November was a huge month for us at Book Dads with excellent reviews, guest posts and interviews. In case you missed it, here are some of our most popular posts from November:
* November 14th – Dads Reading: Guest Post by Read Aloud Dad
* November 16th – To Nourish and Consume by Ryan C. O’Reilly (Reviewed by: Will B.)
* November 18th – Old Dogs, New Math by Rob Eastaway and Mike Askew (Reviewed by: Chalkboard Dad)
* November 21st – Dads Reading: Guest Review of Corduroy by John Cave Osborne
* November 18th – Guest Review: 12 year old Cameron reviews the YA series “Pretty Little Liars”
* November 8th – Saltwater Taffy by Eric DelaBarre (Reviewed by: Chris Singer)
* November 7th – Dads Reading: Bonding With Books by Chris Singer
I want to thank all of our readers, reviewers, supporters as well as the publishers, p.r groups and authors we have worked with to help Book Dads have its highest number of site visits and views since the site was resurrected in April of 2010. As a special thank you for supporting Book Dads, I would like to offer a special giveaway with the help and generosity of one of my favorite children’s book authors, Mina Javaherbin.
Not only is Mina an amazing children’s book author, she’s a wonderful person who I’ve had the privilege of getting to know over the last few months. I’ve reviewed both of Mina’s children’s books: GOAL and The Secret Message here on Book Dads.
Here are the details on the giveaway:
Today’s guest book review and Dads Reading Featured Post is from a good friend of Book Dads, Kevin Westerman. Kevin has a blog (Super Daddy) where he relates stories about being a stay at home dad and spending time with his two children.
In this guest book review and Dads Reading Featured Post, Kevin writes about one of his favorite books to read with his daughter, Daddy’s Girl by Garrison Keillor.
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Book Review
Daddy’s Girl by Garrison Keillor, Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator)
Reviewed by: Kevin Westerman
About the Author:
Garrison Keillor is the author of thirteen books, including Lake Wobegon Summer 1956, Wobegon Boy, and Lake Wobegon Days. From 1999-2001, Keillor wrote a column “Dear Mr. Blue: Advice for Lovers and Writers” on Salon.com. Keillor’s popular Saturday-night public radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, is in its twenty-seventh season. He lives in St. Paul with his wife and daughter.
About the Illustrator:
Robin Priess Glazer is the number one New York Times bestselling illustrator of the Fancy Nancy series, written by Jane O’Connor; America: A Patriotic Primer, A is for Abigail, and Our Fifty States by Lynne Cheney and most recently Tea for Ruby by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. She lives in Southern California with her family.
About the book:
Beloved Prairie Home Companion radio star and bestselling author Garrison Keillor offers a touching picture book tribute to the strong bond between daddy and daughter. A reassuring bedtime story that the entire family will understand and appreciate.
My take on the book:
I got this book for my daughter when she was ten months old, she is now four years old and we still read Daddy’s Girl at least once a week.
The four stories are a narrative from the Dad’s perspective of the time he spends with his daughter. Each story tells a different part of their day together, from changing of the little girl’s diaper to her favorite food, a stroll through the city and dancing together and having fun.
The last story, “Won’t You Dance with Me?”, is the most heartfelt of the four stories. The father and daughter are at a wedding reception and they are dancing together. At the end of the story he says:
“Oh, baby, won’t you dance w
Today’s guest book review and Dads Reading Featured Post is from a good friend of ours here at Book Dads. John Cave Osborne is the author of the recently released book, Tales from the Trips (read our review here and author spotlight post), which chronicles his life as he morphed from carefree bachelor into the father of four in just thirteen months thanks to marrying a single mom then quickly conceiving triplets.
If you like what you read here from John today, check out more of his writing at his blog (www.johncaveosborne.com) over at the parenting blog Babble (www.babble.com/contributors/john-osborne/).
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Some children’s books are entertaining. Some are educational. Some provide top-notch illustrations. Some deliver wonderful morals. And some are iconic classics.
I love children’s books that offer any one of those things. But my very favorite children’s book — Corduroy, written and illustrated by Don Freeman — offers all of them.
The story begins when a little girl named Lisa falls in love with a bear named Corduroy. Lisa begs her mom to buy Corduroy for her. “Not today, dear,” her mom replies, citing that she’s already spent too much money not to mention the fact that the bear, whose overalls are missing a button, doesn’t even look new.
That night, after everyone had left the department store, Corduroy scampers off on an adventure to find a button that might make him more look more appealing. His journey takes him to a different floor — one which he mistakes for a palace given the number of tables, chairs, beds and lamps he finds.
But his search is cut short by a security guard who brings the bear back to his place on the toy-department shelf. The next morning Corduroy wakes up just as the first customer enters the store. That first customer is none other than Lisa, the girl from the day before. She tells Corduroy that her mom has agreed to let Lisa take him home, only Lisa has to buy him with her own money. Luckily, she had just enough in her piggy bank.
The last scene finds Corduroy and Lisa together in her modest apartment. The little girl’s small room is nothing like the palace he had seen the night before. But to Corduroy, it’s even be
FIVE EFFECTIVE WAYS TO READ TO YOUR KIDS IN 3 MINUTES OR LESS
(a.k.a. A brief guide on how to kill the read-aloud bird)
Time is short these days. Hapless parents are left with less and less time to read to their kids.
So I assembled the best time-tested tips that will allow you to continue telling your friends: “I read to my kids every day!” – while
keeping actual reading sessions at a bare minimum.
A win-win situation for tired parents!
The kids may be unhappy with 3 minutes at first, but – hey - eventually they will let you start skipping reading sessions altogether.
If they do – try not to remind them. It probably means that you are reading very effectively in the remaining sessions that you have
together.
To be successful in cutting back reading to your kids to just 3 minutes a day – you need to:
1. MAINTAIN YOUR VOICE STEADY
(Keep it dull!)
As soon as you start reading, make sure to set the tone. Your voice should be monotonous and low, keep all excitement out of your reading.
It is especially good if you do this on a daily basis, so that your kids know what to expect.
Don’t try to imitate voices or animals, don’t knock on tables when there is knocking on doors in books, don’t move your body and arms
around.
At all costs, do not excite the little ones.
Less is more.
Nothing is as infectious as boredom.
2. FACE THE BOOK AT ALL TIMES
(Don’t show them the pictures!)
Let’s face it. Picture books are so “yesterday”.
The less pictures they see, the less pictures they expect. It’s a success spiral that will ensure that your kids listen to chapter books
as early as possible … or fall asleep. Whichever happens first.
If they see the pictures, then they also want to talk and discuss. If they start debating, you lose time.
Cut debates out easily, by cutting the pictures out.
Picture books are for kids.
It’s the 21 century. It’s time for your four-year old to grow up.
3. READ, BABY, READ
(Rev it up!)
Oh yes. It’s a race.
Never slow down, the end is in sight.
Just one more minute left for six pages. Fill the quota!! Let’s teach our little ones, its not comprehension that matters most of the time.
It’s whether you stick to your plan.
Of course, you may lose your children’s attention while speeding. But don’t slow down, today’s world is all about performance and results.
Lead by example.
Some so-called experts claim that one of the best factors that will help your read aloud style and listener understanding is to slow down,
take it easy.
That’s yesterday’s advice.
Reading slow is for losers.
Oh yes, and you have a quota to fulfill.
4. YOU’RE THE MAN!
(Lead – don’t just read!)
Reading is a great moment to establish your position of natural authority. It’s not a time for debate.
Ask yourself why is China the most s
is chock full of character-building, emotional stories that are certain to leave a deep imprint on the souls of its young listeners.”
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