Start your kid's National Geo Kids home library with fascinating books [Review & Giveaway]

Little Kids First Board Book: Birds (board book, ages Baby-3)

My thoughts: Birds are essential and such beautiful creatures. They flit to and fro bringing beauty and music to our world as well as do their part in creation by feeding on insects. They make the world pleasant for all.

This little board book is a superb introduction for a young child to the world of birds. No only do the photographs  beautifully depict these aviators, the book provides tiny factoids that are easily retained by the young child.

• Birds live all over the world
• All birds have a beak
• Insects, worms, frogs, and snakes are favorite foods for birds. (etc.)

I highly recommend!

About the book: Designed to be the stepping stone to the best-selling National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book series, the Little Kids First Board Book series takes similar big subjects and distills them down to the simplest nonfiction concepts for the youngest audience. Not only will readers learn about a variety of birds, they can also find recurring shapes and patterns in the art, while adults can keep their eyes open for occasional funny commentary from the animals. With their bright and playful design, awesome photography, clear text, and cues to encourage interactive learning, the Little Kids First Board Books take a fresh new approach to make learning about nature and science fun.

So Cute! Puppies (hardcover, ages 3-5) 

My thoughts:  An adorable book about puppies that provides information about how puppies love their people, love to be talked to, and have a "cuteness" overload, etc. A small, cute, information filled book that is just right for reading to toddlers and kindergartners. 

About the book: From puppies at playtime to rascally ruff-housing, this book is filled with humor and informational sidebars, and pairs super cute puppy photos with imagined inner dialogue that will have the whole family laughing. Perfect for little kids getting acquainted with a new pup at home or kids who love animals in general.

So Cool! Dinos (hardcover, ages 3-5)

My thoughts:  This is a small book about some big critters. Dinosaurs of various types, sizes, and fierceness. Kids will love this little book and especially those growly boys who are captivated by these ancient critters.

A good introduction book about dinosaurs for children.

About the book: Those sharp, pointy teeth! Those terrifying claws! Those long necks and pointy spines! Let’s face it ... dinosaurs are SO COOL! Blending dinosaur art with silly quips and Informational fact boxes about when dinosaurs lived on Earth, stats about dinos, dinosaur feathers, and more, this is the perfect little reader to get kids’ brains buzzing and keep them laughing while learning.

Little Kids First Big Book of Baby Animals (hardcover, ages 4-8)

ISBN: 9781426371462
$14.99 US | $19.99 CAN
National Geographic Kids

My thoughts: I think this is an absolutely adorable book that will give parents, grandparents, and caregivers a fabulous tool to teach young children about animals. While the focus is on baby animals, the adults of the same animals are pictured and information about the baby and adult given.

The book is arranged by environment:

• "Introduction & Baby Basics"
• "Grassland Babies"
• "Water Babies"
• "Mountain and Desert Babies" 
• "Forest Babies"
• "Polar Babies"
• And then... map, parent tips, glossary, etc.

Little Kids First Big Book of Baby Animals has a fantastic array of photographs that capture anyone's attention whether a young child or an older person. And the instruction within these 100+ pages is first rate and so very valuable.

While this is an informational book teaching the types and differences of animals and what the babies are like, the book also has a correlating question for the young child to ponder. Examples: After the Beluga Whale... "What are some of the different sounds you can make?" After the Artic Wolf... "How many people are in your family pack?"

I highly recommend this book and consider it a treasure and a must-have for libraries - home, school, and public.

About the book: Newest addition to the best-selling series! From panda cubs and prairie dog pups to beluga calves and fuzzy flamingo chicks, meet more than 40 animal babies from every corner of the globe and find out how these wee wild ones are born, where they live, what their families are like, how they get their food, and how they learn to do things on their own―all the things that are important to young humans, too!

Features include:

• A map that shows where these animals are found in the wild
• Questions in each chapter that encourage interactive learning
• Simple text for reading aloud or for beginning readers
• Engaging photography of real animals in their habitats
• Parent tips that extend the experience beyond the book

Expertly vetted, the National Geographic Readers series has drawn high critical praise from the likes of School Library Journal ("Highly Recommended") and Booklist (“Reliable in format and solid in execution, this series works well to introduce children of varying levels of reading comfort to nonfiction and research formats.”). 

National Geographic Readers: Mythical Beasts (L3) (paperback, ages 7-9)

My thoughts:  This National Geo Kids publication was a bit of a disappointment for me. While it contained interesting bites of information, and while it drew some connection between mythical beasts and creatures that really exist, it failed in making an impact on me.

I found it cluttered in presentation and lacking in connectivity. It does, truly, have good and interesting information. I just didn't quite enjoy it as much as usual NG books for kids.

About the book: Calling all fans of unicorns, dragons, sea monsters, and fantastical beasts! This Level 3 reader explores animals that are mistaken for mythical creatures, critters that are almost too weird for reality, and other creatures with incredible abilities.

National Geographic Readers: Bling! (L3) (paperback, ages 7-9)

My thoughts: An interesting little book that presents the types of rocks and their formation and how some are truly gem stones.

As an introduction to geology, I found it adequate though the book's title Bling! is somewhat misleading. True, gems come from rocks. But the title seems to indicate more about gem stones than rock formations.

Still a nice presentation and good facts.

About the book: In this Level 3 reader, discover fascinating facts about the incredible rocks and minerals under our feet and deep in Earth’s crust. Budding geologists will love reading about how rocks form, learning the names and features of the coolest rocks and minerals, and exploring rare and beautiful gemstones. 

GIVEAWAY

All 6 National Geographic Books to 1 Winner

Begins April 13

Ends May 9 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

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DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's copies are provided and shipped directly to the winner by MMPublicity or Publisher. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.