Big, small, tall, fast, heavy, old -- what do these words mean? Maybe each person has a different idea about them. Author and artist Robert E. Wells wrote a series of books, The Wells of Knowledge Science Series, that illustrates these concepts. Although they seem to be about math, math is so tied to science that readers will learn a lot of science as they grapple with math concepts. Even though these are picture books designed for children, I confess I also learned a lot from them.
What's Smaller Than Pygmy Shrew?
What does the word "small" suggest to you? A marble? A bee? Robert Wells introduces his world of the small with a pygmy shrew, which is three inches long. He then challenges readers to think of what's smaller. He contrasts the shrew with an elephant, which in comparison makes the shrew look very small indeed. He then contrasts the shrew with the ladybug, which is smaller yet.
Then he introduces the creatures that can only be seen under a microscope -- the ones you might find in a drop of water. He explains what cells are and then shows us the animals with only one cell -- the paramecia and amoebas which are both protozoa. Wells' imaginative drawings will bring them to life for you and younger readers. Before Wells is through, he has explained and drawn bacteria, molecules, atoms and their parts, and has challenged readers to guess how many atoms are in a pygmy shrew. There is a small glossary at the end to help children remember unfamiliar words.
Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is?
In this book, Robert Wells explains to all ages the relative sizes of large from a blue whale all the way to the whole universe. The opening picture shows an elephant, horse, and lion standing on a pier watching the tail of a blue whale that is larger than all of them combined. Then he shows the same animals looking at a jar that contains 100 blue whales. He then puts two such jars on a platform with the animals between them.
With the animals still standing on the bottom platform, Wells draws a stack of platforms ten high and then on the next page puts them on top of Mount Everest to show how small they are in comparison. By this time the animals are no longer visible. Wells goes on and on until he reaches the universe itself, having introduced numbers in the millions and billions along the way. Even adults will find this book, and others in this series fascinating.
This book explores speed from that of the ostrich and cheetah to the speed of light. I love the illustrations which show the race between some children, an ostrich, a cheetah, a swooping peregrine falcon, and a propeller plane. Soon the children, ostrich, and cheetah are in the plane with a frustrated falcon trying to catch up. The falcon then lands on the tail of a jet and passes them.
Readers then learn about the speed of sound and space travel as all the characters get into a rocket ship. Just as we see a meteoroid whizzing by, we learn that all of us have something that's even faster – something we can hold in our hands. The book concludes with is a chart comparing how long it would take at all the speeds from runner's feet to light to get from the earth to the moon.
These Books Are Great for Unit Studies in Home Schools
The Wells Knowledge of Science Series is Ideal for Unit Studies
When I was homeschooling, I was always on the lookout for engaging books that targeted visual learners. These books fit into that category. Jason understood what he could see better than what he only read or heard. He was a hands-on kind of child. He also loved animals, and all three of these books have some animal characters.
One of more of these books could fit into a unit study about light, sound, astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics or transportation. Instead of just reading a definition for a word like protozoa, a child will see a large illustration showing its relationship to other objects it is part of, as well as things that are part of it.
See all the books in The Wells of Knowledge Science Series, which are recommended for ages 7-10. I believe they are good also for those over ten who want to understand these science concepts. The pictures are imaginative and fun and keep science from being dull. I suggest you get a physical edition rather than a Kindle edition because your children will want to pour over these books. I wish I'd had these for my own children, but they weren't written yet back then.
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With vast knowledge available at your fingertips on the internet, and with the invention of e-readers, one might think that public libraries are on their way out. But wait.... libraries are more than just places with books to borrow. They are places for meetings for groups of hobbyists or shared-interest groups. There are regular story hours for toddlers. There are magazines and periodicals, movies and music, and the availability of microfiche of local newspapers for research purposes. And, in keeping up with today's technology, most libraries have computers available for use.
Librarians must have a degree in Library Science, thus making them invaluable in helping you find everything from obscure information to the latest best seller.
And just as borrowing a book is free, so is a librarian's assistance.
