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NOTE TO SELF: USE GIFT CARD


There used to be a time when store clerks and shoppers dreaded the day after Christmas in anticipation of the post-holiday return madness. The endless line-ups to bring back items that were the wrong size, bad color selection, vile scent or mis-guessed sizes appear to be on the wane with the growing popularity of gift cards.

Surveys according to America's Research Group, which polls shoppers for retailers, indicate that significantly fewer shoppers would be returning gifts this year. Ten years ago, the group found, 38 percent of consumers said they had an unwanted gift to return after Christmas. Five years ago, that number was 33 percent; this year, it is 14 percent.

The National Retail Federation surveyed shoppers and found that 64.3 percent didn’t return anything last holiday season, up from 62.4 percent in 2005.

When you think about it a gift card makes a lot of sense since it allows the recipient a good span of time to reflect upon what they really want or need. However, the trick is to remember that you received one and to check on the expiry date. Also, you can't re-gift a gift card!

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/27/business/27returns.html

What gifts did you return this year?

Just One More Book was launched one year ago today with the release of our first podcast episode; a review of the children’s picture book, Bill In A China Shop. It was a different world for JOMB. Our audio quality was terrible and we hadn’t found our rhythm. We watched our statistics and hoped for more than thirty listeners per show.

As the year progressed, we invested in some new equipment, changed our review style, interviewed a lot of amazing people, gave away several autographed books, corresponded with people who are equally passionate about great children’s books and watched our listener base grow to an average of 6,000 downloads a week. Later this week we will release our 200th episode.

Thank you for being a part of the Just One More Book community and for helping to make this an incredibly fun first year!

Don’t forget that we will be giving away an autographed copy of Lois Ehlert’s Eating the Alphabet during the first week of September. To qualify, send a review of one of your favourite children’s book (five-minutes or less) as an MP3 file (or text review) in email to [email protected], phone it in to our listener feedback line (+1-206-350-6487) or leave a two-minute MyChingo by August 31, 2007.

Title: Wag A Tail
Written and Illustrated by: Lois Ehlert
Hardback: 40 pages
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Ages: Baby-Preschool
ISBN: 978-0152058432
Publication: April 1, 2007

Wag a Tail is a fantastic book with great images and quick, rhyming text.

The beginning of the book has an author’s note, which explains how the book was put together. Ehlert says the book was created quite similarly “like a quilt.” Fabric scraps and bits and pieces of papers were used to form the beautiful collage images. Ehlert used scrap pieces from her other books, such as “Leaf Man” and “Top Cat.” The images in the book are vibrant and eye catching and they add a lot of appeal, especially for younger readers.

The book starts off with a sign pointing to “Farmer’s Market” (thataway!). From there, readers discover a wonderful singsong adventure between graduate dogs of the “Bow Wow School.”

“Wag a tail.
Wag a tail.
We know how.
Wig Wag Zig Zag
Let’s play now!”

The language is colorful and it sings off the page like jazz. The end of the book has a “guide” that identifies all the dog graduates from the “Bow Wow School.” But can these city dogs be obedient at the city market? What makes these “Bow Wow” graduates so cool? This book is guaranteed to educate and entertain!

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Reviewed by Sylvia C. Hall

This episode of Just One More Book! is part of our showcase coverage of the International Reading Association’s 52nd annual conference.

Mark speaks with Lois Ehlert about eating the alphabet to create her book Eating the Alphabet, her beautiful collage illustrations and exploring her creativity as a child.

Books mentioned:

• Eating The Alphabet: Fruits And Vegetables From A To Z
• Wag A Tail
• Under My Nose (Meet The Author, Lois Ehlert)
• Hands: Growing Up to be An Artist
  

Participate in the conversation by leaving a comment on this interview, or send an email to [email protected].

I'm still editing the Forest (up today at 5pm CST), but I wanted to tell you about a great toddler book I read recently--Wag a Tail, by Lois Ehlert. I have a review up over at Book Buds.

Speaking of Book Buds, did you know Anne will be editing the children's pages for The Poetry Foundation? She gives us the scoop here and reports on a Jack Prelutsky event here.
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In the "it's my blog and I can if I want to" department, Eric Wilson profiles "the headmaster of fashion," Tim Gunn, at The New York Times. Now before you all start thinking I'm a major fashionista, I'll tell you that I appreciate Gunn as a teacher most of all. He's truly a master in the classroom. Take this classic comment, for example: "I appreciate what you're trying to do. Do I love it? No." Perfection.
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In the no comment, but some of you may be interested department: more celebrity, more books.