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The good dental health of children will need to be monitored in the earliest possible time, to ensure that their good dental health can be maintained well into their older years. Prevention (of dental health problems) will always be better than looking for cures or treatments of existing dental problems. It is best to discover the best ways of taking care of your children's dental health care,
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Why is it important for children to do cardio exercises? Because researchers have discovered that just twenty minutes of doing things like jumping, hopping, or even having an old-fashioned wheel barrow race works the musculoskeletal system enough to improve strength by as much as 75%! The more muscle mass kids have the higher their metabolism, which means strength training has the extra benefit
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This article deals with the effects of diet and nutrition on the health, development, and behavior of children. More research has been done recently looking into the effects of poor diet on youth. For years research had focused on adults, but recently a concerted effort has been made on researching the diseases that affect the young. The data coming back is startling. It reveals a greater level
0 Comments on Are you concerned about your child's eating habits? It can be challenging to feed toddlers a healthy diet every day, but I have a secret weapon. A homemade smoothie is an easy way to serve your child at least one serving of fruits, vegetables, and cal as of 1/1/1900
Are you concerned about your child's eating habits? It can be challenging to feed toddlers a healthy diet every day, but I have a secret weapon. A homemade smoothie is an easy way to serve your child at least one serving of fruits, vegetables, and calcium every day. Follow these five simple guidelines to help your child eat a nutritious diet:Five Effortless Nutrition Suggestions for More
0 Comments on Choosing Healthy Foods For Your Kids as of 1/1/1900
Childhood obesity is a worldwide problem and no child is safe if they don't have healthy eating habits. There are many causes of obesity in children. Some of these are fast foods which are high in calories and fat. They also contain dangerous trans (fake fats) that wreak havoc on a young child's body. Another cause is processed foods. These false foods are loaded with sugar and artificial colors
0 Comments on Giving Your Kids Healthy Food as of 1/1/1900
Prostate canceris a serious and often deadly disease. Statistics suggest that annually, over 240,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and over 33,000 will die from this type of cancer. For American men it is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths. If your prostate becomes enlarged it can cause other health issues such as prostatitis. There are many ways men can improve their
0 Comments on Healthy Tips For Your Prostate as of 1/1/1900
Healthy travel seems like a crazy and oppressive way to not have fun when on the road and that is that last thing I want to tell someone to do. Travel is a time for changing lifestyle and exploring what you haven't seen. I find myself that the trouble with all of this is at we also have a problem staying in shape and staying healthy.It all comes with our priorities and how we plan.When you
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Pregnant women have special health and nutrition needs. They are eating for two people, for themselves and for the new baby that is growing inside their womb. So they want to be sure they are eating healthy foods. It is important for pregnant women to watch what they eat and drink. For example, doctors advise the strict avoidance of all alcoholic beverages during pregnancy.It is also recommended
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Gout is a disorder brought about by uncontrolled and excessive levels of uric acid in the body. Although uric acid is readily excreted by the body through the urine, excessive intake of uric acid producing foods, those that are rich in urine, can overwhelm the body's ability to get rid of it. However, the debilitating effects of gout can be reduced through making certain lifestyle changes
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In the name of business, many office workers ignore a healthy life pattern. They do not exercise and eat nutritious food. They choose more to eat sweets, fried foods, and have a cup of coffee everyday.Bad eating patterns completed with the lack of activities causes the office workers to get more risk for disease. They lean to not only get overweight, but also get stomachache and digestion
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Merry Christmas!!! This is the perfect time to share with you the Christmas book, Nighty Night, Baby Jesus, by Molly Schaar Idle. A familiar story, this one is written from the animal's point of view as they wake to find a baby in their barn. But, the noisy animals must quiet down so baby Jesus can sleep. "The Sheep flocked in to see this baby/in his bed of straw/and spying the Wee Shepherd/gave a wild and wooly BAAA!" Full of brightly colored illustrations, this nativity story is a wonderful holiday read. I discovered the very talented Tempe, Arizona, writer and illustrator, Molly Schaar Idle, back in July. Later, in September, I had the joy of meeting Molly at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (Arizona) conference in Scottsdale. She was recently awarded the Grand Prize for the best Portfolio during the Golden Kite Luncheon at the SCBWI conference in LA this summer. Congratulations, again, Molly!
Visit her website and blog to find out more about her school visits, art classes, gallery displays, or some of her projects including the books, Nightly Night, Noah, which she both wrote and illustrated or her newest illustrated book, Circus Fantastico, written by Lynn Gordon. I can't wait for to see more books from Idle!
Books are the perfect Christmas gifts to give (and receive). Hint. Hint. They fit nicely in Santa's sleigh, too. Here's some fun books I recommend.
