Book Reviews

Press Here

By Herman Tullet

Press Here is an engaging, interactive book that is both simple and amazing in its approach. Normally, when we think "interactive," at the very least books with pop-up pages or books with holes for fingers or textures for feeling or buttons for making sounds come to mind. The other end of the spectrum of "interactive" involves the animations and sounds of apps for iPads or games on a computer.

Press Here fits neither of those models. Its pages are flat. Nothing pops up. The book features no holes, no variety of textures, and no sounds. However, it is indeed interactive, as you will learn when you and your child discover the surprises in this book together.

As you begin, you see a yellow dot. Simple directions tell your child to press it. Turn the page…there are now two dots! Press one. Turn the page…three yellow dots! Directions say to rub the LEFT dot (gently!). Turn the page. It's blue! Now rub the RIGHT dot (gently!). Turn the page. It's red!

And so on through the book. Directions say to press a dot FIVE times. On the next page, there is now a row of five VERTICAL dots! The directions will have your child tilting the book LEFT. Oh my, all the dots are now on the edge of left page! Tilt RIGHT. What happened? Now they are on the right edge of the page! Who did that?? Shake the book (gently!) Hold the book STRAIGHT. On each page the dots move, sometimes in surprising ways. They make a pattern in a HORIZONTAL line. Oh-oh! Which dots changed places?

As the end of the book draws near, your child is asked to clap. One clap. Turn the page. The dots are bigger! Two claps. The dots are bigger still. More clapping. Now the dots overlap. Now look…there are different COLORS…oranges, purples, greens!

What do you get in this simple book? Well, surprise, fun, and laughter for sure. But consider the other benefits—counting; patterns; colors; directions; concepts of left, right, straight. There is more to this little book than meets the eye, as you will discover the first time you and your child sit down to press that yellow dot for the first time.

At the end of the book, you're sure to hear, "Let's do it again!" ...and again, and again…

Review by Joyce Johanson

Beyond Consequences, Logic and Control

by Heather T. Forbes and B. Brian Post

It’s refreshing to find a book written for parents that takes a research evidence-based topic and applies it to everyday parenting. It’s thought provoking to find a book that challenges our prior knowledge and familiar ways of parenting with establishing new patterns that first require an evaluation of ourselves. For some families and children, this can be well worth it – even ‘family’ life-saving.

Noting that experiences impact our thinking, memory and ability to self-regulate, the authors address selected brain research. They cite neuroscientist Bruce Perry’s four levels of memory: cognitive, emotional, motor and state. Once activated, the ‘state’ level has the power to totally override the other three. The state level, which is not part of the rational brain but lies in the limbic brainstem area, operates with either fight, flight or freeze when stress is interpreted as threat. At this time, unconscious traumatic memories are triggered and heightened stress grows, distorting the cognitive mind. In the state level, a behavior such as lying can easily be a self-preservation response and the cognitive and emotion states remain mute to their moral and ethical convictions and reasoning. Indeed the authors describe this as “survival”. Thus when confronted with the threat of a stealing cookie, the state level calls for protection from the confrontation, not the theft of the cookie.

The authors use Perry’s work to support their ‘Stress Model’. Developed by Dr. Brian Post as a regulatory theory of human behavior, the Stress Model says that behavior arises from a triggering stress and that, in between the stress event and the behavior, the emotional state is accessed. It is Forbes and Post’s position that the primary emotions that will occur in the emotional state are fear or love.

When a child is having fear-based behaviors of great challenge for adults to manage, the authors call upon the adults to not let the child’s fear based behaviors create fear within themselves. Seeing the child’s outside defiance, hitting, cruelty and other negative behaviors can quickly lead to the adult state level of fear-based feelings and resultant fear-based behaviors. In essence, the adult may ‘naturally’ follow the same process in which the child is engaged. As the adult, however, the fear-based behavior produces fear-based consequences for the child.

