Friday, August 9, 2019

Four Fun End of Summer Children's Book Reads for Kids to Enjoy from Pavilion Books (Review)

Disclosure: I was sent review copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Pavilion



I was excited about this review of recent children's book releases as it would be the first time I was reading book from Pavilion Books.  I have to admit, prior to the books being sent my way, I was not aware of the publisher.  But, since reading the following four books, perfect for kids of all ages, I am now a fan of the publisher, and continually check their website to keep up to date on new and upcoming releases for kids and adults.  Below are some recent releases that would be fun to read at home snuggling up on the couch with your children, at the beach, or away on vacation.  Wherever you choose to read these picture books, know you will be in for a treat, as they are all a lot of fun to read, and full of stunning illustrations that will have the stories come to life right before your eyes. :-)


ISBN: 9781843653936
Publication date: 4 October 2018
Category: Non-Fiction

About the Book:

"Matt Sewell’s follow-up to the mega-hit Dinosaurs is a beautifully-illustrated large format look at the amazing beasts that time forgot – from the relatively well known, such as the sabre-toothed tiger and woolly mammoth, to the obscure monsters that walked the earth millions of years ago – many now forgotten. New findings are being made every year, and research is showing us exactly how these beasts looked and how they lived.
Creatures illustrated and described include:
  • Sabre tooth tigers and woolly mammoths
  • Glyptodon – an armadillo as big as a VW Beetle car
  • Megalodon – a monster 60 foot (18m) shark
  • Water King penguin – a red and grey penguin the size of a man
  • Ornimegalonyx – a huge Cuban flightless owl, the largest owl that ever existed, at over 3 feet (1m) tall
  • Deinotherium – a strange-looking and huge, elephant-like creature with tusks positioned on its lower jaw and curved, facing downwards
  • Short-nosed bear – a massive fearsome bear that kept North America human free
  • Megatherium – the giant sloth, as large as a modern elephant
Less celebrated than the dinosaurs, the range of beasts is equally impressive, every one a scary, amazing creature that actually stalked the planet. Like the dinosaurs, these beasts are awe-inspiring in their variety, with amazing details not seen on animals today and in a wide variety of furs, feathers and colours, making for a stunning collection of illustrations."
My Thoughts:
This was a personal favorite of my two girls, as they both love animals and learning about new creatures that once roamed the Earth.  Unlike other books that introduce kids to unique animals, this book stands out as it is set up in a wonderful way, that makes reading and taking in all the information fun and enjoyable.  The pages are not cluttered and filled with words, and there are large full-color illustrations of the different creatures on each page, larger than the text box, thus making the animal stand out of the important part of that particular page.  I couldn't believe how many animals my girls and I had never heard of, but as we read through the pages of this book by Matt Sewell, we found ourselves wanting to learn more about some of our favorite new creatures of yesteryear.  If you have an animal lover in your life, this is a great book to surprise them with, that will provide hours and hours of enjoyable reading and learning about amazing animals like the Pelagornis sandersi and the Smilodon fatalis


ISBN: 9781843654018
Publication date: 4 April 2019
Category: Picture Books
About the Book:
"The brilliant debut from a rising star of the picture book world, tipped as ‘one to watch’ by The Bookseller magazine.
Isobel’s grandma has lost her glasses and she can’t see a thing without them. While Isobel and Gran are in the garden searching for the specs, they come across a cat. A very big cat. A very big and friendly cat. The big cat moves in with them, much to the disgust of all gran’s other cats. 

He might be good fun, but he takes up lots of space and eats every scrap of food. Eventually the new cat’s mum and dad turn up, looking for their missing son. And they just happen to have found gran’s glasses too. The tiger family are delighted to be reunited – and gran now sees that she’s been sharing her house with… a tiger!

