This was our first experience with media enhanced books. We received three books from Weigl Publishers, Glaciers, A Lion’s World, and There Once Was a Cowpoke Who Swallowed an Ant. For the review, we received PDF’s of the books but normally you would receive a print book. Inside the book, there is a special code that when used with the corresponding website opens up the media rich aspect of the books. The media enriched books are designed to be used on tablets, whiteboards, and computers making it great to use in either a homeschool or school room type setting
The target age for Glaciers is 3-6th graders. It is from the series “Earth’s Water” and is published under their imprint Lightbox. Eli and Rebekah enjoyed Glaciers and spent quite a bit of time going through the media-enhancements. There are even maps that are linked with Google Maps and allow the reader to see what the region looks like from on the ground. The media-enhancements were so AWESOME!! There was a video showing a glacier as it started to slide faster and faster until a piece the size of lower Manhattan broke off. It was so neat to watch it as it twisted and flipped. The kids and I sure learned a lot about Glaciers!! The book is written from the perspective of the glaciers developing over millions of years although it is really only discussed on two pages as part of a timeline.
Both A Lion’s World (part of the “EyeDiscover” series) and There Once Was a Cowpoke Who Swallowed an Ant (a fiction title), are intended for a K-2 interest range. I had Quinton and Hannah review these two books with me. First I had them use the interacive book There Once Was a Cowpoke Who Swallowed an Ant; they enjoyed it so much they were begging to go through it again! On the website, the kids can decide whether to read dthe story themselves or have it readaloud to them. I had it read to them.
The kids really have enjoyed these books and the intereactive pages that go along with them. It’s always fun to see the kids learning in fun ways and this review was just that. They were happy to tell me about the facts they were learning about glaciers and lions. The fiction book was cute and enjoyable even if they weren’t specifically learning facts. It’s nice that the kids can follow along with the text on the screen while it is being read to them, providing them with extra reading practice.
The kids have enjoyed the books so much that they’ve asked (and been able to) view them repeatedly.
Blessings,
Jennifer