Creepy Crawly Calypso with Sing-a-long CD

I was reading this cool article and was so excited to see our local violin teacher from Fallbrook listed here. I have referred some of my piano students to Elizabeth Monticelli as well as a daughter of a local vendor with the Farmer's Market. I thought it was a good article and wanted to share it with my readers. Also, in reminded me of another Barefoot Book, Creepy Crawly Calypso!
March—National Music in our Schools Month—is a great time to introduce your children to music. To help them develop a love of music, you don't have to wait until they're old enough for lessons.
Here's some advice from music professionals about ways to help foster a lifelong interest in music—and have a lot of fun with your kids at the same time:

Start them early, even in the womb. Elizabeth Monacelli, a professional violinist in San Diego, Calif., stresses the importance of exposing children to music early in their lives. She notes that in the Japanese Suzuki method, "mothers are instructed to play recordings to their children in the womb. The children are then introduced to their instruments as early as one year of age."
Shake it, baby. "Babies experience music with their whole bodies," explains Mike Soloway, an early childhood music teacher, performer and songwriter from Huntington, N.Y. He recommends rocking or swaying while holding your baby and listening to music, gently tapping or bouncing your baby's body to the beat of a song. Music and movement, he notes, are intimately connected during early childhood years. Soloway has just released a 2-volume CD, "Moving With Mike: Fun Songs for Creative Movement, Dance & Fitness," for children age 3-7.
Stay tuned to daily activities. Susie Tallman of Rock Me Baby Records, a creator of music that enriches children at each stage of their development, encourages integrating music into children's daily lives. "Listen to music in the car. Brush teeth or take a bath while listening to music. And use clean-up songs to make chores more fun," Tallman says.
Let 'em play. Alicia McMillan, a San Diego-based music educator who teaches children aged four through 14, suggests letting kids play their instruments while accompanying a recording, to help them learn to play with the beat. This can be done with children as young as four, she says.
Invite questions. McMillan also recommends listening to music with your children and then asking them questions, such as: Is the music fast or slow? Loud or soft? Is the singer a man, woman or child? What instruments do you hear? How does the music make you feel—sad or excited? She adds that you can ask your children to draw a picture of how the music made them feel.

5 Ways to Introduce Your Children to Music

Creepy Crawly Calypso

Jump and jive from one to ten with a boisterous band of bugs in this selection that introduces creepy crawlies and calypso instruments. After the rhyming story, there are fascinating facts about the insects and calypso bands, as well as a simple music score. Book with CD edition includes song sung by Richard Love, Panache and Alex Hutchings.

Ages 3 to 7 years
Written By: Tony Langham
Illustrated By: Debbie Harter
Sung By: Richard Love

My Review:

I enjoyed reading Tony Langham's book Creepy Crawly Calypso. I discovered many fascinating facts about lots of creepy crawlies of the Caribbean. This delightful paperback book comes with its own CD. You'll enjoy dancing along with the sounds of a calypso band! Plus you'll see vibrant, colorful illustrations by Debbie Harter. What a wonderful way to learn how to count and discover the world of musical instruments in Creepy Crawly Calypso!
Living Barefoot Review:

Creepy Crawly Calypso with sing-a-long CD, offers an education on the playful and colorful sounds of the Caribbean by highlighting various instruments. The book also introduces ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd...) as various groups of insects enter the band. I am reminded of a music education class as the first track of the CD gives an overview of the featured instruments and asks listeners to "listen for the sound of the steel drums/marimba/saxophone", before the second track sings the song contained in the pages of the book. The final track is the instrumental version of the song. The book holds the same information with a picture glossary of the insects and instruments at the back of the book. The book also contains the sheet music for your budding musician. The bright illustrations are by Debbie Harter. My children enjoy the insects - we like to get out the set plastic bugs when we listen. I enjoy sharing with them the unique Calypso sound, as a way of demonstrating the great variety and playfulness there is to find in music.
Paperback $6.99
online order at LadyD's Market Place

Thanks for stopping by.
I hope you enjoy your stay at Barefoot Books-LadyD
Take off your shoes and go barefoot!