A heartwarming and surreal romp, packed with jokes and funny details and with an underlying message of acceptance. Emma’s bright colours and brilliant characterization gives the book the look of a classic from the 1970s or earlier, but with a very modern sense of humour and sensibility."
My Thoughts:
Have you ever taken in a stray cat?  Hopefully if you have you weren't missing your glasses, like the grandmother in this story.  Thinking she was taking in a large stray cat, it turns out it was a tiger.  Ehhh!!  This cute picture book will delight kids and adults of all ages, as the story of a young girl and her gran taking in a cat they find while looking for the grandmother's missing glasses, plays out on the pages of the book from Emma Lazell.  My oldest daughter is a huge cat lover, and hopes to one day get a cat of her own (unfortunately my youngest daughter is allergic, so we can't get one), but she said as we were reading this book, she would never take in a cat like this, before giggling uncontrollably.  
Not only is the cute a easy to follow story for young listeners, it is also filled with humor that will have everyone laughing as you see what unfolds and when gran realizes the big cat is actually a tiger.  I highly recommend this picture book, and will be on the look out for more books by the children's author, as I like how she writes.

ISBN: 9781843654100
Publication date: 2 May 2019
Category: Picture Books

About the Book:

"So go and play and live and learn.
It’s your world now, this is your turn
to think and ask and make and do.
The world is magic, just like you!
A beautiful, moving and funny celebration of life that highlights the potential of each and every child. This is the perfect book to read out loud – helping children to appreciate the wonderful things that exist in the world, and the great things that they can do. It also allows them to understand some of the setbacks that may occur along the way. And the overall message is that whatever happens, you will always be loved by those closest to you.
Barry Falls’ illustrations burst from the page with exuberant detail while his rhyming text is a delight to read.

This is a gorgeous, funny and thought-provoking celebration of where you might go and what you might do in life."
My Thoughts:

When I first read through this picture book, I thought it would make for a great graduation gift for kids moving on from preschool or early elementary grades.  Then, I read it again, and though it would be a great book to remind kids graduating high school that the world is theirs and that they should embrace their special gifts as they spread their wings to explore the big world that is in front of them, and the many wonderful things that they are yet to discover and experience.


After reading it a few times on my own, I sat down and shared this book with my girls.  My oldest liked how the story was set up as lessons that the girls could count out as we flipped through the pages.  Each and every page was filled with bright and colorful illustrations that make the inspiration text come to life and have more of an impact to the reader (and listener).  By the time we reached the end of the book, both of my girls were asking me to read it to them again, as they enjoyed it so much.  How could I say "no" as I found myself wanting to experience the heartfelt and touching story that was beautifully written and illustrated, over and over again with my girls.  This is definitely one book you will want to add to your family's library, to enjoy time and again.


ISBN: 9781843654001
Publication date: 7 March 2019
Category: Picture Books

About the Book:

"A beautiful eco-tale from the winner of the Batsford Prize
You’ve met the Iron Giant, the Big Friendly Giant and the Selfish Giant. Now meet the Green Giant!
A young girl, Bea, and her dog, Iris, are staying with her grandad in the country. Bea is bored, but Iris’s adventures lead them to the small and rusty old greenhouse next door. 
Inside the greenhouse, Bea finds… a giant. A giant made entirely of plants and greenery. Bea is scared, but the giant reassures her and explains that he has escaped from the grey city. 
Bea and the giant become friends, but can they do anything to make the grey city, and the world, a greener place? 
A brilliant new picture book that highlights our concern for the environment, greening our cities, guerrilla gardening and making the world a better place. 
Katie Cottle was the winner of the Batsford Prize 2017 and is a rising star in the picture book world."
My Thoughts:
This is truly a unique picture, especially with the Earthy colors (vibrant greens, oranges, reds and yellows) that are used for the illustrations.  My youngest was especially fond of this story, as she loves nature and being outdoors.  And, with the warm summer weather, she has been enjoying being outdoors most days during her summer vacation, to run through the grass, lay in the grass to read a good book, or simply take in the sights and smells of nature and the flowers that have been in full bloom.  Oftentimes we are busy with our hectic lives to slow down and truly appreciate the beauty in the world around us.  This book does a great job in reminding both kids and adults to slow down and take in the natural world around us, filled with beautiful colors.  

I plan to share this book again with my girls when we celebrate Earth Day, and talk about botany in our homeschooling in the fall.  It truly is a fun and beautiful picture book that is not to be missed.

---

You can learn more about the above mentioned children's books, as well as other new picture book releases from Pavilion Books by visiting their website - https://www.pavilionbooks.com/.


Disclosure: I was sent review copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

No comments :

Post a Comment