Reviews (3)

My baby loves these!
My baby loves his cards. We use them many times throughout the day. They are usually all over the place as he uses them to communicate with us as well (we saw fish at the aquarium and he pulled out all the fish cards). I wish we had purchased these sooner. My son is 12 months old but would have enjoyed these months ago. They are especially interesting if you have the accompanying DVD's.

We use these cards almost everyday.
I love that the cards are made of heavy paper and the pictures are very colorful. We own the whole series and use them almost everyday. The one thing that I did notice is that we seemed to lose them after they would get thrown everywhere. I solved this problem by single hole punching them and then using a binder ring to hold them all together. Now my son and I can just flip through the pictures.

The pictures are brilliant!
I love these cards! The pictures are great and the information on the back is wonderful. I only wish that the author had put the names of the animals in different languages as she did on the Language Discovery Cards. One small point, I am not sure why she has some broad category animals, such as "dog" and then more specific ones, such as a particular type of fish. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great fun, and educational, except for an occasional error.
This game is exceptionally diverting for boring car trips and waiting time for medical appointments. The kindergarten game does seem more appropriate for 4 year olds rather than 5-6 year olds if the child has had a lot of exposure to letters, colors, shapes etc. There are a few dreadful lapses in accuracy, among the worst being the placement of a penguin next to an Eskimo and igloo. The Eskimo/igloo cliche is annoying, but the transposition of that poor little penguin from Antarctica is inexcusable. Our pre-schooler concluded the penguin must be just visiting.

educational and somewhat challenging in a fun format
My son has used the preschool version and the Kindergarten version and loves both of them. It is a wonderful quiet activity to do together and portable enough to take on the road to the doctor's office or on a car trip. The questions are age appropriate and teach well. The characters are cute and engaging. A wonderful gift for boys and girls. My son learned a lot from these cards, and we had a great time together. He would also look through them by himself too. I would recommend these to anyone. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (12)

A lot of fun!
My ten year old son introduced me to this fun little book (OK, it's big, but thin.), which he has been looking at for several years now. It has fourteen, two-page sized pictures of a collection of odds and ends connected with school. At the bottom of each of them is a list of things that you can look for (sort of like, Where is Waldo). But, read through to the end, there is a riddle about someone you'll find in each of the pictures.

This is a fun book. It challenges the young reader to concentrate on what is actually on the page, and pick out certain select items. I like that my son reads it for fun, even as the book is teaching him to concentrate and search systematically. He loves this book, and so do I. We both highly recommend this book to you.

Great Books
This is great!Also, in the "Be My Valentine" page, there's one that you should look for- a queen.It took me hours!Recommended.

Incredibly well done
Children of all ages (adults too!) will find something to enjoy in these pages -- the young ones just looking at the absorbing pictures and the older ones searching for the myriad of items hidden within each scene.

The scenes are each a two page photograph filled with many objects that revolve around a certain theme, from the alphabet to a town of blocks to a wooden marble machine that actually works (see the last pages for a note on this). At the bottom of each scene is a riddle to tell the searcher what he or she is looking for and to provide clues. Some of the objects are easy to find, some are impossibly difficult!

And for those of you who reach the end of the book and wish it wasn't over ... it doesn't have to be. There are additional riddles on the last pages so you can enjoy the pictures all over again.

Highly recommended.

Parent's best friend for a long trip
This book is as exciting for kids as it is for parents.I bought our first I Spy book for a long (17 hrs) plane flight with my 3.5 year old and it really did the job of entertaining him enough.Without it the trip could have been a nightmare.I recommend it to anyone who needs to keep a child entertained and occupied for a longer period of time.

Each page is a picture if multiple little objects.Under the picture there are several riddles, and kids can spend quite a lot of time looking for the objects.But parents can make addititional riddles--so many objects are hidden or not obvious. And they can have fun too.

The artwork is beautiful and sharp. While older kids can learn to be more observant, younger ones can enhance their vocabulary by learning the name of the objects (with an adult's help , of course).

I SPY SCHOOL DAYS IS SO FUN
I love this so much because it's fun, it's awesome, and now I want all the I Spy books. The I spy school days book rules. The coolest part was where all the toys were. This review was dictated to me by my 7 yr. old son. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Only if you use in conjunction with the videos
I bought this cards thinking that they had true photographs of the actual objects. Instead, the animals are the stuffed creations from the videos and not photos of real animals at all. I thought this was very disappointing, especially since I loved the concept of the different languages on the cards. I think this set is only useful when used with the videos.

