I'm a Sucker for Educational Books for Kids

 Said a reviewer

https://books2read.com/u/bPw6AY

A 5* review

Reviewed by Amy Louise Hill for Readers’ Favorite

The Mischiefs of Noodles and Cicada: Are We Allowed to Eat That? by Erika M Szabo is an educational picture book with a hint of humor for young children. Noodles the dog and Cicada the cat enjoy living together with their human owners. But from time to time, Cicada's mischievous side takes over. One day, Cicada is woken by the sound of their owners having a gathering in the garden. Cicada wanders into the kitchen and is met by a delightful smell. Hotdogs! She calls Noodles and the two of them salivate over the delicious food before them. Cicada's naughty side kicks in and she can't resist the temptation. She hops up onto the counter and tucks in, leaving poor Noodles stranded on the floor, unable to reach. Will Cicada be able to control her mischievousness and share the food? Or will she gobble up all the food herself? Find out in this book.

The Mischiefs of Noodles and Cicada: Are We Allowed to Eat That? was a pleasure to read. I'm a sucker for educational books for kids and this one made it to my top ten favorites list. Author Erika M Szabo has clearly and simply laid out important lessons for children to soak up and learn from. Not only will children learn from Erika's words, but they will also enjoy the banter between Noodles and Cicada, leaving them full of giggles. The illustrations are adorable and add more enjoyment to the book when reading. Erika has created a great book for children. I just know they're going to love reading it. Good luck and stay creative!

https://www.authorerikamszabo.com

Erika M Szabo is known for her diverse range of writings, which span historical fantasy, magical realism, cozy mysteries, sweet romance, and children's literature. Her writing style is both expressive and insightful, transporting readers into the depths of the characters' emotions.

Lemme See That #6

 Sneak peek into a children's book

Part 6 of why sneak peeks are important

Read part 1 here

Read part 2 here

Read part 3 here

Read part 4 here

Read part 5 here

6. Anticipation:

The emotional “hook” that keeps readers coming back

A good sneak peek plants a seed.

Readers start imagining possibilities, predicting outcomes, and forming attachments.

A children's book in 3 languages

https://books2read.com/u/bPw6AY

Noodles, the sausage dog, and Cicada the cat enjoy living together with their human owners. But from time to time, Cicada's mischievous side takes over. One day, Cicada is woken by the sound of their owners having a gathering in the garden. Cicada wanders into the kitchen and is met by a delightful smell. Hotdogs! She calls Noodles, but then her naughty side kicks in, and she can't resist the temptation. She hops up onto the counter, leaving poor Noodles stranded on the floor, unable to reach the delicious hot dogs. Is Cicada selfish and gobbles up all the food by herself, or will she share it with Noodles?

Why did they name the cat Cicada? Find out...

https://books2read.com/u/38JDwO

Nudeln war sehr verärgert darüber, dass Zikade, die gefräßig Katze, ihn immer wieder in Schwierigkeiten brachte, sich über ihn lustig machte und eigennützig war.

Der gutherzige, sanfte Hund hatte seinem Freund den Unfug immer verziehen, aber würde er ihm jetzt wieder verzeihen?

https://books2read.com/u/3yMPev

Nudlinak nagyon rosszul esik, hogy Kabóca, a pákosztos macska, folyton bajba keveri, csúfolja, és önzően viselkedik vele. A jólelkű, szelíd természetű kutya mindig elnézi barátja gonoszkásait, de vajon most is megbocsát majd neki?

Csúfolódás, önzőség, barátság és megbocsátás. Ezek mind olyan kihívások és érzések, amelyekkel a gyermekek nap mint nap szembesülnek és küzdenek.

A testvérszerű karakterek, Nudli és Kabóca, egyértelműen szeretik egymást, és tapasztalatokon keresztül megtanulják, hogyan viselkedjenek egymással és hogyan fejezzék ki érzéseiket.

https://www.authorerikamszabo.com

Erika M Szabo is known for her diverse range of writings, which span historical fantasy, magical realism, cozy mysteries, sweet romance, and children's literature. Her writing style is both expressive and insightful, transporting readers into the depths of the characters' emotions.

Let Them Be Children

 Reading digital versus printed books

During a visit with my friend and her eight-year-old daughter, I had an idea. Her mother mentioned that she had a Kindle app, so I decided to gift one of my bilingual children's books to her. The little girl glanced up from playing a game on her iPad when I told her about the book but then went back to scrolling through the screen. She politely said thank you as she opened her Kindle app and skimmed through the digital pages. However, when I handed her the same book in paperback form, her face lit up with excitement. She quickly flipped through the pages, admiring the colorful illustrations, and then put her iPad aside to fully focus on reading the paperback book.

The number of children reading physical books has decreased in recent years. What impact does this trend have?

Many students think they are better readers when using screens. Their belief is rooted in the fact that they can read faster on a screen. However, this speed is achieved through scrolling, word spotting, skimming, and scanning, rather than deep reading. This means it is essential to develop strong print reading skills and then adapt them for digital screens.

The journey toward reading begins long before formal instruction. Physical books are the most beneficial for young children, followed by audio resources, with digital reading coming in last. This is because of a complex balance at play here. On one hand, tablets and other devices may be more enticing to young readers, but on the other hand, they promote passive engagement. It's like a double-edged sword: while technology taps into our innate novelty reflex as humans, this can be detrimental to a child's development as it hinders their ability to focus. Instead of fostering concentration and learning, they become accustomed to distractions and fleeting novelty.

After the child closes the screen, the most frequently uttered words are "I'm bored." Why is that? Because they have been overly stimulated. Up until age five, excessive screen time can actually hinder a child's ability to focus their attention on tasks. It has become evident that technology use during these formative years can lead to the opposite outcome of what we desire for children in terms of attention and concentration.

Let children use their imagination

Allow children to be children, to play, read, and use their creativity, while teaching them important morals. Do not expect them to act like mini-adults who can make life-changing choices at such a young age. Let them have fun pretending to be superheroes, mermaids, or animals, but remind them that it is all make-believe. They will outgrow this phase soon enough. Until then, let them believe in Santa and enjoy their childhood innocence.

My children's stories are about acceptance, friendship, family, and moral values such as accepting people with disabilities, dealing with bullies, and not judging others before getting to know them.

Erika M Szabo

https://authorerikamszabo.com

Erika loves to dance to her own tunes and follow her dreams, introducing her story-writing skills and her books that are based on creative imagination with themes such as magical realism, alternate history, urban fantasy, cozy mystery, sweet romance, and supernatural stories. Her children’s stories are informative and educational and deliver moral values in a non-preachy way.

Hophop's Alphabet Tree

 New book by Erika M Szabo

A fun, rhyming picture book for children 2-7

Available in eBook and paperback:

https://books2read.com/Hophops-Alphabet-Tree-by-Erika-M-Szabo

A fun, rhyming picture book for children 2-7
Hophop, the little bunny, is sad because he can't read his book.
"Did you like the book?" Ollie asked Hophop.
"I never learned to read." He sadly sobbed. 
"Oh, my. I will teach you!" Ollie sighed and replied.
"Can you really?" Hophop’s smile was bright and wide.
Ollie, the wise owl, shows him the entire alphabet and teaches him to read the fun way.
Armadillos can roll into a tight ball.
Bears eat lots of berries in the fall.
Cats have fun playing hide and seek games.

Dragons blow steam and sneeze hot flames.

CONTINUE READING:

https://books2read.com/Hophops-Alphabet-Tree-by-Erika-M-Szabo

Books by the Author: