Brimful Curiosities

Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George - Origami Baby Chick Poem Printable

2013-04-18T16:11:00.001-05:00

As I child, I understood the poetic magic of origami even before I knew the name of the art. One of my great-great aunt's many skills was paper-folding. She could swiftly make an origami bow tie appear out of a paper scrap. That fascinating talent was as magical ability as anything I'd ever witnessed, and it was always an honor to receive one of her tidy, crisp bow ties.

Since it's National Poetry Month, the kids and I picked up a few new poetry books at the library. One picture book we particularly like has an origami theme -- Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stringer.

The summary on the copyright page states that the book is "a collection of poems about origami animals." In reality, the Fold Me a Poem is much more than a collection. The poems, read together in succession, collectively tell a story about an imaginative boy who plays with his origami creations all day long, from the moment he wakes up in the morning until he falls asleep in his bed at night. The short poems are rather like private thoughts as he brings the origami animals to life, folding them into splendid creatures and playing with them afterward: "Forty bright sheets / of colored paper, / a world of animals. / Who will be next?" The animals race each other, hide, and get into trouble. Even the boy's cat joins in the fun, by attacking and injuring a poor pink ostrich during a "wind storm" produced by a fan. The cleverly designed square book has end papers that look like origami paper. In total, the book contains 32 original poems. It does not include instructions for creating origami animals -- however, the illustrator in her end note mentions various book resources.

This poetry book provides wonderful inspiration for showing children how to capture their own thoughts in poetry form on paper! All children need to do to write their own poems is describe their own play. O'Connell's poems are written in many different forms including haiku, apostrophe (poems of address), mask or persona poems, and process poems, making the book a useful springboard for teaching these styles. Lauren Stringer's painted illustrations beautifully accompany the poems and are instrumental in helping the reader visualize the poems. Stringer skillfully captures the origami creatures -- folding origami is hard enough, but painting all the shadows, showing the folds through illustration takes real talent indeed!

As for favorite poems, I adore "Night," a poem that tells how the boy adds his own star to the night sky. My son likes the poem "Tub" mostly because the illustrations for the poem show many of the origami creations (including a bandaged ostrich) waiting for a ride on an origami boat. My daughter especially likes "Mystery" because it fully captures the wonder and joy of creating your own origami. Anything, yes, anything is possible with a little imagination.

Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stringer. Harcourt (April 2005); ISBN 9780152025014; 32 pages
Book Source: Borrowed from our local library

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Related Links:
Kristine O'Connell George - Author Website
Lauren Stringer - Illustrator Website
Teacher's Guide - Fold Me A Poem

Baby Chick in Egg - Origami and Poem

Today is Poem in Your Pocket Day! When thinking about combining origami and poetry, we chanced upon a verse by the brilliant children's poet, Aileen Fisher. The poem "Baby Chick" questions how a chick knows its way out of the egg. We've created a neat origami project to go along with the poem (plus the paper egg shell makes a neat, handy pocket to tuck the poem into!)

The directions to fold the chick and egg origami can be found at http://www.kutchuk.com. The design is made from a single piece of paper. This is an easy, beginner origami project for kids. I created a pdf template with folding guides to make it even easier to fold your own origami if you'd prefer to use that instead. One is full color and the other can be colored-in by a child. Make sure to print with page scaling set to "none" or unclick "fit to page" so that it doesn't resize the document. Click on the google doc links below to print your own copy (clicking on the image won't work).

Chick in Egg Origami pdf (color) - (download to print properly)

Chick in Egg Origami pdf (black and white) - (download to print properly)

To extend the poetry in a pocket idea and fold a poem, you could have your child write the poem on the paper before folding it into the chick/egg shape! Or, if your child can't write, print out the poem and tuck it into the pocket formed by the folded egg shell.

Tree Awaits Bird Book Spine Poem - National Poetry Month

2013-04-01T13:47:00.000-05:00

Did you know April is National Poetry Month? It's the perfect time to pull down those dusty poetry volumes from your bookshelves and read a few verses with your kids. Better yet, why not start off this month with a goal of reading a poem a day together?

Travis at 100 Scope Notes always kicks off poetry month by compiling Book Spine Poems. He's currently inviting others to submit their best compositions. Our family has participated in the book spine poetry challenge before with a spine poem titled, The Runaway Bunny. This year we scoured our home for books that would fit in with a tree/bird theme and came up with this little ditty:

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

little green

THERE WAS A TREE

OUTSIDE your WINDOW

Waiting for Wings

A HOME FOR BIRD

IN A BLUE ROOM

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

–– What kind of spine poem can you write with the books in your home? Give it try! ––

Over the last few years, we've reviewed several different children's poetry books and have made a few poetry crafts. Here is a sampling of my favorites:

My Poetry Book - When my daughter was younger she made a "My Poetry Book." For an entire month, she selected a poem a day she liked and drew illustrations for each of the poems. She pasted the poems and the illustrations into a composition book.

POET-TREE craft - draw a tree and glue the verses of a tree themed poem to the branches

Miniature Poetry Book - illustrate and assemble your own miniature "A Fairy Went A-Marketing" poetry book

Easter Bunny on the Loose: A Seek and Solve Mystery - Book Review

2013-03-31T18:00:00.000-05:00

The golden egg is missing! Wendy Wax and Dave Garbot's newest picture puzzle book tells of an egg-straordinary egg-mergency. Someone in Easterville has nabbed the Easter Bunny's special golden egg, and the Easter Bunny is on the Loose searching everywhere for clues to discover who took his golden egg. To help solve the mystery, readers must search the detailed, double-page spreads (reminiscent of the Where's Waldo books) to locate the Easter Bunny in the scenes and find important evidence left by an egg-snatching suspect. As each of the clues are located, the possible suspects (pictured in the beginning of the book) can be eliminated one by one until a culprit emerges.

My kids enjoy solve-it-yourself mystery books as well as seek and finds so we were happy to receive this book for review from HarperCollins. The fun, Easter-themed Seek and Solve Mystery kept them happily entertained for quite awhile. Even after they solved the mystery they continued to pour over the busy, comic-style illustrations, looking at all the silly sights in Easterville (An Eggcellent Place to Live). Besides eggs, chicks, and the usual Easter fare, there are bunnies, bunnies everywhere -- bunny ballet, a carrot concession stand and a gigantic chocolate bunny. There's also a green frog hiding in every scene, though we have no idea why he'd be interested in living in Easterville unless he's looking for some hopping lessons.

Do you have a little reading detective in your home? Easter Bunny on the Loose! A Seek and Solve Mystery makes a colorful, amusing addition to any child's spring-themed library. Also it's a good fit for kids that enjoy Where's Waldo or I Spy style books. Other "On the Loose" series books include Monsters on the Loose! and Santa on the Loose!

Easter Bunny on the Loose!: A Seek and Solve Mystery! by Wendy Wax, illustrated by Dave Garbot. HarperCollins (January 2013); ISBN 9780062237095; 32 pages
Source: Review copy provided by publisher

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Related links:
Wendy Wax - Author Website
Dave Garbot - Illustrator Website

Clue Chart - Story Extension

I like to use mystery books to help my kids make use of their critical thinking and problem solving skills. While reading this story and searching the pages, my kids wanted help keeping track of all the clues and suspects (the suspects are pictured in the front of the book). Since the story is essentially an easy logic problem, I printed a chart for them log their clues and eliminate suspects in an organized, systematic fashion.

Download clue chart pdf (google docs)

For more lesson plans, books and activity ideas involving mystery books for young readers view the Ingredients of a Mystery unit plan at Scholastic. There's even a blank suspect list you can print out for free!

Caldecott Picks at Brimful Curiosities

2013-01-28T09:22:00.001-06:00

In a few hours the ALA will announce the 2013 Youth Media Awards. Here in the Brimful home we have considered our picture book favorites from 2012 and are pleased to announce our predictions for the Caldecott Award.

