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December is a time for friendship, and what better way to demonstrate friendship to children, than through a picture book?  Here are a few of Sylvan Dell’s favorite books about friendship with fun and easy activities that you can do this holiday season.

Newton and Me – While at play with his dog, Newton, a young boy discovers the laws of force and motion in his everyday activities. Told in rhyme, Lynne Mayer’s Newton and Me follows these best friends on an adventure as they apply physics to throwing a ball, pulling a wagon, riding a bike, and much more. With the help of Sherry Rogers’ playful illustrations, children will learn that physics is a part of their world. They will realize that Newton’s Laws of Motion describe experiences they have every day, and they will recognize how forces affect the objects around them.

Activity: Help you child get to know their friends. Start a conversation and learn about their family pet or favorite toy. Encourage your child to ask questions.

Moose and Magpie – It isn’t easy being a moose. You’re a full-grown adult at the age of one, and it itches like crazy when your antlers come in! In Bettina Restrepo’s Moose and Magpie, young Moose is lucky to find a friend and guide in the wisecracking Magpie. “What do the liberty bell and moose have in common?” the Magpie asks as the seasons begin to change. Then, when fall comes: “Why did the moose cross the road?” Vivid illustrations by Sherry Rogers bring these characters to life. Laugh along with Moose and Magpie, and maybe-just maybe-Moose will make a joke of his own!

Activity: Comedy hour – give your child and friends a “microphone” and encourage them to tell jokes. Make sure they know not to tell jokes at their friend’s expense.

Home in the Cave – Baby Bat loves his cave home and never wants to leave it. While practicing flapping his wings one night, he falls, and Pluribus Packrat rescues him. They then explore the deepest, darkest corners of the cave where they meet amazing animals—animals that don’t need eyes to see or colors to hide from enemies. Baby Bat learns how important bats are to the cave habitat and how other cave-living critters rely on them for their food. Will Baby Bat finally venture out of the cave to help the other animals?

Activity: Prepare a winter scavenger hunt for your child and friends. They can go on an adventure together and the reward can be a cup of hot coco and talking about their fun adventures of the day.

Habitat Spy – Let’s spy on plants, insects, birds, and mammals in 13 different habitats. Told in rhyming narrative, Habitat Spy invites children to search for and find plants, invertebrates, birds, and mammals and more that live in 13 different habitats: backyard, beach, bog, cave, desert, forest, meadow, mountain, ocean, plains, pond, river, and cypress swamp. Children will spend hours looking for and counting all the different plants and animals while learning about what living things need to survive.

Activity: While running those busy errands this season turn off the radio and play “I Spy” in the car while driving around town.

The Giraffe Who was Afraid of Heights – Imagine if the one thing that keeps you safe is what you fear the most. This enchanting story tells of a giraffe who suffers from the fear of heights. His parents worry about his safety and send him to the village doctor for treatment. Along the way, he befriends a monkey who is afraid of climbing trees and a hippo that is afraid of water. A life-threatening event causes the three friends to face and overcome each of their fears. The “For Creative Minds” section includes fun facts and animal adaptation information, a match-the-feet game and a mix-n-match activity.

Activity: Sending out holiday cards? Help your child make a holiday card thanking their friends for their help and friendship throughout the year.

Champ’s Story: Dogs Get Cancer Too! – Children facing cancer—whether their own, a family member’s, a friend’s, or even a pet’s—will find help in understanding the disease through this book. A young boy discovers his dog’s lump, which is then diagnosed with those dreaded words: “It’s cancer.” The boy becomes a loving caretaker to his dog, who undergoes the same types of treatments and many of the same reactions as a human under similar circumstances (transference). Medical writer and award-winning children’s author, Sherry North artfully weaves the serious subject into an empathetic story that even young children can understand.

Activity: If a good friend is sick and children do not understand Champ’s Story is a great conversation starter. Give your child crayons and a piece of paper help them express their feelings through art.

These and many other fun books and lessons are available for the holidays at www.sylvandellpublishing.com.

Whether a picture book or a novel today is a perfect day to get cozy and pick up a book you have always wanted to read.

Today is a great day to read to your children, no matter the age it is important to have the interaction of reading together. In this digital age, it is nice to share ideas and take your imagination to new heights. Books are able to transport you back in time, to a faraway land or even lead to new curiosity right in your backyard. We have picked a few of our favorites for Book Lover’s Day and hope that you enjoy these also.

