Member Reviews
This was a fun read that helps kids explore the world from anywhere through the pages of a book. It's easy to digest and insightful to the beauty of Israel. It is easy to relate to from a child's perspective, as it's written through a child's eyes and gives the essence of a child's mind.
It feels adventurous and makes outdoors feel so interesting, even in a place you might call home. In a time where kids are given so much to digest digitally, I feel something that makes them excited to get outside and to explore and play amongst nature, plants, animals is much needed.
Education that inspires further education is a plus for any book geared towards children.
I can't say the illustrations were my particular taste, but they aren't done poorly.
Overall, a nice read to share with a class or to read with a child in your life!
Thank you NetGallery for the advance reader copy.
This is a really nice story with very calming illustrations. It tells the story of a young girl in Israel and here adventures to different parts of her country. As she goes she tells some information on the things she sees like the Hoopoe bird. I like to learn about other countries and this has a nice list of places for further research in the back of the book.
A Feather, a Pebble, a Shell speaks to every ocean shore shell collecting enthusiast. Through this text, we get a glimpse of what can be found along the shores of Israel, which is perfect companion study of geological study through time.
My copy is an UNcorrected proof with many words Siamese twinned to each other, but no problem for me to read because of MANY years of reading doctor's handwriting. But the illustrations are WONDERFUL! Traveling and enjoying nature from the Dan River in the North, all the way to beach on the Red Sea in the South, there is much to see but leave alone for good conservation.
The illustrations by the author are fun, intricate, brilliantly diverse, and delightful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age (6-106) including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school, church or synagogue library, or your local public library! If getting as eBook, be sure to get Adobe Digital Editions on laptop for absolutely best effect.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Lerner Publishing Group/Kar-Ben Publishing ® via NetGalley. Thank you!
Great book for older kids that like adventures. It was fun to follow her on some interesting adventures in Israel and see what she found.
I especially liked how on many pages there is a box that shares a fact with the reader about what she found.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.
I thought this was a book for 5 year olds .I thought it was more for second grade and up children .The words used were ones that young children could not understand .The title was deceiving to me cause I thought it was for preschool age kids.I will say the illustrations were point on . I just think different words he could be used for this book.
I received this book for free from Net Galley in exchange for an impartial review.
A Feather, a Pebble, a Shell is a well-done children's book dealing with the wildlife and plant life of Israel. It traces the adventures of a young Israeli girl as she visits various nature sites in the country as well as the objects she finds, including the items described in the title. The book has pretty illustrations of the various landscapes and animals described. It also benefits from the inclusion of interesting factoids regarding the various animals encountered. My one suggestion for improvement is that the book zips from one place to another very quickly, with a change in location every page or two. It might have been better to go a bit more in-depth on some of the locations.
Loved this story! It was so fun to be able to share parts of Israel I have been to with my child. The illustrations and learning about nature were beautifully done. We both enjoyed this book so much!
This was so cute. A little kid going on an adventure and along the way finding a feather, a pebble, a shell, and more.
We get a narrative story of a little hike/journey with friends/family and at each stop something is discovered. Then, when you flip the page, it actually gives you some science about the object.
It was short and fun and informative.
Do you enjoy waking outdoors? Do you peek at flowers, bugs, or admire the patterns in rocks? As a person who enjoys these things like walking through nature, exploring nature parks, and enjoying the outdoors this book was a like a love letter to all nature enthusiasts. I have never been to Israel, but this book opened my eyes to another landscape and at the same time helped me to recall similar adventures I have had in nature. I loved the text boxes that shared additional science content about the items the narrator picked up on her way. The art in this book is amazing. The page turns are also nice. Just when you feel the arid heat of the desert you turn the page and are underwater at a colorful coral reef. Emphasizing the importance of leaving nature behind for others to enjoy was a worthwhile inclusion to this book. The author's family photos at the end of the book was a nice touch as well. Knowing that this book was inspired and formed by the author's own experiences makes the book have deeper appeal. It isn't just a book about nature, or a book about Israel and its landscapes, but it also is a book about family, adventure, and loving the outdoors. I think this book would make a good addition to any library to celebrate the act of nature appreciation and exploring outdoors in an environmentally responsible way. Bonus- you get to explore another country's natural diversity.
