Fun New Board Books That Teach Lessons

 

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

I always love books that teach something. Today we are sharing two new board books that teach lessons about shapes, colors, and more in fun ways! The first book is We See Triangles by Andrea Pippins. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3. I however would consider using it with my high school geometry students!

About the Book:

This vibrant and irresistible board book featuring simple cut-outs and bright patterns invites babies and toddlers to explore the world through triangles.

Babies and toddlers will delight in this beautifully designed introduction to shapes. This sturdy interactive board book features bold, stylish illustrations, patterns, and precise die-cut shapes to teach little readers to observe and identify the triangles around them. Parents and children will delight in this rich reflection of Black culture that inspires curiosity and fosters creativity.

From Me:

This book shares patterns using triangles. The words on each page are very simple. The designs show up in artwork, clothing, food and more. Some will remind the reader of Kente which is a tribute to African culture. There are other illustrations of African culture in the book like drums and the people. The pages are colorful and full of patterns. The people in this book are all illustrated as Black as it is meant to be a reflection on the Black culture. The pages each have a triangular cut-out giving a glimpse of the next page and the previous page!

What I love about this book are the various triangles!! It instantly reminds me of a project I do with my geometry students on congruent triangles. It has two options and this book does both. The first option is to make an illustration using congruent triangles. there have to be at least five pairs of congruent triangles in the picture to use the five shortcuts for proving triangles congruent. The second option is to find real life uses of congruent triangles or them in a picture. This book is full of them. Then show how to use the shortcuts to prove them congruent. The cut-out in the cover shows what looks like a Sierpinski triangle. My geometry class creates a Sierpinski triangle or adds to one in my classroom each year when we discuss midsegments. When you open the book you discover it is not a Sierpinski. As a geometry teacher I can see so many connections in this book with the triangles that are studied for much of the year! This book is great for so many reasons. It is perfect for introducing shapes to the younger children. It is also great for introducing and/or sharing Black culture with them. I love that the people are all Black for this reason! And it is perfect for discuss the amazing shape--a triangle. It could easily be used in a geometry class as an introduction to the projects I have described.

Our next book at first seems like a silly children's book, which are fun but don't always teach a lesson. However, there is a lesson built into this one. The book is Cats in Construction Hats by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrated by Leeza Hernandez. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.

About the Book:

Cats in Construction Hats is a part of the Cats in Hats collection.

Colorful cats in construction hats are on the job to build a house in this adorable, bouncy, rhyming picture book! Kids will delight in learning about colors while giggling at the hilarious antics of these forklift driving kitties.

Yellow cat. Green hat.
Dig this. Clear that.

Green cat. Orange hat.
Mix this. Pour that.

Six colorful cats work together to build a house...with just a little help (and mischief) from some tiny rat friends. Little readers will delight in following along with the simple rhyming text, big construction vehicles, and the failures and triumphs that come with a big project! Bulldozers, cement trucks, excavators, and even a giant crane feature in this story, but each read through also offers smaller details to discover!

From Me:

The cats are colorful and they wear colorful construction hats. Each of the beginning pages have cats of one color wearing hats of another color. The next page will switch colors of both. The cats are working to build something and there are rats who seem to be helping or getting in the way. The words seem very simple. It is full of various construction vehicles so kids who love trucks and construction will love recognizing them in this book. Then there is a collapse of what is being built with some fault on the rats. The cats then work together to fix and build. In the end the reader sees they are building a new house for all. 

I love that this book teaches colors but also teaches to work together. When the cats work together, they are able to build a beautiful house for each cat and rat to live together. It has such a nice message and a happy ending. This extended message is why the book is recommended for older kids than many board books. However the kids who will love this book are the cat lovers, rat lovers, and/or truck lovers. It is an easy book to read since the words are few but a fun one to discuss with so much going on each page.