Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

From the book:  Floyd's kite gets stuck in a tree, and he tries to knock it down with increasingly larger and more outrageous things.

They are not stretching the truth when they say "more outrageous things"!!!  It was getting a bit ridiculous really, but all in good fun.  Floyd does not give up attempting to get his kite out of the tree, and all in good time, his persistence is rewarded. 

Quite a fun book to share, especially if you are doing a storytime on kites, or just in the mood for a silly book.

My Name is Elizabeth! by Annika Dunklee illustrated by Matthew Forsythe

There's not much a child has in this world that is their own, except their name.  And if you have a name that is easily mispronounced, shortened, lengthened, or made into some obnoxious rhyme, then you will surely identify with Elizabeth.

What an adorable book about a little girl who likes her name and definitely does NOT like anyone else changing or shortening it!  Or using some variation as a nickname - her name is ELIZABETH, thankyouverymuch!

Having a first name like "Cassie", I could really relate to Elizabeth.  Oh did kids have fun with my name when I was little, but I just sort of took it.  Elizabeth did not put up with people getting her name wrong - very politely she gets her point across so that all call her by her full given name.   You go girl!

For a great storytime on names, include A Porcupine Named Fluffy by Helen Lester and Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.  Of course you also need to do the Name Game song!!!

Merry Christmas!

Well, this is it - I will now be off for a few days with the family.   For those of you who celebrate, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!   For those who don't - have a great week :)    Peace and happiness be with you all - and have fun!!!

Pipe Cleaner / Chenille Stem Snowflakes

When I think of pipe cleaner snowflakes, I think of matching chenille stems all perfectly bent into a sparkling wonder... and then I made them with kids and realized they can be far more beautiful than I ever imagined!   Take the examples on the left; all sparkly and beautiful and yes, made by kids.  

I provided photo samples, and did show them how to twist together multiple stems at once (and how to "hide" the twist with a pony bead), but they came up with the creative decorating and color choices all on their own. 

Below are some samples "in progress".   Add a ribbon or cord hanger, and voila!  You have a marvelous Christmas tree decoration, or better yet, a beautiful, sparkly decoration you can hang in your window year round.  

Creating a Purse/Bag out of a Book

Lately I have been discovering all sorts of super creative things people have made out of old books.  One project that caught my eye invovled taking a book that was falling apart and fashioning it into a bag!  I thought "hmmm the tweens/teens might like to do that."   So, off I went to attempt to create a "book bag".   Well, this is my prototype.

My requirements were that this has to be a cheap craft project that I could help multiple people with at the same time; that is to say, it had to be somewhat easy; i.e. no fancy handles or punching holes in to the book, no sewing machine, and a fairly simple pattern.

I found a wonderful step-by-step podcast by this craft guy at Curbly and it really helped a lot to get me started.  He made a nice fancy bag with a cloth lining and all... ok, I couldn't get that fancy, BUT his directions got me on the right track. 

I have to admit, I am pretty happy with how the bag turned out, but I also learned a lot from my experience!  Instead of cloth mentioned in the podcast, I used pages from the book on the sides.  They will NOT hold up long unless reinforced with something.  I was thinking Modge Podge or maybe just a few coats of Elmer's glue.  Another option I thought of would be backing the pages with duct tape prior to gluing them onto the book, or even laminating the paper, though glue does NOT stick long-term to laminated paper!

Duct tape worked GREAT has a handle, however in hindsight that all should have been done BEFORE I put the sides on!  The inside of this prototype is pretty messy, but I think I'll just go crazy with the Duct tape in the final project and cover the whole inside with the stuff.  It's durable, and comes in so many fun colors now-a-days!

Pretzel Kisses - recipes kids can make

I absolutely love these little chocolately pretzel bites, and thanks to M&Ms and other candy-coated chocolate candies, you can make them any time of the year!  The only problem you may run into is finding ROUND pretzels!   I only seem to be able to find them around the holiday season, and even then it is hit-or-miss.  I have used the little square "waffle" ones before, but it's just not the same!  I would love to make these for our Easter gatherings with the wonderful pastel chocolate candies... I wonder if I don't open a pack of pretzels if they will make it until April?!!  I'll have to check the expiration date.