The Tree That Bear Climbed – by Marianne Berkes and illustrated by Kathleen Rietz This is the Sylvan Dell book of the month and a great repetitive text for young readers, children will be surprised by what Bear finds in the tree!

A Warm Winter Tail – by Carrie A. Pearson and illustrated by Christina Wald This fun story is a perfect read for a cold day.  When we are a bundled up in coats and scarves how funny we must look to a fox, or a bear, A Warm Winter Tail explores what animals do to stay warm in the winter.

Little Skink’s Tail-by Janet Halfmann and illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein Voted the Sylvan Dell classic by you, and always a crowd favorite; Skink tries out new tails after her bright blue tail is lost. Will she ever find a perfect fit? Imaginations go wild when reading Little Skink’s Tail.

Hey Diddle Diddle-by Pam Kapchinske illustrated by Sherry Rogers

This book will have you singing along and learning about the food chain in one habitat.  

The Giraffe Who was Afraid of Heights-by David A. Ufer and Illustrated by Kirstin Carlson This is a great tail for building confidence and overcoming fears. This young giraffe was afraid of heights and goes on a journey to overcome his fear.

The Rainforest Grew All Around-by Susan K. Mitchell and illustrated by Connie McLenn an So much to explore in the jungle and children love the unique plants and animals in this book. Sing along to the tune of “The Green Grass Grew all Around.”

Share a wonderful book lover’s day memory with your children. Click Here, and enter the code: GSR4KJ to read one of these Sylvan Dell books.

A Warm Winter Tail

By Carrie A. Pearson

Illustrated by Christina Wald

Finally, to wrap up the Sylvan Dell Launch Week we end With A Warm Winter Tail.

Sparked from walk in the woods Carrie Pearson wrote A Warm Winter Tail, a twist on staying warm in the long cold months of winter.

Do you ever wonder how animals stay warm in the winter? Well, they wonder how humans do too! In a twist of perspective, wild creatures question if humans use the same winter adaptation strategies that they do. Do they cuddle together in a tree or fly south to Mexico? Take a look through an animal’s eyes and discover the interesting ways animals cope with the cold in this rhythmic story.

Carrie A. Pearson is originally from Hillsdale, Michigan, and now lives in Marquette, Michigan on the sandy shore of Lake Superior. A former early elementary teacher, she is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is the winner of the coveted SCBWI-Michigan Picture Book Mentorship Award. Her nonfiction work has appeared in Michigan History Magazine. Currently she is working on several picture book manuscripts as well as an historical novel for middle grade readers set in an abandoned orphanage. Along with her husband and their three daughters (and their two Labradoodles), she hikes, bikes, runs, and skis in the woods, windsurfs, kayaks, stand-up paddles, and swims in the chilly water and writes about what she experiences around her. The idea for A Warm Winter Tail, her debut picture book, came from an encounter with a whitetail deer on a wintry day. Stop by Carrie’s website www.carriepearsonbooks.com to learn about her school and library visits.

In addition to illustrating A Warm Winter Tail, Habitat Spy, Little Red Bat, andHenry the Impatient Heron for Sylvan Dell, Christina Wald has illustrated for a wide variety of toys, games, books, and magazines. From a book that featured hundreds of animals on each page (Look, Find, and Learn: Animals of the World) to games including the Star Wars role playing game series, every assignment covers something new and exciting. In recent years, she has illustrated tons of different animals for books and other publications. Christina enjoys the research aspect of such projects, saying that each new book is a fascinating new learning experience. She often integrates travel to research for her illustrations. She lives in Ohio with her husband and three cats. Visit Christina’s website.

After many long weeks of waiting the Sylvan Dell fall releases are finally here! If you haven’t checked out our new releases online here is an overview. We are having an online launch party all next week, watch the blog for author posts, teaching activities and GIVEAWAYS!!

Desert Baths- All animals bathe to keep their bodies clean and healthy. Humans mi
ght use soap and water, but what do animals, especially those living in dry climates, do to keep clean? Darcy Pattison and Kathleen Rietz team up again to explore the desert to find out how snakes, spiders, and birds bathe. This surprising book teaches children about hygiene and how some exciting desert creatures manage to stay clean without the help of soap and water.

