This book gives information about islands all over the world. There are river islands like Manhattan, and mysterious islands with ancient ruins, and disappearing islands that are eroding away. I especially liked the pages about artificial islands that have been created by man. There are factoids about animal life and history and different cultures around the globe.

The illustrations are eye-catching, and I loved the art style. The colors are bright, and each scene is beautifully designed.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the way they presented scientific theories as if they were fact, and they wrote about widely-accepted but unproven ideas as if they were fact.

This book gives details and statistics about underground subway systems around the world. There are 10 large subway systems featured, including New York, Mexico City, London, Paris, and Tokyo. The statistics include when the subway system was first opened, how many passengers it carries a year, how many lines are in the city, and the distance the tracks travel.

Each subway system includes a search-and-find illustration with objects to look for hidden in the artwork. I love the cartoon illustrations and how the objects are hidden so cleverly in between train cars or behind passengers. The art is brightly colored, and there are tons of little details in each scene that make it special and interesting. Continue reading →

I love how this book puts STEM concepts into simple terms for little readers. The children learn that objects float or sink based on their density. “Everything is made of molecules… They are very, very tiny. The closer the molecules are packed together, the denser the object.” That quote is probably the most technical part of the entire book. The rest of it is mostly simple statements about how a marble will sink, but a ping pong ball will float. A sponge will first absorb the water and then sink.

The children in the book build boats out of objects that can float and they have a boat race. The boats are made out of tin foil, milk cartons, and plastic bowls. The boat with the biggest sails and a hull that is pointed at the front will sail the fastest. Continue reading →

This book contains wonderful information about caribou, their habitat, their migration patterns, and their young. There are two to three paragraphs of information in each section, giving interesting information like how caribou survive against predators and how their antlers grow. There is even a section about how Inuit tribes will use caribou skin or bones to make clothing and utensils.

I love the warm artwork in this book! It really makes it enjoyable to read and see these majestic animals illustrated in their wilderness home. It immediately captured my attention!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

I love etymology and history and how words develop through time! This is such a great look at how certain English words have been borrowed from other languages.

However, I was disappointed that there are only 12 words showcased in this book. And even those are only described very briefly in one paragraph for each word. Each entry informs the reader about the pronunciation, origin, English meaning, and original meaning, and then has a small paragraph with the story of how the word came to be included in English and how its meaning changed. It’s good, but left me wanting more. Continue reading →

This book features things that happen each second around the world. 4 babies are born and 2 people die every second. 40 pairs of jeans and 48 smartphones are bought every second. 100 lightning bolts strike the earth every second! From natural phenomenon to text messages, this book gives some surprising numbers about how often things happen every second.

I liked how this book was organized! All the facts are really interesting, and they are illustrated with crisp art work. I also appreciated that the sources for all these numbers are listed in the back of the book, so you can determine for yourself how reliable the source might be. Continue reading →