Books that teach different concepts are a fun way to get young kids learning things they know. I always loved them when Hazel was young. Today we get to share three board books from a beloved children's book series, Guess How Much I Love You, and a fun picture book for slightly older kids. We will start with the board books. The first one is Guess How Much I love You: Shapes by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram. The recommended ages are 1 to 3.
Publisher's Summary:
Inspired by the timeless storytelling of Sam McBratney, this winsome exploration of shapes set in the world of Guess How Much I Love You will delight the youngest of readers.The round sun shines bright, but what shape does it make? How about that pointy pine tree, prickly and green? As Big Nutbrown Hare guides Little Nutbrown Hare in discovering the world around him, they hold up a daisy chain to make a square, examine a smooth stone that forms an oval, and cuddle together while gazing at a twinkly star in the sky. Make a wish!
From Me:
Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare are back and this time Little Nutbrown Hare is noticing different shapes in everyday things. The book shares circle, triangle, square, oval, and star for the shapes. Each is related to something the hares do in their day and ends with making a wish on a star. It is sweet and the words are simple for the young kids. It helps teach being observant of the various shapes in the world. It is fun and sweet!
The next book is Guess How Much I Love You: Colors also by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram. It is also recommended for ages 1 to 3.
Publisher's Summary:
A warm and engaging introduction to colors by the author and illustrator of Guess How Much I Love You.Little Nutbrown Hare is learning all about colors. He meets a yellow butterfly, a blue bird, a red ladybug, and a green frog and then says goodbye to brown leaves rustling away in the wind. This charming board book about curious Little Nutbrown Hare and wise Big Nutbrown Hare will captivate babies and toddlers as it reinforces primary colors.
From Me:
This book has Little Nutbrown Hare learning his colors. He sees the yellow flowers, bees and sun. The book has the colors: yellow, green, red, and blue. It also reviews the colors with Big Nutbrown Hare. The words are just Little Nutbrown Hare greeting each color. The illustrations for each color are full of things that are that color. It is a fun and simple book for beginning to learn colors.
The third book we are sharing is Guess How Much I Love You: Counting also by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram. It is also recommended for ages 1 to 3.
Publisher's Summary:
A winsome introduction to counting by the author and illustrator of Guess How Much I Love You.Count from one to five with curious Little Nutbrown Hare as he explores the world around him with wise Big Nutbrown Hare. See and feel dandelions, frogs, butterflies, leaves, and bedtime stars in this interactive board book, which encourages the very young to count things in each illustration.
From Me:
This book has Little Nutbrown Hare counting things he sees. He counts from one to five. Each thing counted is a fun thing that the hares see during their walk in the woods and things that kids love. It is a sweet book and perfect to start teaching about numbers and counting. Hopefully the older person reading the book counts the objects for each number! All three of these books are perfect for babies and toddlers. They also are great books for a baby shower gift!
Our final book is a picture book for slightly older kids. It teaches concepts like horizontal and vertical. It is Horizontal Crocodile by Scott Rothman and illustrated by Brian Won. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Publisher's Summary:
When a very loooooooong Horizontal Crocodile gets ready for a visit from a friend, his list of chores makes for a loooooooong day in this charming and ridiculous picture book perfect for fans of Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug and Mother Bruce.In a nice, loooooooong swamp, lives a nice, loooooooong Horizontal Crocodile whose loooooooong lost best friend is coming over…but Horizontal Crocodile’s nice, loooooooong house is one HUGE mess!
Can he get it cleaned up in time for his best buddy’s visit? See the lengths Horizontal Crocodile goes to in the name of being a caring and considerate friend in this hilarious and heartwarming read-aloud.
From Me:
In this fun picture book, the reader meets Horizontal Crocodile. He has a very long house with a long door and everything in the house is long just like Horizontal Crocodile. His best friend calls saying he is coming over and has a surprise for Horizontal Crocodile. He has changed his name and won't share it until he gets there. Horizontal Crocodile worries about cleaning his house, but in the end, it doesn't matter since his friend is now an alligator who walks on two legs and thus is vertical.
The illustrations in this book are fun. I love how it is teaching about lengths as well as the concepts of horizontal and vertical. These are hard concepts that I have seen high school students mess up. This book reminds me of a "song" with hand actions that one of my students shared when we talked about horizontal and vertical lines. I love the idea of Horizontal Crocodile being long and Vertical Alligator being tall. It is a great way for kids to learn about these concepts in a funny way. I love how the book emphasizes the loooooooong as much as it can. This book is perfect for preschoolers and kindergartners. It also is great for any math class that is graphing vertical and horizontal lines. Yes, my high school and middle school students loved it when I read them picture books! It is a fun way to review different concepts.
