Fun Board & Picture Books That Are Educational

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

There are so many amazing books coming out these days. Today we are sharing four--two board books and two picture books that are being released today! Each book has its own lesson from STEAM lessons, friendships, and rhyming words there is fun packed into these books! We will start with the STEAM board books! The first is Manny Matches the Weather by Jenny Lacika and illustrated by Antonieta Muñoz Estrada. It is part of the STEAMWORKS series and is available in English and Spanish. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3.

About the Book:

Join Manny in an exploration of temperature and weather, because STEAM is everywhere and for everyone!

Manny has style! But sometimes, Manny’s style does not match the weather. Can Manny learn to observe both the temperature and the weather to build outfits with fashion and function in mind? Perfect for parents and caregivers of independent toddlers exploring the world of dressing themselves.

Extend the learning beyond the story with expertly crafted back matter, including additional information about temperature and weather and fun STEAM activities.

STEAMWORKS features children of all backgrounds and abilities using scientific and mathematical thinking to solve everyday problems and answer questions that matter to them. Playful stories and extension activities ignite excitement for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) and empower children as thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators.

From Me:

Manny is a young boy who is ready to dress himself. One problem--he doesn't always dress for the weather. Sometimes he is too cold or wet or hot. He has to learn how to read the weather before he gets dress. This book shares his challenges and lessons. At the end of the book are ideas that Manny used like reading a thermometer and other ideas for picking out clothes.  

This book is perfect for young ones who are ready to choose their clothes and are trying to learn how to dress for different weather. I love how it shares some STEM about weather and telling what it is like outside before you are dressed. There are downloadable activities and a book guide here. 

Our next book is also part of the STEAMWORKS Series. It shares a young girl discovering the shapes of the phases of the moon. It is also available in English or Spanish. The book is Moon Chef by Delia Ruiz and illustrated by Nomar Perez. It is also recommended for ages 0 to 3.

About the Book:

Join Gaby in an exploration of lunar phases, because STEAM is everywhere and for everyone!

Hello, Moon! Follow along as Gaby fills her plate (and belly!) with foods that match the shape of the moon she sees in the sky. From a crescent plantain to a gibbous guava, the food shapes wax and wane as the month goes on, just like lunar phases.

Extend the learning beyond the story with expertly crafted back matter, including additional information about lunar phases and fun STEAM activities.

STEAMWORKS features children of all backgrounds and abilities using scientific and mathematical thinking to solve everyday problems and answer questions that matter to them. Playful stories and extension activities ignite excitement for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) and empower children as thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators.

From Me:

In this book Gaby is learning about the phases of the moon. She relates the various shapes with food and food accessories (plates, etc.). The book goes through all the phases of the moon and Gaby is very creative with finding good or plates to represent the various shapes. 

At the end of the book is more information about the phases of the moon as well as fun ideas to discover shapes and more. This book is perfect for helping add STEM to a regular day at home or in a classroom. There are downloadable book guide and activity here.

Our first picture book is a peek-through book, and it teaches about rhyming as well as similarities in different things. The book is called Is This a Plum? by Dan and Finn Ojari. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.

About the Book:

Is this a pear? No, it’s a bear!

This delightfully clever keepsake picture book is full of visual tricks and rhyming reveals to inspire wonder while making you chuckle—brought to life by an Oscar-nominated animator and based on his seven-year-old son's original idea and drawings!

Through the hole in the page, you might see a plum… or a spider… or a spoon. But turn the page to see the full picture and—SURPRISE!—it's something unexpected: the moon, a tiger, even a hippo’s bum!

This deceptively simple picture book debut by father-and-son duo Dan and Finn Ojari uses bold, stylish art, rhyming call-and-response text, and cut-through holes that play with shape and color to create a deeply satisfying read-aloud experience for children and adults.

From Me:

This is a fun book that uses the shape of the peek-through hole to make simple, yet fun drawings look like a word that rhymes with it. The bum looks like a plum. The bat looks like a cat. Talk about a fun read-aloud story!! Kids are going to love this book and I think the adults reading it will as well!

The book is creative and humorous. Plus, what kid doesn't like it when an adult has to read a word like bum! It is colorful, cute and will have everyone laughing. It also might be fun to talk about how the pictures look like two things based on the cut of the peek-through hole. 

Our final book is a true story about unlikely friends. The book is Coco and Stephen, Together Forever by Beth Stern with Margaret McNamara and illustrated by Joanie Stone. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. 

About the Book:

From New York Times bestselling author, proud animal foster parent, and spokesperson for the world’s largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization Beth Stern comes the heartwarming story of an abandoned bunny and a discarded kitten who each found their forever home and became best friends.

Coco is a kitten who was surrendered to a shelter. Stephen is a bunny who has been abandoned in the forest. All they both want is a forever home. When the two see each other for the first time through a glass door in Beth’s foster room—Coco has never seen ears so fuzzy, and Stephen’s never seen eyes so golden!—it’s friendship love at first sight.

Soon their days are filled with hide and seek, the zoomies, and snuggling in the sunlight. They have found not only their forever home, but also a forever friend.

This sweet and simple meet-cute is inspired by the unlikely friendship between a heartbroken kitten and an optimistic bunny whose love captured the attention of thousands of people on Instagram. New York Times bestselling illustrator Joanie Stone fills every page with warmth as this adorably irresistible pair find each other against all odds.

In an author’s note at the end of the book, Beth shares her experiences rescuing animals and offers information about fostering or adopting pets.

From Me:

This book is the story about a kitten and a rabbit who become besties. Now there is some history in my family about cats and rabbits getting along and not getting along. In fact, it made the front page of the newspaper, and they had to post an obituary for the rabbit after another cat doesn't take to the baby rabbit. Needless to say, this friendship is unlikely. The book shares a bit about each animal and how they may have ended up in the same foster room and how they became friends at first sight. 

Now we have three cats and a rabbit in my house. One of our cats loved climbing into the rabbit's enclosure and we would find them napping together. I can completely see Coco and Stephen finding one another and the friendship sticking. It is a sweet story. In the beginning it goes back and forth between the two animals and what is happening at the same time. Then they are both in the same place and the story continues for both as one. The illustrations are absolutely adorable and well done. This book is a wonderful tale about an unlikely friendship but one that reminds us not to judge another based on a visual characteristic like race or gender. A discussion about differences and similarities would be wonderful for a story time reading of this book in a class or library. At the end of the book are tips for bringing a pet into your family. It is a wonderful book to read before getting a pet as well as just a fun book for animal lovers!