Measuring with Actual Size by Steve Jenkins
Nonfiction books are often overlooked when selecting books for preschoolers, but nonfiction can help your child explore the world around them. Actual Size by Steve Jenkins is a great book for little ones to help them learn about animals in a fun, hands-on way.
This book shows images of animals in real-size, focusing on the teeth of a Great White Shark, or the foot of an African elephant. Your child will have a great time comparing the size of their teeth or foot to the illustrations in the book.
To add a fun math lesson to this book, measure the animals in the book. I used Legos to compare the wingspan of the atlas moth to the size of the giant squid's eye. Can you count the Legos to tell which is bigger?
Ask your child questions like 'Who has bigger teeth? The saltwater crocodile or the great white shark? If they can't tell, use a ruler or another object to measure them.
You can also use this book to talk about weight! The Siberian tiger weighs 500-700 pounds. How much does your cat weigh? How much do you weigh?
This book and activity will help give your child some perspective to the animals they see in other books. When they read about a tiger, they will have a little more understanding of what a tiger is. That is an important skill to practice before kindergarten! Happy Learning!
