Stocking Stuffer Books from Sterling Children's Books (Review)

I love stumbling upon small board books to include in stockings and gift baskets I put together for my children and nieces and nephews.  And, this year, I found two great books from Sterling Children's Books that both boys and girls would enjoy reading.

The kind folks at Sterling Children's Books sent along these two books from their American Museum of Natural History series and illustrated by Caldecott-honor winner, Steve Jenkins.



Publisher: Sterling
Published: October 2012
Age range: from 3 to 7
18 pages
ISBN: 1-4027-7722-1
ISBN13: 9781402777226
Buy Now: $6.95 US, $8.95 Canadian
Board
all in color
7 X 7




"Gobble, gobble, munch, and crunch: watch the pages disappear!  Five hungry dinosaurs--from mighty little Microraptor to colorful Carnotaurus--sink their teeth into this tasty novelty book, created with the American Museum of Natural History and Caldecott-honor winner Steve Jenkins. Kids can count along as the dinosaurs take bite-sized chunks out of each page. The number of bites matches the counting number on each spread! Fun facts about the dinosaurs--and what they liked to eat--appear at the end, along with a listing of dinosaur details from 1-10."







 Publisher: Sterling
Published: October 2012
Age range: from 3 to 7
16 pages
ISBN: 1-4027-7723-X
ISBN13: 9781402777233
Buy Now: $6.95 US, $8.95 Canadian
Board
all in color
7 X 7



"What's hiding there? This charming novelty book, created with the experts at the American Museum of Natural History, is an irresistible first-concept book, combining colors and animals. Peek-a-boo holes in the flaps reveal a bit of a brightly hued creature hiding underneath, making a fun guessing game for preschoolers. Readers can lift the flaps to discover six animals cleverly camouflaged in their natural habitats, from rainforests to coral reefs. Illustrated by Caldecott Honor award-winner Steve Jenkins, Spot the Animals is sure to be a favorite."
Like I have shared in the past, my daughters have become fans of dinosaurs, thanks in part to the hit PBS Kids animated series Dinosaur Train.  So, whenever I show them a new book with dinosaurs, Savannah breaks out into song and dance, as she attempts to sing the show's theme song.  She doesn't quite have all the words down, but it is cute to watch her perform anyways. :-)

Since receiving these two books last month for review, we can't go a day without reading them.  And, when I ask the girls which books they want to bring when we go out on errands to the market, visit the doctor, or on car rides, they both make a dash to the bookcase to pick up these two books.  Savannah's favorite is 1-2-3 Dinosaur Bite!, not only because she is learning how to count, but because she likes the cover, which has a piece missing, as if a dinosaur took a bite out of the book.  And, as they/you read the book, more pieces of the pages are missing.  Children will love learning how to count by pointing to the sections of each page that have bite marks, as you read all about dinosaurs.  Older readers will enjoy the fun facts about dinosaurs, as well as trying their hand at pronouncing each of the dinosaurs names. This is definitely a book to share with dinosaur fans, as well as young readers who enjoy counting and board books.  Like I said, we have taken this book everywhere with us, and it remains in great condition, unlike other paperback books, which have seen better days.

As for Spot the Animals, which is Arabella's favorite, this is a lift-the-flap book, which introduces young children to exotic animals and their bright colors.  Arabella just loves lifting back the flaps to expose the creatures that are hiding behind trees, bushes, etc.  What a fun way to play peek-a-book with babies, as you read the book and share these beautiful illustrations of the animals with them.  The colors alone with intrigue them, and keep them engaged.

About the Illustrator:


Steve Jenkins lives in Boulder, CO, and has written and illustrated nearly 20 picture books, including the Caldecott Honor-winning What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? His books have been called stunning, eye-popping, inventive, gorgeous, masterful, extraordinary, playful, irresistible, compelling, engaging, accessible, glorious, and informative. To learn more about Steve and his books, visit stevejenkinsbooks.com.


About The American Museum of Natural History Museum:

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City is one of the largest and most respected museums in the world. Since the Museum was founded in 1869, its collections have grown to include more than 32 million specimens and artifacts relating to the natural world and human cultures. The Museum showcases its collections in 46 exhibition halls, and behind the scenes a scientific staff of more than 200 carries out cutting-edge research. Millions of people from around the world visit the Museum each year. Visit the Museum online at amnh.org.



Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books by the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.