In any case, let me write out the very simple directions for making these wonderful candies.  Really, they are VERY easy to do and the kids love to help.   Preheat the oven to about 220 (very low).  Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil.   Lay out pretzels and place one Hershey's Kiss in the middle of each circle.  It is ok if the Kiss does not fit exactly - it will melt just fine.   

*NOTE: I have found that Dark Chocolate Kisses melt much better and more evenly than the regular milk chocolate ones!   Don't mix a batch... You'll find that the milk chocolate melts quicker and "burns" faster.  

Place the tray in the oven for approximately 5 mins.  It really doesn't take very long!   The Kisses will have a shine to them when they are suitably melted.  

Take the tray out and gently push one M&M right down on the top peak of the Kiss until the chocolate spreads out and fills up the center of the pretzel.  

*TIP:  The mint M&Ms make for a fun twist!

When all Kisses have an M&M, place the tray in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to set up.  When the Pretzel Kiss easily peals off the tin foil, you know they are set well enough.   Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator!  And ENJOY!!!

Peanut Butter Bark to make with your kids

Alright, with the success of my Peppermint Bark I thought I would try a peanut butter version (especially since I have a peanut butter loving family).  Well, it tastes good, but I'm not real happy with how it turned out.  Here's what I did, in case you want to give it a try:

First off, the ingredients:  1 12oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 12oz bags of peanut butter chocolate chips, and about a cup of M&Ms.   Like the peppermint bark, I used a large cookie sheet that I had lined with waxed paper.  Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and spread them evenly over the waxed paper (see image).   You may not think it will cover the cookie sheet, but it will!

Next, sprinkle about a cup of the peanut butter chips (whole, not melted) over the chocolate.  You could also use chocolate bits if you wanted, or a combination of both.

Melt one bag of the peanut butter chips and pour that over the top of everything.  Smooth out with a spoon or spatula.  

Now comes the part where I messed up... I sprinkled about a cup of M&Ms on top of the melted peanut butter and when I went to break apart the bark, most of the M&Ms fell off!!!  I am thinking that flakes or broken up chocolate chips would have stuck better.  The M&Ms are just too smooth.  If and when I make this again, the M&Ms are going in the middle and I'll find another topping!

Let this set in the freezer about 10 minutes (or longer) before breaking it apart.  Store in a sealed container and enjoy!!!   If you have made something similar, please feel free to share in the comments!

Peppermint Bark that you can make with your kids!

'Tis the season to make goodies!   With a little dude running around the house though, it has to be a kid friendly recipe - something good, but easy to make.  I looked around the web and found some easy recipes for peppermint bark and combined them together to create this delicious and delightful treat that is so very easy to make!

The ingredients:
1 12 oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pound bag of Hershey's peppermint kisses
6 candy canes

For this treat, I used a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.

First unwrap the peppermint kisses!  I did not do this first and regretted it as the chocolate started to firm up before I had the kisses melted.

Melt the chocolate chips - I used a microwave, but use whatever method you like best, just be careful to not over heat them.  I do a minute at a time and stir well between.  After 2 mins, I cut that down to 30 seconds with lots of stirring.

When the chips are melted, pour them onto the wax paper covered cookie sheet and spread out evenly with a spatula or a spoon.

Crush 1/2 of the candy canes and sprinkle the candy cane bits over the top of the chocolate.  (my little one really loved doing this)

Next, melt the peppermint Hershey kisses.  THIS TAKES LESS TIME THAN THE SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS!!!  Be careful to stir frequently.

Pour the melted peppermint kisses over the chocolate and spread evenly.

Lastly, take the remainder of the candy canes and sprinkle over the top.  Place the whole tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes to set up.   Take out the tray and break apart the peppermint bark into manageable pieces.  It comes off the waxed paper very easily.   Store in  a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Yes, it is that easy!!!    Next up, I'm going to try this with peanut butter chips instead of peppermint and using whole peanut butter chips between the two layers.  It sounds yummy in my head - I'll let you know how it all turns out!

In the meantime, be sure to check out your local library for Christmas recipes that you can make with your kids!  There are many out there!