Children and Libraries
Many libraries have a section just for children where they can play quietly while older siblings and parents look for books to read.
Tyler at the library Photo by Wednesday Elf
In a Cincinnati suburb near my son's house, such a play area at their local library is a favorite of my grandsons. There are small tables & chairs where they can read a book or play with jigsaw puzzles.
Library Play Area (c) Elf
There are also computers set up just for children. The play area is light and airy located near big windows and also has comfy soft chairs for the parents to sit with a book while the children play.
On a recent visit, I enjoyed a wonderful hour there with my grandsons. Their mom takes them to this library at least once a week. The library even has a coffee bar for adults to enjoy.
The Library of Congress in Washington, DC is the largest library in the world. Within its collections, there are literally millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts. The 164 million items are stored on some 838 miles of bookshelves. It also has the world's largest law library, with more than 2.9 million volumes, and contains United States congressional publications dating back to the nation's founding.
The Library of Congress was founded in 1800 and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the nation.
It also is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.
Books, Books, and More Books....
New Library Near Me (c) Elf
If you are looking for a good book to check out at the library and read, you'll find a wide range of Book Reviews to aid you in your selection from the following sources:
*Our own BarbRad reviews books here on Review This!Barb also talks about educational and children's books on her blog Books to Remember.
*Other members of Review This! frequently review books for ReviewThisBooks.com
*Reading is a pleasure beyond words. I described how much my family loves books and reading in "For Love of Reading", along with a list of our favorite books.
There are many ways to celebrate Library Lovers Day:
Visit your local library and check out a book.
Volunteer at a library book sale.
Take your child or grandchild to a library story hour or help a child get their very first library card. You will open a magical world to them through the joy of reading.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
– Marcus Tullius Cicero
Library Lovers Day Review by: ~Wednesday Elf~
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Children and Faith, Our Duty as Christian Parents and Grandparents During this Holiday Season.
In the last 30 years Church attendance has dropped significantly. Christians still want to attend services at special times of the year and one of them is coming up very shortly. There are two major celebrations in the Christian community. Christmas being the first. Easter is the Second. Both of these times in the year are Holidays, and important in the life of a Christian community. Christmas we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ and at Easter, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the Tomb. Both of these "Holy Days" are usually marked by increased attendance at your local church's worship services.
Easter Church Services
Attending Church services with our family is one of the most wonderful times in a parents and grandparents lives. It's a great time for us Parents and Grandparents to acknowledge our faith and share it with our families.
The Question remains, how do we get our children (many of which haven't participated in regular Church Services) to sit quietly at the Services we are attending? Every parent enters the church with trepidation and fear that their little ones will be disruptive during the Easter Service.
I'm here to tell you that with a little planning ahead, children can and will behave in a way that will not put you to shame. But it does take some planning.
So let's get to it. Prepare, prepare, prepare!
First of all let's find out how long the church service will last. Sometimes it will be 30 to 45 minutes and other services may last a few hours. Knowing how long you need to keep your children engaged will help you plan better.
Let's assume that services will be about an hour long. That 60 minutes of quiet time that your children need to get a handle on.
Let's Pack a Church Bag* to take with us to services. Inside will be all kinds of quiet activities that your children can do when they become restless. So these are the things I would take along:
*Contents of a great Church Bag
Books, depending on the age of your children, they can be picture books or story books.
Stickers and some paper for them to make their own picture of the Bible story they will hear.
Coloring books with crayons. (if you have more than one child, make sure you have a book for each one of them!)
Puzzle books, find the words, or crosswords are great!
Small soft Easter type toys, stuffed bunnies, chicks or eggs. You can find some really cute ones here at Coastal Crochet Crafts!
DO NOT PACK Candy of any Kind. That would be setting you up for a sugar rush and you don't want to have that during this quiet time. You should prepare your children ahead of time. Make it a game to see how long they can be quiet at home, before the Church event happens. Small rewards for being able to be quiet can help you to increase the time span. Tell them that they are practicing for the quiet time that they will have to adhere to while Church services are happening. Practice whispering to each other if conversations need to be had. Bringing electronic toys to church is not a good idea. They are very distracting to your child and to others around them. Even adults are distracted by electronic toys. Better to stick to bringing a book or two. Picture books are great and children are always enchanted by stories that they can read. I happen to like Easter Books that tell the Story of the Resurrection.
