Children’s TV shows do not always translate well to print. Happily, the four books published under the Daniel Cook rubric have not only managed to survive the transition, they show a marked improvement upon the television series.

The four titles are all thorough explorations of their themes. Each book features young Daniel Cook learning hands-on about the topic, as he does in the half-hour episodes shown on Treehouse TV. The books are surprisingly informative, with lots of specific details and facts throughout. Thankfully, young Mr. Cook’s sometimes-officious mannerisms do not make it to the page. Although he’s featured in photos, the books are a departure in style from the TV series, taking the form of a narrative directed at the reader, rather than a passive look into Daniel’s experience of each activity. Each page is filled with information in a standard typeface, and occasionally there’s a photo of Daniel with a printed comment, similar to a word bubble. These comments are few and far between, and don’t distract from the real purpose of the books – to impart information in a clear and fun manner to a young audience. Each book manages to deliver the information in a far less patronizing way than the television series. 

At the end of each book is an activity related to the book’s theme – a paper airplane project in Plane, a snack mix recipe in Hike, and so on. The activities are well thought out and clearly broken into steps that young children with adult assistance can complete competently. They are a nice feature that supports the books’ audience-geared approach, making them a practical and inviting addition to the home, classroom, or library shelf.