Things to do with Wrapping Paper Cardboard Tubes

Though I definitely put my own spin on things, I do not like reinventing the wheel, so when I was beginning to ponder what to do with all of the cardboard tubes left over from wrapping a bajillion presents, I took to the web and started surfing. It did not take me long to locate a kajillion ideas on what to do with these tubes! Sure, some of the crafts call for toilet paper rolls, but really, isn’t a wrapping paper roll simply a really long tp roll?!? Ok, they do come in varying widths and thicknesses and that does need to be considered for some of these ideas, but still, it’s worth a shot to take a look through a few of these sites and see what creative projects spark an interest for you and your kids.

Hang on to those tubes – tuck them away for a cold winter’s day or even a rainy spring day, and then CREATE!

Sea Creatures from Paper Tubes
http://www.makingfriends.com/recycle/tp_sealife.htm

Cardboard Tube Marble Run
http://creativeconnectionsforkids.com/2012/01/fun-with-a-marble-run/

Curbly – Toilet Paper Tube Owls

http://www.curbly.com/users/diy-maven/posts/10556-make-toilet-paper-roll-owls

Toliet Paper Roll Book with Pull Tabs
http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2011/06/toilet-paper-tube-books-with-pull-tabs/

101 Things to do with a Toilet Paper Roll

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/613287/101-things-with-toilet-paper-tubes

DLTK’s Toilet Paper Roll Crafts

http://www.dltk-kids.com/type/tp_roll.htm

Make and Takes - Empty Wrapping Paper Rolls

http://www.makeandtakes.com/empty-wrapping-paper-rolls

Curbly – Cardboard Tube Flower Wall Art

http://www.curbly.com/users/diy-maven/posts/7715-how-to-turn-toilet-paper-rolls-into-flower-wall-art

Book of the Month Clubs for Kids

Kids love to get mail.  Just like for adults (as long as it isn’t a bill), it’s quite exciting to see a package waiting for you when you get home.  The wonder and excitement of it all!  And what better gift to give a child then their very own book?  Or better yet, a new one each month!

Now, there are problems with “book of the month” type clubs.  For one thing, in most cases you are not personally choosing the books and let’s face it, kids taste in books (ok, EVERYTHING) changes frequently!  There are clubs out there however that allow you to choose particular books to send and even have specific categories.

I think book of the month clubs are a great idea – especially for kids 0-5.   The older they get, the pickier their taste, but you might find the perfect club out there.  Here are a few to check out:

Lollipop Book Club

Bonus:  This company appears to focus on books for children and they offer quite a variety. Every book comes with a personal note from you on a sticker inside the book…. Oh yeah, and your child gets a lollipop too!  (sticky fingers and books – ick!)

Gift Lit Book Club

Bonus:  Not just for kids!   I think they cover just about every age group and a variety of topics (i.e. adult books for teen readers).  They even offer a family gift package for reading aloud together and the ability to choose particular books for gifts.

Laughing Giraffe Book Club

Bonus:  Specializing in three age ranges 0-4, 4-8 and 8+.  Nice variety of books and comes with pretty packaging.  Each monthly package includes a book and their “peel and stick” game which can be completed and returned for a special prize.  

Highlights Puzzle Book Clubs

Bonus:  Highlights has a few different subject areas for young children and offers their own puzzles, books and materials for monthly review via their clubs.  You pay for only the books you want to keep.

Children's Book of the Month Club

Bonus:  This membership based subscription service does offer quite a variety of popular books to choose from, and is a “pay for only the books you want to keep” sort of club.

***If these sound like too much work, just get your special child down to their local library and sign them up for their very own library card!  In most cases, this is FREE, and they have a whole library of books to choose from!

Then if you still really want to sign them up for a club, try out the “Rubber duck a month club”.   HAHAHA!  Yes, it really does exisit!    Duck of the Month Club

The Perfect Christmas by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by JoAnn Adinolfi

Eileen Spinelli and JoAnn Adinolfi who brought us The Perfect Thanksgiving in 2003 are together again for The Perfect Christmas.  What I like to call "normal", goes head-to-head with refined in this festive and fun holiday treat.  Definitely silly, there is sure to be at least one tradition mentioned in this story that you enjoy in your own family.   The jaunty rhyming text coupled with humorous mixed collage illustrations make this a perfect choice for sharing with a large group.  A great discussion starter for children to begin to think about Christmas traditions in their own familes.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Being an English major in college, I had to read many books.  So many books:  On the Road, Going After Cacciato, The Sun Also Rises, etc, not to mention the numerous plays and such by Shakespeare, Poe, Thoreau, and Wordsworth. Out of all of this reading, one story has stayed with me throughout the years:  The Little Prince.