The appeal of any mixed fiction/nonfiction format is hard to achieve, and the author doesn't do it exceptionally well here - namely, the informational asides do not harmonize to create a smooth reading experience either privately or aloud. That being said, the ARC text is almost unreadable, so I suppose we have to allow for the possibility that the printed version at least looks better.
A Feather, a Pebble, a Shell by Miri Leshem-Pelly
The author invites reader to “explore the landscape of Israel through the small, treasured objects a child finds in nature.” The tenderly illustrated book takes the reader throughout the landscape of Israel, showcasing beautiful natural features that a child can appreciate. Laced with facts regarding the topography and natural items, this book is a treasure itself. As a teacher, I would enjoy sharing it with my students and as a grandmother I look forward to sharing it with my grandchildren, introducing them to a land that I have come to love.
I highly recommend this beautifully written and illustrated book and I am grateful to the publisher for a complimentary copy in exchange for this, my honest review.
A Feather, a Pebble, a Shell follows a young girl as she ventures to various natural wonders throughout Israel. In each location, she discovers an amazing part of nature, whether it is related to plants, animals, or other resources. I love the way that each find is incorporated into the story with a small section at the bottom of the two-page spread to share additional facts. I was introduced to many new places, animals, plants, and resources through reading this book. The one that stood out to me the most was the olive tree and how old they can live to be. This book is a great resource for learning about another part of the world while also learning about observing, appreciating, and respecting nature.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the opportunity to review an eARC of this title.
A great book for children to learn about Israel! The author takes you through the country where the main character finds small pieces of nature while out. It also teaches you about each feather, pebble, and shell found. Beautiful story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.
This was a cute book with lovely illustrations. I thought the storyline was engaging and I would've liked this book as a child. I thought the book was easy to read and would be entertaining for a child. I would consider buying this for a child in my life.
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What a fun story for young children who love nature and learning new things. The story is based in Israel and all the amazing pieces of the natural world can be found in this very small country. The main character visits different locations throughout the country from the sea to the open spaces to the caves to the canyons. At each location, she makes an interesting discovery of a feather or tree seed or a shell or coral. On the pages with the discovery, there is a small box with details explaining it. Much of the book could be read by young reader and an older reader can read the descriptive boxes. I enjoyed learning about the items found in this region of the world.
At the end of the book, there is an author's note with more details about Israel and how the author grew up there. There is also map illustration that shows where all of the eleven items mentioned in the book are located in the country.
If you are looking for a non-fiction children's book about nature and about a unique place in the world, I recommend this story. As a retired teacher and supervisor of student teachers, I am always looking for new books to share with the student teachers to expand their classroom libraries. I will be sharing this one!
Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
A Feather, a Pebble, a Shell
by Miri Leshem-Pelly
The story if Israel, it's nature beauty and history from a child's point of view.
She talks about the animals, and history. She finds treasures at each site she visited but leaves them for the next person. The paintings are beautiful, the history new and exciting.
I enjoyed reading A Feather, A Pebble, a Shell, by Miri Leshem-Pelly. Having never been to Israel, but always wanting to go, it was fun to learn through the eyes of a child about the diverse natural landscape and the treasures each area offers. The illustrations were absolutely beautiful. I loved looking for the small creatures in the pictures that seemed to be watching the child make her discoveries. I thought the information in the boxes added to the book and I especially appreciated the author's message: explore and enjoy nature, and then leave what you find for the next person to discover and enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.
What a wonderful way to discover the landscape of Israel but also to promote being outdoors, discovering new rocks, shells, plants, animals, and including real facts that kids can understand. The illustrations are stunning.
As someone who lives in the US in the Midwest, it was really fun to see what the flora and fauna are like in a place as foreign to me as Israel. So much diversity in such a relatively small space! The illustrations are gorgeous and the lesson is perfect: enjoy and respect nature while you're enjoying your time outside.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this