Warped
The concept for these cards is great, but I do not recommend you buy them. The pictures of the animals are not of animals at all, but of stuffed toys that barely even resemble the animals "depicted." Children would be confused by, for example, a frog that barely even resembles a real frog. I pulled all of the "warped" cards and have used the remaining ones with my daughter.

Best Baby Einstein item I've bought!!!
My son and I absolutely love these cards. It's very educational and my son spoke his first word as soon as I pointed to one card. The quality is great; each card is laminated to last you many years. All the items in the cards are found in other Baby Einstein videos/dvds. I especially love the teaching aides and words in various languages on the back of the cards to help parents use the cards effectively. I found that it's not only educational for the child but for the parent as well. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (9)

I loved it!
I bought one of the I Spy books while on vacation in America.It was intended for the kids next door, and eventually I gave it to them (after having gone through it myself.) I liked it so much I ordered more from Amazon. com, some for me, some for Christmas presents. But the books have been so much enjoyed by my family I doubt whether they'll make Christmas. I can't find the sixth safety pin on the page with all the kitchen stuff, beautifully arranged like a sci-fi scene.Where is the errant
safety pin?How our eyes deceive us!I only found 4 small candles in the Sweet Shoppe, where are the others?

Great!
These are great books for distracting our pediatric patients (and parents!) during procedures/tests.

Very Good I Spy Book
Great for all ages. This set of books is very good for testing your eyes. You will have tons of fun with these books. Families love these books.

Fantasy in Every Page!
Unless your memory is photographic, you will find it challenging to find the things described in these rhyming riddles to be a brand new each time you open this. Pretty soon, the items in the puzzle all look alike. Growing a little weary of looking, you eventually call out for help, which makes these a great family time.Funny but the older the person the more frustration they seem to have.My children's grandfather still gets so amazed with these then he gives up and says " its not on there...I looked " then the three year old will spot that same object he was looking for.The I Spy Fantasy has the most unbelievable pictures.There are also extra credit riddles in the back of the book so these books never get old.My family owns each one and these are truly our favorite!

Teaching and Old Dog to do New Tricks
This book in the "I Spy" series was a long-lasting adventure for my children, ages 3 and 5. They were able to complete many of the riddles on their own, working together to solve them. Then we (the parents) jumpedin, and we were hooked immediately. Once we solved all the riddles, we thenused the "extra-credit" suggestions in the back. That prompted usto make up our OWN riddles from the pictures. Then, it gotinteresting....one day, Poppy (Grandpa) came to visit, and he saw the girlsworking on the Fantasy Book. He became deeply engrossed in this book, as Ihad never seen before. After 10 minutes, my kids were helping my fathersolve the riddles. Seems he needed a refresher course on powers ofobservation (although eyesight was mentioned once, but discounted). Myfather spent an hour of his visit working and playing with my kids on thisbook. I know what his stocking will be full of this Christmas. I canrecommend that to others as well...not for kids only! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Your 4- to 5-year-old will absolutely delight at how much she or heknows while working with the 300 questions in these Brain Quest decks for preschool children. It's the bunny, of course, that does not live "in a river, swamp, or sea." (That's where the crab and alligator live!) Later,it is not long-lashed Amanda the Panda--the deck's adorable guide figure--"who is eating with chopsticks." (Amanda has a fork. And a light brown bear has a spoon. It's the bunny who has the chopsticks!) Proud of their success in unraveling the answers from these cheerful illustrations, kids will gladly challenge themselves to the harder fare,like finding the rectangle in the picture, or counting the circles on the Olympic flag.

Parents too will enjoy the authors' focus on real-world scenarios andreal-world questions. Woven through these happy academic fundamentals are lessons about getting dressed, colors, body parts, and many other concepts that benefit preschoolers immensely. (Ages 4 to 5) --Jean Lenihan ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I love brain quest pre-school
I love Brain Quest pre-school because it has lots of fun questions.I always bring it with me on long trips.I am in 4th grade now and have Brain Quest 4th grade.

Hours of Fun
My 3-year old and I have looked at these cards many times. She has most of them memorized. That is OK because now she likes to play teacher!

great fun for a 3-4 year old
My 4 year old daughter loves to do the "quiz cards" before bed time. She doesn't mind the fact that we've done the set over and over at least 10 times!