There are several available and they will help you to explain to your children what this Season of Easter is all about too! Children learn from their parents and grandparents about their faith beliefs and it is up to us to encourage that faith. After Church Services are concluded, I'm sure there will be time for the infamous Easter Egg hunt. Children especially like this part of the Easter festivities. Dinner on Easter Sunday will be a gathering of all the family at the table to share in the wonderful foods and desserts that have been lovingly prepared for us. After all Easter is a whole season of REJOICING! Everything is new including the seasons. Everything is in bloom or will be soon.
Please know that most Christians are very happy to see the little ones at church services! They are a delight to us older folks who remember all to well taking our own children to Services.
Happy Easter to all, The Lord is Risen, He is Risen indeed!
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The dictionary defines 'classic' as something of enduring
significance. In literature, a classic work is generally considered to
be of the highest excellence ~ a work recognized as definitive in its field.
In the field of children's books, there are dozens of stories whose origins
go back many years and are still considered favorites
today.
If you were to go back to ancient times, probably the most well-known is
'Aesop's Fables'.
In the early 1700s, the most famous stories today remain 'Gulliver's
Travels, Robinson Crusoe, and the Tales of Mother
Goose.
Nineteenth century writers brought us more than four dozen stories
considered 'classics' to this day, such as
The Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island, Black Beauty, Heidi and
Little Women.
Here's a few modern children's classics from 20th century authors that are
most special to me... and some fascinating facts about the authors.
Winnie-the-Pooh... and Friends!
A.A. Milne's beloved Winnie-the-Pooh character has been delighting children
since 1926. The author's son, Christopher, was the inspiration for Pooh
Bear's buddy, Christopher Robin. I loved these stories so much that I
even named my first-born son Christopher.
The author began his Pooh Bear stories initially just to entertain his son
... and they became 'words of wisdom' and expressions of love &
affection for generations of children.
Winnie the Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood delighted our
generation and that of our parents. Now our children can snuggle under the
covers and listen to the timeless adventures of Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore
and Christopher Robin!
For over 90 years, Winnie the Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre
Wood have delighted each generation of children... and, of course, the grown
ups who get to read the stories to little ones...
Winnie the Pooh quotes have become famous.... the one below says it all
~
“Friendship," said Christopher Robin, "is a very comforting thing to
have."
~A.A. Milne
Dr. Seuss' Favorite Cat!
It's the "Cat in the Hat" of course!
The Cat in the Hat changed the way our children learn how to read
with fun rhyming words.
How the 'Cat-in-the-Hat' Came About
Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) wrote 'The Cat in the Hat' in 1957 at the
request of the educational division of Houghton Mifflin publishers who were
looking for a more entertaining primer for early childhood literacy because
the current ones (such as the Dick and Jane series) were ineffective.
Geisel tells the story of being frustrated with the word list from which he
could choose words to write his story, so he decided to scan the list and
create a story based on the first two words he found that rhymed. The words
he found were cat and hat.
Bambi
Of all the classic stories made famous by Disney, Bambi is the best. I watched
the Bambi movie as a child, then took my children to see it. Now my children
take my grandchildren. Both the Bambi storybooks and the movie are truly
classics.
Since 1942, Bambi and his friends Thumper the Rabbit and Flower the Skunk
have been animation favorites, one of the 10 best animation classics of all
time.
The story was originally adapted for film from the book "Bambi, a Life in
the Woods" written by Felix Salten in 1923.
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams – 1922
“Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that
happens to you.'
This is the story of a stuffed rabbit and his desire to become real through
the love of his owner. I think it's one of the sweetest fairy tales
ever written. Check out this special 75th Anniversary edition of the Velveteen Rabbit with its original story and artwork
of a classic tale first told in 1922.
