National Geographic Kids' Books
High Quality Nature Reading with Excellent Images for Children
Time is short. You want to read to inquisitive children. Make the book worthwhile and challenge their imaginations. Harry Potter is not the only option.
Reviews:
A Little Peace by Barbara Kerley, 2007. ISBN 978-1-4263-0086-8, $16.95 US $21.95 Canada
Face to Face with Caterpillars byDarlyne A. Murawski, 2007. ISBN 978-1-4263-0052-3, $16.95 US $21.95 Canada
Face to Face with Grizzlies by Joel Sartore, 2007. ISBN 978--4263-0050-9, $16.95 US $21.95 Canada
The trick in choosing highest quality books for your children, grandchildren or students, is to find a marriage of excellent text with outstanding images. That's what grabs kids and keeps them interested. That's what brings kids into the world of reading -- for life. National Geographic knows how to do that with the added benefit that their net proceeds support conservation and exploration of the world your children will inherit. Take a look at three new offerings: Face to Face with Grizzlies by Joel Sartore, Face to Face with Caterpillars by Darlyne A. Murawski and a jewel of a book, A Little Peace by Barbara Kerley.
Face to Face with Nature
The Face to Face books are chock full of well-reproduced photography by nature shooters with lots of experience. The images are real and sometimes gritty, but appropriate for almost any age. Sartore has had his camera in the field for a couple of decades. He has speicalized in grizzlies from Alaska to Yellowstone, says National Geographic, but has worked on many other projects for periodicals like Life and Newsweek. His images are clear, well-composed and really fun to look at. Kids and adults stand to learn a good deal of fascinating fact from the accompanying text. Did you know the best way to save a species is to preserve habitats?
Darlyne Murawski has a plethora of degrees including a doctorate in Biology and masters in Fine Arts. She isn't new to writing for children, having done four previous books including Spiders and Their Webs. It's amazing that this writer/photographer has travelled all over the world to research caterpillars. She can tell you things you never knew about the fuzzy critters and maybe stuff you don't even want to contemplate. But her writing style is charming and readable. It's like having a conversation with a friend who happens to know an awful lot about nature. The images she's created look as much like polished jewels as they do like creepy-crawlies. This book is a great one for youngsters just beginning to explore nature. It fits right in with the curriculum of most science/nature classes in elementary school.
Best for Last
"Seeds of Peace are all over the world - in a shared smile, a helping hand, a compassionate voice." There's the opening of A Little Peace by Barbara Kerley. She knows what's beyond your backyard, having been a Peace Corp volunteer in Nepal and a resident of Guam. Kerley has written award-winning non-fiction for kids. She believes individuals can make a difference, and her conviction is evident in A Little Peace.
The storyline runs through everyday situations, with images of children from other lands. A crowded bus, a beach, worship and prayer, study and play. The clear message is "we're all one." It's easy to see though people are diverse, there are common threads running through lives. Kerley gently encourages readers to treasure diversity and understand how friendship can go much further than one's own neighborhood. This is a beautiful read for adults or children. A message of hope in troubled times.
National Geographic for Kids
Readers have come to expect quality from National Geographic and the NG line for kids doesn't disappoint. Here's an organization that has built a reputation of excellence in exploring, portraying and preserving the Earth and Earth's creatures. National Geographic is second to none in their photographic expertise. These three books are exemplary. They're worth adding to any collection and must-reads for anyone who works with or cares about children.