2nd grader picks:

Favorite for Award: Magritte's Marvelous Hat by D.B. Johnson

Honors: Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex

Boot & Shoe by Marla Frazee

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

Preschooler picks:

Favorite for Award: This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Honors: Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex

Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

Brimful Mom's picks:

Favorite for Award: More by I. C. Springman, illustrated by Brian Lies

Honors: Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex

Brimful Dad's picks:

Favorite for Award: Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex

Honors: Step Gently Out by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder

Our Other Favorite 2012 Picture Books:

Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson

Little Dog Lost: The Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic by Mônica Carnesi

National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry edited by J. Patrick Lewis
One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by David Small

Lili on Stage by Rachel Isadora - Nutcracker book review

2012-12-13T16:23:00.000-06:00

Tiny Tot -Waiting to perform in the Nutcracker

We've been living and breathing Nutcracker these past few weeks and months. My daughter performs the part of a Party Girl and a Mirliton in our local Nutcracker production this December. My son plays a smaller role, but he's super cute nonetheless as a Tiny Tot in the party scene. They've both spent a lot of time both back stage, below stage and on stage during rehearsals. Now that the performances have started, we've been spending even more quality time at the theater.

Participating in the Nutcracker production has provided both of my kids with a valuable opportunity to witness first hand all that goes on behind the scenes during a live performance. Most audience members remain blissfully unaware of the hustle and bustle of activity back stage. Make-up and hair, costumes, props and set, lighting, warm-up - the magic begins long before the curtain opens.

As I was researching Nutcracker themed children's books, I came across a wonderful picture book title by Rachel Isadora that provides a unique look at the Nutcracker ballet from a performer's point of view. Lili on Stage follows a young girl named Lili as she gets ready to perform as a party girl in Act I of a Nutcracker production. She and her friends warm-up, put on their make-up and costumes and wait in the wings until finally they walk on stage and join the fabulous party scene, watching as Drosselmeyer gives the gift of a nutcracker. Off stage, as she heads back to the changing room, Lili sees all the dancers who will perform in Act II - Marzipan, Dew Drop, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and more - dressed and ready to dance.

Isadora beautifully captures all the preparation, awe and excitement a young dancer experiences when getting ready to perform in a ballet production. Her lovely watercolor illustrations suit the theme particularly well, realistically and expressively illustrating the dancers. Both boy and girl dancers are portrayed, and Isadora also shows racial diversity of the cast in her depiction of the performers. Isadora herself was a professional dancer before she began a career in children's books. Her first-hand knowledge of ballet and the dancer's life is evident in every single page of this book. Ballet instructors may want to read the story aloud to students before a performance because the book offers plenty of helpful advice for performers: no speaking on stage, hold your head high, don't eat or drink while in costume. Isadora provides readers with a short summary of the Nutcracker story in the beginning of the book.

Mirliton - Dance of the Reed Flutes

My daughter loves this book because it shows all of the different character dancers in Act II of the Nutcracker ballet. She performs as a Mirliton (a.k.a. Marzipan or Shepardess) during the Dance of the Reed Flutes, and surprisingly we've had a hard time finding this particular piece depicted in Nutcracker children's books. Luckily, Isadora included the divertissements, although she uses some different terms for the characters than we are used to -- the Russian (Trepak) I believe is depicted as Candycane?!

Lili on Stage is part of Isadora's "Lili" series, a picture book series perfectly suited for young ballerinas. The book is currently out-of-print, but can be found at a reasonable cost used. Other books in the series include: Lili at Ballet and Lili Backstage.

Lili on Stage by Rachel Isadora. Putnam (October 1995); ISBN 9780399226373; 32 pages
Book Source: Personal copy

Related links:
Rachel Isadora - Website

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

The Nutcracker Musical Storybook App By Mouse King Media

2012-12-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

This December I plan on reviewing several different versions of E. T. A. Hoffman's The Nutcracker. Before I start with the book reviews, I've decided to highlight something a little different, an awesome Nutcracker storybook app that happens to be available for free today on Apple itunes! If you're a fan of the Nutcracker ballet and enjoy the music and the story, this is an app you must absolutely download!

The Nutcracker Musical Storybook is an animated, interactive app based on the ballet version of the Nutcracker. This app by Mouse King Media combines excerpts of Tchaikovsky's music with a short, picture book format story featuring artwork by Yoko Tanaka. The app can be played as either a storybook or movie version.

Illustrator Tanka channels some of the Sugar Plum fairy's magic and beautifully captures the fantasy elements of the Nutcracker in her lovely, enchanting illustrations. It's a splendid treat to interact with this app -- Clara, the Nutcracker, the seven-headed Mouse King and all the dancers magically to spring to life right on the screen. The scenes in The Land of Sweets are incredible, particularly the Russian Dancers scene. The story is not narrated, like other storybook apps, so children will need to read the words themselves or have an adult read aloud the story.

I purchased The Nutcracker Musical Storybook on Amazon for our Kindle Fire last month. Since both my kids are performing in the Nutcracker this holiday season, I thought they might enjoy an interactive version. I highly recommend this app. Even if you can't get it free, it's still a bargain at $2.99. The app provides a nice introduction to both the music of the Nutcracker and also the basic storyline.

The app is available for ipad, Android, Amazon Appstore, and also Nook.

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Home, School and Work Book - Review / Tool Flashcards

2012-11-30T12:00:00.000-06:00

If you've read books together with a preschooler or early elementary aged child I imagine you've seen Mercer Mayer's popular Little Critter books. But if you are like us, you might not be familiar with another of Mercer Mayer's fabulously cute characters -- Little Monster.

Little Monster has pointy ears and teeth, wings and a spiky tail. He's a not-to-scary, overall-wearing, dragon kind of monster that spends his days doing the ordinary things all children do: going to school, spending time with his family and trying to stay out of trouble. The Little Monster series books were first published in the late 1970s, and the bestselling books continue to be popular with young kids today. However, many of the books are now long out-of-print.

FastPencil is helping to bring back the Little Monster books for a new generation to read. The company has released a fantastic Mercer Mayer Classic Collectible four-book series. The books feature Mayer's “Little Monster” character. My family recently had the chance to read one of the books in the series: Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Home School and Work Book.

Though it's printed with different formatting, Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Home, School and Work Book is actually a compilation of three of Mayer's original picture books: Little Monster at Home, Little Monster at School and Little Monster at Work. As collections tend to be, this hardcover book is larger-sized, 92 pages long in all. Each of the stories are treated like separate chapters within the book and a table of content in front indicates page numbers. The book is also available as an e-book download (we received the hardcover copy version to review).

Young kids can easily identify with Little Monster -- after all, even though he's dragon-like, he acts like a normal kid, not a monster! The illustrations in the book are very similar to those in the Little Critter series, packed full of imaginative, action-filled scenes and interesting characters.

My kids especially appreciate how Mayer includes little humorous scenarios within the illustrations including aliens at the airport and a spider inching down from a bathroom sink right in front of a monster cat. In fact, the illustrations are so fun to look at, you'll want to spend a little extra time pouring over the pages while reading to make sure you don't miss anything in the book. Both my kids found the book engaging and enjoyable. It's a good read aloud for preschoolers and also is challenging and interesting enough for early readers. I'd recommend it for ages preschool-2nd grade.

Little Monster gives a tour of his house in Little Monster at Home. He starts with the cellar, a rather unusual choice. (Who starts a home tour with the cellar? - I guess monsters do!) Mayer provides readers with a fun glimpse into the life of the Little Monster family. They take baths and do the laundry just like the rest of us. Little Monster's pet Kerploppus sleeps on the couch, "even though he is not supposed to." The book also details what the family does around the house during the various seasons. I adore the winter illustrations. Little Monster mentions Christmas and likes his house best in wintertime because "it's so very snuggly and warm."

In Little Monster at School, a student named Yally doesn't seem to like school much at all. He gets frustrated easily and wants to be the best at everything. Little Monster shows how to be a good friend and helps brings out the best in Yally by boosting Yally's self-confidence with some well-deserved praise. [In related news, earlier this year Wanderful, Inc. released a Little Monster at School iPad storybook app.]

My son's favorite section of the book is the Little Monster at Work part. The busy illustrations and focus on vocabulary building in this Little Monster story remind me of Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day. Little Monster follows his grandfather to various places and learns about different occupations. Together they visit a road construction site, car shop, T.V. station, circus, newspaper business, medical center, campsite, marina, the moon, a diner, home construction site, airport, farmer's market, the Olympics, craft fair, town square, and also learn about jobs in science. There's not much explanation in the text as to what the various jobs entail, but the illustrations offer unlimited discussion possibilities.