The Stress Model provides awareness of the adult’s ability to calm the child’s fear once the adult’s fear response is cognitively realized and put in check. Thus when the child’s fear-based feelings encounter appropriate responses from adults, the fear-based behaviors can dissipate.

The heart of the book lies within the first chapter, but all the other chapters bring nourishing oxygenated circulation. Read and re-read the first chapter to fully comprehend the heart of the book. Read the rest of the book to understand the traditional view and the ‘new view’ of consequences, principles and how to parent Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control.

Reviewed by: Sandy Ginther

Along A Long Road

By Frank Viva

Readers will be whisked away on this bicycle ride as they follow the bold yellow road past the sea, through the country, up a hill, around town, through neighborhoods, into a tunnel, over a bridge and twisting and turning past several interesting places. Although the author uses few words to create this rhythmic tale, it’s sure to spark many conversations as readers notice and talk about the many sights they see as they join the cyclist on his journey along the road. What will they notice in the sky, in the water, or in the store on the side of the road?

Viva’s bold illustrations feature only five colors (black, white, light blue, yellow, and a few splashes of red). The stunning images are full of contrast and are sure to capture children’s attention from the very first page! As each page is turned, it is revealed where the continuous road will lead next. This book is full of movement and fun. It can be used to reinforce spatial concepts such as “over,” “under,” “through,” “up,” “down,” “around,” “into,” etc. This book is sure to be a delightful addition to any classroom library or block area. I can see children being inspired to build their own very long road that twists and turns past many interesting places!

Review by: Anna Owen

Balancing Act

by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Ellen Stoll Walsh wrote and illustrated this fun-filled story about mice experimenting with a teeter-totter. “Ta-da!” They find balance only to be thrown off again as a new creature jumps in on the action.

The book has a playful tone as the animals are jostled on the beam. What a great read to encourage summer activity. This makes me want to go outside and try my own hand at creating a balanced teeter-totter. Use the book to encourage investigation of balance and weight. Concepts related to patterning, counting, and size are evident as well.

Reviewed by: Mindy Ely

Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?

By Susan A.Shea with paintings by Tom Slaughter

If a kitten grows and becomes a cat, can a cap grow and become a hat? Children can explore this question and many more in this book about animate and inanimate objects. Each page has a colorful drawing of either an animal or an object. Children can decide whether an object, such as a cap, can really grow into a hat as they open the flap on the page revealing how that smaller object relates to the larger one. They can ponder whether a watch can become a clock or a shovel can become a plow.

This book can stimulate a lively discussion about how animals and humans grow, and whether objects are capable of growing as children decide the answer to the question on each page. There is also a section in the back that provides the answers for children who want to enjoy this book on their own. Along with the thought provoking questions, the colorful drawings and movable flaps are appealing features of this book for young children.

Review by: Linda Robinson

Little Pink Pup

by Johanna Kerby

Little Pink Pup written by Johanna Kerby is a heart-warming story for children AND adults. Pink, the pig, is born into a litter of 12 piglets but was the runt of the litter and was not given much opportunity to feed. Enter, Tink, a mother dachshund who had a puppy of her own and was also foster mother to a few others. What unfolds is a story of love, compassion, and above all, acceptance. Pink soon became part of the dog family and began to eat and gain weight. While his pig siblings grew to 20 pounds, Tink was only 3 pounds. He refused pig food and only wanted puppy food like his brothers and sisters. He happily played, wrestled and chased his puppy siblings through the house. Tink moved to the barn when he grew too big for the house but he was sure to take his dog bed with him. His dog siblings continued to visit him and even though he was born a pig, Tink remains a dog at heart.

This book’s dedication says it all: This book is dedicated to all the children who think that they are different from the rest of their families. Just remember your family loves you just the way you are.