My 4-year old loves this!
Each page has 3 questions and fun illustrations, with the answers on the next page (also with fun illustrations). Covers a wide variety of Preschool level topics, from numbers and colors, to logic, patterns, shapes and thinking skills. A great item to have along anytime you need to "kill time" (like sitting in a restaurant or on an airplane). I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Book Description

Made for those two moments in the day when parents and young children spend quality time together, here are two marvelous gifts-two innovative additions to the bestselling BRAIN QUEST series, each combining a single full-color deck with an adorable animal companion.

It's evening, the day's craziness is fading, and in bedrooms across the country parents and children snuggle up to read. Even if there's time for nothing else during the day, there's always time made for sharing a story.

With BRAIN QUEST BEDTIME, parents and young kids can sidle up under the covers and learn about the moon, the stars, owls, and Rip Van Winkle. There is a 50-card full-color deck with stories, poems, over 150 questions and answers-plus jokes and riddles, too-all accompanied by a plush teddy bear puppet. The subjects are calming, related to sleep and nighttime, and encourage the kind of quiet, wondering conversation ("Do dogs dream while they're asleep?") that's so important right before turning out the light. See also Brain Quest Bathtime. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is for non-believers of all ages. It was written especially for children who have been convinced by the attitudes of adults that mathematics is (1) impossible (2) only for bright kids (3) no fun at all anyway. This book says that maths is nothing more than a way of looking at the world and that it can be relevant to everyday life (Street maths) and fun (How many sides does a banana have?). Hundreds of mathematical events, jokes, riddles, puzzles, investigations and experiments prove it! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Great Math Book for Younger Kids Too
The reading level for this book should just be a guideline. If parents are reading it, the examples & games can be done by kids much younger. My son's first grade teacher recommended using this book over the summer to prepare him for 2nd grade math enrichment.
The book gives lots of fun, practical exercises and is loaded with great concepts and ideas.

A Math Lover
This is a great book for math haters or math lovers. There are lots of interesting facts, games, and riddles, whether you think you are great or think you are terrible at math. If you hate math, this book can change your life. We have a copy of this book at home, and I've purchased this book to give to some of my children's friends and some home-schooling parents I know. I think giving this book to anyone who is afraid of math, whatever their age, is a great idea. I also highly recommend "Math for Smarty Pants", also by Marilyn Burns.

I used to, BUT NOW I DON'T
This book make you to love math, to know how to see the nice things in it. If you want your kid to love math, (or at least not to hate it...) you owe him this book.

Great book
Lots of fun things any kid (or grownups) who might or might not hate math, but has a openable mind. All three of our kids have enjoyed things from this book, and I've used some of the activities with 9th graders. Highly recommended.

made my life
I read this book as a kid at least 15 years ago. I can still remember many topics and even the layout of some pages. This is a great gift for a kid interested in math; it is friendly, fun, and yet substantive. It is an infinite well of cool stuff. I seem to have stumbled into a career in research mathematics now. Looking back, this book may be the main reason. I have never stopped thinking of mathematics as "cool stuff". ... Read more

Amazon.com

When the Brain Quest series moves from preschool age to thefirst-grade set, it transforms from a playful question game into a sort of elementary school version of Trivial Pursuit. (In the spirit of this new grown-up air, there is no longer a cheerful animal guide appearing throughout the decks.) Now, each card features one question from each of five category sections: Reading, Math, Vocabulary, Social Studies & Science, and Grab Bag.The rules are gentle: Playing in teams, with partners, or solo, you can stick to your favorite subject category or play the whole card. Keeping score (they offer three different versions) is optional.

Though the framework of the game feels very grown-up, the questions are not out of a first grader's league. A math question asks, "What coin is thesame as 25 cents?" A sample science question reads, "Name the force thatkeeps you from floating in the air." There is much good humor in these questions, and the name references are nicely up to date, though not completely contemporary (Beanie Baby references can be found here, but Pokémon'snotmentioned). (Ages 6 to 7). --Jean Lenihan ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Room 10 loves it!
My first grade class loves Brainquest! We play it in a "family fued" type format with table groups competing. They have a blast and the material in the questions is very compatible with our curriculum and state standards. It makes a great game for rewarding them when we've finished everything, a good 10 minute filler, and a good activity to suggest to a substitute. They always get excited when we are going to play, and are requesting it often.

