Encourage a LOVE of Learning with National Geographic Kids {A Valentine’s Prize Pack Giveaway (ARV$87)}

 **Complimentary copies received for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

Somebunny Loves Me by Parry Gripp ages 4-8, Hardcover.

Parry is an Emmy-winning singer-songwriter whose quirky, popular tunes, including “Nom, nom, nom” and “It’s Raining Tacos” have made his YouTube channel a smash hit with over 360 million views. He is an avid animal lover and his bunny Bruno is often the inspiration behind so many of his songs.  In Somebunny Loves Me, Parry’s sweet and silly rhymes are cleverly written to share how children can best understand, appreciate and interact with a variety of fuzzy, feathered or scaly pals.  Paired with adorable, full-page photographs, Parry also includes a personal note in the back of the book giving kids and their parents more tips on how to be good pet owners — from how to keep pets safe, clean and healthy to how to best interact with them and even pointers on how to make a pet music video. Check out the Somebunny Loves Me music video and sing along as you and your kids turn the pages (hopefully with their favorite pet by their side!): https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/books/somebunny/

A World Together by Sonia Manzano ages 4-8, Hardcover.

Sonia Manzano, Sesame Street's beloved character Maria, brings warmth and wit to this timely picture book that looks across cultures and generations to celebrate what unites us, wherever we come from. Manzano's lyrical prose combined with stunning photography of people from dozens of countries around the world explores how all of our lives are enriched by our geographic and cultural diversity. Kids see how people around the world look, dress, and spend their day, and learn that what we enjoy and value--friends, family, food, play--may sometimes look different, but deep down is the same wherever you go. This lovely picture book from a first-generation American affirms our common humanity as it presents the glorious similarities and differences that connect us all.  It has an inspiring message: With laugher and love, we can help bring a world together. Enjoy a fun video of Sonia reading her book HERE. 

125 True Stories of Amazing Animal Friendships ages 8-12, Paperback.

Meet awesome critters who became the best of pals, like the dog who rides a horse; the lizard-loving cat; the litters of puppies who befriend pigs; and that's only the beginning! These uplifting tales are paired with amazing National Geographic photos and loads of animal facts. There's tons of fuzzy, furry, feathery fun on every page, and throughout these tales, one message shines through: Best friends come in all different shapes and sizes.

Brain Candy 2, ages 8-12, Paperback

If you like seeing far-out facts in a new light, the second book in the colorful Brain Candy series takes a deep (and delicious) dive into numbers, fun facts, and cool trivia on all kinds of topics. So you know that the speed of light is fast: 229,792,458 miles per second. But what does that really mean? It means that at the speed of light, you could reach the moon in 1.3 seconds. How long to travel to the sun? Just 8 minutes. And in 4.6 hours, you could reach Pluto at 4.6 billion miles away! It's a novel approach to feeding kids smart snackable bites about the world and is sure to be an addictive addition to the family bookshelf. 

Photo Ark: Celebrating Our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures by Kwame Alexander, photos by Joel Sartore ages 4-8, Hardcover.

Our planet's most beautiful and endangered animals come to life in this visually stunning picture book. The photos, by award-winning National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore, represent a lifelong project to photograph every captive animal species in the world, with special attention given to saving endangered species. They are paired with uplifting poetry and prose from Newbery award-winning author Kwame Alexander -- a talented dream team duo to craft a uniquely wonderful book. This special edition includes a free poster highlighting 50 endangered species that is sure inspire people not just to care, but also to help protect these animals for future generations. 

Please check out this super-sized Animal Ark book trailer (you won’t be disappointed!) and for a behind the scenes — and hilarious — look at what REALLY happens when trying to photograph all shapes, sizes and personalities of these extraordinary species — click here to check out this fun blooper reel of Joel’s photo shoots. 

Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Absolute Hero by Valerie Tripp ages 8-12, Hardcover. 

A brand new series from the author of many beloved American Girl books, Valerie Tripp!  Join Izzy Newton and her friends at Atom Middle School in the first adventure of this new middle-grade fiction series. A crowded new school and a crazy class schedule is enough to make Izzy feel dizzy. But for the S.M.A.R.T. Squad, it’s all about relying on the value of friendship and the power of science to help them think their way through all kinds of sticky situation. Science and tech reign supreme when these five brainy buddies put their heads together! Read the first chapter and meet the characters at https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/books/smart-squad/.

Valentine's Day is days away and love is most certainly in the air! 

Do you know what we love in my house? Books! And for my daughter that goes double for National Geographic Books! She cannot get enough and is always excited for the chance to check out new ones. And this round of National Geographic reads has a little something for everyone to love. 

First up, Somebunny Loves Me. This sweet little picture book is ideal for the youngest of readers. This is an easy book that my first grader can certainly read all on her own, but is also an ideal bedtime story for younger children as well. It is packed full of the fantastic photographs that we have come to love from National Geographic too! 

Likewise, A World Together is another great one for younger readers and listeners. While Somebunny Loves Me featured adorable animals... this one is all about embracing different cultures and the things that make us all unique. This is something that I feel is very much needed these days. It is definitely a great message for kids, and I certainly appreciated the beautiful photography inside too. 

Photo Ark takes us back to the animals with a book once again filled with fantastic animal photography and poetry that kids will absolutely love. There is a big focus on endangered animals, so it is both entertaining AND thoughtful... not to mention educational! 

For the older kids, 125 True Stories of Amazing Animal Friendships will be one that every animal loving kid will love! My daughter certainly did. I would say that out of all the books we received, this one was probably her favorite. She loves animals and she loves friendship, so it was a perfect combination. She loved learning all about these unique animal friendships and found the pictures to be absolutely fantastic. During this season of love, this is a great book on the love of friendship. 

Brain Candy 2 was another favorite. Her favorite National Geographic books tend to the the Weird But True books, and this definitely is very similar. Lots of facts. Lots of pictures. Lots of fun. The facts inside aren't necessarily weird... but they certainly are interesting. The quick and fun facts are a great way to encourage kids to learn without feeling like they're reading a textbook. My daughter loves them. 

And finally, for the older reader is Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Absolute Hero. For the most part, I tend to associate National Geograpic with nonfiction, but this chapter book series mixes learning and fiction for stories that kids will absolutely adore. While my daughter isn't quite ready for these books just yet, she certainly cannot wait to read it very soon! 

No matter their age or reading level, these books are sure to encourage a love of learning and a love of reading... and THAT is certainly a love worth celebrating. 

* National Geographic Kids Books twitter - @NGKidsBks

* National Geographic Kids Facebook - @nationalgeographickids

* National Geographic Kids website: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

One winner will receive a Valentine's Day Prize Pack which consists of all six copies listed above (ARV $87). U.S. only. Enter using the giveaway form below. 

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