Review by: Carol Weisheit

Come and Play: Sensory-Integration Strategies for Children with Play Challenges

by Ariel Cross

This is a wonderful resource for early childhood professionals and parents. Ariel Cross emphasizes the necessity of play for children to develop, learn and thrive. This resource addresses five common play challenges as follows:

• The child who dabbles
• The child who roams
• The child who is anxious
• The child who is detached; and
• The child who feels rejected

Each chapter offers reasons why this may occur; key intervention guidelines; sensory-integration strategies; and tips from Lily, an occupational therapist with thirty years of experience. In addition, each section includes a sample play plan for the play challenge being exhibited. Activities and ideas to enhance play materials and the curriculum are found throughout this resource.

Ruby in Her Own Time

By: Jonathan Emmett

Illustrator: Rebecca Harry

Ruby in Her Own Time is a story with a wonderful message for all. Ruby is a little duckling that that hatches later, eats later, swims later than her other siblings. Father Duck is very concerned, but Mother Duck wisely and confidently tells him that “she will…. in her own time.” Later when it comes time to learn to fly, Ruby develops long beautiful wings and flies higher and farther than any of her brother or sisters. This story’s message celebrates individuality and non-competition. Ruby is not pushed by Mother and Father Duck, but rather they wait patiently until Ruby is ready to learn and reach each goal. The pictures are in colorful pastels and are very appealing. A great story for any young child and parents too!

Just how long can a long string be?!

By: Keith Baker

Keith Baker is a former elementary school teacher. He is the author and illustrator of fourteen picture books including Big Fat Hen.

This a simple story about an ant and a bird with a large ball of string. Inside the jacket cover it states: “ Has something ever gotten in your way that seems way too big to handle? What if you could break down that problem into pieces . . . until it wasn’t a problem at all?”

Ant and bird turn the ball of string into things they can use like strings to balloons, string for a kite, string for a necklace and many other things. The illustrations are bright and colorful. The string continues from one page to the next throughout the book.

I enjoyed the book because it was simple and not very many words on a page. Children could relate to many of the activities but some may be new things. I can see a lot of potential for questions and discussions. It could also lead to many types of outdoor activities.

Sherial McKinney
STARNET Regions I & III
Early Childhood Resource Specialist

THERE’S GOING TO BE A BABY

By: John Burningham

John Burningham is a two-time winner of the Kate Greenway Medal who has writine and illustrated numerous books including It’s a Secret and Harvey Slumfenburger’s Christmas Present. Helen Oxenbury is also winner of Kate Greenway Medal and numerous other awards. She is the illustrator of many books such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (one of my favorites), It’s My Birthday, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

This book addresses how a preschooler thinks about getting a new baby in the family. The author poses a lot questions a child might say such as: “ When is the baby coming? What will we call it? What will the baby do? We don’t really need the baby do we?” The mama in the story answers some of the questions and makes some statements like: “Maybe when the baby grows up, it will be a chef and work in a restaurant.” (As she and soon-to-be big brother are sitting in a restaurant). The soon-to-be big brother shares: “I don’t think I’d eat anything that was made by the baby.” The next two pages show the baby making pancakes, flipping them, and one landing on the baby’s head.

The book shows different places the mother and son go throughout the pregnancy. Each place like the art museum it is brought up that the baby may grow up to be an artist and brother’s response and how he imagines the baby doing that job.

At the end the Grandad is taking the big brother to the hospital. The big brother says: “Grandad the baby will be our baby. We’re going to love the baby aren’t we?”

Note: The picture of the brother taking a bath is an anatomically-correct picture of the big brother standing in the water. Just wanted everyone to be aware.

I really enjoyed the story and how the author put it to words so many of the questions young children have when they are expecting a new sibling. It would be good book for families that are expecting a new baby.

Sherial McKinney
STARNET Regions I & III
Early Childhood Resource Specialist

CHALK

By: Bill Thomson

Bill Thomson is an associate professor of illustration at the University of Hartford. He illustrated Baseball Hour, Karate Hour, and Building with Dad.

This book is a picture book (with no words). It has bright, colorful illustrations. Inside the cover it states: “A rainy day. Three kids in a park. A dinosaur spring rider. A bag of chalk. The kids begin to draw . . . and then . . . magic!”

