Thursday May 23, 2013
May is National Egg Month. It's not too late to celebrate with children's books. First, share
An Egg Is Quiet with your children. Artist Sylvia Long illustrated the book, which was written by Dianna Aston.
An Egg Is Quiet is a picture book, a science book, and one of the most beautifully designed and illustrated children's books that I have seen in some time. While the book is beautiful to look at, this children's picture book is also full of accurate and interesting facts about eggs. After you read the book, try cooking some eggs. You'll find a tasty recipe for the dish made popular by Dr. Seuss in his children's book
Green Eggs and Ham in the
Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook. The cookbook is full of recipes inspired by
Dr. Seuss and his books. Have you ever made green eggs and ham? Do you have a good recipe to share? If so, click on "Comments" below and post a message about it.
(Cover art courtesy of Chronicle Books)
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Tuesday May 21, 2013
I was sorry to read about the death of Bernard Waber on May 16 at the age of 91 (Source:
AP story, Wall Street Journal, May 20, 2013). His picture books about Lyle the Crocodile have delighted several generations of 4 to 8 year olds.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Storybook Treasury, the 50th anniversary collection of some of Waber's Lyle stories, is a delight. It includes not only four stories about Lyle that were originally published as picture books, it also includes some nice extras. Let me know how you and your kids feel about Waber's stories about the lovable crocodile by clicking on "Comments" below and posting a message.
(Cover art courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
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Tuesday May 21, 2013
Memorial Day is a time for family and remembrance. Here are some resources you may find helpful as your family prepares for Memorial Day. If you are looking for a children's picture book about remembering those who died in war, I recommend
The Wall by Eve Bunting, with illustrations by Richard Himler. This poignant children's picture book is about a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, by a father and his young son.
Other Memorial Day resources from About.com Guides include:
(Cover art courtesy of Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin)
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Monday May 20, 2013
Since this week Mary Pope Osborne celebrates her birthday (May 20), it's seems appropriate to feature the author and her enormously popular Magic Tree House books. Having bought numerous Magic Tree House books over the years, I thought I knew all about them. I was wrong. For example, I hadn't realized that there were big differences between the earlier and later books. Length, reading levels and complexity are only some of the differences. Because of these differences, I ended up writing two articles about the series:
The Magic Tree House Series, Books #1-28 and
The Magic Tree House Series, Books #29 and Up, each of which includes an overview and a book list.
I also wrote a separate article on the companion nonfiction research guides known as Magic Tree House Fact Trackers. You can find all of these and more in my Magic Tree House Resources for Parents and Teachers. Share your children's experiences with the series at Readers Respond where you can also learn about the experiences of others.
If you'd like to send birthday greetings to Mary Pope Osborne, click on "Comments" below and post a message, which I will forward to her
(Cover art courtesy of Random House)
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