Did you know...?

One of the courses I'm taking this semester involves selecting non-fiction works for children.  Now I know exactly what thought crossed the minds of about 98.2% of you after reading that last sentence: "ew, boring."  I thought so too at one point in my life.  Who wants to read about real people when you could read about Hogwarts?  Seems like an easy choice.

Enter the informational picture storybook.

Kids books are where it's at.  The non-fiction section of a children's room is like a Cliffsnotes of Wikipedia.  Peruse a book on any topic and you'll pick up the major points outlined in an easy to follow format and with some pretty nifty illustrations.  You'll probably learn something new, like I did:

In the early 1800s, the town of Cheshire, MA made a wheel of cheddar cheese that weighed over 1200 pounds to give to Thomas Jefferson.  The cheese was delivered to the White House on a sleigh.  A SLEIGH.  First of all, do you realize how many grilled cheese sandwiches could come from a 1200 lb wheel of cheese?  Now imagine all of those sandwiches on a sleigh like Santa Clause.  Yeah, YOU'RE EXCITED.  I don't even like cheese and I want this to happen.  And happen it did.  In 1802.  They were so cool back then.  

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen and CHEDDAR