The kids find a bag of sidewalk chalk hanging in a gift bag off of the dinosaur spring equipment in the park. The kids use the chalk to draw things. Each thing they draw appears like the sun and butterflies. I won’t give away the ending but this book would get a lot of discussion about drawing, fantasy, things they like to do outside, and what ever the book inspires them to think of.

I highly recommend it as a great book for spring. It could be a springboard for some outdoor drawing and other activities such as a trip to the park or making their own picture book. Best of all there are no words so the children can tell the story any way they want.

Sherial McKinney
STARNET Regions I & III, Early Childhood Resource Specialist

Picture Science: Using Digital Photography to Teach Young Children

By: Carla Neumann-Hinds

Putting digital cameras in the hands of young learners may cause no small amount of concern. Compact and durable, digital cameras are the right size to fit into small hands and rugged enough to survive in a classroom. The digital camera is a tool that supports learning in many ways for young children.

With a digital camera in the hands of young children, teachers discover that picture-taking can:

• turn the abstract into the concrete. All the words in their adult vocabulary cannot explain a shadow as easily and completely as the picture of an object blocking the light.
• help children remember events over time. By arranging photographs in a sequence children produce a visual timeline of events.
• support children's language development. Children review their photographs and describe and verbalize their ideas related to an object or event.
• demonstrate children's focus on a particular topic. The pictures children take are evidence of their search for information. As they eliminate possibilities, their field of inquiry narrows as they work toward an answer. The proof is in the photos.
• provide children with their own source of documentation. The photograph they took of the cardinal at the bird feeder turns that bright red bird into "their" bird. That sense of ownership is not likely to happen with the picture cut from a magazine.
• help children learn skills related to photography. When children are engaged in the picture-taking process, they learn to use this "adult" tool as they gauge distance, monitor lighting, and arrange the setting.

The author shares many activity ideas, designed to address early learning standards, that support ways children can use digital photography to collect and analyze data, demonstrate conclusions, make the process of inquiry visible, and create documentation. While most activities "look like science," they are not singularly related to science but include learning opportunities in other content areas as well. In addition, the author answers questions related to the kind of camera, storage capacity, zoom, battery use, camera/computer compatibility, printing, and image storing.

A digital camera in a classroom is not only for teacher use. In the hands of young children it becomes an important tool for investigating, collecting and analyzing information, and demonstrating new knowledge. Be bold and share the digital camera with the children!

Ramps & Pathways: A constructivist approach to physics with young children

Newton’s First Law of Motion, force, motion, friction, slope, gravity and inertia – do preschool children really understand these physics terms? Yes AND no. Preschool children develop what Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, refers to as knowledge at a “practical level” (knows how) with knowledge at a “conceptual level” (knowing why) coming between 11 or 12 (for most children). Ramps and Pathways (DeVries and Sales), a NAEYC publication, explores a child’s understanding of physics through a constructivist view. Based on the works of Piaget, the authors discuss how a young child constructs their understanding of the physical world. Using the phrase “thinking about children’s thinking,” Ramps & Pathways explores the development of a child’s logical reasoning.

Children spend hours exploring and experimenting with ramps – how fast does this marble/ball go down a board? What angle works best so the car travels down a tube the fastest? As an adult, we know what ideas work and don’t work but that’s because we’ve had years and years to gain this knowledge. A young child is at the beginning level of their physical world knowledge and must have lots of time, materials and support in order to get to the conceptual level of understanding.

Teachers can respect children’s unique ways of thinking by providing many opportunities for children to try out their ideas. When children correct themselves and try again they are more likely to correct their own misconceptions. But, in order to make these corrections, teachers must provide an environment which supports this process. Here are some ideas the authors suggest:

1. Materials – cove molding (molding used where walls and ceilings meet), plastic gutters transparent, flexible tubing all varying in length; various sizes of small balls and cars to roll on the cove molding and tubing.
2. Adequate space – children must be able to build up (the book provides many colored photographs of children’s structures), out, over and under in the classroom. And, children must be able to keep structures up to sustain their interest day in and day out.
3. Time – teachers must support a child’s on-going effort to try out their ideas in order to test their sometimes inaccurate ideas in order to increase their physics knowledge and intellect.