Little mouse and the mysterious bear and back! A book full of surprise and friendship, this one's perfect for the holidays. Written and Illustrated by Don and Audrey Wood
Everyone has their own song, but not Little Wolf. An adorable coming of age book where Little Wolf must find his own unique voice. Written and Illustrated by Britta Teckentrup
By renown mobile designers, this counting book is a great tactile experience. Great for teaching counting in a variety of new ways. By Christian and Grethe Flensted
A sing along song about animals eating. Yum! It's written and illustrated by Jim Arnosky. As a special treat, Arnosky includes a CD where he plays his guitar and sings.
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3 Comments on No Batteries Required, last added: 12/7/2010
We own de Paola's Legend of the Poinsettia, and it's wonderful. I checked, and was happy to find that it is one of the 3 books included in his Joy to the World collection. Great recommendations!
Fall has always been my favorite season and there are hundreds of picture books written about it. Picking my five favorites was a challenge. I chose one book for each reader ages one through five. Happy Fall reading!
In My Patch, is an interactive book that includes a finger puppet and is part of a new series published by Chronicle Books. Written by Sara Gillingham and illustrated by Lorena Siminovich. This board board is just right for a one-year-old.
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"A picture invites the viewer into it and offers a sense of mystery. It lets the viewer become part of the process. A good picture, like a good story, is timeless." Wendell Minor
I spent several hours this morning looking at Wendell Minor's website and learning about this very talented artist . He was born and raised in Aurora, Illinois and graduated from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, in 1966. He has illustrated numerous books (35+) for other authors but has also illustrated for himself and books his wife has authored. One of his recent releases is, The Last Train, written by Gordon Titcomb. His paintings in this book are magnificent!
Based on musician Titcomb's 2005 song, this stunning book both celebrates and eulogizes the golden era of railway travel. Minor's luminous, occasionally almost photographic, paintings portray the adult narrator as a boy, surrounded by a ghostly haze as he walks along the tracks. Without the upbeat strings and tempo of Titcomb's song, his words take on a wistful tone: "My Granddad was a railroad man,/ he drove the trains around,/ My Daddy, he sold tickets/ till they closed the station down." Whether young readers will respond to the elegiac quality of the verse, there's little doubt that railroad aficionados will pore over the crisply rendered railroad memorabilia--stamps, posters, photographs, a ticket punch--and the gleaming images of the locomotives themselves. Publishers Weekly
The following pictures were used with special permission.
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Today, my kitchen was filled with the spicy aroma of apple pie bread. The sweet smells of cinnamon and clove were a welcome reminder of Fall and The Apple Pie Tree.
Zoe Hall energized my senses in this book that began at the end of Winter when the apple tree was "brown and bare" and ended in the kitchen with children tasting the apple pie they baked. I liked how the seasons, the five senses and life cycles were intertwined in, The Apple Pie Tree, in a way that was fun and engaging for the reader. The changing seasons were visible in the bird's nests full of blue robins eggs and the trees full of pink buds. This part of the book gave me the feeling of newness and the anticipation that something wonderful was about to begin. Another part of the book I enjoyed was seeing the children watch as the pink flower petals blew off the tree and apples begin to grow in their place. They waited a long time as the apples grew and changed until they were ready to be picked, peeled, and baked into a pie. "There is nothing as good as an apple pie you grew yourself."
I believe that the recommend ages are 4-7 but I have read it to three-year-olds in a classroom setting. They enjoyed it. Of course we always did some kind of tie-in like tasting apples or putting apple pie filling in a cup and topping it with crushed graham crackers.
Llama, Llama, Red Pajama, was a cute book so I had no doubt about reading these two. Anna Dewdney entertains in these rhyming books and while her illustrations capture the emotions of the young llama perfectly.
In this book, Llama is getting ready for the first day of preschool. But, like most preschoolers on the first day of school, Llama enters his new classroom full of uncertainties. While the other children are having fun at story time, Llama can't help but think about how much he wants his mama. The other children encourage Llama to join in the fun. At the end of the day, after mama returns, he realizes that it's possible to love his mama and have fun at preschool without her.
Llama, Llama, Mad at Mama, is a story that is highly relatable and something I have seen more than once at my local grocery store. Llama goes shopping with mama but soon gets bored and cranky. Sound familiar? Waiting in long lines, trying on clothes, going up and down the store aisles lead to Llama's temper tantrum and a huge mess! Mama has to come to soothe her little one and together they make the most of the shopping experience.
It's one thing, if a group of well educated and well respected adults get together to recognize a picture book author or illustrator for a book that has the most merit and meets their high standards. But, I think it means something entirely different when thousands of kids vote for the book they like. That's the Children's Choice Awards. In May, Peter Brown was named the "Illustrator of the Year" and given a 2010 Children's Choice Award for his book, The Curious Garden. The goal of the Children's Award program is to allow kids to have a say in the books that are being written for them. Twelve thousand, five hundred children, from five geographical locations, participate each year.