According to an online poll taken in 2007, this book is one of the National
Education Association's "Teachers' Top 100 Books for
Children.
Curious George by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey
========================
"This is George. He lived in Africa.
He was a good little monkey, and always very curious."
=========================
With these words, the tales of a curious monkey named George
began..... Curious George was brought from his home in Africa by "The Man with The
Yellow Hat" to live with him in a big city. The first book in the series (Cecily G and the Nine Monkeys) was published in France in 1939.
The story was written by Margret Rey and illustrated by H.A. Rey. As
wartime approached France, the couple fled Paris in June 1940, on self-made
bicycles, carrying the Curious George manuscript with them.
The Curious George series of books have been adapted into several television
series and films and each book has been in continuous print since first
published.
Classic Children's' Tales
Grandsons Tyler & David - reading!
These classic stories of a honey bear, a special rabbit, a curious
monkey, a sweet deer fawn and a funny cat are instantly recognized by
children today and have become 'classics' in the world of children's
literature.
Whether reading a classic tale or any favorite story, children everywhere
love books. My two youngest grandchildren, David (6) and Tyler (18
months) enjoy reading every day.
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The perfect way to introduce small children to holidays is through books. Children love to be read to and board books work great for the babies and toddlers age group.
Let's look at a couple Valentine-themed board books for the youngest children.
Lovey Things is a sturdy board book about things Things love. Little ones will learn about sharing and caring, smiling and hugging, and blowing kisses from those two favorites - Thing One and Thing Two - from Dr. Seuss's 'Cat in the Hat' stories. A very sweet rhyming way for little ones to learn about the loving ways of Valentine's Day and be introduced to the magic of Dr. Seuss.
Recommended for ages 1 – 4 years, Lovely Things is highly recommended by parents and grandparents. It is an Amazon Best Seller currently listed at #43 in the Top 100, and is #1 in both Poetry for Early Learning and Stories in Verse. It is also #7 in children's Valentine's Day books.
Fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the wonderful world of Eric Carle will love this sweet book. A Valentine's Day gift that gives all the reasons why that someone special makes the world a better and brighter place.
"You are the cherry on my cake; you make the sun shine brighter; you make my heart flutter."
Filled with a range of images from the World of Eric Carle, and featuring the Very Hungry Caterpillar, this board book is for reading ages 1 – 3 and ranks #4 in Children's Valentine's Day Books.
Summary
So, to introduce your youngest children to the Valentine's Day holiday in a fun way, let them meet Thing One & Thing Two through Dr. Seuss and The Very Hungry Caterpillar with Eric Carle.
*Valentine Reads for Young Ones review written by Wednesday Elf
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Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm is a delightful book for children written by Jonathan London and illustrated by Andrew Joyner. It is the first book in a new series featuring Duck and Hippo. Quite honestly, I look forward to reading about their next adventure together. You may wonder why I chose to read a book for children, but I did have my reasons. First, I recently purchased a Kindle Fire and I love being able to see the pictures in color now. What better than a children's book to look at pictures, right? Second, the book was a free choice on Kindle First* in February 2017 if your are an Amazon Prime member. And last, but by no means least, I wanted to be able to review the book for Review This Reviews!
The release of this book is perfect timing! Since their day of adventure takes place in early spring, releasing the book on March 1, 2017 is consistent with the season and weather described therein.
Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm Book
Page 1
Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm
Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm (Duck and Hippo Series Book 1) This really is a precious story about two unlikely friends, clearly a duck and a hippopotamus, who venture out together in the rain. They encounter a few mishaps with just enough intrigue and suspense that a child will be enthralled without being frightened. The illustrations help with alleviating any stress because the characters are shown smiling even in the midst of possible disaster.
As with many children's books, the pictures in this book are fabulous! I love the way the artist dressed the animals. The suit and bow tie are perfect for the more reserved hippo, while the red slicker and polka dot yellow umbrella reflect the ducks adventurous and outgoing personally. I foresee that Duck will likely dream up all kinds of ventures for the more sedate Hippo in future books.
