Children's Press/Welcome Books

Children's Bookwatch, Oct, 2004

Children's Press/Welcome Books

557 Broadway, New York NY 10012

$16.95 each 1-800-242-7737

Welcome Books are excellent introductory picture books for young nonfiction readers: each includes 24 pages of large-print information paired with eye-catching photos and covers, and all will provide a basic attractive primer for kids. Animal fans will relish two titles by Edana Eckart: California Condor (0516242962) and Ocelot (05-16242970). Each are packed with 1-2 lines of basic natural history per page and a facing page of high-impact color photos. William Amato's 'Math' primers relates math concepts to everyday experiences: Math On The Playground (0516239384) uses addition and subtraction in counting play materials, Math In The Neighborhood (0516239422) uses a visit to a friend's house to count; Math In The Kitchen (0516239392) teaches basic counting in the process of making brownies, and Math In The Car (0516239406) teaches counting along the way to a park. Each uses a young child and her parents as examples--a glossary of new words and web site links and bibliography provide a surprisingly diverse range of educational links for such slim guides.