Book Review: I Could Be, You Could Be

I Could Be, You Could Be

Join a young boy and girl on thrilling adventures as they imagine themselves as space-traveling astronauts, ferocious dragons, jungle-dwelling monkeys and more. The fine line between children's make-believe and the fantastic worlds they create is cleverly portrayed through Barroux’s bright landscapes.

Ages 2 to 6 years

About The Book

Illustrations and rhyming text encourage readers to picture themselves becoming a variety of people and things, from an astronaut to an elephant to an alien. Includes instructions for making masks.

I Could Be, You Could Be

The story begins...

"I could be the king or queen making all the rules, You could be a dragon guarding all the jewels."

The story ends... Oh, I'm not telling! You'll love it!


What a delightful book that sparks the imagination, exploring so many areas of creativity, that fuels the conversation with endless possibilities! The storyline helps the child discover self-acceptance and purpose while dressing up and make believing. Great rhyming text. The illustrations are breathtaking with colorful blues and greens. The last page fosters an engaging craft of mask making. This is a fun book for young children.

4/5 stars!

I Could Be, You Could Be


Happy Reading!

-- LadyD

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

© copyright 2008-2019– All rights reserved
Barefoot Books-LadyD

Music Movement in the Classroom: Review

Book Description

Children Sing and Dance Their Way to Better Basic Skills 
Channel children's natural enthusiasm for music and movement into a rich, positive learning experience with this toe-tapping program, featuring music by Greg & Steve. The concise, easy-to-follow lesson plans make teaching music enjoyable for the musical novice and expert alike. Written by Steven Traugh, each book includes two CDs featuring a total of over 30 fun songs. 64 pages each.

Music & Movement

Table of Contents

1. Can't Sit Still
2. Good Morning
3. What Colors Did You Choose?
4. Mixing My Colors
5. Mack Chicken Dance Medley
6. Dinosaurs Dancing
7. Halloween On Parade
8. Body Talk
9. Shaping Up With Shapes
10. Across The Bridge
11. Counting Up To Twenty
12. Alphabet Soup
13. Bingo
14. The Name Clapping Game
15. New Zoo Review
16. Warmin' Up
17. Days Of The Week
18. Rock 'Round The Mulberry Bush
19. What Will We Do When We All Go Out To Play?
20. Listen and Move
21. Quiet Time
22. A-Hunting We Will Go
23. The Beanbag Boogie
24. Skip To My Loo
25. Riding In My Car
26. Body Part Movement March
27. Reading Rhythmic Notation #1
28. Reading Rhythmic Notation #2
29. The Hokey Pokey
30. Snowflake

Halloween on Parade

Words and Music by Greg Scelsa

"You can be something silly,

Like a funny ol' circus clown.

Or you can be something from a storybook,

Like a king or a queen with a crown.

You can be a superhero

Like the kind in a comic book.

Or you can be something a little bit scary,

But a little friendly, too.

You can get dressed up,

In costumes and make-up.

You know that it's only pretend

And march all around to the happy sounds.

The fun will never end.

Chorus:

Halloween's on parade,

Halloween's on parade,

You can be anything you wanna be

When Halloween's on parade. (2 times)

You can be something goofy,

Like an old-time movie star,

A doctor, a nurse, or a fire chief,

A driver in a racing car.

You can be a crazy creature

From way out in outer space,

Or a character from a cartoon show

With a smile upon your face.

You can get dressed up,

In costumes and make-up.

You know that it's only pretend

And march all around to the happy sounds.

The fun will never end.

(Chorus)

Objectives

• To improve role-playing skills and enhance creativity
• To dramatize created characters
• To march to a steady beat
• To work as a cooperative group and follow a leader

Skills

• Listening
• Following Directions
• Marching
• Leadership
• Group Cooperation

Music & Movement

Book Review

Delightful songs for PreK and Kindergarten children. Listening to directions and applying moving skills are encouraged. Learning days of the week along with learning the alphabet through a song is fun for all. Counting to seven and then up to twenty is a must. My favorite is the clapping a rhythm pattern that grows in length and clapping to the letters in a name. Of course, an absolute must for music teachers is the Reading Rhythmic Notation sections in reading quarter notes and rests in music. Most popular is 'Snowflake' showing strength through diversity.

