I don't really understand the concept behind page-a-day books. Are they an alternative for a calendar? If not, are you really only supposed to read just 1 page a day? Well, it's February 1st and I am reviewing the National Geographic Kids' My Weird But True Fact-a-Day Fun Journal. So, if you are thinking that I didn't follow the rules, you are absolutely right!
I've organized and maintained a reading program through my wife's medical clinic. Every once in a while, I come across a book that I want to read before I donate it. Most times it's to ensure that something is age appropriate. But this time was all about my curiosity.
I like fact books. You can learn some really off-the-wall stuff. But having read a bunch of fact books in the past, I find myself having to cull through 9 facts I already knew before I got to a completely new one. That's not the case here. With information about weird holidays, gross bugs, yummy sweets and more, I actually learned quite a bit of new stuff!
One cool thing about this book is that each day has children doing some sort of activity. Some things are as simple as answering a question like 'If you were a dog, what type would you be and why?' Other days have you drawing a picture of your favorite food. In others, you are challenged, like to come up with as many words as possible from the words 'Valentine's Day.' I felt like I was reading an issue of Highlights!
The book is set up like a journal. Meaning, the reader is supposed to write in the book their thoughts and feelings. In order to give a complete review, I made sure to do the activities. But I did not write in the book. I'm donating this to a child in a low-income family. No way am I going to give them an already written in book.
This is a cool book for parents and kids. Weird facts are always the best! But like myself, I find it impossible that many kids are going to only one page per day. There might be that one kid. The one whose never late to class or out sick from school. But other than that, all the other children are going to enjoy the heck outta this book in a day or two flat!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
I hated going to the dentist when I was a kid. Not much has changed as an adult, but I really hated it as a kid. I had a ton of cavities and when I had to have a filling, I always had this thing wedged into the jaw of my mouth, called a raincoat. Having it inserted hurt like hell and I still think to this day it's been a leading contributor to my TMJ.
But one of the things I really enjoyed about the dentist was getting the free prize at the end of the visit. You always got 3 things: a new toothbrush, a sticker, and a comic book of your choice! For an avid collector like myself, it was the ultimate score and probably the only reason I didn't hide or run away when it was time to visit the dentist. Amongst the comic heroes I could choose from were Donald Duck, Casper, Richie Rich, and the Archie Gang. After picking one of those beauties, it was fun times in the car ride home.
Sadly, those days are over. All I ever get from visiting my dentist now is that little goodie bag with a toothbrush, some floss, and a tube of toothpaste. True, I am extremely vigilant with my dental hygiene these days. I pride myself in staying away from those darn cavities. But I would gladly give up the free toothpaste to get a comic book for all my dental troubles.
A few months ago, I found this activity comic at a thrift store. Sure, it has zero value, some of the pages have been colored and filled in, and the cover has a grease penciled price of 10 cents on it. But this is one of the comic books I remember getting as a kid.
I particularly remember this book for a couple of reasons. Every year a couple of dentist assistants would come to my school and do a little presentation on how to floss and brush your teeth. ( I still remember the song "wiggle giggle, wiggle giggle...1-2-3" as a way to remember how to clean each tooth.) This book was one of the items they would pass out after the lecture. Casper's Activity Book was also an incentive at my dentist that if you choose it, you could pick 2 bonus comics instead of just one. 3 books for a visit that normally would net me just one book? Yes, please. Needless to say, I racked up a bunch of these activity books.
Drawn in stark black and white, it stars Casper the Friendly Ghost, his ghoulish brothers, and some other guests. Filled with your standard activities: connect the dots, word scramble, mazes, pages to color, and matching, one activity that was always included and I just despised, were the jumbled pictures. With that you either had to copy by hand or cut out and glue. Mine never came out right and cut up a comic book? Are you crazy?
This little booklet was a fun little trip down memory lane. Too bad you don't see many dentists giving away free comics anymore and if they do, well I just happened to pick one who didn't. It's too bad that those type of freebies don't occur to adults. Like I said earlier, I'd gladly choose an activity book like this in order to get two more instead of that stupid toothpaste goodie bag.
Worth Consuming
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
