Exploring many cool things today, starting with the amazing migration of the godwit, and discovering laughs with Zagonk! Plus more along the way.

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The Magic of the Godwit +

The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit’s Amazing Migration

I loved the illustrations, and the journey captured here. The godwit is an amazing bird and this book taught me that. The author’s note at the end of the book that says why the godwit holds a special place in her heart added its own value to the book.

Resources for further learning are provided as well at the end of the book. Amazing watercolor illustrations by Mia accompany this equally amazing journey of the godwit. The book follows the journey of one female godwit from birth through her triumphs and travails as she grows up in Alaska to the end of her journey in New Zealand.

My 10 year old son, the bird lover, gave this book a big thumbs up, as did I.

Rating: A
Reading Level: 5 years and up
Reread level: 4/5 (I can definitely read it again and watch the
wonderful illustrations many times again.)

Extra, Extra Godwit Magic

The below is from an article on keysnews.com since I wondered how the name ‘godwit’ came about for this magical bird:

‘The name godwit sounds like a nod to some sly joke on the part of an all-powerful deity, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. One ornithologically-oriented etymologist suggests that the word’s roots were the Angle-Saxon word “god” meaning “good,” and the Anglo-Saxon word “whita” meaning either “animal,” “bird” or “good eating,” but then another etymologist said, no, that was too easy to be true. Others have suggested that the name is onomatopoetic, derived from the birds’ call, but that theory doesn’t have a lot of historical support, either, and none of the calls sound particularly like the word. In short, nobody knows why godwits are called godwits. (If they’d stuck with one of the old names — spikebill — things might be a little clearer.)’

From Iron to Car

This is more an overview of how cars are made than a book offering any details of this process. This book is perfect for younger children who love cars and are still learning to read.  My 10 year old enjoyed the photos and breezed the book in minutes though he would have loved to learn more than he could from the book since he is a car fanatic himself.   

The book gives a feel of a short tour of a car factory and that is definitely a plus point of the book.

Rating: B
Reading Level:  5 to 8
years
Reread Level: The photos are something I will look at a few times

Fairies at Bedtime

The concept is good, the affirmations great, the illustrations bright, colorful, detailed and discussion worthy but the stories themselves get a little repetitive and are just a little too short for me (for my six year old as well).

I did enjoy ‘The Get-better Garden’ and a couple of other stories mainly because they were a little longer and a little different from the others. I enjoyed reading the discussion about different types of fairy-folk around the world as well as the exercises and suggestions to help kids calm down/meditate given at the end of the book.

Overall, this might work for kids aged 3 to 5 years old (to read aloud to them).

Disclaimer:Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a digital review copy of the three books above reviewed today. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on these books were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal opinions formed when I read the books.

The Honk of Zagonk

I discovered Pat Hatt through dVerse and as I enjoyed reading his rhyming posts, I was definitely ready to read his books as well. This was the first book I picked to read on my Kindle and read it along with my daughter. We loved it!

The fun rhymes, the bright and beautiful art, the cute, courageous,  and colorful dragons, the lessons learned, as well as an expanding vocabulary, and an appreciation of poetry – all these facts make this book a great read. 

The book teaches without preaching.  Being different is fine, stand up to bullies, work together and you can achieve a lot, help others – all these are lessons gleaned from this book. 

Honk is our new hero!

Rating: A
Reading Level:  3 to 7 years
Reread Level: 4.5/5

Making Meme Magic with a Godwit and Cars and Dragons and Etcs

All the books above go towards the weekly memes What are you Reading @ Book Journey and at Jen and Kellee’s – What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA

For What are you reading? @Book Journey

Completed reading:

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (yay!)
• Will You Please be Quiet, Please? By Raymond Carver (digital eBook borrowed from OpenLibrary.org)
• Books reviewed here
• A few more quick reads for me

Currently reading:

• Secret of the Nagas by Amish (Personal copy – this has been waiting for me to get back to page 98))
• Shakespeare on Toast by Ben Crystal (digital RC – a brilliant book but the bard awaits patiently to be perused)
• The Fox by D.H.Lawrence (eBook borrowed from openLibrary.org)
• Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Comics: Tales of the World’s Wildest Beasts (Graphic Spin)(digital ARC)
• Zeb and the Great Ruckus by Joshua Donellan (digital RC) 
• Reading a couple more books as well

Next on my list to read:

• Mainly books to complete as many of my challenges as I can.

 For NaBloPoMo:, where the prompt for today is:

Q: Can you get work done with background noise or do you need the room silent?

A: I definitely do work with a lot of background noise. As a child, I would study with the TV on next to me and as an adult and more importantly, as a mom, I do work with background sounds all the time:). Like right at this moment, I am writing this post as my 6-year-old DD does math problems loudly in her head sitting next to me!

But I do have to say that I can get more work done and work done faster when it is silent, though I can certainly get work done (or rather continue to work, albeit at a slower pace) when I have background noise around. 

Also participating at Monday Mingle over at Tough Cookie Mommy – This is a place for networking:) So please link up and follow other blogs on this blog hop/linky on Google Friend Connect, Facebook, or Twitter.