Meadowbook Press Board Books Review

Board Books are society’s response to the natural tendancy of toddlers and young children to eat, throw, cut, bend, and otherwise destroy books.  These sturdy books (eg. “Board Books”) are the best way to read to your little ones and introduce them to the fun of reading.  Meadowbook Press is a leading provider of classic stories in Board Books and in collaboration with Baby Genius, they have made some good ones!

I received four great books for review and am excited to share them with my little one.  The books I received include:

• The Wheels on the Bus – Sing ‘N Move Book
• 5 Little Monkeys Jumpin’ on the Bed – Sing ‘N Count Book
  
• Old MacDonald Had a Farm – Sing ‘N Learn Book
• 1 Little, 2 Little, 3 Little Elephants – Sing ‘N Count Book

I really belive books like these not only help benefit your kids with reading, but they also teach other great pre-academic skills.  I know my 5 year old learned a lot about numbers and sequencing because of his love for the 5 Little Monkeys song, and other similar ones.  These nursery rhymes help instill a sense of numbers, letters, and basic educational concepts that correlate well with early education.

The books are great, the stories are simple, but fun and educational.  These are books that you can let your young one handle and interact with.  They also make for great bedtime story adventures!

Get Angry!

Paw Paw books are a set of charming books  about a traveling dog  that are designed just for young children.  The Adventures With PawPaw series features a little dog who travels to a different country in each book, introducing young kids to other countries and cultures.  So far PawPaw has visited China, France, and Costa Rica (and is packing his bags for Kenya, Italy, Egypt, Israel, and other spots).

The books are absolutely adorable and the illustrations engaging.  Paw Paw is definitely popular in our house.  The series is educational at the young childs level.  The rhyming words will keep them entertained and open their eyes about different place and people in the world.  Plus the books are just the right size for little hands.  You can buy the PawPaw Series on the Adventures With PawPaw Website.

Here’s the best part: They will give a portion of all profits to help stop child trafficking around the world — through www.born2fly.org.  They will not only make a wonderful Christmas gift, but will help to change a child’s life.

Paw Paw books were written by Diana Scimone, a journalist who’s been to 40+ countries writing on issues of human rights.  She wrote the books to introduce kids to some of the many wonderful places she’s been and people she’s met.   Diana also launched the foundation to give back to the kids she’s met in desperate situations all over the world.  Below is more information about the Born To Fly Foundation and also at their website www.born2fly.org.

I’M ASKING YOU TO WATCH THIS POWERFUL VIDEO, GET ANGRY, AND READ THE 21 STEPS BELOW AND TAKE ACTION!    WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WE CAN CHANGE LIVES.  COME WITH ME ON THIS JOURNEY.

Can we do anything to stop child sex slavery?

YES WE CAN! Most kids get lured into the dark world of sex slavery because they don’t know the deceptive tactics of traffickers. Someone shows up in a village and offers to educate the girls. “Just sign here,” he tells the parents, who never see their daughters again.

A trafficker offers a teenage girl a job as a model, waitress, or nanny. She has no idea she’ll really be forced into sex slavery. She’ll be threatened, beaten, and raped over and over, night after night, until she dies of AIDS.

How to stop the traffic

Wherever kids receive awareness training, the rate of child sex trafficking plummets. Unfortunately there’s not enough training—nor is it available to kids who are most at risk.

That’s why we’ve launched a global campaign called the B2F Project to create awareness about child trafficking—with the ultimate goal of ending it. Our mission is to educate girls and their parents about the dangers of child sex trafficking through a strategic, far-reaching multimedia campaign. The B2F Project has the potential to reach millions of children no matter what their language or country, nor how remote their villages.

Our goal is not just to prevent kids from being trafficked, but to help them fulfill their dreams. B2F sets kids free to soar so they can dream big dreams and make a difference in the world around them.

21 WAYS YOU CAN STOP CHILD TRAFFICKING (from the born2fly website)

Want more ways to get involved? Click here and join the conversation as people all over the world share ideas about how to get involved with the effort to stop global trafficking.

1. Learn about what’s happening. Child sex trafficking feeds not just on lust and greed, but also on silence and ignorance. One of the most effective things you can do is what you’re doing now—get informed. The stories aren’t pretty, but they must be told if we’re ever going to stop the epidemic.

