Review - The Science of Seasons

The Science of Seasons is a new science storybook by Jennifer Guest.

I love Jennifer's website at Guest Hollow and the huge amount of homeschooling information she shares. I was excited to hear that she was writing and illustrating a children's science book and Jennifer gave me a Kindle copy of her book to review.

I read The Science of Seasons out loud to my four children ages 6-11. My older children learned some new information but I would guess that the younger children enjoyed it the most. I would guess that the target age is 2nd to 3rd grade but it is a book that can be used with multiple ages. Actually, even I learned some things from this book.

The book explains why we have seasons, how seasons change, and some of the special things about each season. In the story, the eldest sister is sharing what she learned with her younger brother and sister. The concepts are explained simply and clearly. The 50+ pages are also beautifully illustrated in vibrant color. I like that the girls are dressed in lovely feminine dresses in most of the pictures.

My children are accustomed to reading science books that contain evolution and are quick to say "That is not true." But they didn't need to say that in this book. The Science of Seasons is a God-honoring science book and a refreshing alternative to the majority of science story books for children.



The Science of Seasons storybook also has a companion Activity book to go along with it. I have not yet used this with my children but I think it will greatly enhance the story book.

The Activity Book is no simple coloring book (though it does include a few coloring pages.) There is lots of full-color cut-out models, games,  and paper doll puppets. There is pages to be filled out and added to a "seasons notebook" for the child to have a reminder of their study. There is sections on temperature, maps, vocabulary words, recipes, and activities from other cultures. Jennifer throws in some spelling tips, art ideas, geography facts, and a little math. Only a few additional supplies are needed such as crayons, string, ice, and construction paper. The book is designed with blank pages so that items can be cut out without messing up the next page.

By the time I finished flipping through the activity book, I knew that my children would gain much more from The Science of Seasons by utilizing the Activity book as well. The activities would help cement the information taught in Science of Seasons. Plus it is just the kind of book my children would love to work through with their scissors and glue.



Jennifer went even further and designed an elementary science curriculum based on the Science of Seasons storybook and activity book. She added many more books and activities to make a 14-week course complete with day by day lesson plans. The curriculum is free and found on the Guest Hollow website.

The Science of Seasons is available at Guest Hollow as an e-book OR a softcover. The Activity book is also available as a softcover or a printable pdf. You can also find the books on Amazon.

I received free copies of these books but all opinions in this review are my own.