In full disclosure, 1001 Things to Spot on the Farm was provided to us by Usborne at no cost in exchange for our honest review.
Usborne Books became a favorite in our home with the introduction of their “That’s not my” touch and feel series. If you have an infant, I cannot boast about these books enough. Since my son turned three, we are discovering the pleasure of reading activity books. The Usborne “Things to spot” series is a great addition to my children’s expanding library and here are several reasons why after we read 1001 Things to Spot on the Farm.
The soft cover of this book is decorated with warm colors that are not too bright or too soft. I have noticed that Usborne always utilizes their covers as part of the book so you CAN judge a book by its cover! On the cover of 1001 Things to Spot on the Farm children are invited to find different items on the cover. The purpose of this book is to engage children in finding items that can be otherwise easily overlooked which is why I am going to explore why not to overlook this great book.
My son loves counting out loud all the items found on the pages (and I love hearing him count out loud).
Here are 5 Reasons why Mommy University LOVED 1001 Things to Spot on the Farm:
Increases Powers of Observation
Each two-page spread depicts a scene on the farm with various layers. Children can easily identify animals or objects, but they can also miss items. A key identifies how many items are hidden in the picture. Children are invited to find items which encourage them to increase their powers of observation. My children enjoy looking over the pages and finding the hidden items as much as they find their own interesting things.
Encourages Language Development
For infants and toddlers, have them verbally identify all the animals and tools on the farm. Young toddlers will begin to identify the words but preschoolers can expand their existing vocabulary as they begin to identify key differences in animals. For example, there is a difference between a bull, a cow and a heifer. I also ask questions so that my children begin to build their imagination. What are they doing? What is that? I keep my questions open ended and if they get stuck I will ask some more specific questions.
I think this is a great book to add to your arsenal to pull out right before visiting a farm. At Mommy University, we love farms! It provides a two dimensional forecast of what the kids might encounter at the farm. It is also a great book to pull out after visiting a farm as now the children will have a greater understanding of the farm.
Increases Cultural Awareness
There are 14 two-page spreads that include various types of farms, areas of a farm and farms around the world. Before opening this book, I had a specific vision of a farm when the word was mentioned. I really like that they offer other definitions of farm life as we don’t have rice or tropical farms in New Jersey. This opens the door for deeper conversations with children about other parts of the world. Farms cultivate food that is important to its community; however, farms will vary based on their community and its needs.
Can Be Enjoyed for Years
I believe that this book can have a long life in your child’s library! I believe you could introduce this book to an infant by identifying all the animals and building their receptive language. As well, the images are pleasant without being overwhelming. It will capture their interest as toddlers while also expanding their expressive language and increasing their counting skills. My son loves to count out all the items he finds. Since you can discuss the cultural importance of farms in many different parts of the world, it still holds value to young children as well. The answers to where items are located is on the last page, but right before that are two pages of suggestions of other items to find. This book has layers that allow it to have a long life in your household.
Fosters Family Bonding
It is not easy to find the time in our busy schedules to carve out time to read to our children, but when we do we reap the rewards. My daughter loved sitting on my lap with a blanket wrapped around her as she pointed out the various items on the page. Granted she doesn’t know the names of all the animals and she can’t count, but she loved cuddling with her mom!
Reading together encourages family bonding. Still to this day, I remember my father reading to me at night as much as I remember the night I began reading. This warm memory of childhood is something I cherish and I hope that my children will have similar warm thoughts of me.
You can purchase your own Usborne 1001 Things to Spot on the Farm for only $9.99 (Hardback) or $17.99 (Library Edition). Click here to purchase your’s today!