Paper Mache Cow

A Holstein dairy cow with prominent udder and ...

Image via Wikipedia

Cow
Originally uploaded by LadyD_Barefoot Books
This paper mache cow stands in the art center directly across from our farmer's market. It reminds me of another favorite board book of mine written by Stella Blackstone and illustrated by Clare Beaton called "There's a Cow in the Cabbage Patch." This children's book is perfect for ages 1-4, those young ones who are not gentle with book pages yet.

There's a Cow in the Cabbage Patch
Tour the farmyard and help all of the animals find their way to their rightful spots in this topsy turvy jaunt. Rhyme and repetition complement the story of a farm full of animals that are each exploring another's home.

Ages 1 to 4 years

Written By: Stella Blackstone

Illustrated By: Clare Beaton
My Daughter's Review: Silly Farm Animals

Easy to read, Animals, Educational, Colorful, Humor, Great illustrations, farm, fabric, rhyming

"The rhyming text and repetition in this book make it a favorite read aloud choice at storytimes. Children love making the different noises of each farm animal and seeing the mischief they get into as they end up in another animal's area on the farm. The farm map at the end of the book is a great vehicle for revisiting the farm vocabulary introduced in the story. I especially love the horse's and donkey's teeth! Clare Beaton has a terrific sense of humor!"

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's not just the cow that's gone astray in Blackstone's (Bear on a Bike; Bear in a Square) mixed-up barnyard. Not one of the animals is where it should be: "There's a pig in the henhouse, with piglets pink and new./ They should be in the pigsty, what shall we do?" But the couple who runs the farm have a solution: "Tell them all it's dinnertime, then it won't be long/ 'til all these naughty animals are back where they belong!" Stitchery wizard Beaton (Mother Goose Remembers) seems right at home from the opening pages. Shedding the tableaux feel of her earlier work, she displays an almost cinematic aesthetic here, composing and cropping her remarkable appliqu‚s of felt, buttons and beads to capture the comic havoc of the farmyard denizens. What's more, the meticulous beauty of her work finds the ideal showcase in the book's full-bleed, double-page spreads. Ages 6 mos.-4 yrs. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreS-Exciting, eye-catching illustrations and rollicking, rhyming text follow a "cow in the cabbage patch, moo, moo, moo-" that "should be in the dairy, what shall we do?" Beaton's whimsical illustrations prepared in felt and cotton with beads and buttons follow two farmers who push the cow to the dairy, but find a dove destined for the birdhouse, and an owl in the birdhouse that ought to be in the old barn, and so on. The tale continues until it's dinnertime and "all these naughty animals are back where they belong!" Large shapes and bright colors will satisfy even those in the back row of a group. Pair this with Doreen Cronin's Click, Clack, Moo (S & S, 2000), Margaret Wise Brown's Big Red Barn (HarperCollins, 1965), and Wong Herbert Yee's Mrs. Brown Went to Town (Houghton, 1996) for a super storytime.-Debbie Stewart, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
There's a Cow in the Cabbage Patch
Did you know that some farmers play music to relax their cows in order to increase milk production?!

Barefoot Books at Christ the King Lutheran Preschool Book Fair

Christ the King Book Fair
Originally uploaded by LadyD_Barefoot Books

One of the most popular books bought at another local school fundraiser is the Cleo series and especially Cleo's Counting Book.

Cleo's Counting Book
Join Cleo as she counts from one to ten, then back down to one again. Two double-page spreads of number reinforcement help the mastering of counting skills, while the rhyming text and the familiar items to count add to the appeal. Hardcover edition includes Cleo height chart.

