Alicia Van Hecke

Incredible Comparisons

Book cover: Incredible Comparisons
Author(s): 
Russell Ash

This picture book designed for "big kids" gives side-by-side comparisons according to length, height, area, life-span, speed, etc. of all kinds of things – animals, mountains, countries, modes of transportation, man-made structures and much more.

The Outlaws of Ravenhurst

Book cover: 'The Outlaws of Ravenhurst'
Author(s): 
Sr. M. Imelda Wallace, S.L.

This is a lovely and engaging story set in early 17th Century Scotland and Colonial America. A mysterious "gray-cloaked" stranger leaves a toddler to be found by a passing priest. A young boy notices that he looks surprisingly unlike his "twin." It is a story of a boy being suddenly thrust into great challenges to faith and life. Secret passages, mysteriously changing identities and subtleties of who you can trust surround a story that stirs the blood to stand up for the faith – inspired by true stories of long ago.

Why I Sneeze, Shiver, Hiccup and Yawn

Book cover: Why I Sneeze, Shiver, Hiccup and Yawn
Author(s): 
Melvin Berger

A simple book with cartoon-like illustrations that explains reflexes and the related workings of the nerovus system – focusing, of course, on those four topics mentioned in the title. The story also invites children to try out a few simple experiments to observe reflexes for themselves. A "Find Out More" section provides "Things to Think About", additional "Test Your Reflexes" ideas and "Fun Facts".

Switch On! Switch Off!

Book cover: Switch On! Switch Off!
Author(s): 
Melvin Berger
Illustrator(s): 
Carolyn Croll

A very simple children's book designed to explain how electricity works and how it is harnessed to be used in everyday life. The thing my husband (the electrical engineer) liked about this book was that it, quite simply, doesn't have any flaws. It is simple, but substantive.

The Heart

Book cover: The Heart
Author(s): 
Seymour Simon

This is a fascinating and colorful look at the heart and the amazing job it performs. Computer-enhanced photos are used to illustrate the heart and the blood vessels while magnified images give us a close-up look at the blood. Also included are simpler illustrations showing the chambers of the heart, it's valves and arteries and the general make-up of arteries and veins and their valves. The text is simple enough to be understood by fairly young children (particularly as a read-aloud) but is written in such a way as to capture the awe and mystery of how our body works.

My First Body Book

Book cover: My First Body Book
Author(s): 
Melanie Rice
Christopher Rice

This is a fun and very kid-friendly introduction to the body and its various functions and capabilities. It begins with a set of transparent overlays which portray the skeleton (skeletal system), the heart, lungs and blood (cardiovascular system), and the brain and nerves and digestive system. When I first got this book (back in the days when I was a DK representative for a short time) I worried that this book wouldn't hold up very well. After more than three years of use by little hands, I have to admit it's done quite well.

My Five Senses

Book cover: My Five Senses
Author(s): 
Aliki

Aliki, in her classic - simple and charming - style, explains each of the five senses for preschoolers. Text and pictures explain what each of the senses is used for - "When I drink my milk and eat my food, I use my sense of taste. I am tasting." My children ask for this book over and over.

See How I Grow

Book cover: See How I Grow
Author(s): 
Angela Wilkes

This well-worn book has been kicked-around, chewed on and well-loved by my young children since my second oldest received it for Christmas just before the birth of his new baby sister (he was two at the time). The book is a photo-story of the author's daughter as she grows from a new baby to an active toddler. Each two-page shows a number of pictures of the baby doing whatever she does best at that given age.

The Little House Cookbook

Book cover: 'The Little House Cookbook'
Author(s): 
Barbara M. Walker
For all those of you whose mouths were watering at all the descriptions of food in the Little House Books (particularly Farmer Boy!), Barbara Walker (inspired by the requests of her own children) has done a great deal of research in compiling lots of recipes (over 100) and other background information on the meals from these books.

The Children's Book of Virtues

Book cover: 'The Children's Book of Virtues'
Author(s): 
William Bennett
This lavishly illustrated story-book was inspired by (and includes stories from) the best-selling story collection The Book of Virtues. This has been a favorite book in our family since my oldest was just two. The stories include: The Little Hero of Holland, the Tortoise and the Hare, The King and His Hawk (a cautionary tale about anger involving Genghis Kahn - my daughter liked this story so much that she had it almost memorized at the age of 2 1/2), St. George and the Dragon, St.

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