Star Bright Books would like to thank the Barnes & Noble of Holmdel, New Jersey for selecting
Madison's Patriotic Project,
Madison and the Two Wheeler, and
Madison and the New Neighbors by Vanita Braver as advertised "Top Picks in Picture Books" (alongside the beloved classic
The Giving Tree, nonetheless!). We are very excited that we have had the opportunity to work with Vanita to share Madison's many thought-provoking adventures with the world, so we are touched to hear that people share our excitement.
Seeing our titles on display was just a small piece of this month's Barnes & Noble excitement, however; in addition to the display, Dr. Vanita Braver, a noted child psychiatrist and author of the "Madison" series, lead a workshop titled "Creating Confident Writers." By examining research-based techniques that enhance the writing process, Dr. Braver provided the audience with several tips and tools for early writing instruction. If the and excited and delighted smiles in the pictures below serve as any indication, the event looks like it was a huge hit!
Once again, Star Bright Books would like to thank the Holmdel Barnes & Noble for hosting this event. We, as well as Dr. Braver, would also like to thank anyone who came out to this event. Your attention, support, and laughs were appreciated by everyone involved.
I love, love, LOVE this video. I’ve always had a problem with sanctimonious mothers who think THEIR way is the BEST way to raise a child.
I couldn’t disagree more.
I bottle fed my children and I’m not ashamed to admit that. I used to be ashamed to admit it because whenever I would mention it on this blog, or anywhere else, quite frankly, I would get the disapproving stink eye or a snarky comment. And then I would inevitably feel inadequate and guilty.
Not anymore, dude. I’m not even going to justify my decision – I did what I thought was best for my children and my sanity.
It always annoys me whenever people feel the need to justify their decisions. I’m sure you did what you thought best. End of discussion.
And that’s where I stand on motherhood issues.
Whether you bottle fed, breast fed, stayed at home, worked out of the home, used cloth diapers or disposable diapers – in the end, it’s really none of my business. As long as you’re doing what’s best for the child and your family, it really doesn’t matter. The ultimate goal is to raise our children to be responsible, educated, compassionate human beings; how you reach that goal is up to you. There is no “one size fits all” answer, no matter what you hear politicians, the media, or even other mothers try to convince us otherwise.
You do what’s best for you and your family and don’t you dare feel guilty about your decisions or feel like you have to justify your decisions.
Ultimately – it’s none of our business how you live your life.
Filed under:
Life 
.
Two Hands to Love You
by Diane Adams & Paige Keiser, illustrator
Chronicle Books 2014
978-0-8118-7797-8
Age 4 to 8 36 pages
.
“With two loving hands, an adoring mother cradles her baby after bath time and a devoted father introduces his toddler to the wonders of he world. Sister, brother, grandma, and grandpa all can’t wait to share what they love best about the world with their newest family member. And when it is time to step ot into the world, this caring family is right there alongside. In simple, heartfelt language, this soothing picture book for the very young will tug at the heartstrings and remind us all of the caring hands that helped us along our way.”
Opening
“When the world is a strange place, unfamiliar and new,
my two hands will hold you, will carry you through.”
The Story
In a nutshell, the story is about a couple who begin a family and the paths they take with their children as they grow and become a family of five—plus two involved grandparents. The first baby is gently cared for, everything new for everyone, not just the baby. As he grows, mom plays outside with her toddler, pulling him in a wagon after an afternoon bath in the sun.
Dad takes over, playing airplane with his son, then cradles the new baby and pledges his love. The first-born cares for the second-born, a girl as curious as her brother. Then the third arrives and the three kids guide and love each other.
Grandparents read to their grandson and blow bubbles for this newest child. The joys of childhood and a mother who races to her crying child. This all is part of this family of five, who love each other.