Not quite as kid-friendly
The questions are age-appropriate, but the presentation is somewhat dry,especially if your kids are used to the Brain Quest for preschool and kindergarten. There are very very few pictures in the First grade version, just several questions written on each card. Not as entertaining for kids as the Brain Quests with pictures. My sugggestion: look at it first at a bookstore before you buy it! ... Read more

Book Description

From toddlers learning their vocabulary with My First Brain Quest to the challenging educational building blocks covered in Kindergarten, Early Childhood gives kids ages 2 to 6 a smart start.Revamped inside and out, each Early Childhood deck features 15% new material, a greater balance of math and reading skills, and more activity cards.In addition, each deck comes with a bound-in parents' guide. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Always fun for everyone
I got this for my daughter when she was 2 1/2 and she had a lot of success with the questions. She often amazes me with the things that she does know, and takes great pleasure in these "surprises". I like this product because it covers so many different areas - letter identification, colors, numbers, and everyday knowledge. Her 7 year old sister also enjoys "quizzing" her, and they pass quite a bit of time this way on car trips. Now they can use their Brain Quest together. I do several pages for one while the other listens, then we switch. I started off with Brain Quest Toddler and plan to use them all as my children grow.

Brain Quest for Threes
Our very-verbal two year-old LOVES this deck of questions, and she'll continue to get a lot of use out of it since there are many she can't yet answer. Very practical things that all kids should know are presented here.

Fantastic Edu-tainment
I happened to stumble across Brain Quest for Threes and bought it because it's compact packaging looked convenient. I put in my car to pull out whenever I brought my 3 and 5 year olds to appointments or weekends away. I was thrilled to discover that my kids really enjoyed playing the game and I could easily play with them both by taking turns. There are so many questions that the cards always seem new. My 5 year old often pulls it out to play by herself and the easy to understand answer cards allow her to do so. I have purchased other Brain Quest products for the subsquent age groups. ... Read more

Book Description

Ka-choo! Brrr. Yawnnnn.

Have you ever wondered what makes you sneeze when you're in a dusty room? Or shiver when you get out of the bathtub? Or yawn when you're tired? All of these actions are reflexes. Your body makes them happen even though you don't tell it to.

Budding young scientists will be amazed as Melvin Berger and Paul Meisel reveal the mysteries behind the reflexes that happen in our bodies every day and offer fun-filled experiments to try on family and friends. Let's Read and Find Out Science, Stage 2.

Reviews (1)

Educational
This book explains about how the human body deals with reflexes. It gets a little technical, but a four or five year old can definately understand the content. I enjoyed reading this book to my children because even I learned a little that I either had not learned or had forgotten. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Fascinating Heartfelt Intriguing Answers
This is by far the best book I have ever come across about the night of April 15, 1912 when the Titanic sank.
This book is filled with 882 ½ facts (because the ship was 882 ½ ft. long) about the people, the ship, crew, heartwarming stories of how mothers pleaded for their sons to be allowed into life boats, how lovers said goodbye to each other, how people were refused into life boats, and how others never made it out of the ship.
There are detailed names, dates, info about the aftermath, a "whatever happened to..." page with facts about survivors, as well as great info about the discovery of the ship, exploration of the wreckage, facts about the movie directed by James Cameron, and a great glossary at the back of the book to learn about different words associated with the ship.

What I love most about this book is the heartfelt facts about the people who were on the ship, and what happened to them. If you have ever wanted to learn about The Titanic, this is THE book to buy. An Outstanding tribute to the souls loved and lost. Deserves 10 Stars.

Marvelous!
Brilliant reference book. If you ever had wondering questions about the Titanic, this is your book. Summary: This book has answers to almost all of your questions about the ship and the sinking, etc. Wonderful facts. Reaction: Though this book is thin, it has plenty of little bits that can keep you interested 100 years later. Every Titanic fanatic will find a new fact on the ship and the people involved with it. Wonderful. A MUST BUY!!!

Cool!
I love to read about the Titanic, and this book satisfied my hunger for more books about it. This book provides 882 and a half questions and answers about the Titanic. It was easy to read, well written, and had many photos. This book's questions and answers were very interesting, and I learned a lot from reading this book. This is an awesome book!

Amazing!
This book is the most interasting book I've ever read about Titanic, and trust me I've read lots of them. There is 882 1/2 interasting answers on your questions about Titanic. If you want to know why there is 882 1/2 questions and answers in this book ? Open the first page of this book and you will see why there is 882 1/2 questions and answers in this book about the past of Titanic.

