Review: Gifts for Kids to Make by Cheryl Owen

Gifts for Kids to Make by Cheryl Owen. A Craft Library Book.

Hamlyn
Publication Date: August 2005
List Price: $12.99
ISBN-13: 9780600615026

Review: Fridge magnets, beeswax candles, white chocolate truffles! Gifts for Kids to Make by Cheryl Owen, is a perfect book to spend a Sunday at grandma's house creating and expanding the possibilities of your own imagination. The book has six chapters of enjoyable crafts and gifts that will pleasure anyone that receives one. The chapters in the book range from bric-a-brac starting on page 8 to edible treats ending on page 119. This book is just one of the innovative and witty creations that The Craft Library has shaped over time.

Gifts for Kids to Make has an extensive variety of projects that will suite a child's interests or personality. The crafts range from clay figures to sewing to making your own recipe. The book comes with useful tips for each craft to make things easier. It also comes with vibrant photographs that show the step-by-step process of making the craft through the beginning, middle, and end stages. A unique feature of this book is that it comes with examples of variations of the same craft. This encourages the child to make it their own. For each project there is a helpful side bar listing all the items required. Additionally, in the back of the book there are some handy templates that you can use for your project. For example, there are cut outs for anything from frogs and pig's heads to leaves and butterflies.

There are some great qualities of this book but there are some things I would have changed. I liked the crafts; anyone would enjoy receiving one as a gift. Kids would love to make these crafts because they are colorful, fun, and pretty easy. The pictures are attractive and helpful. The price per project is reasonable. This Gifts for Kids to Make is unique in that an adult would actually love to receive one of these crafts as a gift. The layout is simple and easy to follow even a four year old could understand it. Even though that is true a twelve year old would enjoy this book too. Although the Gifts for Kids to Make is better then most there are a few errors that need improvement. Several crafts might be confusing and would require adult guidance. Also, when the on every craft page it says a age grope that would apply to that particular craft can be a little to restrict. Like one craft could say that the appropriate age is 4-6 but I think that the craft could be for older ages too. Another potential flaw is that the crafts are most appealing to girls then boys. Some of the materials that are needed are difficult to find. Some materials are specialty store items such as baking clay, dried lavender, and red cosmetic coloring. All in all this is an excellent craft book and I would recommend buying it. It is both fun for kids to make and parents to enjoy. You will just have to read Gifts for Kids to Make to find out more incredible crafts that Cheryl Owen has created.

Review written by Jamie (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy of Gifts for Kids to Make for this review.

Have you read Gifts for Kids to Make? How would you rate it?

Review: Ankylosaur Attack by Daniel Loxton

Ankylosaur Attack by Daniel Loxton. A Tales of Prehistoric Life Book.

Kids Can Press
Publication Date: September 2011
List Price: $16.95
ISBN-13: 9781554536313

Review: It was a morning long, long ago - millions of years before humans walked the Earth. As the first rays of sunlight shone through the trees, a young ankylosaur opened his eyes. He looked around. The cool morning air began to warm up. He turned his huge armored body to bask in the sun. So begins Daniel Loxton's book Tales of Prehistoric Life: Ankylosaur Attack. Ankylosaur Attack is the story of a young ankylosaur who meets an older ankylosaur who has been injured. Knowing that ankylosaurs prefer to be alone, he doesn't bother him. However, when a tyrannosaur appears on the scene, the young ankylosaur must think fast if he is to save the older ankylosaur and even himself!

Ankylosaur Attack is a beautifully illustrated book. The pictures pop off the page engrossing the reader into the adventures an ankylosaur experiences. The life-like portrayals of the animals strengthen the story considerably. However, it is not simply a book full of neat pictures. The story itself is both interesting and informative. Loxton weaves in facts about ankylosaurs in such a way that the reader learns about dinosaurs without feeling as if they are reading a nonfiction text. Plus, at the end of the story, Loxton includes a brief section in which both the ankylosaur and tyrannosaur are explained in a more traditional nonfiction format. Tales of Prehistoric Life: Ankylosaur Attack is a perfect book for any young dinosaur enthusiast because it is well-researched and has rich, vivid illustrations; plus it's a great story!

Review written by Margo Nauert (6th grade teacher).

We would like to thank Raab Associates for providing a copy of Ankylosaur Attack for this review.

Have you read Ankylosaur Attack? How would you rate it?