I believe that when a book touches you, it is due not only to the writing, but also to your own frame of mind when you read the words.  You must allow the story's fabric to weave with your own for you to become one.  Ok, enough of that deep stuff... let's just say I read it at a time when I allowed it to speak to me and I was open to hearing the message.

No other story has touched me so deeply as The Little Prince (ok, perhaps Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux, but that is not for this blog!).  If you have not yet read this brilliant, poignant story, then please, get your hands on a copy now and read!  read!  read!    Especially BEFORE you see the animated series!

Winter Bear Storytime with Bear Puppet Craft

Looking to do a bear storytime this winter? Well take a look at these two fun rhyming books and easy bear puppet craft. Begin your story time reading aloud Karma Wilson's adorable Bear Snores On.  If your children enjoy this, be sure to find copies of the other "Bear" books - Bear is a great series character!  Next share Sleep Big Bear, Sleep by Maureen Wright for another great book about bears getting ready to sleep through the winter.

After reading these two great books you should really make an easy bear craft, right?!?  Well, this handy bear puppet is just the thing for all ages.  You can make it as complex or as easy as you wish.   Start with a basic form.  I folded a piece of 9" X 18" brown construction paper in half and drew a rough shape (minus the ears - we glued those on later - though you could include the ears).  The very top of the head I kept on the crease so that when I cut the sides out, the top would still be connected.  Then use some glue  right around all edges EXCEPT THE BOTTOM and let dry.

While the bear is drying, you can cut out the other bits - paws, a face, eyes and ears.  Use google eyes if you want to.  We even used a pom-pom for his nose and a marker to draw a mouth.

This is a very easy craft and quite adaptable to other animals too.  Have fun with your own little bear puppets!

Toddler and Preschool Christmas Crafts

Who couldn't love this adorable Rudolph paper bag puppet?!   My son has been busy at daycare lately with these super cute Christmas crafts.  I've already blogged about the Christmas Wreath last week, but look what else he's made!  Both crafts, the paper bag Rudolph and the paper plate snowman, would be easy to make at home with some extra materials, scissors and glue.  

The antlers on Rudolf are my son's hands, traced and then cut out.  You can use different colored paper or whatever extras you have on hand (pom poms would be fun buttons on the snowman!  But paper works great too!   Maybe use pinecones, seeds and real sticks from outside to decorate your snowman?! 

Let your kids be creative and have fun!

Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker

One of the world's most love illustrators has taken on one of the world's most love holiday stories; The Nutcracker.  Classic Engelbreit illustrations come to life on each two page spread full of color and whimsy complete with a gingerbread castle good enough to eat!

Mary Engelbreit's vision of the beloved story is charming and sweet and definitely does justice to this well known tale.

Check it out!

A Christmas Tree for Pyn by Olivier Dunrea

Olivier Dunrea who has brought us such adorable characters as Gossie and her friends has created a wonderful Christmas story that is sure to touch your heart.  Pyn dearly wants a Christmas tree, but her gruff father does not.  She gently coaxes him until she finally decides to go out and cut one down herself.  Her father finds her outside and together they pick the perfect tree, bring it home, and decorate it together.

Though it is not stated what has happened to Pyn's mother, there is a hint that she is no longer with them.  While reading the passage a feeling overcame me that perhaps she passed away and that is why father is so gruff...  the bond between father and daughter is strong however and very touching at the end of the story.

Couple this with A Wish to be a Christmas Tree to read together on your tree decorating night!

ALSC Notable Books for Children 2011

Yes, yes, another list of books, but this list was compiled by a committee of librarians.  Does that make it better than any other list?!?  No - but since I too am a Children's Librarian, I thought I should include this list :)    It's pretty darn good and includes quite a variety of items.
Here is the list:  2011 Notable Children's Books

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a division of the American Library Association (ALA).   A committee is chosen to review all books published for children within a given year and then the "notable" books are decided upon.   A notable book is:  Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children's books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children's interests in exemplary ways.  The current year's Newbery, Caldecott, Belpré, Sibert, Geisel, and Batchelder Award and Honor books automatically are added to the Notable Children's Books list.