Disequilibrium (moments of uncertainty) must occur in children’s thinking in order to advance their thinking. This disequilibrium includes both intellectual and affective experiences. A child’s intellectual disequilibrium occurs when their ideas don’t come out the way they had intended (Hey, why didn’t that ball turn the corner on the ramp?). Affective disequilibrium occurs when a child experiences puzzlement, frustration or surprise. In order to create and change their knowledge content and become better at mentally organizing that content teachers must engage in what the author’s term the “10 Principles of Teaching” – interpreting Piaget’s ideas about how children think and learn. These 10 principles are:

1. Experiment with materials
2. Inspire children’s interest
3. Create an environment that inspires
4. Allow children to try ideas
5. Observe children’s actions
6. Intervene with questions and comments
7. Respect a child’s non-response to your questions
8. Support children’s work
9. Integrate into all curricular areas
10. Encourage social interactions.

While the 10 principles are written for a child’s understanding of physics, one can easily insert language, math, social studies or any content areas into this idea. Reading this book will help engage a teacher into the thought processes of a young child and can easily affect a teacher’s understanding across the entire curriculum.

A Soup Opera
By Jim Gill

Throughout the years many of us have danced and sang to a variety of Jim Gill’s songs in our homes and in our early childhood classrooms. If you are not familiar with Jim, he is a child development specialist who has been singing and dancing with children and adults to songs such as the Silly Dance Contest, The Sneezing Song, and Hands are for Clapping. His book May There Always Be Sunshine incorporates illustrations for the Russian Folk song he has shared with children over the years.

Within the past few years, Jim has worked with a variety of symphony’s to explore another genre of music with young children. Jim has brought this experience to life in the book A Soup Opera. A Soup Opera engages children and adults in a musical interaction between a waiter and a patron at a restaurant. When the patron experiences difficulty with his soup a variety of people come to his assistance including the chef, the mayor and even the President of the United States! While we can tell you that the operatic singing of this interaction invites children and adults to sing-along, we of course we cannot tell you how the situation is resolved!

A Soup Opera comes with a CD that includes suggestions for dramatizing the story with children. Through the sharing of this book, educators and families have an opportunity to introduce young children to the musical world of the symphony and the opera.

Real Science in Preschool: Here, There, and Everywhere
By Polly Neill

The Teacher’s Idea Book Series HighScope Educational Research Foundation

Through an example that links many of us back to our early days of science, the author makes the point that when many of us think of science one of the first thoughts is dissecting a frog. The author goes on to state that “Unfortunately, our uncomfortable memories of science as older children may interfere with our ability to see it occurring right before our eyes in our preschoolers’ everyday play.” Once we begin to remove the thoughts and ideas related to science that may be hindering us, we are free to experience the joy of discovery with the children.

Real Science in Preschool takes the reader on a journey to discover science in each of the classroom learning centers, including the outdoor learning environment. Each chapter includes discussion on what the author refers to as the six components of the preschool scientific method. These components include, observing, classifying, experimenting, predicting, drawing conclusions, and communicating ideas. The use of many examples and anecdotes assists the reader in developing an understanding of how science is already taking place in the classroom. Educators may then add materials and experience that will help to scaffold children’s learning.

Along with providing new ideas and new information on science in the preschool classroom, the author shares information about the need for positive adult-child interactions. After explaining appropriate ways to interact with young children and how to participate in their play, the author then weaves examples and thought provoking questions into each chapter to assist the reader in gaining a better understanding of what the behavior “looks like” in a preschool classroom.

The HighScope Teacher’s Idea Book Series is a valuable resource for anyone working and interacting with young children. The series extends over the entire curriculum and program needs. Topics include story starters, large group and small group activities, planning around children’s interests, parent workshop resources, preschool transitions, math and science.

