Tuesday December 15, 2009
It's hard to believe that it's less than 12 days until Christmas. From now until then, I'll be suggesting holiday books in my blog each day. When I began looking for new Christmas books for children, I was delighted to find a
picture book edition of
The Twelve Days of Christmas. This traditional Christmas song is such a favorite and the illustrations by Gennady Spirin in this edition are quite wonderful. Do you and your kids have a favorite Christmas book for children that is based on song lyrics like this one is? If so, please click on "Comments" and share your recommendations.
A number of the About Parenting and Family Guides are blogging with the 12 days theme in mind, and I think you'll enjoy their blogs:
(Cover art courtesy of Marshall Cavendish)
Monday December 14, 2009
Are you all ready for Christmas? Fancy Nancy is. In fact, the little girl who likes everything fancy, including words, is having a splendid time decorating for the holidays in
Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas. Even a mishap can't spoil the fun. The latest book in the Fancy Nancy series is sure to delight all of her 3 to 6 year old fans. To learn more about Fancy Nancy, see my review of the first book in the series, appropriately named
Fancy Nancy. How do your kids feel about Fancy Nancy? Click on "Comments" below and let me know.
(Cover art courtesy of HarperCollins)
Saturday December 12, 2009
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Simon & Schuster, has announced a voluntary recall of
Monday the Bullfrog Plush Books because of a choking hazard. The CPSC recall announcement reported the following safety concern and incidents that led to the recall,
- Hazard: The plastic eye on the frog can detach, which may pose a choking hazard to young children.
- Incidents/Injuries: Simon & Schuster has received reports of three plastic eyes that detached after use and one unit that was packaged with a detached eye. No injuries have been reported.
As you can see from the photo on the right, the board book is attached to the inside of the bullfrog puppet's mouth. The ISBN numbers are 10: 1416912312 and 13: 9781416912316. About 142,000
Monday the Bullfrog Plush Books were sold by bookstores and other retailers, including online, between January 2006 and the end of November 2009. If you have one of these books, immediately place it out of your child's reach and
contact Simon & Schuster for a replacement book. Because books and companion toys tend to be kept for several years and passed down from child to child in a family, you may also want to check some of my earlier blogs about recalls to be sure your children don't have any of the items listed below:
Please pass this information on to others you feel need to see it.
(Photo courtesy of the USCPSC media release)
Friday December 11, 2009
If you are looking for a good gift for a tween, I recommend
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo. There is a reason that
Kate DiCamillo has won a Newbery Medal and other honors for her stories. She is a gifted writer. Her new book,
The Magician's Elephant, is a gem. Unlike her novel
Because of Winn-Dixie in which the voice and development of the main character is paramount, in
The Magician's Elephant, it is the story itself that takes center stage. At 208 pages, it's a good book for kids who are ready for a story that asks them to draw inferences and make connections but that is not too long or complex.
(Cover art courtesy of Candlewick Press)