The Curious Garden begins with, "There once was a city without gardens or trees or greenery of any kind. Most people spent their time indoors. As you can imagine, it was a very dreary place." Liam lives in that place. It is dark and colorless until he finds a bit of brightness coming from a handful of flowers that are barely clinging on to life. With a little water, attention and love, the plants flourish. They grow, and spread out in all directions. Liam manages to bring the city dwellers outdoors again by morphing his city into a place packed with lush plants and flowers. Peter Brown has written a couple of other titles and has a new book due out due this month called, Children Make Terrible Pets. Sounds interesting.
Today, I thought it would be fun to find an author for each letter of the alphabet. The hardest letter to find was "X" but I was able to track down author Cui Xu who co-wrote and illustrated the book, No! That's Wrong! A close second was the letter "Q". In fact, my library had only one author, in their children's picture book section, that started with that letter. Moreover, I succeeded with one for each of the 26. The list is a good blend of past, current and upcoming authors.
I started using Ezra Jack Keats books in the preschool classroom, over ten years ago, when I began teaching. It was then, that I fell in love with one of his characters. The first Keats book I read was, The Snowy Day. The second, Peter's Chair. I noticed Peter was in both books and again in A Letter for Amy, Whistle for Willie and Pet Show. He also appears in Goggles but I haven't read that one yet. Keats is recognized and celebrated for being the first to bring a black child into children's literature and portray them as a hero. He has published eighty -five books.
Pictured below is my Keats library. I'm still missing a few, though.
You can visit this Ezra Jack Keats site and see Peter slide down the snow. http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/
2 Comments on Falling in love with little Peter, last added: 8/30/2010
Thanks for reaching out on Facebook! I'm new to the kidlitosphere alias.
I had the lucky opportunity to do some research on Keats at the U of Southern Mississippi's de Grummond collection last year - saw a lot of the original artwork, letters from classrooms (and replies!) - it was a very fun experience.
Thanks for making this connection between the books. Some of us (ummm, me. . .) need to be much more observant. :) I still remember my first grade teacher sharing THE SNOWY DAY with me.
Thanks for stopping by my site last week and leaving your URL on my guest book! You have a great blog here. :)
Zero is the Leaves on the Tree, written by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Shino Arihara, surprised me. I'm amazed at how this book tackles a tough math concept-the number zero. In the short text, school children go through the year while the number "zero" is everywhere. In the fall, "zero is the leaves on the bare, brown arms of the oak tree." Winter shows that, "zero is the ducks on the pond when the air says winter is coming." In Spring, "zero is the blossoms in the garden just before the buds open." The summer season shows, "zero is the footprints on the beach when the waves come in and in and in." It's a perfect back-to-school book for kids in preschool or kindergarten. After reading this book, children will never forget that zero is a number, too.
1 Comments on And don't forget about zero, last added: 8/30/2010
I like this book. As I worked with my granddaughter on her numbers I never considered the number zero. Thanks for the review. Now I need to find the book for her.
I get excited when I order books. There were two out this summer I'd heard a lot of buzz about and finally ordered them last week. On a side note, I believe my mail carrier has super powers. It never fails that he can leave mail at my door without making a sound. It's a little spooky when you're waiting for a delivery. Finally after a week of tracking, I peeked out the door and there it was-a little brown box from Barnes and Noble.
City Frog, Country Dog, written by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon J Muth
The cover of City Dog, Country Frog, is just as heartwarming as the inside. The text is sweet showing a year long friendship between a dog and frog. I love watercolor paintings and it isn't often that I find a book with really good illustrations done in watercolor. My favorite picture in this book shows the dog nearly submerged in a pond. I believe the point of view is worth mentioning. The reader feels like they're in the water with the dog and he is swimming right towards them. It shows the dog's ears floating and his eyes and nose barely breaking the water's surface. The frog is hitching a ride on top of his head while the rest of the dog's body is a murky image beneath the water. Willems and Muth have truly made me fall in love with this dog.
I have spent a great deal of time reading to babies. It can be a little soggy when she or he is teething (on your arm), or when they have saturated all four corners of Brown Bear Brown Bear with drool. Yes, it's a challenge reading to a baby when all they want to do is eat the pages of the book you have so carefully chosen. Sadly, many parents stop reading to their baby for this very reason. A little trick I use when reading to babies is giving them something else to hold in their little hands while I read. A second book or toy works well. Something else to consider is choosing the right book format. The best format for a baby or young child is board books or ones made out of cloth. It is safer and more age appropriate. A baby can get a paper cut just like anyone else. Priddy Books are great and make a variety of touch and feel books for babies. Priddy Books
Caroline J. Blackemore and Barbara Weston Ramirez, have published, Baby Read-Aloud Basics which I highly recommend as a resource for parents, teachers or anyone who wants to learn how and what to read to a growing infant. For more information on the book, please visit their website. Read to your baby
My favorite baby reads are: The Big Red Barn, Margaret Wise Brown Mr, Brown Can Moo, Can You?, Dr. Seuss Good Night Moon, Margaret Wise Brown The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle Brown Bear Brown Bear, Bill Martin, Jr.