This promises to be a great book series for children ages 3 - 7 and I would certainly recommend the delightful first book, Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm.
Children's Book on Kindle Fire
Fire Kids Edition Tablet, 7" Display, Wi-Fi, 16 GB, Blue Kid-Proof CaseI am thrilled to share that there are Kindle Fires made just for children! As an adult I wanted a Kindle that would feature the images in color for my craft books and cookbooks. After consulting with our in-house electronics expert, Susan Deppner, I selected the Kindle Fire. It was an excellent choice. Once I received it, I couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be for children, especially at bedtime or when riding in a car. It would most certainly reduce the weight of books in a backpack too. I did a little more digging and found there is indeed a Kindle Fire made just for children. While I have no desire to replace the home library and real books, I do think Kindle Fires are fabulous when portability or weight is an issue.
*Kindle First gives Amazon Prime members the opportunity to read a new book that will be published the following month for FREE. You can check it out by clicking here!
Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm Children's Book Review Written by:
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
When I was in school, I learned that the Pilgrims had come to the New World from England to flee persecution for practicing their Separatist religion. After a hard journey on a small ship called the Mayflower, they founded a colony at Plymouth (Plimoth) under the leadership of William Bradford and William Brewster.
The Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower on December 21, 1620, and made Plymouth Rock famous. No one who landed on that day, though, wrote anything about it's being the place where they stepped into the New World.
What I Learned about The First Thanksgiving in School
By the time the Pilgrims celebrated what we now call the First Thanksgiving, about half their number had died of sickness. Those who had survived had a great feast to thank God for all He had done to preserve them. Native Americans gave them some corn and taught them how to plant it for an abundant crop. When they harvested their crops, they invited their Native American friends to share their feast as they thanked God for the food they had been able to grow. Both in school and in the Pilgrim journals, the Native Americans were called Indians. A friend of mine who knows a lot of Native Americans say they still don't mind being called Indians.
Replica of Mayflower at Plimoth Plantation, photo edited from Pixabay
What Some Children Learn in School Now about the First Thanksgiving
Unfortunately, my curriculum materials that are used in schools today aren't accessible as I write this, so I did some research online to see how the teaching about that first Thanksgiving has changed. The first thing we learn is that we shouldn't call it aThanksgiving feast at all since there was no such holiday back then. The purpose of the feast was to celebrate the harvest. Only in retrospect do we call this the First Thanksgiving.
I did some of my research on the Plimoth Plantation website where children can research the holiday for themselves with interactive activities. Here are a couple of telling remarks from the Teacher's Guide, which has all the text from the activity pages.
Fact
or Myth? Many
people think that "history" and "the past" are
the same thing. But they aren’t! The past is what actually
happened. The past can never change. You would’ve have to have
lived at the time to truly know about the past. History is how we
think and write about the past. History is always changing. So events
that occurred in 1621 (the past) will never change. But how we think
about these events (history) has already changed a lot!
Culminating
Activity A
few years ago, historians at Plimoth Plantation decided to look at
the 1621 harvest celebration in a whole new way. They knew there was
more to the story than the "Pilgrims" and "Indians"
having dinner together. They decided to set aside what they thought
they knew and look at the event with fresh eyes. They also realized
that it was important to look at the events of 1621 from both the
English and Wampanoag sides of the story. A lot of their research and
new ideas about 1621 have gone into the creation of this web site.
Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA. Photo courtesy of Pixabay
The gist of this is that historians can't change history -- what actually happened, but they can change the way it's interpreted and taught to match whatever political view prevails in the education establishment. What I learned in school may not have been completely accurate, but neither is the current curriculum in many schools. We now live in a more secular and multicultural society that cares much more about the Native American culture than the culture and beliefs of the Pilgrims who lived at Plimoth Plantation.
The Truth about The Pilgrims
The truth is somewhere in the middle. We need to recognize how God brought Squanto to the Pilgrims, along with Massasoit, Chief of the Wampanoag tribe. Squanto taught the colonists how to produce food in their new land and gave them some corn to plant. Massasoit signed a treaty to live in peace with the Pilgrims, and that peace lasted for fifty years.
