Summer Activity Books from Candlewick Press

***Complimentary product received in exchange for an honest review***

 

 Kids tend to get a little lazy in the summer months when school is out. Now that its almost time to head back to school, I am trying to get my kids back in shape. My daughter will read just about anything, but my son is a little harder to encourage. Luckily, Candlewick Press has books that appeal to kids of all ages and reading levels. They make reading fun with scary real life adventures, magic illusions, and reading games that encourage kids to read without them even realizing they're learning something. Here are just a few of the books that my kids love.

 

 

 

Doodle with Maisy by Lucy Cousins

9780763664909 ∙ April 2013 ∙ Paperback ∙ $8.99 ∙ 80 pages ∙ 2-5 years

Creative Maisy fans - it's time to make your mark!  Take your pencil on a doodling adventure in this irresistible Maisy activity book created by Lucy Cousins.  There’s hours of fun—and something for everyone—in this hands-on Maisy doodle-fest!

 

 

My Thoughts

 

Maisy is back with another fun and interactive book perfect for preschool children. In Doodle With Maisy, each page gives your child a fun coloring project to complete. Some are really easy, like filling a page with squiggly lines or  coloring the stripes onto a zebra. Later it gets more challenging with tasks that include adding antlers to a deer or giving Maisy a pretty hat.  While offering fun activities, the book also encourages reading skills and teaches children about animals, shapes, letters and so much more. Even after all the pages are colored, you can still look back at the book again and again, and long after your kids grow up, it will be  a wonderful keepsake. 

Magical Mix-Ups: Pets and Parties by Marnie Edwards, illustrated by Leigh Hodgkinson

9780763663711 ∙ March 2013 ∙ Paperback ∙ $6.99 ∙ 96 pages ∙ 7 years and up

Glitter at the ready, this book needs YOU!  Princess Sapphire and Emerald the Witch live in the mixed-up land of Mixtopia, where everything is just a little bit odd…let’s face it, perfect princesses and scruffy witches are not usually best friends.  Doodle, design and draw while you read and make Sapphire’s birthday wish come true!

Sneaky Art by Marthe Jocelyn

9780763656485 ∙ March 2013 ∙ Hardback ∙ $12.99 ∙ 64 pages ∙ 8 years and up

For young artists, tricksters, and crafters, here is a hip, friendly how-to manual for creating removable and shareable art projects from easily found materials. The sneaky part is in the installation! Each work of art is custom-created for display in public places. This utterly unique guide offers a stylish and sweet “made-you-look-twice” spirit of fun meant to put a smile on the faces of strangers and loved ones alike.

«“Crafty (and sneaky) kids are going to love this…Fun all the way around.” – Booklist (starred review)

My Thoughts

Sneaky Art is a book filled with simple craft ideas. Using everyday household items, you can create  all sorts of things. What makes this book unique is that the crafts aren't just for your own entertainment. You can leave them in unexpected places for people to find. Make a face for a meter on the street. Place a surprise note in the library. Leave a spray of paper flowers on the branches of a bare tree in the winter. The crafts are easy for kids of all ages and I love the idea of paying it forward and leaving something behind that could make a total stranger smile. My kids really loved this book and most of the crafts they were able to complete independently.  Definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys craft time with their family.

Let’s Build a Playgroundby Michael J. Rosen and KaBOOM, illustrated by Ellen Kelson and Jennifer Cecil

9780763613465 ∙ April 2013 ∙ Hardback ∙ $15.99 ∙ 32 pages ∙ 5 years and up

What’s your dream playground? Grab a piece of paper and let your imagination go wild! That was the first step when two hundred kids and grown-ups got together to build the playground in this book—one of two thousand that KaBOOM! has helped create. Michael J. Rosen’s lively free verse, together with colorful photographs, capture the enthusiastic teamwork leading up to the final build of a playground in one day—a playground that will welcome kids of all ages well into the future.

 Go Out and Play!: Favorite Outdoor Games by KaBOOM! by KaBOOM

9780763655303 ∙ March 2012 ∙ Paperback ∙ $11.99 ∙ 104 pages ∙ 5 years and up

Go outside and play! Here, at your fingertips, are how-to's for more than seventy best-loved games, all set to spread the fun of active play to kids of all ages. This lively, infectious guide to games runs the gamut from classic to contemporary: freeze tag, blindman’s bluff, red light green light, four square, duck duck goose, and so many more. It’s all sparked by KaBOOM!, a nonprofit with a passion for creating outdoor play spaces nationally and around the world.

«“This top-notch compilation makes a great resource for children and their friends, as well as families and adults who work with youth.” – School Library Journal (starred review)

 Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate

9780763645618 ∙ March 2013 ∙ Hardback ∙ $15.99 ∙ 64 pages ∙ 8 years and up

This conversational, humorous introduction to bird-watching encourages kids to get outdoors with a sketchbook and really look around. Quirky full-color illustrations portray dozens of birds chatting about their distinctive characteristics, including color, shape, plumage, and beak and foot types, while tongue-in-cheek cartoons feature banter between birds, characters, and the reader.

«“A chatty, appealing introduction…” –Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

« “Infectious...” –Publishers Weekly (starred review)

« “An engaging addition to any collection… Lots of fun—and informative.” –School Library Journal (starred review)

 Where’s Waldo? The Totally Essential Travel Collection by Martin Handford

9780763661786 ∙ March 2013 ∙ Flexiback ∙ $14.99 ∙ 172 pages ∙ 5 – 9 years

Waldo seekers on their own voyages will be raring to go with this compact compilation featuring all seven of his renowned excursions: Where's Waldo?, Where's Waldo Now?, Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey, Where's Waldo? The Wonder Book, Where's Waldo? In Hollywood, Where's Waldo? The Great Picture Hunt, and Where's Waldo? The Incredible Paper Chase.

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***