On a perfect Saturday morning, you'll find me at the Appaloosa library. Slightly camouflaged by the desert landscape, it is one of my favorite buildings in Scottsdale. I love the tables next to the floor to ceiling windows where I can sit and watch a cottontail eating outside. It won't win any awards for being the quietest library. But, having a green building has led this 21, 242 square-foot library to petition for the gold level in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
The less- than- a-year- old building was constructed to reduce daily electricity consumption by over thirty percent and water usage by over fifty! Architect Jeremy Jones together with Doug Sydnor are credited for this amazing feat costing $10.6 million to build. To take advantage of Arizona's natural light, the design included strategically placed windows, 600 square-feet of photovoltaic panels, and reflective metal siding. Also, the gravel lot is crushed granite that absorbs rainwater and keeps the surroundings cool. Rainwater is collected from the angled roof to water the plants. Another fun and smart design feature is someone cleverly hiding the word "Appaloosa" in the windows spelled out in Morse code. This fall, I am looking forward to relaxing outside on the reading patio.
0 Comments on My BIG fat green library as of 1/1/1990
In 2005, I met Rosemary Wells when she was facilitating a workshop at the Phoenix Public Library. I can still remember how she described her writing process and painted her illustrations. But, there was one thing she said during the workshop that I found particularly moving. As a well recognized and talented writer and illustrator, Wells was continually asked how she came up with her book ideas. I found her answer unexpected and inspiring. She said that it was like having a 'junk drawer.' She takes her 'junk' out of the drawer and puts it into a kaleidoscope. Next, she adds light to it (words). That is when all the 'junk' transforms into something beautiful. She explained, "Writing is adding light to junk". She left me with an amazing image that day. I am always in awe when I look through a kaleidoscope and watch the colors and shapes rotating inside the tube. Light certainly remakes the 'junk' inside the kaleidoscope into something delightful and entertaining. Below is a picture of me and Rosemary Wells after the workshop. I enjoyed having my picture taken with Wells and having her sign my book, Yoko's Paper Crane. Yoko is a young Japanese cat that moved to America. She is constantly adjusting to life in her new country. Also available is, Yoko, and Yoko Writes Her Name. Wells has written more books than I could ever list on this blog. For more information you can visit her website.
When I read any book by Jim Arnosky, I fall in love with nature all over again. The first Arnosky book I read was Rabbits and Raindrops. Some of the best illustrations in the book have got to be the rabbit family waiting out a storm under a hedge. One page in particular shows the brown furry rabbits hiding under a hedge and looking out at the rain while snuggled tightly next to each other. He uses watercolors to create a curtain like veil from the falling raindrops that is just stunning. It is no wonder that he was honored several years ago for his contribution to science. The article below in taken from his website. Arnosky has a new book due out in September called, Man Gave Names to All the Animals, from a Bob Dylan's song.
The Science Book and Film review publication of the America Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Subaru, are pleased to announce Jim Arnosky of South Ryegate, Vt. as a recipient of the Key Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Science Books. The award ceremony was held Feb. 19 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. at the AAAS annual meeting.
Arnosky was awarded the Key Award in the category of Children's Science Books -- Illustrator, because of his distinguished contribution to the world of science books.
2005 marks the 40th anniversary of SBF. In honor of this, SBF has reviewed decades of science books and contributions and established the first annual Subaru/SB&F Key Award. Five lifetime achievement awards were awarded to four authors and one illustrator, Arnosky, recognizing each for their body of work. The Key Award is named after Benjamin Franklin and his famous key and kite experiment.
Arnosky has written and illustrated over 90 nature books for children. Among them include his classic book, "Drawing From Nature." His latest books include "Coyote Raid in Cactus Canyon" (Putnam); "Under The Wild Western Sky" (Harper Collins); and "Hook, Line and Seeker" (Scholastic).
By: nanang hidayat,
on 7/21/2012
Great list -- thank you!
We own de Paola's Legend of the Poinsettia, and it's wonderful. I checked, and was happy to find that it is one of the 3 books included in his Joy to the World collection. Great recommendations!
I agree, it's a wonderful list. Being a visual person, I also must admit I am taken with the illustrations in all the covers, too.