Review
My loyal readers know what I will write in this space and it will not be that I hated this book. The story is composed of fragments of time, caught like photographs. A mother holds her first-born close, never wanting to let go, but she does. With dad, the toddler continues to grow and this happy family of three thrives. Then enters child number two, a girl. It is daddy’s turn to hold the baby close, his little girl. The images that accompany each frame of time softly plays the scene out for us.
Using watercolors and ink, the artist catches these tender moments, making them precious and tenderer, if that is even possible. Her images could tell this story without the text, which is what a good illustrated picture book should do—words for adults and kids, images for little ones, not yet a reader. I tended to pick up this book and turn its pages carefully, feeling the fragility of family, and the joys of one so close.
Children have real childhoods, playing with each other, guiding each other. Along the way, various hands help the children to grow: mom, dad, grandma and grandpa, and many more not shown.The sweetness is palatable. Two Hands to Love You may well have you thinking about your own little ones, whether they are still little or grown and on their own, maybe starting families. Alternatively, of your own childhood and what that meant to you.
I love the rhyming text. The words fit together perfectly, meaning I did not immediately recognize the rhyme, just the smooth flow of words that belonged together in that precise order. I think this story can help others remember what a family needs to be—a shelter in the storm and a place to learn and grow without ridicule and maybe a little rhyme.
I love the inherent gentleness the illustrations give us. I love the extended family all involved in raising a child. I guess I simply love Two Hands to Love You, which is an ideal baby shower gift. This is also an, “Oh, my, gosh, you’re pregnant” gift. New parents will cherish Two Hands to Love You. It would be the couple’s first, How to Raise Baby book.
For children Two Hands to Love You reinforces that parents will always be there for them, no matter the distance. That home is a shelter from the storm. A place to recharge before heading back into the world. Children want to know their parents will also be there for them. That message rings loudly through the tender pages of Two Hands to Love You.
TWO HANDS TO LOVE YOU. Text copyright © 2014 by Diane Adams. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Paige Keiser. Reproduce by permission of the publisher, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA.
To learn more about Two Hands to Love You, click HERE.
Make Two Hands to Love You yours by going to Amazon—B&N—Chronicle Books—or your local bookstore.
Meet the author, Diane Adams at her website: http://www.dianeadams.net/
Meet the illustrator, Paige Keiser at her website: http://www.paigekeiser.com/
Find other incredible books at the Chronicle Books website: http://www.chroniclebooks.com/
.
Also by Paige Keiser
The Little Green Pea
One Night In Bethlehem
.
.
.
. I Love My Hat (October 2014)
.
NEW from Chronicle Books
I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . .
Peek-a Zoo
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Today is National Library Workers Day
Be extras nice to those who staff your library!
Filed under:
5stars,
Children's Books,
Debut Author,
Favorites,
Library Donated Books,
Picture Book Tagged:
children,
children's book reviews,
Chronicle Books,
Diane Adams,
family,
family relationships,
grandparents,
growing up,
Paige Keiser,
parents,
raising children 
Hickem, Catherine. (2012). Heaven in Her Arms: Why God Chose Mary to Raise His Son and What It Means for You. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-1-4002-0036-8.
What do we know of Mary?
What we know of Mary’s family is that she is of the house of David; it is from her lineage Jesus fulfilled the prophecy. Given the archeological ruins of the various places thought to have been living quarters for their family, it is likely the home was a room out from which sleeping quarters (cells) branched. As Mary and her mother Anne would be busy maintaining the household, with young Mary working at her mother’s command, it is likely Anne would be nearby or in the same room during the Annunciation. Thus Mary would not have had a scandalous secret to later share with her parents but, rather, a miraculous supernatural experience, the salvific meaning of which her Holy parents would understand and possibly even witnessed.
Mary and Joseph were betrothed, not engaged. They were already married, likely in the form of a marriage contract, but the marriage had not yet been “consummated”. This is why he was going to divorce her when he learned of the pregnancy. If it were a mere engagement, he would have broken it off without too much scandal.
