‘Mountain’ of fun

There are a mountain of reasons to love Marianne Berkes’ “Over on a Mountain: Somewhere in the World,” which features mountain ranges from around the globe, depicted in amazing collages by Pratt Institute grad Jill Dubin. Berkes’s rhyming text, which can also be sung to the tune of the traditional song “Over in the Meadow” (easily found on Google for those of us who can’t read music), incorporates counting to 10 and a rich vocabulary.

Recommended for kids ages 3–8, the book offers a fun challenge for older readers: finding the creature hidden in each illustration, a great way to introduce the concept of camouflage.

“Tips from the Author” offers ideas for parents and educators on how to further explore the book’s themes.

“Over on a Mountain: Somewhere in the World” book by Marianne Berkes, $8.95, www.dawnpub.com.

BASIS Independent Brooklyn

BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a PreK&ndash;12 private school that fuels creativity, ingenuity, and independence in every child! The nationally recognized BASIS Curriculum is built from the best education systems worldwide and designed to inspire students to learn at the highest international levels. From their very first day, students engage in a spiraling liberal arts program with advanced STEM offerings&mdash;including Mandarin, engineering, humanities, logic, the sciences, and more. Led by Subject Expert Teachers who empower their full potential, our students gain the critical inquiry and problem-solving skills needed to be successful in their education and beyond.

Little Thinkers Montessori

During the school year, LTM&nbsp; preschool curriculum is individualized, multi-aged, and thoughtfully guided to match each student&rsquo;s needs.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Children learn through the academic and experiential process, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, and influenced by the culturally diverse atmosphere of Brooklyn.&nbsp; The primary goal of LTM&rsquo;s Montessori program is to use the &ldquo;whole-child&rdquo; approach to help each child reach their full potential in all areas of life. LTM also offers an after school program for students in preK through 5th grade.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please contact the school to learn more about the programs offered. Offering a Summer Program with full or half day sessions running for 7 weeks.&nbsp; Activities include, Gardening, Science, Art, Yoga, Music, Dance and outside play with extended care available.

YMCA Long Island Early Childhood/ Preschool Programs

YMCA Long Island Early Childhood/ Preschool Programs provide a safe and supportive learning environment for young children to grow and thrive. The YMCA of Long Island's Early Childhood/Preschool Programs are committed to providing a safe, supportive learning environment for young children to learn, grow and develop social skills. Our teachers create a warm and loving atmosphere while offering a developmentally-appropriate, engaging curriculum, where children can play, discover and learn. The development of independence, trust and initiative is fostered through a balanced program of choice and structure, quiet and active play, and group and individual time. Our programs encourage children to explore, experiment and learn through literacy, science, dramatic play, block building, art, music and manipulative materials all while acquiring school readiness skills of reading and math. Age ranges for Early Childhood/Preschool Programs are 18 months* - 4 years old. *Please check your local branch as ages vary per branch. YMCA Long Island Early Education/ Preschool Programs are offered at our Glen Cove, Huntington and Great South Bay locations. We offer a developmentally-appropriate, engaging curriculum, where children can play, discover and learn.