Book reviews - Moonlight Publishing
Discovery has always been the theme behind our publishing and most of our series are named accordingly. Our most successful series – First Discovery, My First Discoveries and Torchlights – have sold over 40 million copies in 30 languages around the world. We have benefited from a long-term creative partnership with the acclaimed French children’s book publisher, Gallimard Jeunesse, and their outstanding team of illustrators.
OUR APPS In a world where most children are growing up as digital natives, we offer them the benefits of learning about their world through our apps. These make full use of gaming techniques and captivating audiovisual effects to engage with children, enabling them to learn as they play. We believe that there is a place for both printed books and new digital formats in children’s lives. Children should be able to switch seamlessly between the two and benefit from both formats.
The Egg (My First Discoveries) illutsrated by Rene Mettler#Our latest batch of books from Moonlight Publishing are three nature-based, books, perfectly topical for the spring and to encourage children to build an appreciation of the wotld around them. The egg is the perfect topic for this exciting series of see-through books as children lift the acetate sheets to see how the egg develops and changes. They can see the egg inside the chicken and the chick inside the egg and follow progress as the chick develops, grows, and hatches, and learn about different kinds of bird eggs. There's lots more information about all sorts of creatures who lay eggs, including those in the farmyard, and reptiles. |
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Flowers (My First Discoveries) illustrated by Rene MettlerThrough simple text and beautiful life-like illustrations, children will learn about the world of flowers, from the early spring crocus to the rare edelweiss. The book is attractive to read and practical, with its spiral binding. There's plenty of information to encourage children to look at the world around them, and the detailed illustrations are accurate and effective for young learners. These books are instantly engaging for children, who love to turn the pages and see how the picture changes; this makes it memorable for them so, for example, this book will help them remember how sunflowers turn to their faces are toward the sun. They will also see how bees and butterflies land on flowers and how buds blossom and turn into fruit,. |
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The Ladybird ((My First Discoveries) by Sylvaine PeyrolsChildren will love to learn about the pretty ladybird in many variations in this colourful book; they will also learn about lots of other insects - ants, beetles, and grasshoppers. Ideal to accompany learning about lifecycles in Reception and KS1, with simple clear explanations accompanying the lively detailed illustrations. As children flip the see-through pages, they will see, among other things, lots of different ladybirds appear and a woodpecker searching for a tasty snack. The text is ideal for children learning to read and the interactive element is fun for children, encouraging a love for books. |
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The Elephant (My First Discoveries) illustrated by James PrunierWhen I worked in a school library, one of the most popular series of books was always the First Discoveries books. I used to keep these in a separate sequence, because I knew children would head straight for them, and see if I'd added anything new. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review some of the books to bring them to people's awareness. Children will discover the answers to many of their questions about these magnificent creatures - what is the difference between African and Asian elephants? How do they use their trunks? And, really importantly, why people still hunt African elephants and what is being done to stop them. The book clearly shows the importance of family groups to elephants and children will love to see the pictures of elephants at work and play. |
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Boats (My First Discoveries) illustrated by Christian BroutinThe outstanding feature of the My First Discoveries books is the use of transparent pages, which turn to reveal hidden surprises. The illustrations are all packed with an incredible amount of detail and there are lots of changes to spot as you turn over the acetate pages. Young readers will learn about about canoes, yachts, motor boats, speed boats, tug boats, and submersibles, as well as huge container ships, cruise ships, aircraft carriers, and oil tankers. There are even suggestions for making model boats and instructions on how to tie different sailor's knots. So much, all in a really attractive book which will encourage children to enjoy books and reading. |
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Crocodiles (My First Discoveries) illustrated by Sylaine PeyrolsCrocodiles are fascinating creatures as this engaging book shows. They have been around since the time of the dinosaurs and are supremely effective hunters. Flip the transparent pages to learn how they swim, communicate, hunt, fight, reproduce and care for their young. Crocodiles have been worshipped and hunted. Readers will learn to identify cayman, alligators, gavials, saltwater crocodiles, and other reptiles. The books are spiral bound, so they lie flat and, with their hard covers and heavy card pages, they are very durable and will withstand any amount of enthusiastic use, making them, as I found, perfect for school as well as home use. |
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Music (My First Discoveries) illustrated by Donald GrantIt's amazing just how much information about music and musical instruments has been packed into this book. Readers will discover a huge variety of music, and find out how it is all around us, from the wind singing in the trees to a complete classical orchestra. The families of musical instruments are described and the book shows how they produce sound. Children can even learn how to make their own musical instruments. The detailed illustrations really bring the subject to life and encourage further investigation. Children will love finding out through these innovative books and the presentation makes them suitable for reluctant and struggling readers. The text is informative and easy to read. Young ones will love to build up their own library of these titles - and you will never be short of ideas for presents! |
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