Scanorama Books by Anna Claybourne

Silver Dolphin presents 3 new interactive books about science and animals. 

Scanorama Amazing Animals
Expected publication Sept. 2017
Silver Dolphin Books
32 pages
Nonfiction
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Slide the scanner across the page to discover what lies under the skin of the world’s most fascinating creatures! In Scanorama: Amazing Animals, readers will meet a variety of species from across the animal kingdom and learn about their astounding feats of strength, speed, and endurance. The five movable sliders transform the illustrated animals—including an anaconda, a thorny devil, and a blue whale—to reveal their skeletons, creating a virtual X-ray on the page. Captivating facts, photographs, and illustrations provide even more details on each animal, and interactive flaps to lift enhance the scan-tastic educational experience.

Scanorama Deadly Predators
Expected publication Sept. 2017
Silver Dolphin Books
32 pages
Nonfiction
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
On the pages of Scanorama: Deadly Predators, kids are treated to a virtual X-ray tour featuring some of the world's most dangerous animals. Five movable sliders transform illustrated animals into full-body scans that reveal their skeletons and show how they have come to rule their habitats. Featured animals include a tiger, a scorpion, and a great white shark; each animal is covered in detail through informative text, photographs, and illustrations. To learn about even more deadly creatures, readers can lift the flaps and discover what is hiding in wait, ready to pounce on its next victim!

Scanorama Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures
Expected publication Sept. 2017
Silver Dolphin Books
32 pages
Nonfiction
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Scanorama: Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures gives young readers the feel of working as a lab technician as they study dinosaurs and other amazing prehistoric animals. Five movable sliders transform illustrated creatures—such as the deadly T. rex, the armored Ankylosaurus, and the massive Argentinosaurus—into virtual X-ray scans, revealing their fossilized skeletons. Detailed text, photographs, and illustrations provide insights into how each animal survived in the prehistoric world, and even more facts can be found under the interactive flaps throughout the book.

My Thoughts

These books are packed with information! Each one is filled with facts, maps, diagrams, and amazing photographs. 
A unique table of contents shows the organization of the book.
An index helps readers navigate to find specific information. Sturdy pages will hold up after multiple readings. 

A highlight in each volume is the "scanorama" where the reader can scan a panel over an image of an animal to see its skeleton. 

Check out this video.

Listen to what this boy loves about the Scanorama books!

The Scanorama series would be great for any child who is interested in animals grades 2+.

Two Interactive Science Kits from Silver Dolphin Books

Are you looking for a unique gift for an animal enthusiast of budding biologist? Today I would like to share two excellent interactive science kits from Silver Dolphin Books that would make great gifts! 

Animal Adventures: Sharks
by Cynthia Stierle
Published April 2016
Silver Dolphin Books
Interactive Kit 
Book 40 pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Animal Adventures: Sharks will take you beneath the ocean’s surface to meet the many sharks that lurk in the depths. Have fun while learning, encounter sharks—large and small, gentle and fierce—with colorful illustrations and fascinating facts, and then build a diorama. Everything you need to explore the ocean is right here.

*This unique set includes a book full of colorful illustrations and intriguing facts about sharks, plus 3-D animal models and a diorama with reusable stickers.

*Journey to all the world’s oceans to learn everything you need to know about these mysterious creatures.

Animal Adventures: Sharks offers a unique learning experience as you meet wild and exotic animals face-to-face.

My Thoughts
The Book:
Did you know that a person is more likely to be struck by lightning that to be bitten by a shark? Young readers will learn about many different kinds of sharks, shark adaptations, shark behavior and lots more!
At only 40 pages the book that accompanies this kit (Amazing World of Sharks) is short enough to manage for many young readers. The text font is simple with adequate line spacing and comfortable font size. Text features such as a table of contents, headings, text boxes, photographs and images with labels and captions and a glossary make it easy to locate and organize the information. 

The Kit:
Directions and pictures on how to assemble the diorama and 3-D models are included in the back of the book. They were fun and easy to put together. I did need to use tape on the underside of the tabs for the 3-D pieces of the diorama in order for them to stay up. Adults may need to help with the assembly. Repositional stickers add to the fun and extend the interaction of the kit. Kids will like the small plastic sharks of different types included in this kit as well. To further extend the learning, there are 20 fact cards included with a simple fact on one side and an image of a shark on the other. 

            Picture taken of the contents of the kit. Diorama parts have been punched out and one 3-D model assembled.

This interactive kit is sure to be hours of fun and learning for young scientists. I would recommend it for ages 5+. 