Things I Did Not Know
Bought this book through book club at daughters school. It is VERY informative. I thought I was up on a lot about Titanic, but this really taught me a lot more. Very good for any student or historian. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Very informative book that makes learning fun
Blood and Guts is a nifty little book designed to teach kids about the workings of the human body while having fun doing it. Making learning fun is what the Brown Paper School project is all about; a group of California teachers, writers, and artists came together periodically to put together an impressive number of educational books for children, working on the principle "Accept no substitutes for fun." Linda Allison wrote and illustrated this particular book herself, and it does indeed live up to its subtitle A Working Guide to Your Own Insides. The primary beneficiaries of the book are older children, but in a strong sense she seemed to be writing for both children and their parents; a number of the experiments she includes in these pages really need the supervision and help of an adult, and this makes for a wonderful way for parents to take an active role in their child's education and intellectual development.

The book is organized very well, as the author devotes a chapter to each of the following topics: skin, bones, teeth, muscles, heart, lungs, cells, digestion, kidneys, eyes, ears, balance, brain and nervous system, and reproduction. She provides a basic but quite informative narrative for each subject at hand, includes a number of helpful illustrations, and lays out a number of experiments by which kids can see and learn about the individual subjects themselves. Many of these experiments are very simple and can be performed quickly and easily, while others call for a few supplies that necessitate adult involvement - some of these can be dangerous, such as several different kinds of acid. The book also suggests the acquisition and minor dissection of things like hearts and kidneys, but that probably goes a little farther than most parents will want to go. Obviously, unless your last name is Frankenstein, you don't need to do everything in this book, but most of the experiments are quick, easy, and fun. The chapter on reproduction does not go very deeply into the subject, but the basic differences between males and females are touched upon in word and simplistic illustration. Since the book is aimed at the 9-12 age group, parents will want to take this into consideration. Overall, though, the book succeeds quite well in making learning a fun activity for the child as well as the entire family.

COOL!
"Blood and Guts" sparks curiosity by the name alone. It addresses misconceptions that children may have (such as that bacteria are bad), and uses examples that they can understand for comparisons (there are more bacteria living on you than there are people on earth). Fascinating do-it-yourself (yes, at home!) experiments show how lungs work, identify parts of kidneys, test for fats, etc. Set aside an hour now and then, roll up your sleeves & dig in with the kids! Double your fun by inviting friends to learn with you.

Great entertaining science!
"You are many things. You are millions of blood vessels, billions of cells, hundreds of muscles, thousands of hairs, quarts of blood...You are blood and guts and a whole lot more." An ambitious undertaking for a single volume! Yet Blood and Guts does a fabulous job of explaining the human body in terms that children can understand. And the illustrations and experiments are simple but easily understood. Chapters cover Skin, Bones, Teeth, Muscles, Heart, Lungs, Cells, Digestion, Kidneys, Eyes, Ears, Balance, Brain and Reproduction. Children will be delighted with the experiments including dissecting an animal's heart, shifty eyes, liquidation (bladder capacity), starch and spit test, calisthenics for your face, casting teeth and the great thumbless survival test. No science background is required. In fact, it may be best to combine learning with your children in this fascinating book. Recommended for all ages, home or school... From The Science Spiders Newsletter.

Blood and Guts: a working guide to your own insides
The information in this book is clear and accurate. The drawings are good too. However, many of the projects described don't work. Some of them don't work because they can't work and some of them don't work because there isn't quite enough information given to the reader to make them work.

A clear, fun and helpful book that answers it all!
This book is loaded with uncomplicated science experiments that require ordinary household items. It is filled with interesting facts (like "what is really on the back of your hand, if you think you know it so well?!") Teachers and those who home school their children will find this a very useful resource that puts information in "kid language" without dumbing down the information. ... Read more

Book Description

Brain Quest is the curriculum-based learning tool that's helped over 14 million kids get ahead in the classroom.Now, with 50 percent new material keyed to what students in grades 1-7 need to know today, Brain Quest is ready to help a new generation review their current grades and preview the next in a colorful, challenging format that makes learning fun.

With bolder colors, new illustrations, full-color icons, and a more energetic design, Brain Quest looks as smart as it is.And of course each Brain Quest deck is still as portable as ever.In the car, at the beach, on the couch-kids can turn to Brain Quest anywhere, anytime.

