I was very excited when given the opportunity to review these two books. They reflect the interests of my eldest child perfectly. Not only does she love anything space related but she’ll happily stare at a globe for ages asking questions about the various parts of the world. I’ll look at each book it turn.
My First World Atlas
This was the clear favourite of the two. As soon as it came out the packaging Helen was asking questions about the country we live in plus those inhabited by various other family members.
The book doesn’t just contain maps. It also features lots of child friendly images and facts about the world. There are also quizes, although these were a bit much for my five year old.
This book is a little too advanced for a child of Helen’s age to read on their own (she’s five). So long as mum and dad are prepared to help then it’s a great book and it certainly fuelled her curiosity. For a child to read on without help, it’s probably better suited to someone of about eight or nine years of age.
Price: £9.99
The Solar System Sticker Book
With cartoon images, speech bubbles and 150 reusable stickers, this book will appeal to younger children. As if to prove the point, while I was reading My First World Atlas to Helen, her baby sister was making every attempt to get her hands on it.
It’s a great guide to the solar system. I’m sure many adults will find themselves learning a thing or two along the way. The language used is, for the most part, very simple although there is the occasional difficult word such as ‘asteroid’. This would be no bad thing for those children that are slightly more advanced at reading as it will encourage their literacy skills.
The stickers are reusable and a few of them have been put to good use decorating this book. Overall I think this is a good introduction to the solar system for young children.
Price: £4.99
Both books are published by Collins.
