Up-Close Mysteries: Zoomed-In Photo Puzzles

by Kristen McCurry

Overview

You'd know a lion if you spotted one, right? But what if its whiskers and claws were all you saw? Could you still tell what it was? Solve these tricky puzzles by guessing the big picture from its parts. If you're up to the challenge, you're in for some serious fun!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781429675505
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	01/01/2012
Series:	Eye-Look Picture Games
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kristen McCurry is an Iowa-born children’s writer and editor who lived in lots of places before settling in Minnesota. She loves reading, whacking tennis balls, and hanging out with her family, which includes her husband, teenage twins, and a sneaky beagle named ZuZu.

Table of Contents

Animals — Around town — Just for fun!

Editorial Reviews

These books provide visual games for readers to play alone or as a group. Most of the books begin with a brief discussion of a concept, such as grouping and sorting, analogies or remembering; while Up-Close Mysteries begins with a list of the three types of mysteries to be found. Each of the books provides directions for how to complete the puzzles. The books end with suggested additional titles and Internet sites to use. The colorful photographs, simple layout, and clear text make this book useful for any adult working with a child on a concept, or looking for a fun activity to spend some time either with an educational slant or for recreation. Recommended.

Library Media Connection Online

Gr 2–5—These guessing games fall flat. Alike features four clearly labeled photos and requires the audience to rely on previous knowledge to determine which example doesn't belong. Unfortunately, numerous pitfalls abound. Multiple correct responses apply for some questions, though there is only one answer provided. For example, one page lists a cold shake as the different item in a collection featuring pizza, hot cocoa, and soup. Three of the items contain liquids, however, so pizza could serve as the differing one but is not given as an option. On another page, the text admonishes, "You can play with a doll, a ball, or a marble. But scissors are not a toy." Compare offers various analogies highlighting topics of interest to young participants, e.g., "Seedling is to tree as tadpole is to ____." The photos on the facing page show a fish, a frog, and a pond. Remember asks questions demanding recall based on photographs. For example, following a page of pictures of nine butterflies, the text asks, "What color is the butterfly in the middle?" Mysteries provides photographs of parts of a larger object to display clues to identify the item; in one example, an easily recognizable trunk and tusks offer a clear clue (elephant). Vivid, crisp photographs define each option, though clothing appears dated. A few questions mislead and some visual clues fail to offer immediate answers, even with the concluding answer key. Fake enthusiasm gushes in these uninspired offerings.—Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

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