The Most Dangerous-Dangerous animals from all over the world gather for the Most Dangerous Animal of All Contest. Snakes, spiders, sharks…who will the winner be? Deadly poison, huge teeth, razor -sharp horns, and fearsome feet are just a few of the ways that animals kill. Predators mean to kill. Prey simply defend themselves. And yet, the unexpected most deadly animal doesn’t mean to harm at all!

Solar System Forecast-Freezing temperatures, scorching heat, and a storm bigger than planet Earth is just some of the wild weather you will encounter on your trip through our solar system! Get your fun facts along with your forecast for each major planet, as well as the weather on dwarf planet Pluto. Any child with an interest in space is sure to love Solar System Forecast, and parents will love the educational “For Creative Minds” section in the back of the book. Get ready for some out of this world fun with Solar System Forecast!

The Tree That Bear Climbed-Everyone knows about the house that Jack built, but this is The Tree That Bear Climbed. What makes this tree so fascinating to bear? Starting with the roots that anchor the tree, this chain of events story in cumulative verse explores many different things that help a tree stand tall. It also lends itself to further discussion with fun repetition and detailed picture clues, stimulating a child’s curiosity. Why does the bear climb the tree and what happens when he arrives at his goal?

A Warm Winter Tail- Do you ever wonder how animals stay warm in the winter? Well, they wonder how humans do too! In a twist of perspective, wild creatures question if humans use the same winter adaptation strategies that they do. Do they cuddle together in a tree or fly south to Mexico? Take a look through an animal’s eyes and discover the interesting ways animals cope with the cold in this rhythmic story.

To kick off the release of six new Sylvan Dell books here is an interview with Terri Fields, the author of The Most Dangerous!

Did you learn anything from writing The Most Dangerous?

            I learned so many fascinating facts while I was researching this book that I could have written an entire book about each animal.  (Maybe someday I still will!)  Meanwhile, there are some fun added details on page 29 of the on-line teaching guide to the book.  

Here are a few more interesting facts about some of these animals:

•             Great White Sharks will have a tail slapping contest if there is only enough food for one of them. The one with the most slaps gets the food. 
•             Cape Buffalos are supposed to have amazing memories.  If a hunter returns even years after hurting a cape buffalo, it’s said that the cape buffalo will remember and go after that hunter.  Birds called oxpeckers often land on cape buffalos and eat the ticks, fleas and lice on the buffalo’s body or face.
•             Saltwater Crocodiles have receptors at the base of their teeth that let them sense even tiny vibrations in the water. If a crocodile is under water, but not too far from land, animals coming to drink from the water’s edge better watch out!  The crocodile will sense exactly where they are.
•             A Hippo’s hide can weigh as much as a half a ton.  That’s 1000 pounds.  Can you imagine if just your skin weighed that much?  And if you feel thirsty, how much do you drink? A hippo can drink 55 gallons a day! 
•             The Cassowary has the lowest known call of any bird.  Female cassowaries are the second heaviest bird in the world, and even though cassowaries are birds, they can’t fly.
•             Box Jellyfish aretransparent, so people don’t often see them, just feel the sting.  If a number of tentacles touch a person’s skin, it can cause heart failure.  Even if the sting is just from a few tentacles, the pain is so horrible, the victim often goes into shock and drowns because he can’t get to shore.

What is something to think about after reading The Most Dangerous?

            Certainly, these animals are very dangerous, but most of them have a reason.  They are either protecting themselves, providing themselves with food or both.  Though some people also  kill animals to protect themselves or provide food, some people hunt for no other reason than the thrill of the kill. Only people do this.  Does that make them the most dangerous of all?  It’s something to think about!

Did you consider any other titles for this book?

            Coming up with a title is important since it is often a title that attracts or detracts potential readers, right?  Originally, I looked at a number of synonyms for dangerous.  Possible titles included: The Most Menacing, The Most Alarming, The Most Perilous, The Most Threatening.   Eventually, I settled on dangerous because it seemed the most accurate.  However, I submitted my title as The Most Dangerous Animal of All.  My excellent editor shortened the title, and it’s a good thing she did because otherwise, the wonderful cover art would have had to be smaller to fit all those extra words. 

What do you tell students who contact you about writing?

            Many times, I’ll get email from students wanting to know how to get their book published.  I tell them that the most important thing is not publishing the book, but writing, rewriting, and rewriting again until they have a book of which they are really proud.  Then they should share that book with family, friends, even their own school library. 

