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Rusty the Squeaky Robot:

Rusty the Squeaky Robot
by Neil Clark
words & pictures
Juvenile Fiction/Robots
32 pages
Pub Date April 19, 2018

My thoughts:

As I started writing my thoughts down, I realized I was in rhyming mode, so I ended up with this 🙂 with additional ones in regular prose form after this ditty..

Who is Rusty? You say?
Well, he is a robot who
lives in a planet far, far away
he is not happy, that is true
with the sounds he makes
when he moves
(squeaks and more squeaks he makes
at every movement he takes).
As he wonders if someone
could be of help,
along comes a dingling Belle,
full of cheer and smiles as well.
As they travel Planet Robotone
they meet more musical tones
honks by Hoot, twangs from Twango
booms from that robot who says Yo!
together they are a wonderful team
they will make you smile, make you beam!
So read this book aloud
alone, or better with a crowd.
and fun is guaranteed
yes, it is indeed..

Additional points I could not just not include in that little(?) poem up there:

The book, with all its simplicity, brings across so many messages – of accepting yourself as you are (squeaks and all), of accepting others, of unity in diversity, of creating wonderful things together, of having fun with friends,  and of exploring together. This is a picture book, and the illustrations are spot-on. They are cute, loudly colorful, and so diverse as well, making them a perfect accompaniment to the sounds and the message of the book. Last but not the least, I always love clever uses of space, anywhere, and one such genius use is here in this book – using Rusty’s head to place the ISBN barcode and price information! While there were a few rhymes that seemed out of place where I stumbled over the words, it was overall a fun read, so I recommend it! 

Kids could easily add on more to the book – by drawing more geometric shaped colorful robots and making up inventive noises for these robots.

Rating: 4.5/5
Reading Level: 4 – 7 years (but can be enjoyed by all!)
Reread Level: 4.5/5

Thanks to Edelweiss and ‘words & pictures’ for the advance review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

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Little Learning Labs: Astronomy for Kids

Little Learning Labs: Astronomy for Kids, abridged paperback edition
26 Family-friendly Activities about Stars, Planets, and Observing the World Around You; Activities for STEAM Learners
by Michelle Nichols
Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry
Quarry Books
Children’s Nonfiction
Pub Date 18 Sep 2018

My thoughts:

The book includes 26 hands on activities with focus on astronomy that can be easily done at home or class. With easy to follow instructions,  safety tips and setup hints for each activity, information on time and materials needed, as well as the science behind each project along with additional ideas to explore, this book is a valuable resource of fun and learning. Kids can easily follow along by themselves for many of the activities, and for the few that needs adult supervision, that is minimal as well, so it encourages independent learning in the truest sense.

I loved that most of the activities take around 15 minutes or so and thus can be broken down as fun breaks during the day in class or at home. It defines observation and dives deep into the many aspects of observation through the labs (how do we see surfaces that we can’t see directly, using the tools we have to figure out more – including our senses, and using recorded observations to arrive at answers).

Labs include discovering how and why stars twinkle, making a pinhole projector, finding out the secret of Mars’ redness in your home, and exploring the night sky, among other exciting, easy to do ones. Did you know that the word comes from the Greek planetes meaning wanderers? Find out this and more facts.

This is a must-have for school libraries, and for all those budding scientists and astronomers, and for parents who want fun learning projects to occupy their kids on long summer vacations (and any other time too). It also includes the basics of how to start and keep a scientific journal to record observations, as well as a useful glossary and additional resources to use. It shows that you can learn by observing and by doing and have tons of fun in the process.

I will be using it at home and with my Girl Scout troop and am looking forward to it. Which means I will be getting my own hard copy for use in my home library soon as my ARC will only last this long and then disappear into its own black hole! And really not sure which lab I will be working on first – make water flow or create craters, or just finish it lab by lab from one through 26 🙂

Rating: 5/5
Reading Level:  8 – 11 years (maybe all ages actually since there are so many activities that can be done by the youngest ones and I know I am going to enjoy many of them myself)
Reread Level: 5/5 – these can be done so many times over.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

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Lego Space: Building the Future

Lego Space:Building the Future
by Peter Reid and Tim Goddard
No Starch Press
Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC
Comics & Graphic Novels , Crafts & Hobbies
Pub Date 04 Nov 2013

My thoughts:

This is a sci-fi book:

A futuristic story that tells of the challenges off-world colonists faced as they began settling in outposts, really out there. It begins in the past and takes us back to the future. Starting with the very thing I mentioned at the beginning of my post – Sputnik’s launch into space on Oct 4th, the first chapter of this story is set in reality and gives a brief history of space exploration from Sputnik to the Mars Rover, Curiosity, landing on Mars in 2012 (this book was published in 2013). The next chapters take us forward to the middle of the 21st century and we can follow along as the characters tumble into adventures, face space in its unknowns, and turn the pages to see what they will do next.

And this is a Lego book:

So it makes sense that the illustrations in this book are hi-def photos of realistic Lego characters and creations. I loved the tiny but oh-so-real Voyager 2. To be honest, I loved every Lego creation and while I am not a Lego expert in any sense, we have tons of Lego bricks and minifigures still lying around that make a come-back every once in a while – like when we encounter magical books like this. It also includes step-by-step instructions for some of the creations featured in the book, while Lego fans can certainly attempt the others that don’t come with instructions.

I wish that instructions and details on required Lego pieces for more of the creations were included. That would have definitely made it more easier for part of the target audience – those around 11 years old. But overall, this is a cool book that can inspire Lego creations!

Rating: 4/5
Reading Level: 10 and over
Reread Level: 3.5/5 for the sci-fi story; 5/5 for the featured Lego creations

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC and letting me discover this book. Opinions are fully mine and based on a borrowed copy today as the ARC expired years ago 🙂

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How Do You Burp in Space?: And Other Tips Every Space Tourist Needs to Know

How Do You Burp in Space?: And Other Tips Every Space Tourist Needs to Know
by Susan E. Goodman (Author), Michael Slack (Illustrator)
80 pages
Hardcover
Bloomsbury USA Childrens
July 9, 2013

Space tourism is now a reality with Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa scheduled to take a flight around the moon in 2023 with SpaceX. So this book will definitely be a handy guide to have for all those space tourists now gearing up for their trips. On our trip to the Kennedy Space Center last December, we were intrigued by space travel and its hows and whys and whats. We totally enjoyed watching astronauts in space explaining how they live their daily lives on videos while at the center and later online in the comfort of our homes. This book takes all of that information and presents it in a manner perfect for the target audience of 8 – 12 year olds with fun illustrations peppered throughout.

The chapters included (Planning Your Trip, Getting There, Getting Oriented, Accommodations, Dining, What to See and Do, Going Home) suggest a casual guidebook to the city next door making this a fun read. An additional section – Learning More About Space – includes a wealth of information. We learn many interesting facts as we read (like how astronauts measure time – not with the watches we use on earth) and definitely facts that kids will enjoy learning about (like how to use the bathroom or drink juice). Quotes from real astronauts and points to ponder (do you need to take your cell phone with you? why not?) invite inspiration and discussion in groups and classrooms.

Rating: 4/5
Reading Level: 10 and over
Reread Level: 3.5/5 for the sci-fi story; 5/5 for the featured Lego creations

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC and letting me discover this book. Opinions are fully mine and based on a personal copy today as the ARC expired years ago 🙂

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