Little Monster Home School and Work Book by Mercer Mayer. FastPencil Premiere (October 2012); ISBN 9781607469452; 92 pages
Book Source: Review copy provided by publisher

Other books in the Mercer Mayer Classic Collectible series include: Little Monster Word Book with Mother Goose; Little Monster Fun and Learn Book and Professor Wormbog In Search for the Zipperump-a-Zoo

Related Links
http://www.mercermayer.com/
http://www.littlecritter.com

Tool Flashcards and Tool Box Educational Activity

The book ends with a question from Little Monster, "Did you see anything in my book that you would like to be?" I asked my son what he wanted to be when he grows up and he replied, "a fixer." That's not entirely surprising considering both of his grandfathers are retired mechanics. We talked about the different tools mechanics use, and I asked him to identify a few common tools. He knew a few but it became quickly apparent that his basic tool vocabulary is lacking.

We were on a vocabulary kick after reading the word heavy "At Work" section of Mayer's book, so I decided to further the educational lessons and make some tool flashcards and a paper tool box envelope to hold the flashcards for my son. Now he knows correct tool terminology and can call the tools by their proper names (both grandpas will be so proud). We've played with the cards in a variety of ways including putting the tools in alphabetical order. I'm considering printing out a second set so we can play Go Fish--tool style.

Hand Tools Activities and Worksheets for Kids
Tool Coloring Pages and Writing Practice - Twisty Noodle
Handy Manny Toolbox Printable - Family.com
T is for Toolbelt Craft - Brilliant Beginnings Preschool
Matching Tools Printable (Pre-K - 1st) - TeacherVision
Tools Printouts - EnchantedLearning.com
Webelos Craftsman Activity Badge Worksheets - Boy Scout Trail
Felt Tools and Toolbox Templates - Serving Pink Lemonade

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins Review - Jewel Beetle insect model made from recycled materials

2012-11-16T14:45:00.000-06:00

Steven Jenkins has a knack for creating non-fiction books that appeal to readers. His fantastic and elaborate torn- and cut-paper collage illustrations take center stage and kids pour over the pages, remarking on the pictures and learning almost effortlessly. The Beetle Book is Jenkins' newest work and a remarkable one at that. The book has received four starred reviews and is one of the New York Times Best Illustrated books of 2012.

The Beetle Book starts out with a compelling introduction, "Line up every kind of plant and animal on Earth and one of every four will be a beetle." With so many beetles in the world, it's a wonder that Jenkins was able to pare down the facts into one 40-page picture book. Yet he manages to provide a kid-friendly overview of the Beetle family as well as briefly highlighting many, many beetles (over 75 different beetles, in fact), some familiar, some unusual. And, the illustrations are simply magnificent!

The book is organized not by beetle species but rather by beetle characteristics. Early in the book Jenkins includes a large diagram labeled with beetle parts. There's also a very small section about the life cycle, and separate segments about food, sounds, senses, movement and size, dispersed among the illustrations along with other topics such as chemical defense and clever disguises. Though many of the beetle illustrations are larger than life, black insect silhouettes found along the edges of the pages are actual size.

Kids will enjoy learning lots of strange and unusual facts about different kinds of beetles from this book and, after reading, should be able to remark on the common traits of beetles. My 2nd grader was especially intrigued by the image of the burying beetle covering a dead bird so its larvae will have food. She also really liked the large head shot of the six-spotted green tiger beetle. After looking at the illustration she noticed for the first time that many beetles have antennae beneath or next to their eyes, not above.

Because Jenkins treats the text almost like captions supporting the illustrations, most readers probably won't read the book in its entirety from cover to cover but instead peruse slowly, reading by choice factual snippets that individually entice. The book leans more toward educational entertainment rather than a hard-core research book useful for writing reports. Though Jenkins includes a useful index of beetles in the book listed by page, a topical index is not included nor are recommended resources for further beetle research. However, the only real criticism I have of the book is that Jenkins, in the beginning, glosses over the main anatomy of insects, only briefly mentioning that beetles have three main body parts like all insects, but never specifically stating what those important parts are (though he shows those parts mixed with other "beetle bits" on his diagram). I wish he had better distinguished these parts (head, thorax and abdomen) from the other parts on his diagram as this book has the potential to be a useful teaching tool for early and middle elementary educators.

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (April 2012); ISBN 9780547680842; 40 pages
Book Source: Copy borrowed from public library

Science Project: Japanese Jewel Beetle Model

made from recycled materials

Jewel Beetle model displayed next to Steve Jenkins' illustrations.

Last month my daughter's teacher sent home an assignment involving insects. Prior to the assignment, the class learned about insects, with a focus on the three main body parts: head, thorax and abdomen. They even learned a special Head, Thorax, and Abdomen song. The teacher asked the kids to create their own insect model out of recycled materials.

My daughter searched through Jenkins' The Beetle Book and also looked at another detailed insect book we have at home, Simon & Schuster Children's Guide to Insects and Spiders and decided to make a jewel beetle. There are over 15,000 jewel beetles in the world so she further narrowed down the type by picking a special beetle called the Japanese Jewel Beetle (Chrysochroa fulgidissima). She was able to find detailed information about this specific beetle in Workman Publishing Company's Bugs Fandex (Fandex Family Field Guides) and also on Wikipedia.

She constructed her bug model using an empty shampoo bottle as the base. She covered the bottle with green tissue paper using Mod Podge. Using acrylic paint, she added details to her beetle and she painted the head green. The hard wing casings are cut from a plastic liter pop bottle and she made the delicate wings out of wax paper and packing tape. The eyes are old buttons hot-glued on to the head and she cut the antennae out of black paper. She used pipe cleaners to construct the six legs.

Bottom view of jewel beetle model.

She learned a lot about jewel beetles and beetles in general from this project. Here's her summary:

My insect model is a Japanese Jewel Beetle. It has colorful, shimmering wings and grows about 1.5 inches long. This Jewel Beetle lives in forests in Japan and is a wood-boring beetle. The larvae chew tunnels in the wood of trees and sometimes destroy the trees. There are over 15,000 different kinds of Jewel Beetles in the world.

Jewel Beetle with wings spread

The model took nearly an entire Saturday to make. The neatest parts of her model are the wings and wing casings. She attached the wings and wing casings to the model with brads and the wings can spread out to fly or fold in just like a real beetle's wings.

Did you know that some people use the beautiful, iridescent wing covers to make jewelry and decorate clothing and other things? Hence the name, I suppose!

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Just Say BOO! by Susan Hood helps kids conquer Halloween fears

2012-10-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Halloween costumes are ready for a night of trick-or-treating. My daughter is dressing up as a Prairie Girl and my son's costume is a Bald Eagle (both hand sewn by me with a little help from my mom). I'm a big fan of homemade costumes because I think they make Halloween just a little more personal and special.

One of my absolute favorite things about Halloween is seeing all the creative costumes. And one of the best things about children's Halloween picture books is the varied illustrations of creative costumes! But sometimes those costumes and the outdoor sights and sounds can be a little too scary ... then what?

Just Say BOO!

Jed Henry's fantastic watercolor illustrations in the new Halloween book Just Say Boo! show trick-or-treaters dressed as a bat, shark, witch and more, posed and ready to say "BOO!" to ward off everything scary. Spooky ghost decorations, howling wind in the trees, grim jack-o'lanterns -- kids can make them all less frightening by shouting BOO! Henry's charming illustrations, combined with Susan Hood's playful text, show young children how to dispel their Halloween fears by making trick-or-treat time fun and silly. The call and answer format of the text makes the book a lively read-aloud and elicits numerous shouts of "BOO!"

"If the ghosts in the trees wibble-wobble your knees, what do you say? .... BOO!"

Best part of all (and something all parents will appreciate), Hood doesn't stop with just BOO. With a little prompt, she reminds kids that there are other things to say on Halloween, too, like the polite and ever important word, THANK YOU!

Going trick-or-treating tonight? This is the perfect book to read beforehand.

Just Say Boo! by Susan Hood, illustrated by Jed Henry. HarperCollins Children's Books (July 2012); ISBN 9780062010292; 32 pages
Book Source: Review copy provided by publisher

Related links:
Susan Hood - Author Website
Jed Henry - Illustrator Website
Just Say Boo! Printable Halloween Cards and Masks

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara - Easy, Last Minute Ghost Halloween Window Decorations

2012-10-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS - right? Maybe not, if there's a certain ghost-catching little girl who lives nearby.