So, yes. The Native Americans did play a big role in the survival of the colony. But so did the faith the Pilgrims had in their God, whom they trusted daily to provide their needs. They saw the friendship of Squanto and Massasoit as part of God's providence, a way He was meeting their needs. A reading of the primary sources, such as Of Plimoth Plantation by William Bradford will make it clear what the Pilgrims believed. It is this faith element and God's providence that contemporary teaching often leaves out.
Children's Books about the Pilgrims that Strike the Right Balance
I have chosen these five books as the best for teaching children about this period because most draw heavily from the primary sources. Some almost paraphrase parts of them in language children can understand. Those sources are Of Plimoth Plantation, linked to above, and Mourt's Relation, a journal usually attributed to Gordon Winslow and William Bradford. Both were eyewitnesses to the beginnings of the Plimoth colony.
The First Thanksgiving Feast by Joan Anderson
This book brings the Pilgrims and Native Americans to life through the black and white photos taken by George Ancona at Plimoth Plantation. It has a comfortable print size for its intended audience in grades 5-7. I believe many in lower grades would also be able to read this independently.
The first part of the story is told through quotes from actual colonists. The last part of the book is narration by the author drawn from the source material. The last page discusses the development of the tradition of the American Thanksgiving and is not actually part of the story. This book is out of print. You can get it at Amazon or at eBay.
Pilgrim Music for Thanksgiving
It is likely that when the Pilgrims gave thanks they sang a hymn. The one churches still sing today that the Pilgrims probably sang is from the Genevan Psalter that dates from 1562 and was used by the Separatists. We know that hymn today as "Old Hundredth," and the Doxology sung in many churches has the same tune. This version is probably close to what the Pilgrims sang.
I think it ironic that I found the same hymn being sung (different arrangement) at Westminster Abbey in a service commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. It shows much of the ceremony that the Separatists despised and separated themselves from. As the processional of the choirs and the Queen and other dignitaries came down the aisle, I was temporarily taken aback, wondering who that bewildered looking younger person in the black and white clip with the crown was. It took me a minute to realize it was a clip of the Queen on her actual Coronation Day superimposed on the processional.
Pilgrim Voices: Our First Year in the New World Edited by Connie and Peter Roop
The clear, easy-to-read, double-spaced type tells the story of the Pilgrims’ first year in the New World as a series of diary entries written in the first person. The primary sources the authors drew from were Mourt’s Relation and Of Plymouth Plantation, sources authored by Edward Winslow and William Bradford. The editors modernized the language and changed Bradford’s journal from the third to the first person for unity of voice. About half of the 45 pages in this God-honoring history are gorgeous color paintings by Shelley Prichett, making this volume a feast for the eyes. The book, suitable for all ages past preschool, also contains a forward full of historical background, the text of the Mayflower Compact, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.
This, too, is out of print. It is available in a Kindle edition or used at Amazon or used at eBay. Many of the used eBay copies have free shipping, and many of the Amazon cheap copies don't.
Three Young Pilgrims by Cheryl Harness
This paperback book for children 5-10 is my personal favorite because of its visual appeal. It is also based on Bradford’s writings. The author and illustrator, Cheryl Harness, has created a panorama of paintings that captures the Pilgrim story. It focuses on three young children, Mary, Remember, and Bartholomew Allerton. Their mother, Mary, along with her new baby, died in 1621.
We first meet the children in the middle of the ocean on the Mayflower and follow their life in the colony. Young Mary Allerton grew up and died of old age in 1699. She grew older than anyone else who came over on the Mayflower.
If your children are visual learners, you’ve got to get this book. The first major painting is a map of the Atlantic Ocean showing the sailing Mayflower with geographical notes tracing the adventures of the Pilgrims from the time they fled England for Holland until they settled in Plymouth. The next double-page spread is a cross-section of the Mayflower showing the people and supplies crowded onto the various parts of the ship.