2. Read about modern-day abolitionists and learn what they’re doing to rescue children, counsel them, and prevent others from being enslaved.

3. Find out what’s happening in your own community. Research if your state or county has a human trafficking task force.

4. Host a house meeting or dorm meeting to watch a documentary such as “Sex Slaves in America,” “Born into Brothels,” “China’s Stolen Children,” or “How to Buy a Child in 10 Hours.” Talk about ways you can stop child trafficking in your community.

5. Start a book club and have everyone read Terrify No More or Good News About Injustice both by Gary Haugen, Not For Sale by David Batstone, or Beyond the Soiled Curtain by David and Beth Grant. Brainstorm how you can become further involved.

6. Pick a country and take an immersion trip to acquaint yourself with what’s happening in the child trafficking industry. Make appointments to meet with community organizations working to stop the traffic.

7. Set aside part of your vacation to volunteer with an organization that works to stop trafficking or helps victims. Whatever your skills—medical, counseling, administration, legal, or education—they’re needed somewhere.

8. Organize a fundraising party for the Born to Fly Project and invite your friends, family, and co-workers.

9. Forgo birthday, Christmas, holiday, or wedding presents. Instead, ask guests to give gifts in your name to the Born to Fly Project.

10. Flex your political muscles. When you learn about proposed legislation, such as the annual bill in the US Congress to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, contact your congressional representatives. (Click here to find email and phone numbers for US senators and representatives.)

11. Donate to organizations that work to stop child trafficking, such as Born to Fly.

12. Introduce Born to Fly to a foundation or corporation that might like to support our work.

13. Educate yourself on what’s happening in countries where you travel, study, or do business. The U.S. State Department TIPS (Trafficking in Persons) List ranks 150 countries according to their efforts to end trafficking.

14. Display an anti-trafficking poster in your school, church, or office. Download posters (in English, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Chinese, and Korean) here.

15. Blog about child trafficking.

16.  Forward the “Get Angry. Please” video to your friends.

17. Write about the realities of child sex slavery in an article or letter to the editor for your local newspaper (print or web edition).

18. Email your state or federal legislators asking what they’re doing to stop child trafficking. Click here for senators and representatives.

19. Post instances of human slavery around the world—including child sex slavery—on the Slavery Map.

20. Talk to your school, university, church, or community organization about sponsoring a Born to Fly day, and invite a local child advocate to speak.

21. Pray. Never underestimate the power of one person’s prayer. You are the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13 NKJV). Just as salt changes what’s around it, God gave you the power to change what’s around you.

Want more ways to get involved?  Click here — and join the conversation as people all over the world share ideas about how to get involved with the effort to stop global trafficking.

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Holiday Gifts of Childrens Books

Rutherford B. Hayes Middle School will never be the same. Danika is in deep trouble for hitting Mrs. Hefty’s right temple with her brown bag lunch. Toni is trying out for the boy’s football league…against her dad’s wishes and the school rules. Kaitlyn is completely boy-crazy and will stop at nothing to express her love for her older brother’s best friend. Yuzi is the new kid at school whose name nobody can pronounce, and in a valiant effort to fit in she is traumatized by being invited to dress up like a stalk of corn at the town’s annual Popcorn Festival. Their worlds collide one afternoon when they all end up in after-school detention and the Secret Keeper Girl Club is formed to save the day. Full of comedy, action, emotion, and life-transforming lessons, each book includes a mother/daughter Girl Gab assignment in an appendix.

I love the fact that girls can read about such a wonderful character as Danika and the other girls to identify with.  Told with Christian values about how to be a true friend and make wise choices, the Secret Keeper books are much more valuable for young tweens then those other books that stress looks and boyfriends.   Packed with quotes about friendship, the girls’ insights into what true friends are, and “secret” keywords you can plug into the Secret Keeper Girl website www.for recipes and fun tips, this is a book that will be a blast for girls to sit down with. Secret Keeper Books are available at book stores everywhere and Amazon.

I LOVE Barefoot Books!  They have such a terrific selection of unique and beautiful books for children.  The drawings and imagary in them is incredible.  They would make great gifts for any occasion.  And they have made it easy for Christmas, they have many wonderful gift collections available right now.  You can purchase their books at BAREFOOT BOOKS WEBSITE. Below are some of my favorites.

Alligator Alphabet - Hardcover
“A is for Alligator! B is for bear! C is for Camel!
Chase us if you dare!”