Ghosts in the House, a cute picture book my kids love to read every Halloween, introduces a little girl who is the ULTIMATE Ghostbuster. She moves into a house filled with ghosts but remains unfazed because she knows exactly how to catch ghosts. With help from her black cat friend she puts her bewitching skills to work. And after she catches all the ghosts she puts them into her washing machine!

Kazuno Kohara published this bright orange book only a few years ago in 2008, but the story deserves recognition as a classic Halloween tale. Perfect for preschoolers and early elementary kids, it's sure to remain a Halloween favorite of young kids for many years to come. The ghosts in the book aren't scary at all, and the amusing storyline elicits a few giggles with each reading. Best of all are the unique linocut illustrations. Using a limited palette of orange and black, Kohara creates bold, cleanly designed haunted house images. She superimposes white see-through ghosts over the orange background and black lines. The effect is stunning -- the ghosts look like magical tissue paper apparitions!

Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara. Roaring Brook Press / Macmillan (August 2008); ISBN 9781596434271; 32 pages
Book Source: Copy from our personal library

Ghost Window Craft

The kids liked the idea of having a house filled with friendly ghosts, so we made a few translucent ghosts for our window out of freezer paper. Our ghosts look exactly like the ghost waving out of the window of the house on the front cover of Ghosts in the House (you can sort of see the window grid pattern through our ghosts, too). The freezer paper ghosts are a cheap and easy last minute Halloween decoration that the kids can help with. We colored in the eyes and mouth with a black permanent marker. Now our house is haunted but with cute ghosts, not spooky ones!

I wasn't the first to come up with this fabulous Halloween decorating idea -- I saw it on ... where else? ... a Pinterest pin from My Material Life.

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

October Carnival of Children's Literature 2012

2012-10-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the October Carnival of Children's Literature! What's brewing in the blog world of children's books? The cauldron is bubbling over! Read on to find oodles of books and posts on a multitude of topics.

For those not familiar with the Carnival of Children's Literature, it is a monthly round-up of submitted blog posts about children's literature. The carnival is hosted at a different blog every month. Find out more and/or participate in the carnival at Anastasia Suen's Booktalking.

Wondering about the cute cauldron pictured over to the right? -- It contains my family's collection of Halloween books. I borrowed the book cauldron idea from Obseussed after seeing it on Pinterest.

Beware! BOOks
Since it's the spooky time of the year, let's start off the Carnival with:

Halloween themed books

The Picture Book Review introduces the picture book, Asiago by Adam McHeffey.
Tiffa, a fellow stay-at-home mom recently enjoyed the book with her son and says, "Asiago is a great book for young children. It has a vampire theme that will mesh well with Halloween without being all about Halloween. This book deserves more attention and more readers."

Storied Cities recommends a picture book she discovered by accident, The Trip by Ezra Jack Keats.
According to Erica, "This is one of the few Halloween picture books with an urban setting. It's also one of Keats' lesser known titles (or so I believe)."

The Adventures in Writing & Publishing featured a series of posts in October called 13 Lucky Days of Halloween Reviews. There's a wide assortment of spooky, fun books for a range of ages. One of Lisa's posts is about a non-fiction book by Capstone Press, How to Carve Freakishly Cool Pumpkins by Sarah L. Schuette.

The Cath in the Hat reminds us that Halloween is just around the corner with her review of an enticing short chapter book (also a CYBILS nominee), Maybelle and the Haunted Cupcake by Katie Speck, illustrated by Paul Ratz de Tagyos.

Early Literacy/Picture Books

Monkey Poop is back to blogging with a review of Ugly Fish by Kara LeReau; illustrated by Scott Magoon. It's a "kooky picture book" that her 2.5 year old finds hilarious.

Flowering Minds offers a must-read for inquisitive minds -- The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers. Darshana says this picture book is, "a quirky, imaginative introduction to the “whodunit” genre for young readers with a message of conservation, recycling, and forgiveness."

Stacey Localzo changed her mind about books containing speech bubbles after reading a book perfect for early readers or a reader who has yet to discover they love reading -- A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse by Frank Viva. "The simple text, picture support and graphic style all make for a winning selection."

True Tales & a Cherry on Top reviews Magritte's Marvelous HAT by D. B. Johnson. Jeanne comments, "The book is inspired by a real person -- the surrealist artist Rene Magritte and the author imagines Rene Magritte as a dog in his surreal world. Author, D.B. Johnson says, 'You try on a hat that floats in the air and leads you to a place where anything is possible and everything is impossible.' And how impossibly wonderful is that?!"

NC Teacher Stuff reviews a neat-looking new book, Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford; illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska. Jeff sums it up -- "Infinity and Me is a terrific fiction picture book about a girl who ponders the concept of infinity. The text and the artwork will help students better understand this concept."

Brimful Curiosities introduces a fantastic robot book, BOY + BOT by Ame Dyckman; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. "Simply and perfectly told with bold, eye-pleasing illustrations, this is quite possibly the best robot picture book we've ever read (and believe me, we've read several)." Plus, Janelle and son show off their stellar robot building skills by constructing a BOT out of LEGOs.

Little Hearts/Gentle Parenting Resources provides a list of 25 Must-Have Books for Preschooler Bookworms. Her list includes many favorites including Go Away, Big Green Monster, Harold and the Purple Crayon, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and some more unusual recommendations like Light Up the Night (a book my own preschooler enjoyed this summer).

Horribly Humorous History for Kids presents an intriguing post this month discussing 19th century alphabet books for kids. "ABC books can be a snapshot of the kinds of pictureable objects that would have been familiar to kids in times past, and some of the pictured objects are, well, shocking to our modern eye." Sarah's post titled, N is for Nylghau, also shows how ABC authors handled the letter X, in the era before X rays were invented.

Non-Fiction

Wrapped in Foil shares a book for little architects -- Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Hale. This is a new, nonfiction picture book that "pairs illustrations of children building with common materials and an intriguing shape poem about the process with amazing photographs of actual structures from around the world."

SimplyScience Blog reviews Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm, a "lovely book explains ocean food chains and the source of energy that runs them--phytoplankton."

Chapter Books / Middle Grade / Fiction

Playing by the Book shares a modern-day fairy story, Operation Bunny by Sally Gardner, illustrated by David Roberts. Zoe writes, "Operation Bunny is a beautifully written and very funny book for fluent young readers about fairies, detectives and a talking cat. We also made our own miniature fairy wings to go with the story."

Literary Lunchbox is a panelist for the CYBILS, and she is enjoying judging middle grade fiction, her greatest literary love. Ali reviews three "well-written and wonderfully readable books." [The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin, The Humming Room by Ellen Potter and The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine]

Shelf-employed reviews a middle-grade graphic novel, Drama by Raina Telgemeier. The book is "written in “acts” rather than chapters" and "Telgemeier breaks new ground in introducing gay characters to a novel for younger readers (ages 10 and up)."

Book Aunt's entry is about the "Super Middle Grade" with reviews of four recent middle grade books about secret societies, super powers, conspiracies, and super villains. [Capture the Flag by Kate Messner; Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung, The Cloak Society by Jeremy Kraatz and The Secret Prophecy by Herbie Brennan]

Geo Librarian reviews an amusing and touching middle grade book, Ungifted by Gordon Korman. The author "demonstrates that while not all students have academic talents, everyone has something to add to the school environment."

Boys Rule Boys Read! shares some good fiction about the early days of baseball. [Bill Penant, Babe Ruth, and Me by Timothy Tocher; Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta; Lucky: Maris, Mantle and My Best Year Ever by Wes Tooke; and the Sluggers series by Phil Bilden and Loren Long]

Yellow Brick Reads reviews Philip Pullman's much-anticipated adaptation, Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version. To mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of Children's and Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm, Pullman has rewritten 50 out of the original 211 tales.

Teens/Young Adult

Great Kid Books reviews Every Day by David Levithan. Mary Ann writes, "I was absolutely fascinated by David Levithan's new book EVERY DAY. It raises questions about identity, memory, relationships in a way that will appeal to teens. I call this realistic fantasy - it is definitely fantasy, but one that will appeal to teens who like realistic fiction."

Poetry

No Water River welcomes everyone to Poet-a-Palooza. Join in a celebration of the publication of Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong's important classroom poetry resource, The Poetry Friday Anthology. The post includes an interview with Janet and Sylvia as well as poetry videos by Jane Yolen, Ken Slesarik, Stephanie Calmenson, and Michael J. Rosen.