The main story is illustrated by spectacular paintings showing life on the Mayflower and in Plymouth. Then there is a labeled picture-map of Plymouth Plantation with a timeline of earlier New World explorations along the bottom and an illustrated chart on the far right showing what else was going on in other parts of the world while the Pilgrims were having their adventures. The last pages in the book contain labeled pictures of all the Mayflower passengers, with one double-page spread allotted to the Saints, and another to the Strangers, and the difference between them is explained. The Indians get their own double-page spread which is bordered with small drawings of native plants, animals, and sea-life. The last page is a bibliography. This book is, fortunately still in print and available new and used at Amazon.You can also find it on eBay if you prefer to look there.
The Pilgrims at Plymouth, a Landmark Book by Lucile Recht Penner
The illustrations by S.D. Schindler are as appealing as those in Three Young Pilgrims. These illustrations are on the edges of the pages, accompanied by small bold text to differentiate it from the larger text in the story.
The author tells the story of the Pilgrims' struggle to create a new home in the wilderness of a new land and how both the settlement they founded and the principles they established helped to shape the new American nation. Each double-page spread deals with one aspect of the Pilgrims' adventure, beginning on the Mayflower and ending with the Thanksgiving feast. This book states that Mary Allerton Cushman died in 1704, which contradicts most other sources I've seen. The text of this book was copyrighted in 1996 before the term "Indians" was deemed politically incorrect.
The Pilgrims at Plymouth offers more details about daily life in the Plymouth colony than the previously mentioned books, including an accurate portrayal of the Pilgrims' faith. It also goes into more detail on the life of Squanto. Both this book and Three Young Pilgrims are good supplements to the more journal-like books first reviewed. They answer more of the questions about details left out of the other books. 44 pages. For grades 2 and up. This book is out of print but is available from both Amazon and eBay.
Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636 by Paul Erickson
The author and photographers who created this book paint a captivating portrait of an early Pilgrim settlement. Many of the photos come from Plimoth Plantation, where history is still alive. I have been there and watched as my rebellious daughter was called out by one of the adult male enacters who heard her talking back to my husband. The "Pilgrim" told her she'd never get a husband with that rebellious attitude. She was in total shock. No one she knew would have dared tell her such a thing.
In the book, Paul Erickson describes the duties of each family member -- even the children -- and their roles in the community as a whole. We watch people at work through the seasons as the women tend to the home, animals, and garden. The men do the heavy work in the fields and handle trading and defense. Children help their parents with their daily chores. We watch the activities of the family as they start their day, get dressed, work, and get ready for bed at night.
Education was also handled at home. Parents taught their children to read so they would be able to read the Bible, which was considered the most important book. Children also learned practical skills as they helped their parents cook, farm, garden, and make clothing from the wool to the finished garments.
The book explains how the government worked and how the colony was founded and organized. The author also describes a typical worship service in the meeting house. That couple of paragraphs is about all we learn about the religion of the colonists, except the importance of the Bible in their lives. We also learn a bit about health and how illnesses were treated.
The author describes celebrations and special occasions. He gives three paragraphs total to what we now call the first Thanksgiving. Part of that is a recipe for the traditional Plymouth Succotash.
Unlike the books I reviewed above, this one doesn't tell us a story or let the characters themselves say much. It has a more academic tone, showing and telling us about life in the colony. The last page analyzes the Pilgrims' place in history. Readers will learn what happened but probably won't relate to it as much as they will by identifying with the characters in the other books. Vivid full-color photos and drawings along with smaller black and white drawings show us a family and the items they would have used in their home and in the fields in Plymouth.
The book also features a timeline of the colony from 1455, when Guttenberg finished printing the Bible to 1863, when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday. There is a reproduction of a 1635 map of the world so students can compare it to maps depicting today's world. We also see a color diagram map of Plymouth Colony. A glossary and index are also included. This book is the most secular in tone of all the ones I review here. Like most of the others, it is out of print. It is available at Amazon or eBay. For ages nine and up. 48 pages.
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