Children's Book Reviews

Poor Molly has forgotten to write her letter to Santa! But she still has time, so her Christmas wishes do come true. The charming story is followed with pages of special stationery for your children to write their own letter to Santa Claus. There's a figural Jolly Snowman pen to write with, and lots of stickers to decorate the letter. This is a great way to get your kids in the Christmas spirit and share the magic of Santa Claus with you.

Is there a budding builder in your house? This is more of a model kit than a book. The pages of this board book punch out to create three models - a digger, a concrete mixer, and a dump truck. There's even a set of wheels so the models can be played with. Looks like a lot of fun for preschool children.

In days of yore there were castles! Each page of this full-size board book peels away a layer of the model of a medieval castle embedded in the center. First is the castle gate. Then you see the formidable walls and turrets. Next you start to see inside the walls, and so on until the child understands why castles were built in this fashion and how the people inside used them for defense and how they lived within them. The model is surprisingly detailed and the accompanying text is rich with facts about this era in history. Its a great way to put the stories about bold knights and damsels in distress into a true historical context without overwhelming the child with dry facts. A gem.

Here's a great way to give the little kids some Christmas spirit. Its a full-sized board book with a CD that plays Christmas songs with the lyrics on every page. From "Jingle Bells" to "Deck the Halls", you'll find all of the classics here for you to share and sing with your kids.

Here's a simple, but incredibly clever way of introducing the animals of Africa to your children. Presented as an explorer's journal, each page describes a different animal, such as elephants, giraffes, and more. Included with each one is a paper puzzle that the child assembles into a standing model of the animal so they can see how each one is different and more easily absorb and remember details about them. The "journal" shows where in Africa each species lives, what they eat, and other special characteristics. Perfect for children ages 9-12.

Oh, this one will be a favorite book for your preschool children. Its a pop-up book filled with different toys like a Jack-in-the-Box, a robot, and a monkey with a drum. And each one plays a sound when you open the page. Follow Tiger as he tries to decide which of these toys to take to bed with him. For children age 4-8.