National Geographic Kid’s Winter Reads

January is a cold, dark, and dreary month. The days are still short and kids spend a lot more time indoors. With the holidays over and the world still dealing with the ‘plandemic’, kids await a date to go back to school. Parents in the meantime, keep classroom assignments on track and look for fun yet educational activities to keep their kids busy. National Geographic Kids is the go-to source for many parents. Their books are filled with exciting adventures, breathtaking images, adorable animals, and tons of fun facts, tantalizing trivia, stimulating sceneries, weird wonders, quirky quizzes and so much more.

National Geographic Kids recently released an awesome array of new books that will keep kids captivated, entertained, and educated. Kids and adults will find them hard to put down.

Kids Animal Encyclopedia 

Discover the thousands of animals that call Earth home in this new edition of National Geographic’s best-selling Animal Encyclopedia.  Updated and reviewed by experts in the field for the most accurate, up-to-date information, this comprehensive reference book features 2,500 species, 1,000 stunning photos, and more than a dozen engaging maps.

Jam-packed with fun facts — such as the world’s tallest animal, the longest-living animal on Earth, and even the smelliest — it also contains new, exclusive “From the Field” and “From the Lens” stunning photography and reports highlighting National Geographic explorers working around the world to study and protect every kind of animal, from giraffes to penguins and sharks to snails. Ages 8-12

Ultimate Weird But True 

Did you know that a great white shark can weigh as much as 15 gorillas, that you drink the same water as the dinosaurs did, or that there’s a car that drives underwater? A supersized, hardcover addition to the blockbuster Weird But True series, Ultimate Weird But True is packed with 1,000 amazing facts and eye-popping photos that prove truth really is stranger than fiction.

With a colorful, metallic cover, a kid-friendly design, and a wacky sense of humor, this stunning book delivers a winning combination of smarts and fun.  Plus, there are cool illustrations, and “Ultimate Secret Revealed” features that explain the strange truth behind the most mind-bending facts, such as how it’s possible to convert peanut butter into a diamond and how frogs can fall from the sky. Did you know that Axolotls can regrow their legs and tails? What’s the connection between a chicken and a T-Rex? Did you know that is a bathroom-themed restaurant in Taiwan? Toilets double as chairs and food is served in toilet-shaped dishes! Ages 8-12

Photo Ark ABC: An Animal Alphabet in Poetry and Pictures 

ABC books teach toddlers so much from letters to colors to words to animals. In this stunning book, kids will engage in learning about a plethora of adorable animals. From armadillo to zebra, this enchanting picture book pairs the stunning photography of National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore with playful poems by New York Times best-selling author Debbie Levy to represent the letters of the alphabet and celebrate the diversity of the animal world. Ages 3-7

Treasury of Magical Tales from Around the World

The Treasure of Magical Tales from Around the World is filled with captivating once-upon-a-time stories that will fill kids with enchanting wonder and wishful dreams. A flower-spouting princess, gobbling prince, emerald-winged fairy, foolish giants, fearsome ogres, and talking frog and fish are just a few of the captivating characters found in this anthology of beloved stories from 29 places around the world, from the Arctic to Africa to Asia to Australia to Europe to the Americas.  Donna Jo Napoli’s powerful storytelling makes these stories fresh and fun, and Christina Balit’s dazzling illustrations make this book a true treasure―a very special gift and a must-have for family bookshelves. Ages 8-12

Brain Candy, Seriously Sweet Facts

Got kids who love fun facts and cool trivia? The NG Brain Candy book is bursting with super juicy weird, wacky and wonderful tidbits kids will gobble up. Elephants have thick skin, but just how thick? Turns out it’s 50 times thicker than human skin and can add as much as 2,000 pounds (900kg) to the weight of this massive animal! Earth’s smaller animals offer some sweet surprises, too. Hop on a honeybee to discover just how hardworking these fast-flying insects are. They beat their wings 200 times a second as they fly about. And no wonder they’re so busy — they need to pollinate two million flowers to make just one pound of honey. If you like seeing far-out facts in a new light, the third book in the series takes a deep (and delicious) dive into numbers, fun facts, and cool trivia on all kinds of topics. It’s a novel approach to feeding kids smart snackable bites about the world and is sure to be an addictive addition to bookshelves and backpacks. Ages 8-12

Go Wild! Pandas

Who doesn’t love the cute and cuddle Panda Bears? Welcome to the wild world of pandas! In this intro to the species, youngsters discover where on Earth these animals live, what they eat, how big they grow, and how they communicate. Cool photos of all the different kinds of panda relatives and just-born panda babies bring the creatures into full focus. After learning the basics, young readers will discover why pandas need our help and what people around the world are doing to help save them. Filled with fun facts, games, and an activity focused on making a difference in the panda world, this book will inspire kids to care about these amazing animals. Ages 4-8

Disclaimer: I received complimentary products to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.