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Waterlogging  in Delhi due to  heavy rains Cartoon – Heavy rain in Delhi caused traffic jam पिछ्ले दिनों गुडगांव में भयंंकर ट्रैफिक जाम हुआ था और आज भारी बारिश के चलते दिल्ली ही मानो डूब गई. चारो तरफ पानी ही पानी नजर आ रहा था और रेंगते हुए वाहन !! वही अमेरिका से आए US Secy […]

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Little Skiff, a two year old Sheltie, has a great life with his family in Arizona. He runs and plays with the kids and loves his adventures off his leash. Skiffs favourite time of the year is monsoon season when the strong winds kick up all sorts of tantalizing smells as Skiff is busy digging in the ground – that is until Skiff develops a weird cough and hurts his knee. What will the vet find? Will Skiff be okay?

Little Skiff Copes with Valley Fever by Dany Pierard-Deviche is a wonderful little chapter book that helps children deal with sickness. Skiff’s narrative voice in the face of illness, and the unique balance of fiction and non-fiction makes this book a wonderfully educational read.
The illustrations are simple and sweet and only add to the unique flavour of the story. The end of the book shows actually photos of Skiff’s x-rays as well as a glossary of words.

For more information or to order a copy of Little Skiff Copes with Valley Fever check out their web site at; http://www.FiveStarPublications.comittleskiff/index.html

Record high temperatures here in the desert this past weekend, but we filled up the rain barrels last night and enjoyed a great light show Friday evening. Here's a nice one taken from our back porch.

Press Play to hear this interview that was recorded as a conference call on 2/12/2008 with Dianne de Las Casas who spoke about storytelling and how it can be a safari into literacy.

Dianne de Las Casas writes…
My whole life has been a safari (Swahili word for “journey”) of stories. The power of stories permeated and impacted my life so strongly that, at an early age, I knew I wanted to share stories with the world. It became my life’s dream, which I am realizing today through storytelling and writing books.

Because books, reading, and telling stories are such an important part of my family’s life, I am always saddened to watch the declining literacy rate in America’s school children. Nearly 2/3 of elementary age children read 2 grade levels below their expected reading level. Why is this happening?

Many of today’s families are not “storied” families. Stories are not a daily part of life – they are not shared at the “campfire” - the dinner table (many families don’t even eat at the dinner table together anymore). There are a vast amount of children who do not have a basic foundation of nursery rhymes and folktales. Imagine my surprise when I learned that my 6 year old niece never heard of Rapunzel because Rapunzel wasn’t a “Disney Princess!”

In addition, few teachers have time to spend doing something “fun” like storytelling. There are standards and benchmarks to meet as well as tests to administer. Many educators do not understand the value of storytelling and how storytelling is an integral part of literacy in the home and the classroom.

Of course, pop culture also plays a role. Stories are pre-fabricated for our children in the form of television shows, movies, and computer and video games, leaving little room for (more…)