Mother Goose Day - May 1st


Although primarily celebrated in the US, Mother Goose Day on Sunday, 1st May celebrates the poems and rhymes that have delighted children across the globe. A growing understanding of the importance of rhythm and rhyme in reading development means it is never too early to share classics like 'Little Bo Peep' and 'Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.' An anthology of favorite Mother Goose selections, Mother Goose Remembers, is the perfect collection to celebrate the nursery rhymes that have become a literary staple for children. 

About The Book:

Mother Goose Remembers

Enjoy the rhythms and cozy warmth of the forty-six nursery rhymes in this nostalgic collection. This treasured gift book features a feather from the plumage of Mother Goose hidden on every page, waiting to be found by youngsters. Book with CD edition includes songs and rhymes performed by Caroline Butler, Charles Spicer, Nick Hooper and Dave Townsend.
For babies to 5 years
Illustrated By: Clare Beaton
Sung By: Caroline Butler


Purchase this hardcover book for $19.99 at
http://ladyd.barefootbooks.com
 
So, what's Mother Goose Day all about?


Purpose: To re-appreciate the old nursery rhymes.
Motto: "Either alone or in sharing, read childhood nursery favorites and feel the warmth of Mother Goose's embrace."
 
Mother Goose Day was founded in 1987 by Gloria T. Delamar in tandem with the publication of her book, Mother Goose; From Nursery to Literature (MFarland Pub.). The day is now listed in many calendars of events and celebrated throughout the United States. It has been noted by municipalities, a cereal producer, banks, etc. and has a particular appeal to Kindergarten-Primary grades, libraries, and nursing homes.


Visit the official Mother Goose Society Website, filled with information on the 'real' Mother Goose and some fun ways to celebrate Mother Goose Day.

Here's an example of what you'll find.

"Fingerplays have traditionally played an important role in education: they help teach rhythm, muscle control, and language. They can also teach good character, provide information about certain subjects, and even be useful as subtle disciplinary diversions.
This truly is "talking with your hands," for the story is illustrated by hand positions and movements.
The most basic form of fingerplay is the familiar counting-off of fingers (or toes!); others engage the hands more fully, and some even involve the whole body."

So, how will you celebrate Mother Goose Day? 


1. Will you go to a parade?

As a child, I have fond memories of attending the Mother Goose Parade. What joy to see the floats and marching bands. Here's some info on that.
Mother Goose Parade: El Cajon, California is traditionally held the Sunday before Thanksgiving and is the second largest parade in the state. Attended annually by half a million people, the three mile parade route spans a two-hour period. El Cajon celebrated its 47th annual "gift to children" in November of 1993. For information call the Mother Goose Parade Association at 619-444-8712. 

2. Will you eat curds and whey? 


Boil: 12 cups fresh water, 6 cups instant dry milk powder, 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand. Pour the mixture over a bowl with a paper towel on top. Curds are the cheese part and whey is the milky part. 

3. Will you draw Mother goose pictures? 


Nursery Rhyme and Fairy Tale Coloring Pages

 Do you have a favorite nursery rhyme? Here's a few:










All the best,
-- LadyD


How To Make Princess Crowns and Tiaras

As Britain's own Prince William marries this Friday, the world will be watching a truly happy beginning come to life. Read the poem that UK Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, who authored The Gift, wrote for the Royal Wedding here.

With princes and princesses on many people's minds, I can't help but share some of Barefoot Books favorite royal stories:

Although many parents are tiring of the over-commercialized princess trend, princesses never seem to go out of style with children. With The Barefoot Book of Princesses, these seven stories go beyond the standardized norm and feature unique princesses from across the globe. A few familiar tales like 'The Sleeping Beauty' are mixed in with lesser-known gems, such as 'The Princess Who Lost Her Hair' from the Akamba tradition, and are paired with Olwyn Whelan's distinctive illustrations. 

