My Very First Nature Craft Book

Includes step-by-step instructions on how to make such crafts as dolls, masks, hats, and mobiles from various materials found in nature, in a fun-filled activity book that takes readers through the seasons of the year.

PreSchool-Grade 3. Andrew and his friends invite readers to join them as they create projects from readily found natural objects. Presented as a story, the book follows the companions to the park, to school, and to the country in order to collect materials and make things. Highlighted bars list and illustrate the necessary ingredients for each craft. Categories ("Leaf and Flower Crafts," "Shell Crafts," etc.) are presented in bold letters. While the organization is adequate, the language and "story format" make the book difficult to follow. There is a distinct lack of plot and the writing is stiff and instructional. Endless, dull sentences abound: "Today at school our teacher brought in a bag full of cork with which to make different kinds of animals. Our first creation will be a bird." Many of the crafts will be familiar (rock animals, bean collages, masks) and there is little presented in a way that is either new or updated. In spite of efforts to make the children multicultural, Christmas and Easter are the only religious holiday crafts included.?Lisa Wu Stowe, Great Neck Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 4^-7. Attractively illustrated with line-and-watercolor pictures, this large-format craft book features ideas and instructions for nature projects. The fictionalized context includes eight children telling about the things they've been making in class, such as a cork bird: "Next the teacher makes a hole in each piece of cork with a needle and inserts a toothpick into both pieces. She then folds a paper clip and inserts it into the cork. We then insert cardboard wings into slots made in the cork with the needle . . ." Obviously this project calls for plenty of adult assistance. In another section, the children use tubes of glue to stick rocks together into animal shapes, though many teachers would prefer not to supply young children with glue strong enough to bond rocks. Still, many of the ideas are safe, simple enough for this age group, and promising in terms of the finished product. For larger craft collections. Carolyn Phelan