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Binky Mouse and the Music Man; Binky Mouse and the Birthday Party Review by Leslie Talley
Shelia HoemanNomedigas Publishing
http://www.spanglefish.com/nomedigaspublishing/
http://www.spanglefish.com/nomedigaspublishing/
I am reviewing two of the four books in The Binky Mouse Series: Binky Mouse and the Music Manand Binky Mouse and the Birthday Party. Each story has a theme that corresponds with the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 curriculum. In the back of each book, you will find a list showing the learning objectives that meet the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 standards. There are captions under each illustration that help the children further explore communication, language, and literacy skills. Binky Mouse and the Music Man is the first story in the series. It introduces Binky Mouse, his best friend, Blot, and tells of their adventure with the music man and his broken saxophone. The theme for the first story is enabling environment. In this story, children also learn about music and science. Binky Mouse and the Birthday Party is the third story in the series. In this story, we meet Binky's family and get to join in as they celebrate his birthday. The theme for this story is positive relationships. Numeracy and problem solving are also incorporated.
This series is great for 3 - 7 year olds and particularly fitting for children with Special Needs because of its uncomplicated but interesting storyline. Homeschoolers will find it easy to incorporate into their schedules. It also follows the Montessori approach. As stated above, this series complies with the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 curriculum. These curriculums are used in the United Kingdom.
My children enjoyed the stories and the pictures. A few of the words are not familiar for children in the United States, but because of the simplicity of the story, it is easy to decipher what is meant. The stories were fun to read and held my children's attention, but for $10 each, I would not buy them. This is because most of what was covered, (theme and learning objectives) in these books can be found in any number of books already on your bookshelf. I can see how they would benefit someone using them in the United Kingdom, since they were written with their early educational curriculums in mind.
Product Review by Leslie Talley, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2012