Can you think of an animal for every letter of the alphabet? In this delightful ABC book, young children will learn the upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet as they meet a parade of exotic and familiar creatures – from alligators to zebras, and impalas to quails.

Colorful drawings and cute words will make your little one giggle and love reading about all the animals.

Counting Cockatoos - Hardcover
Count all kinds of creatures as they tumble, rumble, slink and flap across the pages of this playful book!  Count to twelve with help from tumbling tigers, winking owls and more, while you search for the two cockatoos hidden on every page.  This clever counting adventure makes the perfect gift when paired with Alligator Alphabet.

My four year old loves to count and learn about numbers and Counting Cockatoos makes it even more enjoyable.  I love the illustrations too!

Little Leap Forward - Hardcover
As featured in the New York Times Sunday Book Review!

The first in Barefoot Books’ Young Fiction line, this sensitively written, real-life story focuses on growing up in Beijing in the 1960s, at the time of the Cultural Revolution. Little Leap Forward offers children an intimate and immediate account of a child’s experiences as Mao Tse Tung’s Great Leap Forward policy tightens its grip on China.

Yoga Pretzels

50 Fun Yoga Activities for Kids & Grownups

What a fun and healthy activity to do with your kids!  We love the cards and feel great after we practice them.  Our four year old is so good at the poses!

Practice bending, twisting, breathing, relaxing and more with Yoga Pretzels, a vibrant and colorful set of illustrated cards that provide a healthy dose of fun and education while teaching all the basics of yoga to help your head and heart.

My Daddy is a Pretzel – Hardcover
Yoga for Parents and Kids

Daddy actually did this with our four year old, and they had so much fun.  It is great to read a book and have it be so interactive and educational at the same time. The pictures are fabulous!

Limber up with this unique, child-friendly yoga book! Created for parents and children to share together, but also suitable for adults and older children to use alone, My Daddy is a Pretzel not only introduces a range of postures, it also connects the practices to everyday life, showing how families can integrate their yoga with their activities in the world. A light-hearted look at yoga, yet one with a lasting message, My Daddy is a Pretzel is a wonderful introduction to yoga for readers of all shapes and sizes.

Whole World – Hardcover & CD
Featured in Oprah’s “O List”!

“Printed on forest-friendly paper, this sweet children’s book includes a sing-along CD and eco-tips for preserving the planet”—The O List
I would agree with Oprah!  This was our four year olds favorite!  The music and song was so fun to sing along to and read the book as we sang.  We sang over and over!
Share the message, hear the song, and see Whole World come to life! We are donating ten percent of sales from Whole World to benefit global conservation. To learn more about our environmental partners, please click here.
Sing around the planet, from high in the mountains to low in the valleys, in every town and every city, and with all the fish and birds, trees and flowers! Includes eco-tips on how to live green and a catchy singalong CD, sung by Fred Penner.

Learning a new language used to require tedious  translation, mindles memorization and grueling grammar drills. But learners want faster, easier and more effective language programs as they increasingly intermingle with other cultures both at home and abroad. Rosetta Stone Inc., creator of the world’s No.1 language-learning software, has introduced Rosetta Stone® Version 3 Personal Edition, the next generation of an interactive software program that uses technology to create an environment of complete immersion in the language — the fastest, most effective way to learn a new language. Rosetta Stone Version 3 is now available for U.S. consumers in the 10 most popular languages offered by Rosetta Stone. An additional 20 languages are available in Rosetta Stone Version 2. The Rosetta Stone product is backed by an unconditional six-month money-back guarantee for all purchases made directly from the company.  The website is www.rosettastone.com

This complete software package, enhanced with Audio Companion™ CDs, includes everything you need to learn Spanish at home and on the go.

Begin by building a foundation of essential language skills. Gain confidence and learn to share your ideas, opinions and feelings when you immerse yourself in Spanish with Rosetta Stone.    *  Version 3 Personal Edition CD-ROM software for Levels 1, 2 & 3 (Windows/Mac)
* Headset microphone
* User’s guide
* Audio Companion, a multiple-CD set to play or download to your MP3 player

This set will help you:

* Build your vocabulary and language abilities.
* Spell and write accurately.
* Speak without a script.
* Retain what you’ve learned.
* Read and understand your new language.
* Share ideas and opinions, express feelings and talk about everyday life.