Book Projects

Teaching Authors -- April Halprin Wayland, talks about her struggles finishing a novel she's been working on for 14 years. She also shares her related original poem, "Patience."

Interviews

Barbies on Fire interviews children's book author Darcy Pattison and reviews her latest book, Desert Baths. "The book explores the unusual bathing rituals of many animals living in the American Southwest. It's a great book filled with continuing education resources for those curious about desert critters."

Booktalking goes behind the scenes and talks to Margaret Quinlin, editor (and publisher) of Carmen Agra Deedy's lastest book, Return of the Library Dragon.

Picture Books & Pirouettes interviews picture book author Sarah Lynn. The interview highlights Lynn's publications experiences, which range from iPhone Apps to traditionally published books, and offers advice for aspiring authors. Sarah Lynn's newest book is 1-2-3 Va-Va-Vroom! A Counting Book.

The November edition of Carnival of Children's Literature will be posted at There’s A Book

Thanks for stopping by!

BOY + BOT by Ame Dyckman Book Review - Make Your own LEGO Bot Character

2012-10-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

I've traipsed through many a wood and have collected my share of pinecones, but never, never on any of my adventures have I come across a friendly, mechanized, working robot. I must be walking through the wrong kind of woods, because in Ame Dyckman's picture book world this scenario is entirely possible.

Simply and perfectly told with bold, eye-pleasing illustrations by robot-lover Dan Yaccarino, BOY + BOT is quite possibly the best robot picture book we've ever read (and believe me, we've read several). The story-line goes like this: Boy walks through the woods. Boy meets a big, red robot. Boy and robot problem-solve. Robot and boy become BFF. Now obviously there's more to it than that, like for instance both boy and bot have similar "misunderstood malfunctions" and need fixing, but to say any more would spoil the fun. Read the robot parts aloud in your best robot voice. Remark on all the fun things the robot and boy do together like swimming, apple-picking and rock-skipping. And remember, little boys do not need oiling, and never, ever feed your robot applesauce.

This book deservedly received starred review from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly. Take our word for it (and theirs), if you have a young, robot-loving child, BOY + BOT is for them and worth purchasing.

Fun fact: If you look closely at the illustrations in BOY + BOT you'll discover one of Yaccarino's creative additions to the story -- a light-bulb shaped, one-eyed robot that Ame Dyckman calls "Watt." Not surprisingly, illustrator Dan Yaccarino has a self-described "slight penchant for robots." He is also the author/illustrator of another robot picture book, If I Had a Robot, a story about a boy who dreams about all the things he could or wouldn't have to do if he had a robot. His robot illustrations have a retro, vintage look reminiscent of those tin wind-up robot toys from the past.

Related links:
Ame Dyckman - Author Website
Dan Yaccarino - Illustrator Website

BOY + BOT by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. Alfred A. Knopf / Random House (April 2012); ISBN 9780375867569; 32 pages
Book Source: copy from our personal library

Sadly we have not discovered our own robot friend in the woods, so my son and I did the next best thing ... made our own robot out of LEGOs. Our LEGO collection is large and diverse enough to provide ample parts for robot building. We have eyes, connecting parts to make arms that swing and plenty of multi-sized, red blocks.

My son insisted that our BOT robot have a power switch in the back. Pair the LEGO bot with a boy mini-figure and let the book play-acting begin!

'"What's wrong?" the boy asked. The robot did not answer.

"Are you sick?" the boy asked. The robot still did not answer.

"I must help him," the boy said."'

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Autumn ABC Nature Activity

2012-10-11T11:09:00.000-05:00

A is for Acorns

B is for Bark

C is for Crunchy Leaves

While waiting for the school bus to arrive, my son and I gathered some items from nature and practiced writing the first letters of the alphabet. I find it hard to believe that autumn is in full swing and the leaves are already changing colors and falling to the ground. Our summer passed by quickly and despite the fact that I didn't blog about our activities, our days were full of fun activities and plenty of books. The ABC game also provides me a good way to remark on my blogging hiatus.

A = I Apologize for my Absence, summer Activities kept me otherwise occupied

B = Still Busy but now hopefully Back to Blogging about Books and our Bustling life

C = Creative endeavors sometimes Call for a Cathartic break

Bald Eagle Snack Food Mosaic - The Eagle and the Great Seal of the United States

2012-07-03T15:30:00.000-05:00

In preparation for Independence Day, we made a fun 4th of July snack using crackers and pretzels. This eagle cracker mosaic is a relatively healthy treat to take to an 4th of July party.

If you'd like to try making one for the upcoming holiday, here are the four types of crackers/pretzels we used in our creation:
White Cheddar Cheez-It Crackers
Snyder's of Hanover Cheddar Cheese Sandwiches Pretzels
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers
Generic brand pretzel sticks

Since 1782 the bald eagle has been a national symbol of the United States. On the front of the Great Seal, the eagle is shown clutching an olive branch in the right talon and a bundle of thirteen arrows in the left talon. This unique design represents the power of peace and war.

I took some time today to discuss the symbolism of the eagle with my kids, in particular, the eagle's depiction on the Great Seal. We used the back of a U.S. one-dollar bill for reference. Obviously much thought and planning went into the design of this U.S. seal and the process took six years. Many variations were submitted to Congress, and the eagle was not the focal part of the originally submitted design for the seal but was ultimately prominently featured in Charles Thomson's design in 1782.

The eagle, "on the wing and rising," is a symbol of freedom and liberty. The number "13" appears to be a theme throughout the seal, the number representing the thirteen colonies that declared independence from the British Empire and later becoming the first states in the United States of America. Here's one surprising fact -- Did you know that there are thirteen letters in the motto, "E pluribus unum," which means Out of Many, One? [View this website for further information: Symbols of U.S. Government: The Great Seal of the United States]

Obverse Side of the Great Seal - "The most prominent feature is the American bald eagle supporting the shield, or escutcheon, which is composed of 13 red and white stripes, representing the original States, and a blue top which unites the shield and represents Congress. The motto, E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one), alludes to this union. The olive branch and 13 arrows denote the power of peace and war, which is exclusively vested in Congress. The constellation of stars denotes a new State taking its place and rank among other sovereign powers." -- The Great Seal of the United States, United States Department of State, Publication No. 10411, 1996

I found an image for the kids to color that shows the front of the Great Seal on page 7 in the Symbols of the U.S. Government pdf booklet.

Relating to eagles and the U.S., one famous bald eagle in American history is Old Abe, the mascot of the 8th Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. The mighty eagle accompanied the regiment during various battles from 1861-1864 and was later kept at the Wisconsin State Capitol until his death in 1881.

Related Links:
NIE - Symbols of Patriotism
Enchanted Learning - The Great Seal of the U.S.A.
Eagle/Great Seal Lesson Plan - "Homeschool" is Not a Typo
National Symbols: The Great Seal

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Father's Day GPS Card - Because Your Daddy Loves You by Andrew Clements Book Review

2012-06-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

This morning we turned our dining room into a Father's Day card factory. The kids worked on special cards that look like portable GPS navigation systems (only our versions are a lot cheaper than the real deal and, best of all, they are each personalized). The Brimful Dad would really like a handheld GPS for Father's Day. When or if he decides to purchase one, we'll let him pick it out himself. In the meantime, we're positive he'll appreciate our GPS card creation! The kids also made GPS cards for all of their grandpas and their uncle.

I used Microsoft Word to create a template that looks like a car GPS for the kids to personalize. In place of the GPS map, they drew self-portraits along with a picture of the card recipient. Inside they added a heart made out of red foam paper. They glued the white GPS rectangles to black cardstock.

Our Father's Day GPS cards read:
Outside: Our [grandpa/dad] guides us each and every day.
Inside: But he doesn't need a GPS ... he lovingly guides with his heart! Happy Father's Day!

I've made the GPS Father's Day Card template [pdf] available for download from Google Docs, in case you'd like to borrow the idea.

In all actuality, a GPS and a father have a lot in common. A GPS system guides the trusting user to a destination. In a similar way, a father guides his children through life with love and compassion, despite the inevitable road blocks and detours. Here's a picture book that focuses on a father who guides with his heart.

