Give the Gift of Knowledge Through Reading This Holiday Season with These Educational Books from Bushel & Peck Books (Review)

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

Being a homeschool parent, I am always looking for books and educational products to pick up for my girls and even gift to family and friends when birthdays and holidays roll around. I have found over the years that my girls especially appreciate these gifts and will use them time and time again as they grow.  Books especially become like reference material for them and their schooling. And, whenever there is a vacation or sick day, they prefer grabbing a book from their book shelves over watching too much television.  It is great that they love books so much, and love helping me review them when we are sent new releases from publishers each month.  

Last month, I was sent a handful of new and upcoming releases from Bushel & Peck Books, and wanted to take time today to share them with you, as these books would make for great gift ideas for kids of all ages this upcoming holiday season -- especially those who love Outer Space, learning a new language like Spanish, or are curious about poetry.

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Buy now from Amazon for only $29.99

About this Book:

"Filled with pop-ups, pull-outs, sliders, and foldouts, this fully interactive nonfiction book about our solar system is part art, part school, part experiment all rolled into one!

The Sun and the Planets is an incredible, 3D journey into our solar system! Packed with paper models, moving parts, pop-ups, and built-in science experiments, kids will discover how orbits work, what causes an eclipse, the science behind the seasons, plus other engrossing facts about the planets, our solar system, our galaxy, and beyond!"

Buy now for only $16.29 from Amazon

About this Book:

"A brilliant, colorful way to learn your first words in Spanish!

Introduce your child (or yourself!) to the incredible language of Spanish! Featuring over 800 first words with bright, bold illustrations, My First Book of Spanish provides each word in both English and Spanish along with cultural tips, sample sentences, and simple hints on usage and word choice. An index in the back includes a complete list of all words in the book with handy page references.

ith a special emphasis on the culture and customs you'll find in Spanish-speaking countries, My First Book of Spanish is divided into sections including People, Personal Pronouns, Courtesy, Geography, Family, Transportation, Science, Sports, Holidays and Festivals, Meals, and more.

The Little Library of Languages teaches beginners the basics of foreign languages through brightly colored illustrations and simple explanations of grammar, spelling, language systems, pronunciations, counting, and more. The perfect gift for families about to travel abroad or for kids who love learning about other people and places."

Titles in the series include:

My First Book of French (Spring 2022)
My First Book of Japanese (Spring 2022)
My First Book of Mandarin (Fall 2022)
My First Book of Spanish (Spring 2023)
My First Book of Thai (Spring 2024)
My First Book of Korean (Fall 2024)

Buy now from Amazon for only $17.90

About this Book:

"In this gorgeous collection, twenty-five of Poe's most beloved works are each illustrated with stunning, full-color collage artwork.

Poems include "The Raven," "The Bells," and many others. Brief commentary and helpful definitions accompany each poem, making The Illustrated Edgar Allan Poe among the most accessible―and beautiful―introductions to Edgar Allan Poe available.

From the Introduction:

SUGGESTION 1: Enjoy the poems. This seems far more important than trying to puzzle out what the author meant (or what other people believe the author meant).

SUGGESTION 2: Engage with the poems by asking questions….

SUGGESTION 3: Be your own boss. Read the poems in order or jump around as you see fit. Share them or savor them all by yourself. Say them aloud or whisper their words in your heart.

Poetry makes life better. There is NO wrong way to experience a poem.

So, read on, dear friend. And thank you for choosing poetry."

Buy now from Amazon for only $19.99

About this Book:

"The most curious museum on Earth isn't on the earth at all; it's on the moon.

“The poetry and facts complement each other and make for a nice flow of information and fun, resulting in sometimes goofy poetry.…A lovely picture book that mixes poetry and history about the moon.”―School Library Journal

Footprints forever etched in time. A commemorative patch from a tragic flight. Two golf balls, still lodged in frozen dust 238,900 miles away. From the amusing to the poignant, The Museum on the Moon introduces readers to the mysterious objects left on the lunar surface since humans arrived in 1969. Part history, part poetry, heartwarming and haunting, and illustrated with breathtaking graphite drawings, The Museum on the Moon is a moving exhibit of humankind's most famous quest for knowledge and our place in the universe. 

