It’s that wonderful time of year to be thinking about gifts for family and friends. What better gift is there to wrap and give than a book that can be enjoyed and treasured over time? The following books are for various ages and are labeled accordingly.
The Highlights Book of Things to Do: Discover, Explore, Create and Do Great Things, by Highlights Press, has to be the perfect book for families on the lookout for ways to teach, excite and inspire kids of all ages. Whether you’re stuck inside due to weather or sickness, this is the book for you. Its overly large size is packed with activities and easy-to-follow directions.
The Math of a Milkshake (Discover and Learn with 20 Experiments),by Katie Steckles, is an innovatively book rich with fun activities that kids ages 10 and up (with parent supervision) can learn from. The math that will be learned here will be fun and most likely remembered. The Physics of Popcorn (Discover and Learn with 22 Experiments), by Dr. Aiden Randle-Condie, has a similar layout with fun and innovative activities for kids, ten and older, to enjoy and learn from.
Gross Science Experiments: 60 Smelly, Scary, Silly Tests to Disgust Your Friends and Family,by Emma Vanstone, is full of the kinds of activities where kids not only enjoy but learn from their concoctions. The layout on every open-spread page reveals a full-page photograph of the finished experiment result and the opposite page shows the easy-to-follow directions.
Discovering Wildlife in Toronto’s Don Valley, by Jim Chung, is full of large and breathtaking photographs of this amazing area right in the heart of Toronto. In Ontario, Canada, the East and West branches of the Don River converge in the middle of the city. This is where you find the most amazing wildlife thriving among the city landscape. This oversized book will take you to a place not known by many outsiders. This book is suited for all ages.
Touch and Explore Farm Animals Jigsaw Puzzle,by Scholastic, has twelve giant pieces with a touch and feel sample on every single puzzle piece. This puzzle is perfect for three and four-year old’s to enjoy and learn while building eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills.
The Designed and Illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, and designed and illustrated by Minalima, is simply quite extraordinary! This newest edition, to one of the best fantasy books ever written for kids of all ages, is difficult to describe. Each illustration, sprinkled throughout the book, is designed to practically jump off the page.
Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks: Celebrations Around the World from Fall to Winter,by Graham Allan, Rebecca Cline and Charlie Price, is a glorious and very large book filled with gorgeous photographs of parades, stage productions and brightly lit night-time fireworks and colorful demonstrations.
Hogwarts Library: The Illustrated Collection,by J. K. Rowling, contains three inventive and amazing stories with pictures, maps, sketches and renditions. The three books in this collection are Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beetle the Bard. These books are companion volumes to the brilliant Harry Potter series with exceptional and most often full-length illustrations of brilliant color. These illustrations were done by award-winning Olivia Lomenech Gill, Lisbeth Zwerger and Emily Gravett. This is a captivating read for all ages.
The Ickabog (Illustrated Version), by J. K. Rowling, is a magical story about a kingdom called Cornucopia. The wonderful illustrations found throughout were made by the children who won the competition Ms. Rowling sponsored for this book. This is a delight for all ages to enjoy!
Masha and her Friends: Wooden Nesting Doll Puzzle,by Suzy Ultman, is a wooden puzzle with each wooden doll becoming smaller as it fits perfectly underneath the larger doll. The back side of each doll displays a cute animal along with a number making this a delightful play toy where imagination and learning take place.
Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids: 60 Easy Creative Play Projects that Boost Brain Development, Calm Anxiety and Build Fine Motor Skills, by Mandisa Watts, showcases activities that you can easily provide for your children, ages one through five, with many materials already in the home. The colorful full photographs are on every open-page and quickly give information of the activity being described on the opposite page.
Me and the World: An Infographic Exploration,by Mireia Trius, and with exacting illustrations filled with bright graphs done digitally by Joana Casals, is an exploration of the world through clever designs to show amounts. Each graph can quickly be deciphered as to the most in every category. This book is best suited for ages eight and up.
Disney Eats: More than 150 Recipes for Everyday Cooking and Inspired Fun, by Joy Howard, is filled with inventive and delicious recipes designed so that even the pickiest eaters will indulge and enjoy. Each recipe has a full-page photo of what the recipe will look like when completed. The types of food include breakfast, snacks and treats. Every family needs this cookbook in their kitchen!