Because Your Daddy Loves You by Andrew Clements, illustrated by R.W. Alley. Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (April 2005); ISBN 9780618003617; 32 pages (Review copy from library)

Because Your Daddy Loves You by Andrew Clements is a book about a very patient and loving father. The book starts and ends with bedtime, and the little girl and her father visit a beach during the day. The dad's patience never wavers and he remains positive and cheerful, despite many mishaps and obstacles. When the little girl loses a shoe, her father helps her look, finds it, and helps her put it on her foot. When the little girl makes a mess eating her ice cream cone, he cleans her up without scolding remarks. The dad even reads his daughter her favorite story without complaint, even though it's a story he's already read several times before. He continually shows her his love through his kind and caring actions.

Parenting requires an extraordinary amount of patience as Clements' book clearly illustrates. It is our job as parents to try and remain calm, guide with love and help our children grow into respectful, caring individuals. Obviously, all parents are going to have moments when patience goes out the window. In other reviews of this book, Clements has taken some flak for his overly rosy depiction of a father's parenting style and others have remarked on the "hovering" tendencies of the father. The problem with these criticisms is that it is hard to judge the age of the little girl in the book. I'm assuming that she's probably a small toddler and a toddler's abilities tend to be quite limited. They require more hands-on, nurturing parenting.

My kids are getting a little too old for this father/child themed book, but I would recommend it for very small children and new dads. It's a very sweet story and the lovely illustrations by R.W. Alley are full of emotion and reassuring images. Plus, the dad isn't depicted as a supermodel, he's just an average Joe -- a little chubby and very lovable.

Because Your Mommy Loves You by Andrew Clements, illustrated by R.W. Alley. Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (April 2012); ISBN 9780547255224; 32 pages (Review copy provided by publisher)

This year Andrew Clements released a companion book to Because Your Daddy Loves You featuring a mother and son. The book was out in time for Mother's Day. Interestingly enough, the mother in this newest story, though patient like the dad, emphatically encourages independence and self-reliance. In the book, a mother and son embark on a camping trip together. The child encounters a few difficulties along the way, and the mother helps her son overcome adversity without stepping in and doing everything for him. When the boy gets lost in the store, she doesn't go rushing after him but has him follow her voice back, gives him a hug and asks him to promise not to wander off. When the boy tires while hiking, she doesn't offer to carry his backpack for him, but instead they take a snack break before continuing up the trail.

The mom in this book certainly maintains a hands-off parenting style throughout the book, though she still snuggles and offers comforting support, especially at bedtime. The book is a good reminder to parents that it is important to instill in children a sense of responsibility, even at an early age. R.W. Alley's colorful watercolor, ink and acrylic illustrations portray lovely outdoor scenes set in a national forest complete with a rainbow sunset and a cozy star lit evening.

Related Links:
Andrew Clements - Author
R.W. Alley - Illustrator

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Book Giveaway - Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer Review

2012-05-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mornings would be so much brighter if every box of cereal contained a book to read! That's why I always look forward to the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories® program every year. The Spoonful of Stories program recently celebrated its 10 year anniversary with the distribution of more than six million children books! This year's books could be found free inside specially marked Cheerios boxes starting in March 2012. However, if your area is anything like ours, the boxes flew off the shelves! But don't worry if you missed all the new stories this year -- read on for a giveaway you won't want to miss.

Several great Simon & Schuster small-sized paperback books were offered this year in the Cheerios boxes. The selection featured six picture book titles, written in both English and Spanish and appropriate for ages three to eight:

● Noodle & Lou by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Arthur Howard
● Hello Baby! by Mem Fox and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
● If I Were a Jungle Animal by Amanda Ellery and illustrated by Tom Ellery
● Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni and Slade Morrison and illustrated by Joe Cepeda
● Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Scott Magoon
● Can I Just Take a Nap? by Ron Rauss and illustrated by Rob Shepperson

In addition to providing books in the cereal boxes, Cheerios made a $300,000 donation to First Book, a literacy focused non-profit, and also gave 5000 children's books to 10 First Book local volunteer chapters nationwide.

I applaud Cheerios for promoting literacy through this wonderful book distribution program. If only they could continue the program year round, and work together with other publishers to get more free books in the hands of children!

One of the best things about the books is that they are bilingual! (And, due to the small paperback size (7" x 5-1/4"), they are also very portable and easy to stash inside a bag for trips.) My kids and I have been reading a few of the Spoonful of Stories titles this week to brush up on our Spanish just in time for Cinco de Mayo.

Both my kids really enjoy reading Tammi Sauer's Mostly Monsterly (Mayormente Monstruosa). The book stars a mostly monsterly little girl monster named Bernadette (though for a monster she's not really all that scary and pretty darn adorable). Though she has fangs and fur she doesn't really act like a monster. She picks flowers and exhibits other nice sweet tendencies not typically seen in your standard, everyday monster. Because she's just a little different, she doesn't fit in terribly well with the other monsters at school. Thankfully, little Bernadette is as clever as she is cute, and she finds a way to bond with her classmates while remaining true to her slightly sweet, monsterly self.

Bernadette, the contradictory sweet yet still monster-ish character, provides for quite a few laughs. Magoon does such a splendid job in capturing both of Bernadette's qualities in his illustrations. Bernadette wears skullbone accessories and has sharp, pointing teeth and ears, but somehow she's not really scary at all but perfectly adorable! In fact, all the monsters in the book seem to have a likeable, familiar cuteness about them. There's one spread in the book with the monsters hanging from trees that reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are. This is one of those stories that could get a little preachy if written the wrong way, but Sauer manages to get the "it's OK to be yourself" message across in a sneaky, subtle way, while also showing that sometimes it's best to work out difficult situations through compromise.

Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Scott Magoon. Simon & Schuster (August 2010); ISBN 978141696110; 40 pages

Mostly Monsterly Self-Portrait Monster Art Activity

Sauer's book, with the "be yourself" message and monster theme, provides a fun tie-in opportunity for kids show off their own individual artistic skills and create individual, personalized monsters. To jump-start the project, I took a picture of both of the kids, cut out their faces and attached the photos to paper. Armed with markers, they took over from there and created little, mostly monsterly and very silly versions of themselves.

I've noticed lately that my preschool age son is hesitant to create self-portrait drawings or drawings of people because the little perfectionist in him is never satisfied with the result. His drawings never turn out the way he thinks they should look and he gives up. It's a bit of a challenge to get him to draw anything, but this monster project was a huge hit and he's wanted to make several more pictures. Because we start with an established face and work in an imaginary world, it's easier for him to concentrate on the creative aspects of drawing and worry less about it looking realistic.

Add your kids craft post to the Kid's Get Crafty linky at Red Ted Art's Blog. Wrote a post about play? Join the It's Playtime party! Find more great book tie-ins at JDaniel4's Mom Read, Explore, Learn link-up.

I have an extra copy of the Cheerios Spoonful of Stories paperback version of Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Scott Magoon to give away to a lucky Brimful Curiosities reader.

For a chance to win, comment about the best free item you've discovered inside a cereal box.

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.
• Contest is open to US only
• Contest ends on Monday, May 14th, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST.
• Winner will be chosen at random and sent an email notification.

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4; please leave a separate comment for each entry):
1st extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.
2nd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.
3rd extra entry: Follow Me via GFC or Facebook or subscribe by email or RSS reader

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. Thanks to General Mills for providing my family with a set of this year's Spoonful of Stories titles to review. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

May Day Baskets

2012-05-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

My kids spread some spring cheer yesterday by hanging May Baskets on our neighbor's doors. We made 12 baskets total and placed a marigold plant inside each one. We usually use cut flowers from around the yard but this year, due to the early spring, all of our spring flowers are already finished blooming!

It only takes 3 pieces of 12" x 12" scrapbook paper to make 12 holders. Cut each piece of scrapbook paper into four - 6 inch square sections. Fold the squares into cones using the guide below. Staple the cone flaps together, punch holes on the sides and add a piece of ribbon for a handle.

We also attached a little May Day poem to our baskets. I found a lovely poem in an old poetry book, Tentative poems; a collection of verse written during the past four years by Charles Frederick James Nightingale Stott. The poem is titled "May-Day" and below is the portion we included with our baskets:

"All around in nature's world

Visions bright are seen to-day,

Blossoms of the thorn unfurled

Tell my soul 'tis gladsome May!"

- Charles Frederick James Nightingale Stott

Full to the Brim - Kid's Book Giveaway List (4/27/12)

2012-04-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Full to the Brim is a list I compile by hand of children's book giveaway online contests. Please check out my other "Full to the Brim" posts as well. Many contests are still underway. I *try to* publish "Full to the Brim" every Friday, though this month my postings have been few and far between. If I missed your book giveaway, feel free to mention it in the comment section or send me an email.