See Inside the Dinosaur: An Interactive 3-D Exploration
by Michael Bright
Published May 2016
Silver Dolphin Books
Interactive Kit
Book 48 pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Examine the fascinating body of a Triceratops, one layer at a time, with See Inside the Dinosaur. The innovative and interactive 3-D format allows kids to discover the inner workings of a dinosaur’s body with a transparent model that includes removable bones and organs. The detailed text and full-color illustrations in the 48-page book provide readers with an up-close look at how different types of dinosaurs survived in the prehistoric world. Also included is a stand-up cardboard model that provides the reader with a complete overview of a dinosaur’s body.

My Thoughts

The Book:

The book begins with a short and simple overview of the three periods within the Mesozoic Era when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. This is followed by a description of fossilization and how paleontologists learn about dinosaurs. Young scientists will learn about the various body systems of dinosaurs, how they protected themselves, reproduction and finally how they became extinct. 

Numerous text features will help the reader navigate the book including maps, a timeline, text boxes, diagrams, captions, headings and an index. The colorful pages with images and photographs are engaging and informative. 

The Kit:

Included in this interactive kit are a 3-D model of the inside of a triceratops including its skeleton and some inner organs covered in a clear case. Step-by-step diagrams in the back of the book show the organs and bones and how they fit together (the model comes pre-assembled).  Two double-sided cardstock models show the muscles, skeleton and inner organs of a T. Rex. 

The triceratops model is interesting to examine. I would recommend that an adult assist with the initial disassembling and reassembling as there are many small pieces that could get lost. 

Picture taken on the contents of the kit.

Kids will be fascinated by the models and the information they learn from the book. I would recommend this kit for children ages 8 and up. 

Visit Silver Dolphin Books to learn more about their products. 

Doodle Adventures: The Pursuit of the Pesky Pizza Pirate! by Mike Lowery

Doodle Adventures: The Pursuit of the Pesky Pizza Pirate! 
by Mike Lowery
Published Sept. 6, 2016
Workman Publishing Company
112 Pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Draw your way through the story!

Doodle Adventures: The Pursuit of the Pesky Pizza Pirate! is a rip-roaring adventure tale starring Carl, the friendly narrator who happens to be a duck, and the reader, who is drawn right into the story—literally. Together, they embark on the very important mission of finding out who has been stealing all of the pizza in town. Could it be the Dread Pirate Slobberts, the meanest, nastiest pirate ever to sail the Seven Seas? And, more important, how are they going to get all that pizza back?

Armed with a well-sharpened pencil and their imaginations, and following Carl’s prompts, readers fill in the blanks on each page until the story is complete. The result is a sturdy, one-of-a-kind book—starring you!—that’s as much a joy to read over and over again as it was to make.

My Thoughts

I wrote about the first book in the "Doodle Adventures" series this summer. Mike Lowery has created a fun way for kids to interact with the story. These book are perfect for kids who need to find a different way to interact with the text and kids who just love to sketch and draw. How fun to be allowed and even encouraged to draw in a book! The use of muted yellows and oranges allows for the child's illustrations to be seen and to feel like they were meant to be in the book. 
With the holidays coming up, I would highly recommend this series for book fans and budding artists ages.

See what others have to say about this book:

Middle Grade Mafia

Geek Dad

Mike Lowery has illustrated dozens of books including Ken Jennings' Junior Genius Guides. Visit hie website here. 

Visit the publisher's website for more info about this series. 

This book is out of control! by Richard Byrne

This book is out of control! 
by Richard Byrne
Published Oct. 4, 2016
Henry Holt and Co. 
32 Pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

In this follow-up to This book just ate my dog! and We’re in the wrong book!, Bella and Ben and that adorable dog are back for another (mis)adventure.

Ben has a new remote-controlled toy; it has all kinds of buttons—Up, Down, Siren, Spin. He and Bella try pressing each one, but the remote doesn't seem to be working . . . at least, not on the toy. As things go haywire on the page, Bella and Ben realize their book is out of control! With a remote on the fritz, it'll take the help of the reader to put things right in this interactive story.

My Thoughts

Like the others in this series, this interactive book is loads of fun!
Kids will go crazy as they see what happens each time Ben presses a button on the remote for his new firetruck toy. The author invites the reader to help straighten things out by pushing the buttons on the page.
The characters are super-cute with large freckly faces and smaller bodies. The adorable, rotund dog is fun to watch as the story unfolds.
Kids will ask for This Book is Out of Control to be read over and over again. I would recommend it for ages 2-6. 

Image from http://us.macmillan.com/

See what others have to say about this book:

Kirkus

Book Nerd Mommy

Read the other books in this series. 

Visit Richard Byrne's website.