Each title includes:
- The most current information across a range of disciplines
- Broader and more intellectually challenging questions in all subjects
- A better balance between questions kids should be able to answer and those that will expand what they know. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A great way for kids to show off what they know
Anyone familiar with the Brain Quest series knows what we have here: grade-specific questions from six different subject areas with which to test your child's knowledge. It is very open-ended: you can keep score, you can play in teams, or you can use the questions as the basis for any game you like.
My sister and I used Brain Quest 3rd Grade to keep our daughters entertained one long weekend. One girl just started 3rd grade and the other just started 4th grade. What we noticed is that many of these questions seemed to be in areas that even the 4th-grader had not covered last year. There were enough questions on the girls' level to keep them from feeling frustrated, but don't be surprised if you find a lot of them go over your kid's head. This is a series, especially in the math area, that gives your child's brain a good workout.

Third Grade Genius Kit in a Box
Every third grade teacher on the planet would have serious lust for the Brain Quest Third Grade set if they knew what it had in it. Lots of classroom time is spent lining up, waiting for the bell, waiting for the bus, waiting for this or that and any teacher armed with a Brainquest pack can put good use to the time and the kids will love it. Kids love to learn and the Brainquest series is built on the assumption that kids want to be smarter, want to know more, want to understand their world better. Little tiny bits of information on the Brainquest cards (which are anchored together by a sturdy plastic rivet) keep kids headed toward braininess. Instead of buying your third grader's teacher yet another mug or cute little apple desk decoration thingie, why not give her a BRAINQUEST? This pack has over a thousand questions and answers in a reader-friendly format. Don't let boredom drill into YOUR third graders' brains. Buy them a Brainquest and keep one in the car to make the most of travel time.

Wonderful for classroom visits to the library!
I am a children's librarian at a public library. I regularly read stories to visiting classes. Sometimes, I can see that a bright group of kids needs something fast to "warm them up". Asking a few choice questions from this source (answers are supplied also) always wakes up the group and puts them in a receptive mood for the stories. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for road trips
My son loved the Q&A format of these cards and we exchanged "high fives" every time he got a "genius point." The cards include a good mix of super easy questions to more challenging ones--all targeted for a specific age level. It would be a stretch to call this game "educational" but the back and forth interaction between quizzer and quizzee provides great family fun. This works very well as a game to pass time in the car or on the airplane. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Not as fun as the other 'I Spy' books.
If you loved the other 'I Spy' series, you'll be disapointed in 'Super Challenge.'All photographs are repeats of other books with new objects to find.Not very fun or challenging if you've seen the other books.I recommend skipping this book and getting the others in the same series. ... Read more

Book Description

Now first- and second-graders can really sharpen their skills. Announcing Brain Quest Math and Brain Quest Reading, a natural extension of Brain Quest into single-subject tutorials. Using the same curriculum-based, question-and-answer format that has made Brain Quest America's #1 educational bestseller with over 16 million copies in print, Math and Reading concentrate on the two subjects that are of paramount importance for parents, teachers, and especially the kids. Math is as focused as flash cards, but with far more range, interactivity, and educational value. Each grade comprises two decks. 1st Grade has five questions to a card, covering Numeration, or the basics of numbers; Bits & Pieces, including shapes and equivalents; Computation-addition and subtraction; Measurements; and Problem-Solving. 2nd Grade, with seven questions to a card, adds two new categories to the original five-Super Computation, which has more complicated operations, and Fun with Numbers.Reading takes a thorough approach to working on the fundamentals of reading and language arts. First comes an original one-page story illustrated in full-color, with 56 stories per grade. Following the story card is a comprehension card, quizzing the reader about the story, its characters, and content. Following that card is a second question card-five questions for 1st Grade, seven for 2nd Grade-on Grammar, Word Choice, Phonics, Vocabulary, Extensions, and Mixed Bag.

