Sharon Katz Cooper

Whose Hat Is This? was a really adorable look at community workers and the hats that they wear. The book is interactive too! Each job has a page with the hat in bright colors, and then the page following has the worker and the name of the job that they do. The kids had a blast trying to guess the hats before the page was turned. I have older children, and they still considered it completely worth the challenge!

I was especially enamored with the fact that there are both men and women in each show more job. The girls were very happy about the police woman because there are three of them who have mothers in the police department! It was definitely a nice touch. After reading through this book, I also understand why it is rated from ages 4-8. Although the pages themselves have very simple wording, underneath each job is a longer and more in-depth description of that job.

I would recommend this book to any teacher for use with their Kindergarten, First or even Second Grade classes! I'll also say that this is an exceptional book for the boys, they were entertained the entire way through. show less

Caves and Crevices
(Horrible Habitats series)
By Sharon Katz Cooper
(Read Me series)
2010, Raintree, Capstone Global Library

Review by Debra Louise Scott

This is one for the Goth kid! All the icky, gory, creepy zoology you could wish for will make your skin crawl and probably keep your children from exploring dark caves on their own.

It is well laid out, with simple, albeit weird, facts laid out on each page with detailed (read ‘graphic’) pictures of spiders, vultures, vampire bats, ticks, show more bed bugs, parasitic worms and salamanders. Words in bold type are referenced in a glossary in the back as well as additional references for books and web sites.

Some of the “Fun Facts” you’ll come across: “The giant salamander hunts at night. To catch prey, it opens up its huge mouth and sucks in anything nearby.” This fact accompanies a picture of a salamander with half a mouse hanging out of its jaws. About the parasite: “The worm’s larvae or babies live inside other animals, such as crickets. The larva slowly eats the cricket’s insides!”

I really am not sure what age would be old enough to handle this kind of information. I’m not altogether sure –I’m- old enough! show less

When Whales Cross the Sea is an informative children's science picture book about the migration of grey whales. Information is chunked into nice sections along with colorful but life-like pictures.

I read this to a group of 5-8 year old children. They loved the facts about how much a whale ate and how much a baby whale weighed. There was also enough of a story line along with the facts to keep them interested the whole way through.

I liked all the information about habitats, food chains and show more why the whales migrate.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

Have you ever tasted a Hershey chocolate bar? Milton Hershey’s chocolate bars are famous around the world, but it wasn’t an easy path to turn his idea into a reality. Readers will love learning the story behind the name as they follow along with Milton’s beginnings as a family farmer, his string of failed candy businesses, and his eventual massive success.