBITS

This takes a short glance at the life of a harvest mouse and helps kids to learn the basics of reading along the way.

Inside the cover are 'Tips for Reading Success' which give parents/readers wonderful ideas on how to lead young listeners and early readers into the pages, while making the most out of the illustrations and text. The book itself covers the life of a harvest mouse starting with food, nest building, super cute babies, predators, and how young mice head off into the world on their own. The text is kept fairly simple with only one or two short sentences on each page. Some words might need a little explanation, but learning is the point of this book.

The illustrations are true to life photos, which allow the harvest mouse to be presented in their true environment. Little bubbles provide extra information when necessary to help readers gain a deeper understanding of harvest mice. At the back of the book, there is a glossary, index, and a website address where kids can learn more about harvest mice.

It's a nice read which will help kids learn all about the harvest mouse, and bring across little tidbits that even adults might not know. The reading level is a little advanced for the very first readers, but with the tips in the beginning, it does help expand new readers' horizons.

Wildlife Watchers is a series of beautiful, nonfiction books that have been carefully crafted to help children practice their reading skills. Each book combines repetitive text with high-frequency and familiar sight words. Unfamiliar vocabulary is supported by detailed images with labels, close photo/text matches, and a picture glossary. As young readers build their reading confidence and skills, they will love peeking into the secret world of some fascinating, tiny creatures.

There are four titles available in this series:
Harvest Mouse
Mole
Stag Beetle
Toad

You can find more at Bearport Publishing

Review: Tomb Robbers Stolen Treasures by Ruth Owen

TOMB ROBBERS

Stolen Treasures

Egypt's Ancient Secrets Series

by Ruth Owen

Bearport Publishing

Children's Non-Fiction

ages 10+

Filled with fear and excitement, three men hurriedly dug their way through a dark passage. They were in search of treasure inside a dead king's tomb deep beneath the desert sands. If successful, they would be rewarded with gold, jewels, precious oils, and other treasures. If discovered, their punishment would be a terrible death! Why did some ancient Egyptians risk their lives to steal from the dead? And what tricks did tomb and pyramid builders use to hide burial chambers from tomb robbers?

Best deals for this and the entire series are found:

Bearport Publishing

MY TIDBITS

From sacrophagi to the process of embalming to the puzzle of mummy identification, this book takes a dive into ancient Egyptian tombs and reveals all sorts of gems of information young readers probably didn't know before.

At only 32 pages, this book holds a treasure trove of information surrounding the mysteries and history of Egyptian tombs. The author grabs the reader right away with a mysterious story about 8 men digging in the desert and goes off from there. A short text covers each spread, with quick and clear descriptions explaining everything from tomb robbers to the problems Egyptologists face when investigating a tomb. The words are engaging and hold a slight air of tension. More difficult or unfamiliar words are placed in bold letters and later explained in a glossary at the end of the book.

Each spread is bright, real life photos and, sometimes, diagrams. Small tidbits are added to give more clarity and explanation to side thoughts such as what a papyrus is or what a make-up bottle looks like. There's something interesting on every page, making this a book young readers are sure to come back to time and again.

While the text and information is easy to read and understand, some of the topics addressed might be a little harsh for children younger than the fourth grade (real life mummy photos and the clear presentation of the punishment tomb robbers faced). 

Summed up, this book offers a wonderful glimpse into ancient Egyptian tombs and many interesting facts surrounding them. Even adults will enjoy flipping through this and discover one or two facts they might not have known themselves.

This series consists of six books.

More than 4,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians developed their complex and fascinating civilization. They were storytellers, artists, and builders of incredible structures. Their powerful belief in the afterlife led them to care for their dead in a way that has left behind a wealth of knowledge about their society and everyday lives. However, for every ancient Egyptian structure or artifact discovered, unanswered questions remain. For example, why did the pharaohs build such elaborate tombs? And why was it important for their burial places to be hidden? In Egypt’s Ancient Secrets, the mysteries surrounding the giant pyramids, desert cemeteries, buried ships, and lost tombs are unraveled. Filled with fascinating details about life in ancient Egypt, each book delves into stories of the past. The series also discusses how historians and scientists are using advanced technology to help unlock Egypt’s ancient secrets.