Hela & Max: Under the Sea by Sean Alexander
Publisher: Brightstar Learning
Published: June 6th, 2026
Format Read: E-book
Number of pages: 35 pages
Source: Publisher
From Amazon: When Hela, Max, and their cheerful dog Buddy dive beneath the sea in their glowing submarine, they discover a colorful coral reef filled with fish, sea grass, sea turtles, octopuses, clownfish, and hidden surprises. But their fun adventure quickly becomes a rescue mission when they meet Sammy the Seahorse, who is worried because his friend Pearl is missing.
My Thoughts: The vibrant colors of this book are my favorite, with its deep blue, purples and yellow. I love how the story emphasizes both what Hela and Max see "The submarine floated through sparkling blue water, pass rainbow fish, waving sea grass, and coral towers..." and what they hear, like Buddy's tail going "thump-thump-thump." The children's eyes shine with excitement and concern when they meet Sammy, a seahorse searching for a missing friend. Along the way, they encounter many sea creatures who guide them to a cave, where with a bit of bravery, they finally find Pearl. I really enjoyed the focus on teamwork and courage. The illustrations are wonderfully engaging and encourage a sense of curiosity throughout the story.
Hela &Max Galactic Challenge by Sean Alexander
Publisher: Brightstar Learning
Published: June 6th, 2026
Format Read: E-book
Number of pages: 40 pages
Source: Publisher
From Amazon: When Hela, Max, and their fluffy white dog Buddy discover a glowing rocket ship in their backyard, they are invited on a real galactic mission: save the lost rover before sunrise! With courage, teamwork, and quick thinking, the three young space explorers blast off beyond the stars and begin an exciting journey across the galaxy.
My thoughts: Hela and Max are getting ready for bed, gazing up at the bright moon and stars. This time, a rocket lands outside their window, and they are presented with a galactic challenge to save a lost rover. The two children eagerly blast off on a space adventure together. The illustrations are bright and the two children appear excited. I loved the illustration of Buddy all curled up and sleeping on the bed next to Hela and Max. The twinkling stars, the glowing moon, and all the tiny details scattered around the kids’ room make the artwork feel so alive. Just like in the first book, the children’s enthusiasm for adventure and their desire to help others shines through on every page.
Impressions of series:
According to the book's interior, one of the main goals of the Hela & Max series is that "these stories are designed to be read aloud together. Children are encouraged to join in, move, think and imagine as the adventure unfolds!" Each book includes suggestions on how to read the book. For example, there is a set of pre-reading questions. Under the Sea also included suggestions for varying the readers voice to match different characters, and possible sound effects like "pop..pop" and "crunch...crunch" a child can make while the story is being read aloud. While both included various prompts for pre-teaching vocabulary words found in the story. There's a strong emphasis on inviting children into the adventure and making them an active participant.
At the back of each book, readers will find discussion questions and connection questions, such as, from Under the Sea, "If you had a tiny submarine, where would you explore underwater?" There are matching and sequencing games, coloring activities and a search and find. I especially appreciated the STEM connections and the inclusion of simple DIY projects, like building a mini sub or creating a balloon rocket.
The stories are very engaging and serve as an excellent introduction to early concepts about the ocean and space. As an added bonus, parents receive guidance on effective read-aloud strategies, including pointing out key images, what questions to ask, making predictions, and highlighting vocabulary within the text. I would have loved having a resource like this during my speech-language pathology training.
The only change I personally would have made is that the talking star and starfish didn't feel entirely necessary, though I understand how they help with the riddle's and gave the children opportunities to be helpful. Overall, these two books would make a lovely addition to any preschool classroom or a child's home library.
No comments:
Post a Comment