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Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Early Light Books: Science for Kids



This post uses affiliate links. 

There are so many books piled up next to my desk awaiting review that I've decided to focus on sharing them with you between now and the end of the year. I'm hoping to share a book review at least once a week.

I never fail to be amazed by the incredible children's books that are on the market today. And the collection I'm featuring today is no exception. Early Light Books is a small company that publishes books for children (and adults) that show how fun science can be. (Psst! I just saw a Spanish book - Colores de animales - on their site.)

I read not long ago about how important it is for children to grow up with a connection to nature. It has so many benefits for them personally, but perhaps the most critical reason is that if kids lose their connection to nature, they won't fight for it.

For most children, I'm betting their first (and sometimes only) introduction with animals is through nursery rhymes and picture books. But chances are these interactions don't exactly teach the kids too much about the animals themselves. That's why I love these special books highlighting the animal world from Early Light Books.

Some of you may know that years ago I used to be a zookeeper and my husband currently runs the largest bird park in the country. So you can only imagine how many books on animals have found homes on the bookshelves in our house. This set is really very well done and a wonderful introduction for younger children.



Animal Fights and Animal Naps  (aff links) are both written by Catherine Ham. She's a former school teacher and it shows. Her books feature different animals and each one has its own rhyming poem that shares fascinating facts and sometimes asks engaging questions. My kids enjoyed learning about sleep and sleep-related behaviors in exotic animals from around the world, as well as how they fight for territory in the wild.


Animal Tails (aff) by Beth Fielding is equally enjoyable. But instead of writing in verse, her book has engaging informational text. She talks about the different types of tails in the animal kingdom and how they benefit different animals.


But perhaps my absolute favorite title so far from Early Light Books is Caterpillars (aff) by Marilyn Singer. The photographs are stunning. We could flip through the pages just looking at the pictures over and over again. But that would be a shame because this book is FULL of information about caterpillars, moths, and butterflies. Singer even includes a bunch of resources at the back of the book, such as a pop quiz, a matching game, anatomy information about caterpillars, a glossary, scientific & common names, and books and websites for more information on these fascinating animals.

Overall, if you are looking to begin or supplement your elementary student's science lessons, I strongly recommend these books from Early Light Books!

Disclosure: I was sent these books for review purposes. I do not endorse/review books that I don't like or feel aren't good for my readers. All thoughts and opinions are my own!