Books from the ALSC list that I recommend for reading enjoyment are:

YOUNG READERS:
Bink and Gollie . By Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee. Illus. by Tony Fucile. Candlewick.
Dissimilar, yet steadfast friends, celebrate the ups and downs of their daily escapades in three lively chapters that explore compromise, asserting independence, and jealousy. Geisel Award Book

LMNO Peas . By Keith Baker. Illus. by the author. Beach Lane.
Tiny green peas take readers on a fun, whimsical tour of the alphabet.

The Quiet Book . By Deborah Underwood. Illus. by Renata Liwska. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  Quiet comes in many varieties, from “Sleeping sister quiet” to “First snowfall quiet” to “Right before you yell ‘SURPRISE’ quiet”. 

Tuck me In ! By Dean Hacohen. Illus. by Sherry Scharschmidt. Candlewick.
Readers interact with this deceptively simple good-night book, tucking sweet animals into bed.

We Are in a Book! By Mo Willems. Illus. by the author. Disney/Hyperion.
Elephant and Piggie discover that someone, the reader, is looking at them in this hilarious, interactive story about the joys of reading and being read. Geisel Honor Book


MIDDLE READERS:
One Crazy Summer . By Rita Williams-Garcia. Harper/Amistad.
Three sisters find adventure when they are sent to Oakland in 1968 to meet their estranged poet-mother, who prints flyers for the Black Panthers. Newbery Honor Book

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda . By Tom Angleberger. Amulet Books.
In this hilarious tale, Tommy and his sixth grade friends must decide if the advice of an origami finger puppet can be trusted.

A Tale Dark and Grimm . By Adam Gidwitz. Dutton.
As dark and bloody as the title suggests, these six retellings tweak the classic fairy tale as Hansel and Gretel embark on an epic journey of self-discovery.

Preschool Christmas Craft - Paper Plate Wreath

My son came home with this adorable Christmas wreath that he had made at daycare (I love his daycare-lady!).  I told her I was going to share it on my blog and I meant it!  I may not have directions, but you can look at the photo and see what to do.

What you need is:  a paper plate, green-yellow-red construction paper, green paint, some scissors and glue.   They also attached a magnet on the back so that it could be stuck on the fridge.

TIP:  If you don't have magnets, look to your fridge!  Use one of those pizza delivery magnets or candidate magnet that you really don't need - cut them up and use them on your child's artwork!


Having had to do this before, I can say the hardest part of this craft will probably be cutting the center out of the paper plate!  My gosh that is not easy!  Poke a hole it in first and then cut around the center part.  It will be worth the struggle!   After it is cut, paint it green and let dry while you're working on the other pieces.  If you don't have paint, a green marker or green crayon will work too!

You can see that the yellow candle on my son's wreath is not yellow construction paper.  It looks like scrapbooking paper (I forgot to ask!).   Really, you can use any sort of paper that you like!  And any color!  The bottom of this candle is decorated with two holly leaves and 3 holly berries.  Festive and easy, but you can alter this to suit your own taste.  Go make one now!   :)

The Atlantic's 11 Best Picture Books of 2011

Back on November 25th, The Atlantic came out with their "best of" list for 2011.  I have to say, this is more up my alley compared to the titles chosen in the New York Times, however that's the thing with lists and naming the "best of the best" - everyone has a different opinion.  WHICH IS GOOD!  We are all different and have different likes and dislikes.  So, here is yet another list, and you make up your own mind :)

 

1. Fairy Tales of the Brother's Grimm edited by Noel Daniel
2. I Like Cats by Anushka Ravishankar
3. Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
4. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer
5. People by Blexbolex
6. Everything On It by Shel Silverstein
7. The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins
8. The Big Poster Book of Hindu Deities by Sanjay Patel
9. Goodnight iPAD by Ann Droyd
10. How the World Works by Christoph Niemann
11. Why we have Day and Night by Peter F. Neumeyer

Check out The Atlantic's full reviews here:

 

From 'Brothers Grimm' to 'Stuck,' the 11 Best Picture Books of 2011