Book Giveaways:
Mommy of Two Little Monkeys - Ends 5/15
Little Learner Children's Books from Parragon Publishing
Simply Stacie - Ends 5/10
Take Two and Bug Off by Jane Yolen
Mommies with Cents - Ends 5/2
Prize pack of baseball books from Candlewick Press
The Children's Book Review - Ends 5/8
Rosie Flo’s Coloring Fashion Show by Roz Streeten
Mundie Kids - Ends ??
Puzzled by Pink by Sarah Frances Hardy
Mommy Maestra - Ends 4/30
United States Activity Atlas
Silver Dolphin Books Blog - Ends 4/30
Classic Books from Thunder Bay Press: Jane Austen, War & Peace and The Arabian Nights
Books 4 Learning - Ends 4/30
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Bookalicious - Ends 4/30
Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe by Nathan Bransford (middle grade)
Simply Shop and Save - Ends 4/4
I Can Read! Princesses Twins book set by Zonderkidz
No Water River - Ends 4/29
The House by J. Patrick Lewis
Teaching Authors - Ends 5/21
one of three $30 gift certificates from Biblio.com
Good Reads with Ronna - Ends 5/9
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, plus a promotional JBJ calendar
The Hate-Mongering Tart - Ends 4/30
3 Books from Candlewick Press: Falling Hard by Betsy Franco, The Watch that Ends the Night by Allan Wolf & The Hound Dog's Haiku by Michael J. Rosen
The Hate-Mongering Tart - Ends 4/30
FORGET-ME-NOTS: Poems to Learn by Heart by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley
Walden Pond Press - Ends 4/30
Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky, The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy, and Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (middle school/YA)

TeachingBooks.net Blog offers several giveaways each month. The April 2012 giveaways include: A Little Book About Feelings and My Feelings Activity Book, Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World, How Many Jelly Beans, Guacamole, and The Surrender Tree. View their site for details: http://forum.teachingbooks.net/?p=8327

Because Your Mommy Loves You by Andrew Clements, illustrated by R. W. Alley -- Giveaways
5 Minutes for Mom – Ends 5/3
Resourceful Mommy – Ends 5/7
Our Ordinary Life – Ends 5/6

The Extraordinary Education of Nicolas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart --- Giveaways (middle grade)
5 Minutes for Books – Ends 5/2
Frugality is Free – Ends 5/16
Milk and Cookies – Ends 4/30
A Life Bound by Books – Ends 4/28
Mundie Kids – Ends ??

Mo Willems’ Pigeon and Pals 2 DVD set by Scholastic Storybook Treasures/NewKideo --- Giveaways
Muse Reviews – Ends 5/1
Building Carpenters – Ends 5/8
Natural Mama – Ends 5/10
Connected 2 Christ – Ends 5/2
Wee Share – Ends 5/4
A Mom's Take – Ends 5/4

Fish for more children's book giveaways at Lori Calabrese's Fish for a Free Book linkup each Friday

Wordless Wednesday - when the world is mud-luscious

2012-04-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Find more of this week's Wordless Wednesday (or Wordful) posts at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Ultimate Blog Party 2012

2012-04-14T08:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the 2012 Ultimate Blog Party at Brimful Curiosities! Please grab a wood stump chair, put up your feet, make yourself at home and stay awhile. We like to keep things whimsical and relaxed here.

My name is Janelle -- I'm the hostess and blog proprietor here at Brimful Curiosities. I'm a stay-at-home mom to two young children. And, in case you didn't guess by the subtitle, I like to read children's books with my kids and blog about our reading experiences. We also spend time crafting, exploring the outdoors and doing all the normal things families do together like building Christmas trees out of books and making silly things out of Popsicle sticks.

One of the regular features here is my Full to the Brim - Kid's Book Giveaway List, published each Friday (though this year I've been somewhat lax at publishing each week, but I hope to get back into the groove soon). If you like children's books and entering giveaways, you'll probably want to take a look at my lists. Additionally, my kids and I often post a fun, book-related craft each week, and I try post a photo for Wordless Wednesday each week. Other than that, my posts vary ranging from reviews to personal observations.

April is National Poetry Month so we've been reading a few poems together. This week our favorite poetry book is Shel Silverstein's Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook. It's full of spoonerisms in rhyming verse -- poems that feature crazy, mixed-up words with switched letters that can take on new meanings. The poems in Silverstein's book inspired this amateur attempt at writing spoonerisms. It's my topsy-turvy description of what Brimful Curiosities (or rather Crimful Buriosities) is all about:

Crimful Buriosities is a blog
mostly about bhildren's cooks.
My family likes to cead and rraft,
be sure to lake a took!
Niction or fon-fiction,
it doesn't batter a mit.
On our lrips to the tibrary,
we always bind fooks that are a hit.
Besides books, it's sard to hay
just what I'll decide to post.
Products, giveaways, Full to the Brim, nature activities,
it's best not to bit and soast.
So friends, don't hesitate to stop, hay si!
I cruly therish each and every comment left here.
And I promise to feturn the ravor,
it's cun to fonnect at the UBP every year!

This is my fourth year participating in the party, and I've been blogging since 2008. If you want to know more about me you can read my previous party posts 2011 and 2010 and 2009.

And, if you'd like, connect with me via other social media sites: @iambrimful or Facebook or http://pinterest.com/brimful/

Thanks for visiting!

The Three Trees by Elena Pasquali - Book Review and Stand Up Cross Craft

2012-04-12T10:44:00.017-05:00

I know that many people read the story of the three trees at Christmas, but for me the story is one that evokes especially poignant emotions at Easter. While several retellings of this story exist, I really like this new, beautifully illustrated picture book version by Elena Pasquali and illustrated by Sophie Windham.

"Long ago, on a hillside, stood three trees ... Under the cold night sky that glittered with stars, they dreamed their dreams."

The Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale by Elena Pasquali, illustrated by Sophie Windham. Lion UK / Kregel (September 2011); ISBN 9780745962894
Book Source: Copy from our personal library

The Three Trees folktale is one with a Christian message that tells of Jesus' life journey from cradle to cross from the perspective of three forest trees. Each of the three trees stand together on a hill and dream of greatness: the first wants to be made into a chest and hold a fine treasure, the second yearns to be a proud ship and carry a king and the third tree hopes to remain forever on the hillside pointing to heaven. One day, woodcutters climb the hill and chop down the trees. The three trees lament over their situations as the forms they eventually take are not as they had dreamed. However, overtime the trees each realize they play a greater role than they could ever imagine. They are each part of God's plan and play a part in Jesus's life.

I like several things about this version of the familiar tale. First of all it provides a wonderful example of how God's will may not always be the same as our will, but God does have wonderful plan, a purpose in mind for each and every one of us. Also, in Windham's illustrations each of the trees is different, just like each of God's children. The text is not overly long and slightly simplified when compared to alternate retellings, and Pasquali retains the heart and emotion of the story. For this reason, this retelling is particularly suited for younger children. Windham's folksy artistic style definitely is a good fit for this story. My kids remarked at all the extra details in Windham's colorful illustrations, and we especially like the elaborate borders and different sized panels.

"The tree that had borne his death was now a symbol of his life. And the third tree knew that it would stand for ever, pointing to heaven."

Because of the way the final sentences are worded, the book can be used as a useful tool in talking about the symbolism of the cross in Christianity -- the cross is not only a symbol of the suffering and death of Jesus but, as it stands empty pointing toward heaven, it also serves a reminder of the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ. Windham's final illustration shows a cross superimposed over a tree full of life, a lovely image showing the Easter blessing of new life through Jesus Christ.

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ Stand Up Cross Craft ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞
My kids made 3D crosses that stand up as a tie-in activity for The Three Trees book. In order to make this cross you need two pieces of cardstock paper. Cut out two identical cross patterns, then cut halfway down one cross and halfway up the other cross. To make the cross stand up, fit the two crosses together up the center. Once you have the cross assembled, flatten and color on all four sides. We strengthened our crosses with a bit of tape at the top and the bottom.