The happily-ever-after ending is well-deserved in The Princess and the White Bear King. Author Tanya Robyn Batt blended elements of three classically-rooted folk tales from Northern Europe to create this lovely story about a princess who, in a unique deviation, must rescue the prince she loves from an evil Troll Queen. Batt's princess combats stereotypes about bland, weak princesses by demonstrating compassion, strength, and perseverance, and Miranda Richardson's narration sparks the story to life.

For the younger crowd, the rhyming text and whimsical illustrations of The Prince's Bedtime is perfect. Children will giggle at the humorous lengths that the King and Queen go to in order to make the prince sleep, and with a great rhythm and multiple speaking characters, the story makes an engaging read-aloud and has universal appeal. Fun trivia! This title is available at the Buckingham Palace shop!
  
If you are looking for gift ideas, any of our royal titles paired with crowns or head garlands produced by Sarah's Silks, or the Folkmanis princess and prince puppets would be splendid! Visit http://ladyd.barefootbooks.com








So, I have a new granddaughter and I started thinking about her future, including Princess Parties.
I found these very cool sites:


How To Make Sugarpaste Crowns
http://sugarteachers.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-to-make-sugarpaste-crown-by-sharon.html

How To Make Princess Tiara's
http://www.lubirdbaby.com/2011/01/princess-tiara-tutorial.html


So, will you be watching the Royal Wedding?






“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C. S. Lewis

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

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Buzzing with The Bee Puppet


 This Easter one of my Grandsons discovered a Bee Puppet in his basket. He was overjoyed and delighted to play with it. What fun. This particular Folkmanis puppet will be in stock April 3oth, 2011.


Bee Puppet

Buzz along with this handcrafted puppet. The plush bee is designed atop a glove that becomes the wiggly legs, and sheer wings and antennae adorn the top.
Ages 5 to 8 years
Produced By: Folkmanis
In Stock: 4/30/11

Along with this cute puppet that fits like a glove for either left or right hand, is an educational paperback that is currently on sale for $5.99. I have sold The Beeman to many teachers of Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade at local Farmer's Markets.





The Beeman

Find out where honey comes from as Grandpa the Beeman teaches the basics of beekeeping to his young grandson. This rhyming story includes endnotes full of essential facts about bees, beekeeping, honey, and the vital part that bees play in the natural world.
Ages 5 to 9 years
Written By: Laurie Krebs
Illustrated By: Valeria Cis


At the back of the book, you'll find a delicious muffin recipe made with honey, of course! The child narrator describes the gear used by the beekeeper, the process of honey production and the behavior of bee and their colony. End notes provide further information about the bee's place in our ecosystem.  

From pollination to bee dancing, this is a 5* children's book with the following poem included in the rhyming text, plus great illustrations.

 
There wouldn’t be sunflowers,
Wouldn’t be peas,
Wouldn’t be apples,
On apple trees,
If it weren’t for fuzzy old,
Buzzy old bees
Dusting pollen
From off their knees.
 
~Aileen Fischer
 
Little Talk
Don't your think it's probable
that beetles, bugs, and bees
talk about a lot of things
you know, such things as these:

The kind of weather where they live
in jungles tall with grass
and earthquakes in their villages
whenever people pass!

Of course, we'll never know if bugs
talk very much at all,
because our ears are far too big
for talk that is so small.
 The Beeman by Laurie Krebs. First published in 2002, this picture book reappears with nearly the same text but a new look. A beekeeper introduces his grandson to bees and honey production; the book now opens with Aileen Fisher’s fine, short poem “Bees” and concludes with six nicely illustrated pages of information about these distinctive insects, their development from egg to adult, bee colonies, aspects of beekeeping techniques and equipment, honey, pollination, and bee “dancing.” Pre-school to 2nd grade. Order Book

For more books on beekeeping, visit Beekeepers.org
 
 Happy Gardening!






