Recommendations
by Birth Balance
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Books - Children's Books
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Dolphin
Adventure : A True Story, by Wayne Grover, Jim Fowler(Illustrator),
(New York, NY: A Beech Tree Paperback Book, 1993)
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The Great Whales, Color & Story Album, by Malcolm Whyte, (Troubador Press, a member of Putnam & Grosset Group, NY, 1995.) An oversize coloring book and written description of numerous whales from Pygmy right whale, bowhead whale, right whale, blue whale, sei whale, sperm whale, pilot shale, killer whale, bottlenose dolphin, hourglass dolphin, harbor porpoise, narwhal, gray whale, minke whale, humpback whale, bottlenose dolphin, cuviers beaked whale. Lot's of fun and interesting stories.
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Life in the Oceans, Animals, People, Plants, by Lucy Baker, (Scholastic Inc. New York, October 1992.) There is a clean neat appearance to the series, one that will encourage children to try their hand.This bright, colorful books offer an exciting look at a variety of engineering ideas and concepts. It countains amazing facts and wounderful pictures. The book has facts about how people lived with the sea and the animals in it. This book is excellent. |
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Meeting Dolphins, My Adventures in the Sea, by Kathleen Dudzinski, (National Geographic Society, Washington D.C., 2000.) Who can resist dolphins? They're so smart, and they have that mysterious smile. But they're wild animals -- possibly friendly, potentially dangerous. And only a very few people get a chance to meet them in the wild. Kathleen Dudzinski is one of them. Dudzinski has studied dolphins all over the world. Everywhere she goes, she observes gestures, sounds, and behaviors to try to figure out how dolphins communicate. She has watched mother dolphins teach their babies how to hunt and swum with a pod. There are also many stills from the IMAX film in which the author was featured (and which readers may clamor to see). The challenges, responsibilities, and rewards of studying dolphins are detailed and well conveyed in text and visuals, allowing children to get up close and personal with the fascinating creatures. |
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Sea Animals, by Angela Royston, (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, New York, 1992.) Playful dolphins, spiny sea horses, spectacular starfish -- the most fascinating sea creatures are all here in superb close-up photos. How many legs does a crab have? What does a sea lion like to eat? Simple text and detailed illustrations will satisfy inquisitive preschoolers who are busy learning about the world around them. Each double-page spread contains a color photograph, line art, a short paragraph about each animal, and introductory diagrams. Sure to satisfy the most inquisitive young learner. |
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Soft Sorts Water Babies, Matching Soft Friends to Safe Homes, Illustrated by Louise Rogers, (The Millbrook Press, Inc., CT, 1998.) A very simple picture book with 4 fabric "animals" - a duck, a fish, etc. that velcro onto the 4 pages. The point is for the baby to feel them and eventually learn to pull them off. My grandson loved to reach out and feel them at 2 mo. By 4 months he was pulling them off and loving to put them in his mouth, of course! They are small enough to be easily grabbed. There is another book in the series that has cars and trucks. |
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Teaching
an infant to swim. The gentle and natural way
to introduce your baby to lifelong confidence
in the water, by Virginia Hunt Newman,
(San Diego, CA, New York, NY: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, 1983.) |
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Tom Arma's Water Babies, by Tom Arma (Grosset & Dunlap, NY, 1997.) Adorable babies are dressed up in a variety of underwater sea creature costumes in a sturdy, colorful board book that includes images of such colorful figures as a funny octopus, a bouncy sea horse, and a creeping crab. For children under three. |
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The Water Babies, by Charles Kingsley, Text by, Josephine Poole, (The Millbrook Press, CT, 1996.) Afterword by Peter Glassman. A favorite since its first publication in 1863, this "fairy tale for a land baby" evokes the magical underwater world encountered by a young chimney sweep. This facsimile edition features nearly 200 two-color illustrations plus 13 full-color plates. A Books of Wonder Classic.
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Water Babies Colors, by Zena Holloway (Scholastic Inc., NY 1999.) Granted, looking at pictures of naked babies swimming underwater with seahorses and fish is a bit surrealistic to the average eye. But babies adore looking at babies, and will respond with gurgles of delight, without even needing a snorkel! This oversized board book features five watery spreads, each one sporting its own color theme: "Gentle red sea horses," for example, teems with red balloons, red coral, and red seahorses, while the "tiny orange fishes" spread sports orange toy boats, orange fish, and even a carrot-topped baby!
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Water Baby! A First Fun Book of Water Skills, by Lauren Heston, Photography by Zena Holloway (Element Books, Inc., MA, 1999.) It's fun and it's good for your baby! Discover and enjoy the benefits of introducing your child to water from the earliest age. The physical benefits of this water safety program include a stronger respiratory system and improved muscle development, strength, and stamina. Introducing babies to the water at a young age helps to stimulate their awareness, making them more confident and relaxed in everyday life. At the same time, learning water skills together will help you and your baby to develop your own special bond. Water Baby shows you how to introduce your baby to water, safely and confidently. This water safety program takes you through all the steps, from wetting baby's head in the bath and the first underwater swim to vital life-saving skills. As a parent, you will be secure in the knowledge that you are helping your baby to learn the water safety skills that he or she will need for life. |
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Waterchild by Judith Bolinger and Jane English (California: Hunter House Inc. Publishers, 1980.) A lovely little book in black and white photography. Poetry by Judith Bolinger during a year of pregnancy. Photographs by Jan English around the theme of spirit entering form. More of a book for the mother to share with her unborn and newborn child. Treat yourself to the art of pregnancy. |
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Whales and Other Sea Mammals, by Elsa Posell, (Childrens Press, Chicago, IL, 1982.) Briefly covers the characteristics, types, young, and relatives of whales and discusses the hunting and protection of these giants of the sea. |
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Whales for Kids, by Tom Wolpert, photography by Flip Nicklin, (North World Press, Inc., Minnetonka, Minnesota, 1990.) If you want to know about whales, this is the book for you. In this completely revised edition of Whales for Kids you will find updated text with all new photography and illustrations. This educational and inviting book includes detailed photos and interesting facts about 11 of the world's most popular whale species, including beluga, humpback, killer, and narwhal. In Whales for Kids, you'll find out which whales have two blowholes and which ones have no teeth. You'll discover how much a whale eats every day, what flippers and flukes are used for, and much, more. The incredible up-close photos and fun illustrations will help you identify the very next whales you see. Whales for Kids is part of the popular Wildlife For Kids series, which now has 24 titles. These books are recommended and approved by Ranger Rick of the National Wildlife Federation. |
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Your Baby Can Swim: A Unique Approach to Infant Exercise by Bonnie Prudden (New York: Reader's Digest Press, 1977.) The first couple chapters help one to understand babies, communicate better with them, and bond more strongly with them. The exercise and swimming how-to information is invaluable. Ms. Prudden covers different scenarios, like bathtub and pool, and shows you how to make the most of each. She discusses teaching children individually, and even tells one how to lead a group swim class. The book makes it obvious that young children really can learn to swim, and the earlier they start, the easier it is for them. |