This book is available for check out through the STARNET Regions I & III Resource Lending Library. www.starnet.org. Click on the Resource Tab, then click on Free Online Library Loan.

Learning Together with Young Children A Curriculum Framework for Reflective Teachers
By Deb Curtis and Margie Carter

Learning Together with Young Children A Curriculum Framework for Reflective Teachers is a resource filled with many ideas and examples for educators working with young children and their families in early childhood settings including child care centers, home child care centers, preschool classrooms, and Head Start classrooms. Through the use of many photographs, stories and vignettes, the authors help provide educators with opportunities to “step into” different scenarios that occur within the classrooms. After providing several different perspectives on an interaction, the authors provide the reader with questions to reflect upon, thereby giving the reader an opportunity to internalize the material and to personalize the material for the needs of the children in the classroom.

The curriculum framework is designed around five Core Practices. These are: Create a Nourishing Classroom Culture, Enhance the Curriculum with Materials, Bring Yourself to the Teaching and Learning Process, Coach Children to Learn about Learning, and Dig Deeper with Children. Ms. Curtis and Ms. Carter provide numerous anecdotal samples along with photographs and work samples throughout this book to demonstrate how to build upon each of these Core Practices.

Learning Together with Young Children A Curriculum Framework for Reflective Teachers is available for loan through the STARNET Regions I & III lending library at www.starnet.org.

The Three Grumpies
By Tamra Wright Illustrated by Ross Collins

Have you ever tried to explain to a child what “a case of the grumpies” is and how to get rid of them? The author of this children’s book has identified three types of grumpy. There is grumpy, grumpier, and grumpiest, each with it’s own personal look. The story begins with a young girl who wakes up with a case of the grumpies. As she tells the different adults in her life that she has the grumpies, she gets a variety of suggestions on how to get rid of them. She tries each of the ideas and still cannot get them to go away, until all of a sudden she discovers the one thing that will make them go away. Now, I would tell you what the cure for “a case of the grumpies” is, but I simply cannot because nothing makes me grumpier than when someone tells me the end of the story before I have a chance to read it!

Brain Gym: Simple Activities for Whole Brain Learning
By Paul E. Dennison & Gail E. Dennison

Brain Gym is a book about movements, and their connection to the brain and impact on learning.

This concept was developed by Paul E. Dennison and Gail E. Dennison and researchers at Edu-Kinesthestics in Ventura CA, in the mid 1980's. They came to the conclusion that by using movements of the body, the brain could be re-patterned. The benefits were increased ability to concentrate, focus and absorb new information.

There are several versions of this book widely available, including the orange "Brain Gym" 1986; "Brain Gym-Teachers edition, revised"- 1988; "Brain Gym for Business" 1994.

These books are all similar, each giving explanations for the exercises and why they are effective. They all use movements that are simple and engage the learner. The simplicity is great, and the movements are scientifically based and researched, which makes them very appropriate for classroom, program and home use. There are no side effects other than better coordination, engagement, and increased muscle tone.

The movements can be done anywhere, inside or outside, for a few minutes or a longer time if desired.

Children and adults with limited movement abilities can also benefit, from the movements, especially those that cross the midline of the body, even if they need assistance to make the movements.

We appreciate the benefits and have heard lots of feedback from Parents, Educators and Providers, who have incorporated these ideas into their teaching stategies. We encourage others to remember the importance of movement and the connection of movement to learning for all people.

Complimentary books are:
"Brain Gym-Aprendizaje de Todo el Cerebro" (Spanish version); Dr. Paul E. Dennison y Gail E. Dennison 1996 "The Dominance Factor"-Carla Hannaford 1997 "Smart Moves"- Carla Hannaford PhD 1995 "I am the Child"- Cecilia K. Freeman M.Ed 1998 "Keep your Brain Alive"-Lawrence C. Katz PhD. 1999 "The Out of Sync Child has Fun"-Carol Stock Kranowitz MA 2003