Kid-appeal, educational, scientifically vetted are trademarks of the fabulous Arbordale Publishing kid's books

Arbordale publications are noted for their great educational materials and kid-appeal. Each publication routinely includes a For Creative Minds section in the back of the book and an online cross-curricular Teaching Activity Guide. All material is vetted by experts and designed to encourage engagement.

These books and many others available at Arbordale - click here

Many of the books by Arbordale are either dual-language published (English and Spanish) in the book or separately published English and Spanish editions.

Also, most books have printable online activities that are suitable for home, teacher in classroom, or student use. Highly vetted materials.

Cheetah Dreams by Linda Stanek & illustrated by Shennen Bersani - ISBN: 9781607187417

My thoughts:  The author uses a hybrid-poetic prose to tell the Cheetah's story in terse language.  The non-fiction book is beautifully illustrated capturing the cheetah's fleetness and sculptured body of the cheetah. The cheetah is a beautiful cat and it's markings are stunning.

The sidebars tell in evidential prose the story of the endangered cheetah and how it is loosing its land. This is strongly cued to environmental and endangered species enlightenment, and the back pages material highlight the characteristics of this member of the cat family and its chance of survival.

About the book: Cheetahs are the most rapidly vanishing cat in Africa. Share the dreams of a bright future for cheetahs while engaging sidebars provide a wealth of natural history information. From cleat-like feet to tear-marked faces, these majestic cats are well adapted to life on the African plains. The fierce predators sprint after their prey at high-speed, an exhausting dash that leaves them ready for a nap! This rhythmic text will lull readers into cheetah dreams of their own.

Baby Bear's Adoption by Jennifer Keats Curtis, Illustrated by Veronica V. Jones - ISBN: 9781607187400

My thoughts:  This is a fictional story about a real program where abandoned bear cubs are relocated or adopted by different mother bears. The technique used is quite interesting and was a real eye opener for me to read about. I would, though, strongly encourage any adults or kids to NOT try this charming and fun-sounding program on their own. Leave it up to trained personnel to handle!

Bears are not animals with which one should trifle and strong caution must always be exercised around them. All that being said, children can learn greatly from this story and the program. Also, the entertaining story provides occasion to entertain, educate, and caution young children. The back material details bear life cycle and hibernation of  bears.

About the book:  One winter day, Braden and Finley hike into the woods with their wildlife scientist dad and his team to tag a mamma bear who just had cubs. The tag makes it easy to find the mamma bear in the summer when the team gets a call about an orphaned bear cub that needs a new family. But will the mama bear adopt this new cub as one of her own? The story is based on orphaned black bear cub rescue efforts by Michigan DNR. This fictional story based on true events.

Which Animal is Fastest? by Brian Rock and illustrated by Carolyn Le - ISBN: 9781607187455

My thoughts:  Brian Rock has a reputation for bringing math front and center in kid's books showing in an entertaining method that math is everywhere and in everything and he turns it into a fun romp in story-land. This is evidenced by his book The Deductive Detective which I totally enjoyed reviewing. Another of his books I reviewed, though not math-focused, was Martian Mustache Mischief..

In Which Animal is Fastest he goes back to thinking about math or relationships. How do you measure which is fastest? Simply by who gets to the end first in a given amount of time? Not so, according to the different animals who are participating in a fictional animal olympics. Which is fastest on land? Which is fastest in the water? Which is fastest traveling on four legs? Which is fastest traveling on two?

It is interesting to pursue this relational concept of fast and fastest. And the back pages material asks questions that will engage the reader in conceptional thinking - "Why do you think so many fast land animals live in flat, grassy habitats?" "Which do you think is more important to an animal, speed or strength? Why?" And the "Speed Sequencing" section is really food-for-thought.

The storyline is fictional but the ideas and concepts interestingly factual. I highly recommend.

About the book:  Quick, name the world’s fastest animal! Did you say cheetah? If so, you’re right – sort of. Sure, the cheetah can reach speeds over 70 miles per hour (mph); but did you know that there is a species of bird that can fly faster than a race car? Did you know that that’s not even the fastest animal there is? This “dashing dozen” of nature’s speediest species examines the fastest on land, air, and sea. This story will resonate with children taking standardized tests…one size does not fit all!

A Day in a Forested Wetland by Kevin Kurtz, Illustrated by Sherry Neidigh - ISBN: 9781628559132

My thoughts:  North Carolina is my home and it is also home to many of the critters that populate the wetlands. You see, we have lots of water and lots of wetlands in North Carolina. So this book is particularly appropriate for a child growing up in North Carolina. If he or she has the opportunity to venture into the wetland areas of our lovely state, they might be privileged to see some of these creatures first hand in their own habitat. What a grand opportunity.

The wetlands are important for our entire global ecological system. So knowledge about them and the habits of the wild inhabitants is particularly important as well.

This book is written in a lovely cadenced poetic prose that was a delight to read. The illustrations while rich with browns and greens of the natural elements is also awash with splashes of beautiful colors depicting night fall or sun rise, etc. 

It's sunrise in the wetland.

An owl flies to the ground.

Though its wings are flapping,

they do not make a sound.

The barred owl wades in water,

and looks for prey to eat.

It spots a tasty crayfish

and grabs it with its feet.

About the book:  Come along on a journey through the aquatic habitat of a forested wetland. Meet birds and bobcats, along with the beavers and beetles that call the soggy forest home. Kevin Kurtz continues his award-winning “A Day In” series, and once again delights readers with a rhythmic, nonfiction look into a typical day for the animals that live in this wet habitat.





DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of each of the books reviewed (4) to facilitate a review. Opinions are solely mine and are given without compensation.