“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C. S. Lewis

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

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Barefoot Books: The Hare and the Tortoise




Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 4-8
  • Hardcover: 64 pages
  • Publisher: Barefoot Books (September 6, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9781905236541
  • ISBN-13: 978-1905236541

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–Bolt translates and recasts La Fontaine's work in rhyming, contemporary English. My tale's for you, you tricky folk–/Be warned, before you trick a bloke./You shouldn't dish it out if you/Aren't ready to receive it too. The Fox and the Stork, The Lion and the Rat, and other familiar tales appear among these 19 selections, along with a few that are less well known. La Fontaine seems to have extended the often-terse ancient versions through dialogue and added commentary on the characters and lessons, and Bolt conveys them in a cheerful, upbeat tone and phrasing. Potter's double-page, naive paintings echo the humor, effectively portraying the animal and human characters. The rhymed phrasing offers an entertaining introduction to the literature of fable and pleasing read-aloud and storytelling material. Only a bit of La Fontaine's extensive writing of fables is currently available for children, and this slim, attractive volume is a welcome companion to Edward Marsh's larger collection, Fables (Random, 2001).–Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"A modern version of La Fontaine's wised-up fables. The tortoise moving 'in top gear/doing at least a mile a year' and the man who thinks he looks 'so very fine/Though he saw mirrors all the time/That seemed to tell him otherwise,' convey their clever lessons all over again. An excellent introduction reminds us that many of the fables were based on tales that originally appeared in Sanskrit as early as the fourth century (they were reputedly written for three badly behaved young princes)." --The New York Times Book Review

Adults can take pleasure in reading these famous fables aloud, while children will be entertained, even as they learn important life lessons. Illustrator Gisele Potter interprets each story with captivating charm." --Scholastic Parent & Child

" A much-practiced translator for the British stage presents nineteen fables selected from the renowned French poet's more than two hundred. The verse takes center stage in Potter's full-bleed pages, where characters and other important story elements make a quiet, invitingly decorative complement. In a field long dominated by Aesop, this is an attractive, more courtly offering." --Horn Book Magazine

"With the wit we've grown to expect, Ranjin Bolt has transformed these familiar tales into such idiomatically entertaining English that  it is a pleasure rather than a chore to read them aloud to young children." -- Jonathan Miller

Jean de La Fontaine is the most famous and best-loved poet in the history of French literature. His greatest work by far was his eleven-volume collection of fables, which was written primarily for adults but has always been enjoyed by children, too.

For this collection, award-wining translator Ranjit Bolt has chosen the best of La Fontaine's fables, presenting each entry in lyrical, witty and lighthearted verse. Equally captivating, is the art of illustrator Giselle Potter, who has interpreted each story with the whimsical charm that has won her many admirers.

A landmark in the translation of french poetry for children, this elegantly humorous gift book introduces a truly great writer to a new generation in an utterly delightful way.
The Hare and the Tortoise and other Fables of La Fontaine







Around our home, we have real bunnies (very friendly) and pretend ones, too. While in San Francisco, we visited a very cool museum and I had to get a photo of a tortoise up close. Just wondering, have you read The Hare and the Tortoise? Some favorites, The Pumpkin and the Acorn, The Grasshopper and the Ant and The Oak and the Rose.

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C. S. Lewis

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

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How to Make Felt Squares for Baby


 I really enjoyed making these cute felt squares for our granddaughter. It really takes no time at all to make. For more information from the professionals on "how to make felt squares," visit one of my favorite crafting blogs, http://thecraftingchicks.com/2010/04/felt-squares-for-baby.html

Here's what the squares can look like. Endless possibilities, really.


Felt is a type of cloth. It is made by soaking fibres in water and then compressing them together. It was commonly used before people knew how to weave.


Barefoot Books offers many board books that have felt-look-alike illustrations by Clare Beaton. I love her work. Have a peek!




To see more detailed images to the pages of the books, search my market place, http://ladyd.barefootbooks.com

I love creating with felt. How about you? Here's one of my favorite additions in my library.
Make It in Minutes: Felt Accessories

Also, I wrote an intel regarding this very cool fiber http://www.qondio.com/what-is-felt

Have a favorite felt product?

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C. S. Lewis


My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

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