Disclaimer: I received this Complementary Product through the Homeschool Review Crew.
Got a curious science lover who likes to read? I do!
He's been enjoying the book from Indescribable Kids series called The Wonder of Creation: 100 More Devotions About God and Science.
Authored by Louie Giglio with Tama Fortner and illustrated by Nicola Anderson, this hardcover edition is geared towards kids ages 6-10 or so, but can be fun for older readers like mine to dip into as well.
Authored by Louie Giglio with Tama Fortner and illustrated by Nicola Anderson, this hardcover edition is geared towards kids ages 6-10 or so, but can be fun for older readers like mine to dip into as well.
In it, there are 100 devotions illustrated with bright and engaging full-color drawings and, sometimes, striking photographs. The devotions cover wide variety of topics, such as:
- animals--from honeyguide birds to flying snakes to white rhinos
- space--from black holes to volcanic moons to gamma-ray bursts
- people--from optical illusions to brain freezes to our immune systems
- Earth--from rainbow rivers to blue lava to flowing glaciers
- and much more.
Of course, you can read these in order -using the attached book ribbon to keep your place. Or, you can use the table of contents and the the provided subject index to find specific devotions that key into topics of interest. (My son chose to do the former.)
Each devotional is presented as a two-page spread which features interesting scientific information on a specific topic, a faith-based connection, a short Bible verse, a closing prayer, and related illustrations and photographs.
When our copy of the book arrived at our house, I loved seeing my son dive right into it.
In fact, the scenario went like this:
"I think I heard a package getting delivered. Will you check the stoop?" I said to my son.
"Sure, Mom...It looks like a book." My son handed me the package.
I opened it. "It is a book. YOUR book."
My son then sat down immediately in a chair with The Wonder of Creation: 100 More Devotions About God and Science, and, the next thing I knew, he was marveling, "Mom, how could an animal be that small!" and questioning "How many tons of trash do you think there is on Mt. Everest?"
A bit later, my son asked if we could look up some documentaries on jerbers and the bunny trails began...
Since then, my son has been reading the book at his own pace between doing other things. When I asked him for his thoughts for this review, he told me:
I have read half-way through the book. It is easy reading. So far, the things I found the most interesting were that:
- there is 11 tons of trash on Mt. Everest.
- there is a human-looking robot on the International Space Station that, origonally walked around on its hands but now has legs, that there is also a robot based off origami that thas two wheels and can flatten itself out to explore crevices, and that there is one named Cube-Shaped Hedgehog that can tumble across asteroids and hop.
- Baluchistan pigmy jerbers are weigh barely more than a penny, are two inches long and have a 3-inch tail, and hope aroud the desert.
I found the facts in the book much more interesting than the Bible connections, but some people might like the Bible stuff.
I would recommend this book for others who like to read about random facts and the wonders of creation. I plan to finish reading the book because it is fun to read.
The next day, he was reading the book again, so he is carrying through on that plan.
With my son's experience and commentary in mind - as well as just knowing what kinds of books my older children liked when they were younger, I would definitely recommend this book as a fun, educational, faith-connected read aloud with younger children or a free read for kids who are able to read it on their own.
It would be ideal for science-loving kids who like to learn across different topics. Bible-loving kids who wish to see how science and the Word connect will also like the book.
With my son's experience and commentary in mind - as well as just knowing what kinds of books my older children liked when they were younger, I would definitely recommend this book as a fun, educational, faith-connected read aloud with younger children or a free read for kids who are able to read it on their own.
It would be ideal for science-loving kids who like to learn across different topics. Bible-loving kids who wish to see how science and the Word connect will also like the book.
Parents who tend to strew materials which might spark deeper dives will likely find the book piques curiosity and inspires further study - especially the call-outs in each devotional spread that invite kids to "Explore the Wonder".
Kids and parents who are looking for quick, easy, yet informative bedtime and morning reading and those who gently want to add some STEM materials to their days may also like the book.
To see what other families thought about the book, head on over to the Homeschool Review Crew to find links to many reviews.
