Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Reading is our favorite daily pastime at Team Kemp Academy! I teach my children to read for education and for pure interest. Carole P. Roman is an award-winning author known for writing both types of books for children. We were excited to choose a variety of selections from Carole P. Roman’s assorted series to add to our home library. We chose a Captain No Beard story and three books from her If You Were Me and Lived In… series.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Carole is known for combining creative characters while teaching good character traits through her books for younger children. Through her Captain No Beard series, we are introduced to a rambunctious young pirate that obviously enjoys learning his lessons the hard way. In the end, he always learns a valuable lesson and the stories remind children to make good choices and appreciate their friends. Her If You Were Me and Lived In… series offers older children an introduction to cultures around the world. Each book takes your child on a guided tour through various places while learning key vocabulary and important facts. This series currently has over 20 titles and has won several awards.
**CLICK HERE** to read our 2018 review of Carole P. Roman books
BOOK SUMMARIES:
If You Were Me and Lived in…Brazil walks the reader through a week in thelife of two children as they share their favorite things about the country. The two go grocery shopping with their parents, tour the Amazon Rain Forest by boat, and eat a variety of local dishes. We also learn how to properly pronounce the Brazilian language via the guides in parentheses. A description of everything from the Grand Prix to Carnival is included in this book.
If You Were Me and Lived in…Egypt includes the rich history of one of the oldest nations in the world. As we flipped through the pages my children were introduced to lay of the land, falafel, the Pharaohs football team, and even ancient Pharaoh leaders. This book also talked about local celebrations like Heb Sed and games like Senet.
If You Were Me and Lived in …Kenya explains how children enjoy their days attending shule (school), spending shillings, and eating nyama choma in this country. The illustrations in this book provided an array of beauty via people of all colors. Each page takes you someplace new like the local animal reserves, cricket fields, and even the famous Mombassa Carnival.
In Stuck in the Doldrums: A Lesson in Sharing, Captain No Beard and the crew find themselves marooned on a sunny day. They decide to enjoy a day on the beach but the Captain’s take-charge attitude ruins play for everyone else. Soon, a dangerous situation reminds him that being in control isn’t worth being alone. Thankfully, his crew First Mate Hallie, Mongo the Monkey, Linus the Lion, and Fribbit the Frog stick around and help save the ship because that’s what friends do.
OUR ROUTINE & FINAL THOUGHTS:
I read the Stuck in the Doldrums: A Lesson in Sharing story to Bam Bam and Princess before bedtime. Each time they heard the story they immediately recognized how Captain No Beard was headed for trouble. After the Captain takes control of The Flying Dragon he always ignores counsel from his friends. Both of them thought he was wrong for how he mistreated the crew. We used his actions to discuss times we didn’t appreciate our family and friends. We also talked about ways to ensure our loved ones feel cared for. We recommend Carol P. Roman’s Captain No Beard series for children ages 4 to 8-years-old.
I had Bear read each of the If You Were Me and Lived In… books during our storytime. He read each book as we studied the country during Black History Month. This year my focus for that month was to study how cultural components traveled with the people as they were brought to America via slavery. We learned how some of the traditions mentioned in the books were translated into their daily lives and passed down to other generations. We also compared original things such as the Kenyan, Egyptian, and Brazilian games and compared that to ones we play now. These books were used as a quick introduction to the culture and each intrigued my oldest to do more research. We recommend this Carole P. Roman series for those interested in beginning a study on that location. Each book was approximately 25 pages and should be fine for 6 to 9-year-old children.
**CLICK HERE** to read other reviews offered by Homeschool Crew members to see how they enjoyed these books.
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Happy homeschooling,
Ta’Neisha K.
Marriage, Motherhood, & Homeschool 