Curious George: Neighborhood Friends

Teach children about the people of your neighborhood with the help of Curious George!

Rey, Margret and H.A.
Curious George: Neighborhood Friends.
October 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The youngest of children are encouraged to explore the people they'll find in their own neighborhoods in this seven-page boardbook! Firefighters, farmers, scientists, chefs, and doormen are visited as their jobs are also discussed with a very short, one work answer to the question "What's there?," allowing children to make connections between different people and the jobs that they do!

This is a wonderful way to introduce children to the concept of what makes up a community. It's basic, yet covers pretty much all aspects of individuals who make up a community! Add all that to the slide-and-peek tabs and children not only enjoy the book, but also be engaged in the reading as well, especially if you pose the question each time and then allow them a chance to guess and respond to the question!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Spend time with your child exploring your local community. Make a time to visit the fire department, police department, a local farm, the post office, a local restaurant, even a museum or motel. Along the journey, talk with your child about who the people are who work at each place, as well as what is involved with each of their jobs!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Curious George Takes a Train

Take a "virtual visit" to the train station with Curious George and the man with the yellow hat!

Rey, Margret and H.A.
Curious George Takes a Train.
October 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Curious George and the man with the yellow hat, along with their friend Mrs. Needleman are taking a trip to the country. The trip to the country involves a train ride. Being George's first time at the train station, we all know he's curious to explore! As is typical of Curious George, he gets himself into a bit of trouble - thinking he's helping out the trainmaster by "finishing up" the schedule of train arrivals and departures. Just when everyone's upset about the chaos George created, he once again, saves the day, rescuing a little boy and his toy after they are closed in the wrong gate and nearly fall over onto the train tracks.

The illustrations depict an accurate portrayal of the inside of a train station. Children will love to learn about the train station and will love the adventure in which they embark alongside Curious George and the man with the yellow hat. This will be a welcome addition any collection of Curious George books!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Take a field trip to the train station! Check out the train schedule, as well as the different gates where trains arrive and depart from. Use this opportunity to practice your child's time telling skills!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Curious George: Race Day

Curious George shares an important message about fitness with children!

Rey, Margaret and H.A.
Curious George: Race Day.
September 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Curious George has taken on the task of helping Professor Wiseman prepare herself to enter a running race. It seems he's taken on more than he bargained for though, as Professor Wiseman is bored with the training. George comes up with a plan to make exercise fun - taking Professor Wiseman running to all of his favorite places (the ferris wheel, the puppet show, even the zoo)! Eventually Professor Wiseman has trained enough to enter the big race, and she does so, with George proudly watching her from atop a statue. As she nears the finish line, she stops abruptly, alarming George - albeit for a pretty good reason - she wants her trainer to cross the finish line beside her!

This book provides children with the knowledge that exercising is easy when you find a way to make it enjoyable. Heck, you can even have fun getting fit! When children see George having fun exercising, there's a very good chance they'll want to try it too!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• As suggested at the back of the book, "Have fun getting fit!" The suggested activity is playing hopscotch. You can also check out Active Kids - Nutrition, Exercise, Games, Sports and Fun or Kidsgames.net for a bunch of different activities and games to get children exercising!

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Curious George: A Winter's Nap

Encourage learning about hibernation with the help of Curious George!

Rey, H.A.
Curious George: A Winter's Nap.
August 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When Curious George and his friend Bill go fishing and fail to catch any fish because it is too cold, Bill offers George a lesson about hibernation, to teach him how some animals deal with the harsh coldness of winter. George returns home to learn more about hibernation before giving it a go himself. Unfortunately, George doesn't succeed quite as well off as hibernating animals, and instead, with the help of the man with the yellow hat, learns to make the most of winter!

This is an absolutely wonderful book to introduce children to the topic of hibernation. It gives the basic information, without going into too much detail - something that's very important for children who are just being introduced to a new concept! Included with the book are two activities that go along with the topic of hibernation.

Learning/Reading Activity:

• As suggested in the book, with your child(ren) make a teddy bear cave and put your stuffed bears to sleep (hibernation) for the winter. A material list and complete directions for building the cave are included!
• Complete the "Big Snooze" activity, also included at the back of the book. The activity asks children to guess which animals from the list hibernate during the winter. Build upon this guessing activity by helping your child(ren) to research and determine which of these actually do hibernate for the winter!
• You can also check out my other post related to the topic of hibernation: Jim Arnosky's Birthday

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Curious George and the Dump Truck

Teach children about car (auto) safety using Curious George and the Dump Truck.

Rey, Margret and H.A.
Curious George and the Dump Truck.
May 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When a mother duck and her ducklings go waddling past his house, Curious George is just to curious to find out where they're headed. Soon enough, he's waddling along behind, in hopes of discovering an answer. As he explores the park where the ducks settle, Curious George notices something he's not seen before at the park - a dump truck. Curious, as always, George sets off to explore the dump truck and before he knows it, he's standing on a control that has put the dump truck to work. Despite the dangers that this posed to both George and everyone in the park, all turns out well, as George is once again deemed heroic, making the park nicer for the ducks as the load of dirt that was dumped created an island for them in the middle of the pond.

This is another great Curious George title! Children will love the adventure contained within the pages, and teachers (and parents) will enjoy the opportunity provided to share with children the importance of safety when in a vehicle.