Ages 1 to 4 years

Written By: Stella Blackstone

Illustrated By: Caroline Mockford

My Review:

What makes this counting book so delightful is that it is filled with adventure in counting outdoor animals like dogs, frogs, birds and trees. What fun to count to ten and then back again! It's easy for children to focus on the main character, Cleo the bright orange cat. The interaction of little ones learning how to count through repetition is rewarding for both parents and children, sure to bring smiles on faces!

Have fun counting back from 10!
This book is currently on sale... was $15.99 now $8.99 (Hardcover)
Market Place

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-The sweet, triangle-faced feline introduced in Come Here, Cleo (2001) and Cleo in the Snow (2002, both Barefoot) explores the outdoors as she counts bees, frogs, flowers, and trees in rhyme. A large, patterned numeral reinforces each concept, as does Cleo's finale of counting backward as she descends a flight of steps. Mockford's cartoon acrylics continue to appeal with their simplicity of shapes and highly charged colors.
Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Thick, brilliant acrylics on lush watercolor paper create visual pleasure.... Mockford's uncomplicated renditions, outlined in heavy black line, seem inspired by Lucy Cousins's style, and are fitting companions to the simple text." --School Library Journal

Are you familiar with Barefoot Books? Perhaps you have an ambassador in your area. I'm in Southern California and I'm an ambassador for Barefoot Books in North County San Diego.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Oh, by the way, how did you hear about Barefoot Books- LadyD?

Barefoot Books at William Frazier Elementary School

William Frazier
Originally uploaded by LadyD_Barefoot Books

Awhile back I did an event at one of our local elementary schools. One of the most popular children's paperback books sold at that event was "What's This? A Seed's Story" by Caroline Mockford.

What's This?
Irresistibly bright.... Captures the bubbly mood of spring. - Publishers Weekly
Learn the basics of how plants grow in this bubbly, springtime story. When a young girl plants a seed, she learns she must be patient to achieve results. She is rewarded by a beautiful sunflower, and brings her flower to school to share the seeds with her entire class. Includes notes about roots, shoots, flowers and seeds.

Ages 3 to 7 years

Written By: Caroline Mockford

Inside Flap:

"What's This? wonders a little girl when she finds a seed in her garden one cold winter morning. She plants the seed, then she and her friends - a small bird and a marmalade cat - tend and water it. While they watch and wait, they wonder about what it might be.

At last summer comes and the little girl's patience is rewarded. And when she takes her beautiful plant to school, she discovers that it can be used again to create a whole roomful of flowers for the following year.

Caroline Mockford's simple text and engaging illustrations make this picture book a wonderful introduction to the way in which plants grow. her story is followed by a page of helpful information on roots, shoots, flowers and seeds."

For more information visit Review
This delightful paperback book is now$6.99
Book on Sale
O.K. I'm ready to plant my Spring garden... how about you?

All the best,
LadyD

Kids Book with Music CD: The Animal Boogie

Fred Penner via last.fm

Monkey Puppets
Originally uploaded by LadyD_Barefoot Books

Barefoot Books has a favorite book of mine on sale now through March 31, 2010. They've updated their video on this cute song and I invite you to watch this colorful story and listen to this very cute, catchy tune. You'll soon be up on your feet joining in with the children singing,

"shake, shake, boogie, woogie, oogie"
The Animal Boogie
Can you boogie? Down in the Indian jungle, the children and animals are learning about actions like leaping, stomping, shaking and flapping while meeting different jungle creatures. Book with CD Fred Penner.

Ages 3 to 7 years

Illustrated By: Debbie Harter

Sung By: Fred Penner editions include song sung by acclaimed children's performer

Because this book is so popular with preschool fundraiser's that I've done and other school fundraisers in my area, I am constantly reordering this one! I have blogged about it before and you can read other mom's reviews at Book Review

Have a listen and see if you agree with me that indeed Fred Penner has a cute song here!

You can order the book for $8.99 till March 31, 2010 at
My Market Place
If you like to boogie with the blues, stop by my music blog:
http://ladydpiano.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Barefoot Books- LadyD!

