Schoolside Press -- "Geography that's fun to learn and easy to remember!"

Posted on 2008-Nov-19 at 07:52 AM

The Little Man In The Map, by E. Andrew Martonyi.  Illustrated by Ed Olson.  $19.95.

Schoolside Press   Learning with Imagination. 

FrogsJumpUSA blog for The Little Man In The Map

I was delighted to receive this book to review.  I didn't know what to expect when I saw it on the list, but when it arrived I was so pleased with its quality.  It is a large hardcover children's book, with engaging colorful illustrations.  The illustrations draw you in immediately.  Once you pick it up and start reading, the rhyming lyrics and unique description of  each of the 50 states keeps your interest.  My kids enjoyed learning that Kansas is MIM's backpack.

My husband sat down to read this book to our children the first night we received it.  A few pages into it, he said ... "And we get to keep this book?  Cool!"  My 13 year old daughter keeps picking it up to read it again.  My 7, 9, and 11 year olds were studying our United States wall map and pointing out the states that make up MIM (Man In the Map).  My 4 year old pointed to Oklahoma and said "this state scoots over so MIM can sit on this state,"  as he then pointed to Texas.   All that was after the first reading!  We'll never see the map of the United States the same way again.

This book will help your children learn the names and locations of the 50 states, and they will enjoy the learning process.  Andrew Martonyi has also written an accompanying teacher's guide with math, writing, geography, art, and music activities designed for K - 6th grade students.  It can be used for a unit study in the homeschool, or for classroom activities in a co-op or school setting.  The teacher's guide will be available soon at the website.   Schoolside Press sells an accompanying wall map, and there are free coloring pages available for download on the Schoolside Press website.  

The Little Man In The Map by E. Andrew Martonyi is delightfully well-written and illustrated.   It's a beautiful book that every home library, school library, and public library would benefit from having in its collection.  The Little Man In The Map would also make a wonderful gift for the elementary-aged children in your life.

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Trusting in Him,
April