  What advice would you give parents to get their children interested in writing and reading?

            I would encourage parents to help their children see the world in terms of stories.  Of course, you should read to your child.  That’s a great beginning.  However, there are so many ways to spark children’s creative thinking.  For example, when you’re waiting in line at the grocery, ask your child, “Suppose a big pink dog just ran through the store.  What would happen next?”  By the time you get to the checkout, you and your child may have created a whole story together.  When you’re waiting for a sporting game to start, point to one of the people who hasn’t gone in the stadium yet and say, “Let’s make up a story.  We’ll pretend that that man in the red hat is here today because his son gave him a ticket.  What if he was holding the ticket and a bird plucked it from his hand?”

When you were a teacher, your students won hundreds of creative writing awards.  What advice would you give to teachers to encourage writing?

            Three important pieces to successful classroom writing:

1)       Everyone must know that your classroom is an absolutely safe place to share creativity.  There is a risk for a student to put his/her imagination and heart on paper that isn’t there in answering a math problem.  If you want students to take that leap of faith, they must know they will not face taunts or teasing.

2)      Writing is really about rewriting.  The first draft of anything should just be for the student.  The students should read the next draft aloud to themselves and then answer a series of guided questions about it.  Both drafts should be attached to a third draft, and that is the one the teacher should review and critique.  The fourth draft should be attached to the top of the third draft, and that is the one that should receive the grade, but only if all the other drafts have been completed.  It’s amazing how much students can and will improve their own work if they must complete the process.

3)      With the student’s permission, “publish” and display successful writing for check-out by other students.  Teachers might consider the idea of a classroom library stocked with both student and professionally published books.   

 For more information about Terri Fields and her nineteen books, see her website www.terrifields.com

Seven years and 76 books later the definition of Sylvan Dell is just as difficult now as it was on day one.

The subject recently came up with a librarian, who as a reviewer was trying to classify a Sylvan Dell book. The story is fiction, almost! Scattered throughout the stories featuring cute animals, or space characters are a few scientific facts, some more obvious than others. Then each book has four to six pages of non-fiction material, strategically chosen to enhance those scattered facts. We understand that this concept does not make a teacher or librarian’s job easy.

The time spent reading to a child is very influential and important. Do you remember your favorite book from story time; could you recite every word? Sylvan Dell, inspired by this memory and concept, has taken one-step further into educating children, with our specialty being science and math.

In the Program for International Student Assessment, the United States ranked 17^th in science and 25^th in math. We focus on getting kids interested in these subjects at an early age. This is where the non-fiction “For Creative Minds” section of the book is helpful to parents, and children. For example, a parent is reading Home in the Cave and the child asks, “What is sonar?”  The parent has a resource in the back of the book and is able to look like an expert on the subject. In a similar function, consider that same child a few years later in the classroom learning about bats, they remember Baby Batand the concept of sonar.

However, learning about bats is not the only concept introduced in this book. Baby Bat is learning about growing up and facing fears, the secrets of his cave and how he is helping his habitat. There are many options when classifying a Sylvan Dell book, and we understand that many of our books have an identity problem in the education community. Bats, caves or life lessons where does Home in the Cave fit in lesson plans? The answer is any one of the above and with the common core focus of going beyond the text; teachers are able to draw out many concepts in just one lesson. We have resources to make a teachers job easier posted on our website and easily accessed on a Smartboard. The goal at Sylvan Dell is to make reading and learning fun.

For those teachers or librarians who would like more information or a listing of how our books fit into common core standards, reading levels or just the concepts in each book visit http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/TeachersSchoolLibrarians.htm for resources or contact us for your specific needs at (877) 243-3457.

We are feverishly preparing for our new titles to be released in a few weeks, but I am back to blog and today the education community is on our minds at Sylvan Dell. Over the past few weeks, we have dove into research, to find out what teachers look for and why they enjoy Sylvan Dell’s approach to learning. This has all come about with the new iPad app and launching into technology.

What we have found is there are really great teachers out there that are using innovative teaching techniques and really seeing remarkable results. We were fortunate to meet Kristi Meeuwse a kindergarten teacher here in Charleston, SC. As a book publisher, we were amazed by the work her children were able to accomplish on the iPad. Check out Kristi’s blog http://iteachwithipads.net/.

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