Chronicle Books Twirl Publishing: Review and Giveaway

Books are something that I am very passionate about, in case you have not noticed. I grew up with my parents reading to my sister’s and I almost every night, as I got older I continued to have a love for reading. Reading allows for a great opportunity to have quality time with a child, and opens doors to so many different things from learning their first words to using their imagination. You really just never know what you will discover in a book.

Raincoast Books provided a wonderful opportunity for me to check out some books from Chronicle Book’s new publishing line: Twirl. I love the tagline for Twirl… Turning heads, shaping minds. I was thrilled with the books you will find bellow, be sure to read to the very end for a great opportunity to enter for a chance to win this set of books!

Jojo’s First Word Book by Xavier Deneux

Jojo’s First Words Book is a beautiful first words picture book. It has become a trusty go to for taking with us when we go places to help keep our daughter busy as she loves to turn through all of the pages and look at all of the beautiful pictures. It is easy to take along with you because it has a little handle on the side that is perfect for tiny hands to grab and hold onto, and carry with them. The book features Jojo and his sister Lulu, and their family. There are several sections to the book including At Home, Out and About, and Animal Friends. It is very easy to go through and talk about the different things on each page. My daughter was very quickly pointing at different things and asking “What’s that?”, she has also reached the age where she is learning different body parts, so it is fun to point to the nose on one page, and get her to point at her nose. The illustrations will grab your attention as they are bright and colourful. The only thing I would have preferred to have been different is the font for the vocabulary words on each page. The font was done in a handwriting style, I would have rather to have seen a more simple font in a printing style as that is what children tend to learn first. Who knows, perhaps in the future I will see my daughter learning handwriting much earlier thanks to this book? I am adding this one to my list of books to give as gifts to kids on their birthdays or at Christmas, as it has become one of my favourite first words books.

The Ultimate Book of Vehicles: From Around the World by Annie-Sophie Baumann

Does anyone else have memories of books that were very interactive? I do! I remember some of those books keeping me busy for ages. This is one of those books, and I wish it had been around when I was a kid. The Ultimate Book of Vehicles: From Around the World is for any kid who is into things that move, especially planes, trains, and automobiles will love this book. It really is the ultimate book of vehicles. The pages are filled with things that spin, and go up and down, or that slide from side to side. It is a book that would require some supervision with younger kids, as some of the parts that move are delicate. With a little bit of reminding to be gentle, they should do just fine. I can see this book become one to bring on road trips to see how many different vehicles we can find along the way. Or to even help prepare for a family vacation if flying by plane, or going on a cruise. This book has it all, even vehicles you may have never heard of!

A Tree For All Seasons by Maryse Guittet

A Tree for All Seasons is a simple, and unique shapes board book. It goes through the cycle of trees and their ever changing leaves through the seasons. You will find blossoms in spring, fruit in the summer, colourful leaves in fall, and bare branches covered in snow in winter. Each page has a very short paragraph with maybe a sentence or two about that season. Which is great for finger reading, where you guide little fingers across the page under each word. There are also a few added words across the page under things to label what they are. I like that there are flaps with a questions written on it. These questions get your little one guessing as to what is behind the flap. I really liked that this book is in the shape of a tree, I have never seen a book take on the shape of what it is showing in its pages. My only wish is for the winter season to have had a page and not just the back cover of the book. This is a good book to introduce the seasons and the difference your child may see outside.

My First Color Dominoes: The Game of Color Discovery by Edouard Manceau

My First Cor Dominoes is a wonderful little book and game set. While my daughter is still too young to grasp the concept of the game of dominoes the pieces of the game have proven perfect to keep her busy and entertained. She loves pulling them out and looking at each one, and stacking them in a bit of a tower. I am truly looking forward to using the domino pieces to actually play the real game with her in the near future. As I mentioned this is a game and book set, so there is also a little board book inside. Each page talks about a different colour… blue, yellow, red, black, and white. There is also a page that covers a few others. The page shoes the word that has each letter in a different shade of the colour. Then you will see different items that go with that colour. As someone who enjoys art, I appreciate seeing the different shades as this helps kids understand that blue or green is not just that one shade you get in your crayon box, it comes in many different versions. The illustrations are simple, and with a flair of cuteness tossed in. I know this book and game set is going to be very well loved in our home.

Presto Change-O: A Book of Animal Magic by Edouard Manceau

Presto Change-O is another great book from Edouard Macea. If you or your little one see clouds in different shapes, such as pirate ships and bunnies than this is a book for you. This is a magical book that changes before your eyes, with the help of a little twist and turn – Presto Change-O the image becomes something else on the very same page. If it’s the first time flipping through this book it is fun to guess what the image might change into. I’d suggest covering up the word on the bottom of the page if your child already knows how to read if you want to make this a fun guessing game, as the items are listed at the bottom of the page. At the top of the page you will find what item the image originally starts out as. Each page guides you through a little story of what you see before you. This is a very creative, visual book. Each page is filled with easy to read text and bold images.

As I mentioned above, thanks to Raincoast Books and Chronicle Book’s new publishing line Twirl who have very kindly provided a wonderful opportunity for all Discovery Parenthood readers to enter for a chance to win these books! How awesome is that? So be sure to enter, click on the Rafflecopfter Giveaway link beneath this, and you will find several ways to enter be sure to enter as many ways as you can for the best chance of winning. This giveaway is open to Canadians only. Good luck.

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