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time
a day to begin transforming
winter's dreams into summer's magic.

Adrienne Cook

I absolutely love Marilyn Scott Waters website! Looking for directions for making special St. Patrick's Day goodies?

A Dancing Fairie

This little fairie will spin on a pencil when you blow softly. She will also dance nicely on a twig out in the garden in a warm Spring breeze.

Stop by her site, The Toy Maker

A Window to Fairyland

Come fairies,
take me out of this dull world,
for I would ride with you
upon the wind and dance
upon the mountains like a flame!

W.B. Yeats.

Barefoot Books offers CDs for gift giving. I have a vast collection of playground music from many countries. Have you heard of this one?

Celtic Dreamland CD

Drift into a peaceful nighttime sleep with these lyrical songs for bedtime or relaxation. Drawn from the Celtic traditions of Ireland, Scotland, eastern Canada and beyond, the ten songs are accompanied by extensive liner notes in English, Spanish, French and German.

For all ages
Produced By: Putumayo World Music

Audio Listen

Thanks for stopping by.
I hope you enjoy your stay at Barefoot Books-LadyD
Take off your shoes and go barefoot!

Grandmother's Stories- Narrated by Olympia Dukakis

A beautiful Barefoot Books story that comes to mind is Grandmother's Stories. Here's a little bit about the book.

Grandmothers' Stories

Wise Woman Tales from Many Cultures

Appreciate the gifts of our elders with this collection of wise woman tales. The eight stories in this anthology are each from a different culture and illustrate the finest qualities of the strong women characters. Book with double CDs edition includes stories read by actress Olympia Dukakis.

Ages 7 and up
Retold By: Burleigh Muten
Illustrated By: Siân Bailey
Narrated By: Olympia Dukakis

About The Book:

You will find outstanding storytelling and beautiful artwork by Sian Bailey here. The messages in the book help children to listen to older and wiser people in their lives. Well written, diversity, multi cultural. The stories come from Spain, Germany, Japan, and Senegal to name a few.
With Olympia Dukakis' smooth retelling of many wonderful stories plus gorgeous detailed borders you're in for a quality treat with this selection. Don't you just love her voice?
Barefoot Books Market Place

You might also want to consider the companion book Grandfather Mountain.

Grandfather Mountain takes ancient stories and brings them to life in a style that is both accessible to modern readers and respectful of their origins.
You might want to engage in some "G Activities" on a rainy day! I found some good ones to do:
Mozi Esme
For fun, stop by and pick up some painting ideas for your children.
Painting Ideas
Also, learn the effects of salt water on watercolors:
Painting Lessons for Kids
Thanks for stopping by.
I hope you enjoy your stay at Barefoot Books-LadyD
Take off your shoes and go barefoot!

The Barefoot Book of Knights by John Matthews and Illustrator Giovanni Manna

Such a marvelous turn out we had at the Friday Market. I was pleased to see so many special Grandmother's shopping for books and puppets for their Grandchildren's Easter baskets!

To prepare for an upcoming event, I've already started making bean bags from soft, green corduroy. You know, it's a cotton-filling pile fabric with lengthwise cords or ridges.

Sewing with all different shades of green fabric for book bags reminded me of another Barefoot Book:

The Barefoot Book of Knights

Embark on medieval adventures with the seven stories in this multicultural, knightly collection. The stories emphasize the importance of bravery, cooperation, humor and recognition of weaknesses. Book with CD editions include stories read by actor Anthony Stewart Head.

Ages 8 and up
Retold By: John Matthews
John Matthews Website
Illustrated By: Giovanni Manna
Narrated By: Anthony Head

Wonderfully well written tales about Knights from seven different countries, all linked together by the story of Tom, the Page. As Tom learns the values and skills of the knights, he is mentored by Master William, who tells him the stories in this book. Each story is adventurous, clever and highlights the good values and chivalry of the knights.

Great art by Giovanni Manna... love his work! See more of his illustrations:
You and Me