A strong foundation in math, a strong foundation in reading-that's what elementary education is all about. Making it fun to learn is what Brain Quest is all about-that, and reinforcing the idea that It's O.K. to Be Smart! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Eagle-eyed young readers who can't get enough of Walter Wick and JeanMarzollo's always fresh picture-riddle books (I Spy, I Spy Treasure Hunt, I Spy Gold Challenger, etc.)will be tickled pink to see this celebration of the seasons. Featuring Wick'strademark crisply photographed scenes and Marzollo's clever rhyming riddles,this festive volume follows the holidays and months of the year, asking readersto spy beach balls, shovels, and "a surfin' fella" on the sand in June, andexclamation points, a Q, erasers, and a yellow three on a classroom chalkboardin September. From January to December (with some tricky extra credit riddles atthe end), "Picture riddles fill this book; / Turn the pages! Take a look! / Useyour mind, use your eye; / Read the riddles--play I SPY!" (Ages 3 to 7)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (5)

rather difficult
This says it is for kids from age 4 but I don't think that is quite right. The pictures are blurry and the items are not easy to find. They are quite challenging puzzles and I think the over 9 age group would be more likely to enjoy them.

Fun to turn to again and again.
I SPY YEAR ROUND CHALLENGER is filled with 12 pictures -- one for each month. Every puzzle is very different from the others. These clever photographs have beautiful colors but they're sometimes blurry or dark and hazy, and it's hard to see what's what. I wasn't always sure what I was looking for. I even believe there's a typo, making you look for one thing when it should be something else. In a couple of cases you can see only a tiny part of the thing you're supposed to find. And the extra credit riddles need to be on a foldout page so you can refer to them without flipping back and forth. Still, it's a beautiful, clever book and a lot of fun.

can never have enough I spy books.
The I spy books are the most used books in my house. I run a day care and have lots of kids of all ages. From the 3 yr old to the 10 yr old they will all sit around together looking at these books and talking about them. The little ones ask the older ones what the words say. I highly recommend collecting this series of books for your home library.

Entertaining
My 9 y.o. daughter just can not get enough of these books. She was so excited to receive this for Christmas I thought she might burst. This was a definite success in gift giving history.

Great Stuff, But Nothing New!
Since this book was published in 2001, you might think that you are getting new pictures. Our family loves these pictures, but all of the photos can be found in other volumes.
If you don't have any other books in the series, this is a wonderful copy, but if you have all of the others it is a waste of money. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"I spy a heart, a starfish, a frog, / A towel, a trowel, a taxi, adog;/ Seven horses, a barrel, a duck that is teeny, / Two real feathers, and a surfer's bikini." Now, all you have to do is find these objects in Walter Wick's masterful, crystal-clear, boldly colorful photographic landscapes. I Spy Gold Challenger! collects author Jean Marzollo and Wick's 12 favorite photographs from previous I Spy books, and invents a new series of ways to make children scratch their heads. A fantasy castle with a sand dragon and a medieval battle in progress; a complex city intersection made from wooden blocks and assorted toys; an attic stuffed with junk--each page seems more complex than the last. The seeming simplicity of the task at hand, and the surprising difficulty in finding all the items mentioned in the accompanying rhymes, remains a winning combination. (Click to see a sample spread. Text copyright ©1998 by Jean Marzollo. "Patterns and Paints" from I Spy School Days copyright ©1995 by Walter Wick. Permission from Scholastic Inc., Cartwheel Books.) (Ages 3 to 7) ... Read more

Reviews (6)

hours of fun
Like all of the I spy books, this one offers hours and hours of fun for all ages.Some of the things to be found took days to find, which can be a bit frustrating for some people.

The best trip companion for a little kid
This book is as exciting for kids as it is for parents.I bought our first I Spy book for a long (17 hrs) plane flight with my 3.5 year old and it really did the job of entertaining him enough.Without it the trip could have been a nightmare.I recommend it to anyone who needs to keep a child entertained and occupied for a longer period of time.

Each page is a picture if multiple little objects.Under the picture there are several riddles, and kids can spend quite a lot of time looking for the objects.But parents can make addititional riddles--so many objects are hidden or not obvious. And they can have fun too.

The artwork is beautiful and sharp. While older kids can learn to be more observant, younger ones can enhance their vocabulary by learning the name of the objects (with an adult's help , of course).

Terrific book, challenging for all ages
We have a 2-1/2 yr old daughter who absolutely LOVES the "I Spy" book series.This book is much more involved and difficult than the smaller board books designed for little ones.However, she got the idea ofsearching for things from the easier board books and soon got bored (pardonthe pun).Using this larger version, we can make up lots of games to keepit interesting.Now, she asks us "I spy a ___" and we have tofind it.Hard to do with only a few pictures on each page.

