Christopher Franceschelli

Like all the books in this series, the cardboard pages are a bit too heavy for the binding, but in a reasonably careful family it could last for years and delight many children. This one is as interesting and graphically beautiful as the others from the series. It starts with the kids we recognize from the City Blocks book peering through the peepholes in a fence at a construction site. From there, it introduces all the machines that do various tasks. Some of the names are new to me. Today I learned the name of the "helicopter" that put the spire on the CN tower and the machine that puts the lines on the roads (sky crane and road striper respectively).… (más)

The whole Block series is remarkable and any of them that I have seen so far, I highly recommend. Being board books, the pages are sturdy and nearly indestructible, but due to the great thickness (I mean, 26 letters, each with a two-page spread plus a foldover and all cardboard), the book binding is more fragile than usual for a board book. They need just a bit of care -- adult normal book sense is adequate to preserve them, but toddlers carrying the book around by one cover or a random page could cause damage. SO WORTH IT. This one is wonderful. There's a glimpse of what the answer is -- B is for?? and you flip the foldover peekaboo page to find dozens of BALLOONS. Attractive art, learning letters, and a guessing game. Perfect.… (más)

First sentence: Bugs are incredible! They have lived on earth since before the dinosaurs. Scientists who study bugs are called entomologists.

Premise/plot: This is an insect-themed, bug-themed board book for young readers. This is part of Abrams' "Block" series of board books. This one is more informational and nonfiction than the other books in the series, I think. (Though I suppose many can be considered 'concept' books.) It is packed with facts.

My thoughts: I don't particularly like bugs or insects. I do like good nonfiction. This one is full of interesting information. While it may not appeal to every single little one, there will be plenty who will enjoy it.… (más)