Sample topics include:

* The basics, such as age and family relations
* Questions, greetings, introductions
* Times of day, calendar terms, the weather
* Directions, locations, telling time
* Present, past and future tense
* Apologies and polite requests
* How to order at a restaurant and give and receive directions
* Emotions, opinions and ideas
* Political, media, business and religious terms

Children’s Book Set Giveaway!

  

I have a set of fun children’s books to give away courtesy of Hachette Books.  Two people will win a copy of each book by popular children’s author Robie H Harris.  You can read my reviews below and go to my contest page to enter!

Mail Harry To the Moon

Nobody told this older brother that having a new little brother would mean big changes, and he’s FED UP! It’s time to mail Harry to the moon so life can go back to the way it was before Harry: No more spit-up! No more grabbing! No more wailing in the night! But along the way, baby Harry might just help our hero see that being a big brother means more than just a big nuisance-it means adventure and friendship, too.

Mail Harry to the Moon is a cute and colorful book for children ages three and up.   The writing is engaging and the illustrations, simple and fun,  go well with the story.  This is a book that will especially appeal to little boys, and one that has an important message for the children who are jelous about having a new member of the family. 

The Day Leo Said I Hate You

In a reassuring manner, Robie H. Harris and Molly Bang portray what happens when a little boy feels SO frustrated and SO mad at a parent who has said NO all day long. In this family book about what it feels like to say–and hear–those other three words, Harris and Bang delicately navigate the most profound bonds between a parent and a child.

Leo is so tired of Mommy’s NOs that he retreats to his room just to be in a no NO zone. He quickly finds that there’s no such thing when Mommy walks in and tosses yet another NO Leo’s way. This is when Leo decides to throw his own verbal weapon at Mommy.   I would recommend this one for older children ages 4-8 who would understand the reasons that Leo is saying “I hate you”  That being said, it would be reassuring for them to read about a child who has the same emotions that they do and learn how to express their anger and frustrations in a healthy way.  This book should be read with much discussion and would hopefully make both mom and child learn from each other. 

Children’s Book Recommendations

  My little book reviewer is back to review some more wonderful books that author Sally Lee sent to us!  Thanks so much Sally!  You can visit her website at www.leepublishing.net    Sally O. Lee earned her BA in Studio Art and Art History (with distinction) from Colby College and then went on to study graphic design and painting in Boston (Art Institute of Boston) and in New York City (New York Studio School). She has had several shows of her work and received an art grant from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology to conceive and create a series of paintings, and from this came her 2002 exhibition- A Journey Into Abstraction. Some of Ms. Lee’s paintings are in various private collections in the US.
In recent years, Ms. Lee has begun to write and illustrate children’s books. Some of them deal with the struggles of living with some form of handicap…or, as the author prefers to call it, imperfection. Many of her illustrations have been published and she has earned both academic and public recognition for her important work in children’s books. She has had illustrations published in Worldlink Magazine, IEEE Magazine, and several other publications.
Sally lives and works in Massachusetts.
Sally Lee writes “My children’s books are an extension of my work as a painter. Writing is a new addition for me but I am enjoying it very much. And creating the illustrations is a perfect way to continue my painting in a new direction and a nice way to complement my writing. I hope to write and illustrate many more”.

The Cake Thief is a story about a strange little kid, Clarence, who lived in a house with a purple door, in the mountains near a town. Simply put, Clarence was a cake thief. He would slip from his home; go to the village and steal cakes, all kinds of cakes, the prettier the better.  Eventually Clarence learns that making the cakes himself and sharing those cakes is much more rewarding that stealing those made by others.  The story line in this small book is easy to follow and the art work is delightful!  It has a wonderful lesson for 2-8 year olds to enjoy!

Nightie Night, Lucy is a children’s picturebook about a bunny rabbit girl Lucy and her pet cat Seymour who aren’t quite ready to go to bed yet. Instead, the two of the imagine all sorts of wonderful adventures together. “First they decided to fly through space. / Then, Lucy became a ballerina on a big stage with bright lights. / Seymour rode his motorcycle through the rolling green mountains.”   Our favorite part was when they both swam in the deep ocean with all the colorful fish.  Again, the colors and pictures are so bright and vivid, I wish I could show you!  This is the perfect book to read before bed with your 2-8 year old children.