From the book:

The primary goals of the United States' NASA Apollo program (1961-1972) were to establish space technology, carry out scientific exploration of the moon, and to develop ways for humans to work in the lunar environment. Six missions―Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, and 17―landed American astronauts on the moon. 

The astronauts carried with them a variety of items that are now artifacts―some personal mementos, some tools and equipment for the purpose of moon transport and experimentation, and other things, like human waste products, unavoidable. 

Because the moon has virtually no atmosphere, these things remain on the moon, just as they were, and will presumably continue to be there for years to come. The moon truly is a museum!"

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My girls really enjoyed helping me review these four books. And, they came in handy with some of our current homeschooling, as my oldest has decided to give learning Spanish a try again for her language of choice to study for the school year.  

She also found herself intrigued by Edgar Allan Poe's, "The Raven," and took it upon herself to memorize the poem, while also enjoying the other poems by Poe in this beautifully illustrated hardcover book.

Both of my girls are big into space and learning about things like the constellations and the moon and the planets, so both Outer Space themed books sent our way were well received by them. They took turns reading each of the books cover to cover, with the "The Sun and the Planets" book being an instant favorite and one the girls continue to pull from the shelf and read as it contains a 3-D Solar System and pop ups.  Being big into poetry myself, I really liked the "The Museum on the Moon" book as it combines a poem about Space and the Moon on one page, and then shares factual information that correlates to the topic on the other. So, not only do you get to appreciate a well-written, short and sweet poem that is easy to follow along and understand, but then you can follow up your learning by reading about important and interesting dates in history that relate to the Moon, explorations, astronauts, and more. This was a really enjoyable read, and one I found myself even learning a few new things about Moon exploration. I can see why my girls find it so fascinating, and how they can spend hours reading books about Outer Space. Highly recommend both of these books for kids of all ages -- as they will be books they will appreciate more and more as they grow and become more interested in learning about the Moon, Sun, Planets, etc.

I really with the "My First Book of Spanish" book was around when I was learning the language in middle and high school as a kid as I would have found it more enjoyable and not just tediously memorizing words that the professor would recite to us. The full color illustrations and playful way this book is laid out really makes you want to learn the language.  My oldest has studied Spanish off and on for a few years and only gets as far as the basics.  But, after sharing this book with her, I have found her much more interested in learning Spanish and applying what she has learned and speaking it with confidence, before moving on to new content that she is quick to pick up as she flips through the pages of this well put together book, which combines both language tips and culture cues.  I have used various beginner Spanish books and workbooks in teaching my girls, and have to say this one is ten times better than anything I have used in the past. Even my husband, who is from El Salvador and speaks Spanish fluently, agrees that this book is really well done and a great reference for kids (and even adults) who are or want to learn the Spanish language in a fun and easy way.

So, as you gear up for your holiday shopping for this year, why not consider some non-toy gift ideas for the kids on your shopping list like books?  We all know toys get boring rather quickly and find their way into a corner of a room or at the bottom of the toy bin sometimes even before the tree is taken down or we flip the calendar to the new room. Books also remain popular with kids -- especially ones with vibrant colors and eye catching illustrations -- of which the above mentioned Bushel & Peck Books titles all have.  I really like the quality of the books available from Bushel & Peck Books and know they will make great gift ideas for the holidays, as new book additions in your family's bedtime routine, or even as reference books if you homeschool like I do.  Head on over to their website and browse their wonderful selection of books for kids of all ages -- you will not be disappointed!  Just be warned, it will be hard to not put together a large wish list or add lots of books to your shopping cart -- but, is that really a bad thing?! :-)  My girls have already started putting together their wish lists for Christmas, and I was happy to see a handful of books from Bushel & Peck Books at the top of their lists. 

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