Married but not yet joined with her husband, her mother would prepare her by teaching her all that she needed to know. This is further reason to assume that Mary would be working diligently under her mother’s eye when the Annunciation took place.
We know that her cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy was kept in secret for five months, and not made known until the sixth month when the Angel Gabriel proclaimed it to Mary. We know Mary then rushed to be at her elderly cousin’s side for three months (the remaining duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy), and that this rushing appeared to be in response to Elizabeth’s pregnancy (to congratulate her), not an attempt to hide Mary’s pregnancy. Note how all of this is connected to Elizabeth’s pregnancy rather than Mary’s circumstances. As Mary was married to Joseph, he likely would have been informed of the trip. Had the intent been to hide Mary, she would have remained with Elizabeth until Jesus was born, not returned to her family after the first trimester, which is just about the time that her pregnancy was visible and obvious.
So we these misconceptions clarified, we can put Mary’s example within an even deeper context and more fully relate to her experience. We can imagine living in a faith-filled family who raises their child in strict accordance of God’s word. The extended family members may not understand, and certainly their community will not, so Mary, Anne and Joachim, and Joseph face extreme scandal as well as possible action from Jewish authorities. But they faced this together steep in conversation with God, providing a model for today’s family.
Although sometimes scriptural interpretations are flavored with modern-day eye, overall this book will be more than just a quick read for a young mother (or new bride, or teen aspiring to overcome the challenges of American culture, or single parent losing her mind). It is a heartwarming reflection with many examples that open up conversation with God. As an experienced psychotherapist, the author’s examples are spot on and easy to relate to. We do not need to have had the same experiences to empathize, reflect, and pursue meaning; we see it around us in everyday life. As such, a reflective look upon these examples can help one overcome an impasse in their own relationship with God and also open the reader up to self-knowledge as Hi
My day yesterday was about the liars who are in our life. We fired one of them.
Firing him did not bring the predicted relief of a cooling rain storm, rather it raised clouds of doubt. Why had all his references checked out? Why had the last person he worked for recommended him? Why did everyone think he was a nice guy, when he has a crack in his character that cannot be filled with quick patch?
Liar, liar, liar, pants on fire. Now I think of him like a greasy hair clog that sits in the drain. You don’t want to touch it, but you have to. It’s gotta come out of the drain — it’s blocking the flow of water. It’s useless, of no benefit to others, and its only proper resting place is in the garbage.
He’s so good at lying that when he gets caught, he has this act where he looks like he’s going to start crying. Awww, so sad for the big fat liar. He needs his job. He has Catholic school tuition to pay. How come he can’t do whatever he wants on our time and paycheck and then lie about it?
“Listen, this is not a Catholic confessional booth, all the business meetings we had. When you confessed to the really big fat lie, which we had to catch you in, we don’t have the power to absolve you of your guilt so that you could go on lying again until the supposedly next business meeting. First of all, we’re not Catholic. And secondly, and far more importantly, we’re not God. And by the way, God is on our side too. He is the only explanation for our busy summer in a bad economy. I don’t recommend messing with God by being a perpetual liar. Either you will answer to Him here or in the afterlife.”
Which brings me to the other liar. This liar likes to accuse people of stealing things. Things that are broken. Things she has given away already to Goodwill. Things she has hidden so no one can help her find them and she can say, “See, it was stolen!” Some people think she has flushed things down the toilet so she can accuse. She likes to tell everyone she knows that so and so has stolen such and such. Sometimes, people lose their jobs because of her accusations. Most often, people’s relationships become fragmented or strained or conflicted because of her great power.
Her lies deeply wound the people she supposedly loves. What kind of love is this? It’s like the care a cattle rancher shows his cattle when he brands them with the hot iron.
People are not disposable.
Liars are not very smart people. I say this because smart people know they can maneuver through their life and their needs and their wants through any number of means. Smart people don’t need to lie.
Liars, liars, liars, I hope your pants are on fire.
