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Last-Minute Gift Books for Kids
By Holly E. Newton
Are you looking for a last-minute gift?
Publishers have some wonderfully packaged books that will make great
presents. The first three below are perfect gifts for all ages.
The
Mickey Mouse Treasures,
by Robert Tieman, is a beautiful, enlarged book
full of the history of Mickey. The illustrations are rich
and on every page, including removable art and mementoes throughout.
For the fan of this little mouse, young or old, this superb gift
will be cherished forever!
Click
to Buy
 The Spatulatta Cookbook, by Isabella and Olivia Gerasole, is the
perfect book for the cook or cooks in the family. Here is
a kid-friendly, hands-on, recipe book by these young sisters who
demonstrate with easy directions and yummy food. The photos
found throughout are also very helpful and enticing.
Ecocrafts Gorgeous Gift: Recycle Materials
to Make Cool Stuff, by Rebecca Craig, is a perfect book for the homemade gift.
There are directions for making brightly colored bracelets, sock
puppets and stained-glass windows. Kingfisher has also recently
published Dream Bedroom to help you use recycled materials
for your special room.
The next
five books are geared for youngsters ages 3 through 7. Corduroy’s
ABC, based on the character created by Don
Freeman, and illustrated by Lisa McCue, is a board book with a
felt board and felt pieces that go along with the story. Corduroy,
the cute little furry bear, is learning about the alphabet in the
story and the felt figures go right along. What a great gift
for the young family member learning letters!
And while
we’re talking about adventures, Journey to the Moon: Lunar
Explorer, by Lucio and Meera Santoro, is now pushing the
limit of pop-ups. I thought I’d seen the very best of paper
engineering until I saw this book. The Santoros have reinvented
new extraordinary ways to demonstrate traveling, which include airplanes,
ships and ultimately flying to the moon. This book will amaze
you!
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato Pop-Up!,
by Lauren Child, with paper engineering by Corina Fletcher, is
the perfect book for that picky eater. Lola’s brother, Charlie,
creatively helps encourage and entice Lola to eat all of the food
that she doesn’t think she wants. The story is endearing,
but the pop-ups are amazing!
Can
You See What I See? Dream Machine: Picture Puzzles to
Search and Solve, written and illustrated by Walter Wick,
is loaded with surprises perfect for ages 4 through 10. Wick
takes you on a trip through unbelievable pictures as you try to
locate parts of a treasure. This book is sure to become a
favorite pastime!
Angelina’s Invitation to the Ballet, by Katharine, and illustrated by Helen
Craig, is a unique tale about who Angelina will take to the ballet.
You learn all about who she’s taking as you pull out letters, tickets
and posters. Perfect for that young ballerina!
The rest
of the books are perfect for kids ages 7 through adult.
Explorer: A Daring Guide for Young Adventurers,
by Sir Henry Hardcastle, and illustrated by Alistair Gram
and Milivoj Ceran, is full of explorations from all ends of
the world. If your young explorer likes discovery, this book,
that’s full of fold outs, envelopes and pop-ups, might be just the
beginning of many explorations. Mythology,
by Lady Hestia Evans, and illustrated by Nick Harris and
Nicki Palin, is a very artistic and imaginative look at the Greek
Gods. The book is packaged with maps, pull-outs, small envelopes
and pamphlets. This book begs to be read by ages 9 through
adult.
The Time Traveler’s Journal, by Ed Massessa, and illustrated by Daniel Jankowski,
will take you on a journey back in time. The time traveler
was born in 1902, but there is no evidence of her. Here is
a creatively packaged book full of small booklets and letters and
even a pocket watch. You’ll travel back with the traveler
and learn history in the making.
How to Find Flower Fairies, by Cicely Mary Barker, is a
delightful pop-up book that is over-sized and full of foliage with
those little pixies peeking out at the turn of every page.
If your child likes fairies, this book is sure to please!
For all
of the Spiderwick fans, The Chronicles of Spiderwick:
A Grand Tour of the Enchanted World Navigated by Thimbletack,
by Tony DiTerlizi and Holly Black, will be guided by the
caretaker of the mansion. Thumbletack will help you learn
the history of this fascinating and exciting fantasy series as you
read through his journal entries. The enlarged pages are filled
with interesting foldouts and letters waiting to be read.
If you’ve
not read a “Spiderwick” book, this oversized edition will motivate
you to pick one up as soon as you are able!
Click
to Buy
 And, while we're on the subject of fantasy, Wizardology: The
Book of Secrets of Merlin, by Anne Yvonne
Gilbert and Dugald
Steer, and illustrated
by John Howe, is another oversized book that's full of spell-bound
and magical text that will enchant the reader. There are pull-outs,
maps and more as you can try to decode the secret messages found
in this imaginative book! The Wizardology Handbook:
A Course for Apprentices, also by Gilbert
and Steer, with illustrations by John Howe, is small-sized and brings
out many fascinating features of "Wizardology."
Click
to Buy
 Are you looking for a book that can become the
subject of the storyline? Pirateology: Guidebook
and Model Set, by Captain William Lubber and Dugald A. Steer,
with illustrations by Helen Ward, Ian Andrew and Anne Yvonne Gilbert,
will take you by the rudder and sail to the ocean blue. Here
is a journal of a pirate that’s full of adventure and excitement.
There’s also the model of the ship that can easily be assembled.
Here’s one great combination that’s just waiting to be discovered
for the sailor and even the land locked lover!
Pirates Most Wanted, by John Matthews, is a fact-based book about 13 of the most treacherous
pirates to sail the high seas.
Click
to Buy
 Dragonology
Field Guide to Dragons, by Ernest Drake and Dugald
A. Steer, is an anthology about 19 different dragons. And
also included are small replicas for you to build of each of the
dragons. This book is great fun!
Princess Alyss of Wonderland, by Frank Beddor, and illustrated by Catia Chein, is a different take on
Alice in Wonderlandin this
version large book. But this Alyss was a real princess according
to her journal as you read all about her adventures in her world
of imagination. Captivating!
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Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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