Chickens. (Science Kids: Life Cycles). Ruth Daly. New York, NY: AV² by Weigl (Distributed in Canada by Saunders Book Company), 2015. 24 pp., pbk., hc., single user eBook & multi user eBook, $12.95 (pbk.), $23.99 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-4896-1327-1 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-4896-1326-4 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-4896-1328-8 (single user eBook), ISBN 978-1-4896-1329-5 (multi user eBook). Kindergarten-grade 2 / Ages 5-7. Review by Janice Foster. *** /4
	Trees. (Science Kids: Life Cycles). Ruth Daly. New York, NY: AV² by Weigl (Distributed in Canada by Saunders Book Company), 2015. 24 pp., pbk., hc., single user eBook & multi user eBook, $12.95 (pbk.), $23.99 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-4896-1339-4 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-4896-1338-7 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-4896-1340-4 (single user eBook), ISBN 978-1-4896-1341-7 (multi user eBook). Kindergarten-grade 2 / Ages 5-7. Review by Janice Foster. *** /4

excerpt:

All birds begin life, grow, and make more birds. All birds will die in the end. New birds grow up to take their place. This is a life cycle. (From Chickens.)

A seedling becomes a sapling when its trunk grows thicker. Leaves grow on its branches. Leaves use energy from the Sun to make food for the tree. (From Trees.)

Chickens and Trees are part of the “Science Kids Life Cycles” series from Weigl’s Let’s Read AV² Media Enhanced collection designed for children aged 5 to 7.

     Each book describes the various stages of the life cycle in a succinct, factual text accompanied by colourful photographs.

     The titles in the series are designed in a standard format. Each life cycle stage is explained in a large text box on one side of the double page spread which displays a large, colourful photograph that supports the text. The final section contains a simple visual quiz on the life cycle stages allowing the child to match the quiz photo with the correct stage based on the information covered in the book. First appearance sight words and content words are listed on the Key Words page at the end of the book. These words can be taught and reviewed before and during the reading process.

     With Weigl’s AV² Media Enhanced Books, logging onto the www.av2books.com website with the security code allows the young child to use the audio book features. This enables the Early Years reader to listen to the recorded text on each stage of the life cycle, reinforcing the vocabulary development of the Key Words. The child can also access videos, websites and activity sheets including a word search, a word scramble, and a word matching activity. The webpages, however, provide written information that is above the reading level of the intended age group. Projecting these websites and some of the video components onto a white board would be useful for teaching and class discussions.

     Reading information text is an important literacy skill to introduce to Early Years children. The bold, simple text and quality photographs make these books attractive to the early reader. Apart from the audio read along feature, however, the other media components seem to be designed more for teacher use than for the child.

Recommended with Reservations.

Janice Foster is a retired teacher and teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

Next Review | Table of Contents for This Issue - February 13, 2015.

CM Home | Back Issues | Search | CM Archive | Profiles Archive