We have a lotof fun with it too - and haven't found some of the things after severalmonths!Bottom line: Great book - start with the board books for youngerones and move up to this.make up your own games to challenge them.Enjoy

A great book!
This is a book of kids' games.It was really fun to play with. The whole book was very hard to do.I had fun with the book.

I love this book because of all of the creative pictures.
The page I like the most is Levers, Ramps, & Pulley because everything is put together &makes a Balloon Popper. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's never too early to build a child's vocabulary, and the updatedMy First Brain Quest--designed specifically for 2- and 3-year-olds--is a fun way to get started. The tall, skinny plastic box contains three decks (the cards are attached so they fan out on a hinge) with a total of 400 questions, and a spongy, nontoxic Max toy monkey. The idea is to have the toddler bond with the monkey, so the child associates the cards with playtime! Deck One offers a full day with Max from the time he wakes up until bedtime. For example, a full-page cartoon of Max in his colorful toy-ridden bedroom asks, "Who just woke up? What is Max wearing? What do you see in his room?" The cards break down into smaller illustrations with object and activity identification ("What is Max doing? He's putting on his slippers" or "What is this called? A clock.") We follow Max through breakfast, school, music lessons, and more. Deck Two introduces children to seasonal activities, including trick-or-treating and playing on a snowy day. Deck Three explores the world, following Max from the mall to a picnic in the country to a farm. The Brain Quest series is a wonderful vehicle for parents to play and learn with their wee ones, and paves the way for a lifetime fascination with words. (Ages 2 to 3) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not what I expected....
I totally agree with the review about the toy monkey provided, my son who is almost two put it right in his mouth, and it was ruined that very second. (Maybe max could have been a little plastic character instead of foam) I expected a plastic box full of hard cardboard cards that my son could look at and inspect himself; and not something that is bound so tight that he can't look at them himself. All & all it is still a good learning tool & my son is not two yet so maybe he'll grow into them. We look at them every night before bed when he's sleepy and willing to listen without wanting to grab & throw things.

Brain Quests are great fun!
My older daughter loves Brain Quest, and I ordered this for my 2-1/2 year old son. They are great fun, and we often "play" with the decks instead of reading at night. Max the Monkey is fun, and my son enjoys looking at the pictures. I have been surprised at words he both does and does not know.

Some of the "answers" provided by Brain Quest are not words in a toddler vocabularly--for example, a picture showing what appears to be a box of crayons asks, "What are these called?" and the correct Brain Quest answer is "colored pencils." In another series of pictures, Max's slippers look more like shoes. However, these are minor things that are easily worked around--the parent can choose their own "right" answer. There way the questions are written easily lead you to make up your own questions.

The two things that could be improved upon: the is a 4" tall Max the Monkey included with the decks. It is supposed to be a child's playtoy, but it's made of FOAM. Needless to say, it was torn by the second day. Also, the plastic rivet that holds the cards together needs to be changed. It has the deck so tightly bound that I can't let my son turn the cards on his own--the cards would be terribly bent or torn. (The last Brain Quest I purchased had this same problem.)

Despite my negative sounding review, I am a big Brain Quest fan, and do like this Toddler's series. I would encourage any parent of a toddler to give this a try. Everyone learns from it, but in a fun, learning-through-play manner. The pictures are engaging, and a deck can easily be carried in a purse or backpack for outside the house.

The 2-3 year old guideline is appropriate. Very verbal, older 3 year olds will likely find this easy (which is great for their self-confidence), but may enjoy the challenge of the next level.

Brainy Toddlers
How do you make a smart preschooler? You ask them questions about everything, help them develop keener powers of observation, and guide them to be pattern recognizers. My First Brain Quest will help build toddler vocabulary, will lead little ones to keener observations and will keep up interaction between adult and child. Caregivers and foster care parents will love the structure provided by the sturdy cards hinged with a plastic rivet that keep the cards together and handy for constant use. Folks who provide CDA training and foster parent training, as well as parent-child interaction instruction will appreciate the slow pace and good feeling engendered by the BrainQuest preschool cards. They're a great way to train parenting skills of interaction (rather than imperatives) because they are founded on questions. The box also holds Max the Plastic MOnkey for the kids to hold onto while answering the questions, although he will probably get gnawed on as well as held in the hand. In preschool children, the name of the game is vocabulary. Being able to name your world is to have power over it. Brainquest does just that in a compact way. Great for pediatricians' offices, hospital waiting rooms, and other places you find parents and bored kids spending unstructured time. ... Read more