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Take advantage of an opportunity to discuss the "rules" of being in a car. For example, stay buckled in your seat, never touch any of the buttons/controls, never get in the car alone (wait for an adult/parent), etc.
• Discuss some of the dangerous things that could have happened, had the outcome of George's curiosity been different (harmed animals, hurt people, crash the dump truck, etc).
• Ask children to come up with a different, safer way in which George could have gone about exploring the dump truck.
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon

Even Curious George enjoys the adventures of a vacation.

Rey, Margret and H.A.
Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon.
May 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Curious George and the man with they yellow hat have gone on vacation. Their trip includes a visit Mount Rushmore and then making a stop at a nearby hot air balloon race. As is to be expected from George, he can't just look and explore... he's more what you'd call a hands-on learner. Unfortunately, his hands-on approach gets him into a bit of a pickle, as when he touches one of the ropes tethering the balloon, he unknowingly unties it, setting the balloon free. But... it wouldn't be a Curious George tale unless George saved the day and made a rescue of some sort, and that's just what he does!

I loved this particular Curious George title... it may be one of my most favorite! Not only is it a fun read with one of our favorite characters, the title has a tiny bit of history in it that just might spike a child's interest in learning more about Mount Rushmore! The only complaint I have about this book is that it didn't accurately portray the ways in which hot air balloons really "fly." Young children are very... gullible, I guess you could say. It's very likely that they'd believe the balloons really will take flight simply by loosening the ropes! Perhaps you could turn this into a bit more of a learning activity by discovering the real way a hot air balloon flies!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Check out this list of Hot Air Balloon Festivals held world-wide! Pick out an event close to you and spend the day at the festival. My family used to go to one of these when we lived in Glens Falls and it was SO much fun! I'm actually considering going back for the festival this year, after reading the book and having discovered that the festival is coming up later in September!
• Work with your child(ren) to do the Hot Air Balloon experiment found at PBSKids.com. This looks fairly simple and not too time consuming... I will admit, I haven't tried it myself, so take heed!
• Print out the Hot Air Balloon Coloring Page. Encourage your child to decorate/design his/her own hot air balloon after browsing through the picture gallery at Webshots.
• You can also check out various Hot Air Balloon crafts for children of all ages!
• You could also plan a hot air balloon ride for your family. Simply search the internet for hot air balloon rides near you!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Curious George at the Parade

George is so excited to go to the holiday parade...

Rey, Margret and H.A.
Curious George at the Parade.
April 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The man with the yellow hat has decided to take George to the holiday parade. When they arrive, they're still a bit too early, so the man with the yellow hat decides to go into a department store. Curious George just can't handle a day without being curious, so he stand guard near one of the windows, watching what's going on outside. When he sees an elephant eating a treat, it makes him hungry and prompts him to go in search of a treat for himself. However, finding the perfect treat doesn't happen without chaos erupting, in true Curious George fashion! He upsets the entire parade, before somehow finding a way to once again saving the event he nearly destroyed.

As is typical with any Curious George, George proves to be a bit too curious and cause a bit of an uproar before pulling himself together to make himself become hero of the event. This is a great book to read to children before taking them to a big parade where there will be lots of balloons and floats! It would also be great to read before any holiday that typical is celebrated with a parade. As always with Curious George, this will make for a pleasurable read!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Use the story to teach some basic subtraction skills to young children. Curious George climbed the tree on the float in search of a snack of nuts. Download the activity here that includes some simple subtraction activities and manipulatives.
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Curious George at the Aquarium: Jorge el curioso visita el acuario (A Bilingual Book)

A bilingual aquarium adventure!

Rey, Margret and H.A.
Curious George at the Aquarium: Jorge el curiouso visita el acuario.
May 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The man with the yellow hat has quite a surprise for George! Today they're visiting the aquarium! As always, Curious George is just a bit too curious, and races over the fence at the aquarium, unable to wait for the man with the yellow hat. The noises coming from inside the walls are just too much temptation! And from the minute George enters the aquarium, he only becomes more curious, needed to explore every inch before landing himself in a predicament with the penguins! However, as Curious George usually does, his curiosity and mischief are quickly forgotten as he manages to once again pull through and "Save the Day!"

There's much to be learned about a visit to the aquarium in this tale with Curious George and the man with the yellow hat. Readers will be fully engrossed in the illustrations (that make the aquarium animals appear almost life-like) and anxious to plan a trip to a local aquarium near them! This bilingual edition of the book is also wonderful for bilingual families or even for those in which parents are trying to teach their children a little bit about Spanish! The text is presented in both English and Spanish, easily allowing readers to make the connection between words in both languages! Definitely a fun read!

Learning/Reading Activities:

• Challenge your child(ren) to see just how much they can remember from Curious George and the Aquarium/Jorge el curioso visita el acuario using the Curious George Aquarium Match worksheet that can be downloaded here. Children are asked to match the name of each animal to its picture.
• You could also have your child(ren) create a badge that displays Curious George's title as "Honorary Staff Member" after his heroic efforts saved the baby penguin who couldn't yet swim. That activity can be downloaded here. With a bit of additional directions, this could be used as a comprehension activity of sorts, by asking children to be sure to include details that show how Curious George earned this title!
• Plan a trip to your local aquarium. Before going, create a scavenger hunt in which children are asked to hunt for specific marine animals during the visit!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!