Printable PDF Cross Craft Template - Print on 8 x 11" paper:

The craft is really simple to make but it looks beautiful and points to heaven just like the cross in the book. Another craft that would correspond well with this book is the Life of Jesus Cross Craft found at Prekinders. You could adapt the images to show the parts of Jesus's life discussed in the book.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
- Hebrews 12:2

A Mommy's Adventures hosts the "stART" meme (Story + Art) each week. Add your kids craft post to the Kid's Get Crafty linky at Red Ted Art's Blog. Join in Read Aloud Thursday at Hope is the Word. Wrote a post about play? Join the It's Playtime party! Find more great book tie-ins at JDaniel4's Mom Read, Explore, Learn link-up.

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Rosie Flo's Fashion Show Pop-up Coloring Runway Set - Review and Giveaway

2012-04-11T08:30:00.009-05:00

Today you're cordially invited to my daughter's virtual coloring fashion show, a glitzy extravaganza showcasing the new Rosie Flo's Fashion Show Pop-up Coloring Runway Set. My daughter has worked hard and long to ready her fabulous models and spectators for the show.

Rosie Flo's Fashion Show is a box gift set published by Chronicle Books that contains a ready-to-assemble paper theater and catwalk along with 18 paper models, 8 front-row spectators and a little poodle for kids to color and personalize. There are also pop-up chairs for the front-row spectators, little invitations to pass out and a paper camera to set up at the show. Along with coloring in all the designer dresses, kids get to complete the character line drawings, a sort of "filling-in-a-person" drawing activity. Like all Rosie Flo products, the dresses are ready for a creative mind to take over and add heads, faces, legs, arms and all the extra flourishes. Kids get creative by making up their own characters to fit the costumes.

The pop-up theater is impressively detailed, both inside and out. Models "get-ready" at the outside back of the theater in a dressing room and then enter through the doors onto the catwalk. No glue or scissors is required and the theater itself isn't too hard to assemble though smaller kids will probably need some assistance. According to the outside of the box, this set is recommended for ages six and up but with parental help I imagine younger kids would also enjoy coloring and creating the models.

My artsy daughter has already spent several hours drawing and coloring the models and spectators in her set and still has several more models to color. I asked her what she likes most about this product and she replied that, "It is better than a coloring book because when you are done coloring you can play with it. It is hard work but a lot of fun because you get to draw people."

Models walking the catwalk.

A variety of spectators watch the fashion show.

As a parent I really like that this set challenges young artists by helping them practice the art of drawing people. The ready-made dress sketches help set the proportions and kids can take off from there by making their own creative characters and adding color and expression. The 3D pop-up theater is also wonderful as it allows the kids to endlessly play with their creations after they are finished completing the characters. In addition, a group of girls could easily work on the project together because of the large number of figures included in the set.

If you have an artistic child, this product would make an excellent gift. No markers or colors are included with the set, so make sure to purchase those as well if the child doesn't already have their own art supplies.

Rosie Flo's Coloring Fashion Show by Roz Streeten. Chronicle Books (March 2012); ISBN 9781452107844

The Rosie Flo’s Coloring Fashion Show Set product released a few weeks ago and Chronicle Books has kindly offered to give away a copy to a Brimful Curiosities reader.

For a chance to win, take a look at the spectators my daughter drew (pictured above) and let her know which spectator you like the best. Thanks for taking part in our fashion show!

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.
• Contest is open to US only
• Contest ends on Monday, April 23rd, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST.
• Winner will be chosen at random and sent an email notification.

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4; please leave a separate comment for each entry):
1st extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.
2nd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.
3rd extra entry: Follow Me via GFC or Facebook or subscribe by email or RSS reader

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Wordless Wednesday - Kite Weather

2012-04-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

Find more of this week's Wordless Wednesday (or Wordful) posts at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Full to the Brim - Kid's Book Giveaway List (3/30/12)

2012-03-30T19:00:00.004-05:00

Everyone is talking about the Mega Millions lottery jackpot, but guess what? You'd have a far better shot at winning if you were to enter one of the following children's book giveaways! And just think of the literacy benefits!

Full to the Brim is a list I compile by hand of children's book giveaway online contests. Please check out my other "Full to the Brim" posts as well. Many contests are still underway. I *try to* publish "Full to the Brim" every Friday, though this month my posting have been few and far between. If I missed your book giveaway, feel free to mention it in the comment section or send me an email.

My Giveaway(s):
Mirror Mirror - Movie Prize Pack Giveaway - Ends 4/9/12

Book Giveaways:
Kid Lit Frenzy - Ends 4/4
Women Explorers by Julie Cummins
5 Minutes for Mom - Ends 4/9
Chuckling Ducklings and Baby Animal Friends by Aaron Zenz
No Time for Flashcards - Ends 4/8
Sir Cumference and All The King’s Tens & Sir Cumference and The First Round Table by Cindy Neuschwande
Book Box Daily - Ends 4/30
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing signed by Judy Blume
Book Box Daily - Ends 4/14
The Very Fairy Princess signed by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton
Sweep Tightd - Ends 4/11
Dot to Dot Children’s Book Set
Mom to Bed By 8 - Ends 4/12
Sports Illustrated Kids: Pro Files: Baseball
Mom to Bed By 8 - Ends 4/4
The Gruffalo
Lille Punkin - Ends 4/1
Kohl's Cares for Kids books and plush
Chasing Rainbow - Ends 4/4
International Children’s Book Day giveaway
Just a Little Creativity - Ends 4/1
The Parable of the Lily
A Mom's Take - Ends 4/13
Bob Books
Scraps of Life - Ends 4/23
A Perfect Pet for Peyton by Rick Osborne & Gary Chapman
Rookie Moms - Ends 4/4
Silverlicious Prize Pack
Thet Better Mom - Ends 4/4
The Parable of the Lily
Thet Better Mom - Ends 4/4
The Parable of the Lily
Metropolitan Mama - Ends 3/30
Little Color Fairies written and illustrated by Mara Van Fleet
Just Children's Books - Ends 4/12
Bear’s Birthday by Stella Blackstone

Mirror Mirror Book and Fandango Gift Card Giveaways
There's A Book – Ends 4/6
Mom to Bed by 8 – Ends 4/4
Mundie Kids – Ends 3/30

Fish for more children's book giveaways at Lori Calabrese's Fish for a Free Book linkup each Friday

Mirror Mirror Giveaway - Movie Prize Pack including book and Fandango Gift Card

2012-03-29T12:00:00.004-05:00

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? Are you ready for the newest retelling of the Snow White fairy tale? The aptly titled live-action movie, Mirror Mirror hits the big screen tomorrow (March 30). Starring Julia Roberts as the evil Queen and Lily Collins as Snow White, from the early reviews this kid-friendly version sounds like it's going to be a fun if not a bit quirky film to watch! Other cast members apparently add to the humor including Armie Hammer as the dashing prince and Nathan Lane as the queen's bungling servant. The film, released by Relativity Media, promises CGI special effects, lavish costuming, spunky girl power and a Bollywood-inspired dance sequence ending.

Find out more about the movie and characters, watch trailers, download a coloring book and more at the official website: http://www.mirrormirrorfilm.com.
Social media site links: Facebook or Pinterest.

For those that want to gauge whether it's age-appropriate, The Dove Foundation has approved the film as family friendly and provides a review of Mirror Mirror, including a detailed content description.

For online learning resources, visit Film Education. They offer a Mirror Mirror curriculum resource featuring interactive learning tools and other activities intended for ages 9-13.

It's been too long since my daughter and I have gone on a mother/daughter outing. I think perhaps we'll take an afternoon together and check out this enchanted, princess-y fare. I admit part of the reason I'd like to see this one is because I'm curious to see if Julia Roberts can successfully play a mean-hearted queen. Snow White also happens to be one of my favorite fairy tales.

In celebration of the release, Relativity Media has kindly offered to give away a Mirror Mirror prize pack to a Brimful Curiosities reader. One (1) winner will receive:

- $25 Fandango Gift Card
- Mirror Mirror: The Movie Storybook

For a chance to win, answer one of the following questions: Do you plan to watch this film variant of Snow White? What is your favorite film variation of classic fairy tale or book?

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.
• Contest is open to US only
• Contest ends on Monday, April 9th, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST.
• Winner will be chosen at random and sent an email notification.

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4; please leave a separate comment for each entry):
1st extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.
2nd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.
3rd extra entry: Follow Me via GFC or Facebook or subscribe by email or RSS reader

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)