4/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

-- LadyD

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

© copyright 2008-2018– All rights reserved
Barefoot Books-LadyD

Book Review: Starlight Sailor

For ages 2-6

Star light, star bright

Gold Dragon

 Review:

Starlight Sailor is a wonderful children's story that I found through Barefoot Books Publishing Company. The story line is about a little boy (and his dog) who takes an adventurous journey across the water in his paper boat to a far away land.

Jackie Morris, the author lives by the sea in a little house and has illustrated The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems, one of my favorite collections. James Mayhew, the other author, works in a garden studio and has illustrated The Barefoot Book of Stories from the Opera and can be found in my piano studio library collection.

My three grandsons love to engage in pirate stories, fishing, sailing and everything about the sea. So, this story is a delight, especially when the children on the island pretend to be knights and kings and explore a cave.

I found this beautiful hardcover children's book to be the perfect bedtime book. I would rate this book ***** stars. The soft rhyming tells a lovely, dreamy tale and opens with:

"Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight."

The pros of the book is that it is easy to read and if you love fantasy and ethereal illustrations, you will find a dreamy tale within these colorful pages. This beautiful children's book is a real page-turner for ages 2 to 6. You'll find instructions for making your own paper boat at the back of the book.

The only downside that I can find with the book is that it is a large hardcover one. It would be nice to have a different format available like a paperback book for boys and girls to read and take to bed with.

Also, the action builds when the reader is introduced to a large red and gold dragon but it's a nice dragon (not too scary) that takes the children on a ride through the night. For most kids, it will be a sweet dragon.

The illustrations are magical - a timeless classic! You'll see blue whales, blue birds, knights and kings along this journey of fantasy and pretend. Even the red and gold dragon is a nice gentle dragon, flying here and there, taking children everywhere!

The starfish and mermaids singing their lullaby is sure to put any young child fast to sleep. So dream on little ones of magical play with flying fish dancing in the sky! 

November is Picture Book Month and today, tomorrow highlights children's books about seas and pirates. Barefoot Books publishes lots of these. Visit Dena's Book Nook

Do you have your own paper boat story or activity?





“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

Book Review of Eye of The Bear by Naida West

 

Book Review: Eye of The Bear by Naida West

 About The Author

 

Naida West, Ph.D., lives with her husband on their little ranch in California’s “Gold Country.” The ranch lies alongside the Cosumnes River, a primary setting in her novels.

Born in Idaho, she spent her early years in small towns and on farms and ranches, often living with relatives. Among the many schools, she attended a one-room schoolhouse in Divide, Montana. She lived in a variety of homes where the inhabitants ranged from Methodist, Mormon, Catholic to agnostic — all opinionated. They were conscientious objectors, military patriots, alcoholics, and religious teetotalers. They raised sugar beets, potatoes, sheep, and cattle; they practiced law, the Christian ministry, and played piano-bar. Naida learned to stand back and observe. In all locations she wandered freely through open fields and hills and along streams. Greatly influential was her grandmother, Elizabeth Symon Smith (the subject of Symon’s Daughter) — a teacher and lover of English literature...

For inspiration and stress reduction Naida walks the trails along the Cosumnes, where history seems to come alive beneath her feet. That and the beauty of the natural world unblocks the flow of words. In 2010, she completed the 3rd novel in her California Gold trilogy, Rest for the Wicked.
Naida has managed the Authors Booth at the California State Fair for 13 years, and has spoken at, and led, writers conferences and workshops. A lively speaker, she often headlines conferences in the three fields of California history about which she has written: Native American/Euro-American contact period; Gold Rush; and turn-of-the-century Gilded Age.

Product Details

• Paperback: 630 pages
• Publisher: Bridge House Books (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965348741
• ISBN-13: 978-0965348744

Naida West has finished the third novel in her California Gold trilogy, Rest for the Wicked. It has taken me awhile to finish her first novel, Eye of The Bear and a big thank you to Bridge house Books for providing this book for review. I have now passed the first novel onto my husband because we both LOVE California history. 


About the Book


The story begins in the 1820s around the time of California's pre-gold rush days.  Naida covers the history of the West, including true events, real people and thought-provoking content.
I was aware of the conflict between and among the Native Americans, the Spanish/Mexican secular rulers, and the religious zealots of the early California Missions but not to the extent that Naida discloses to her readers with tremendous research and excellent representation of what really happened in fictional form. Perhaps said best in one word... injustice!
Chapter Listings:

Tracks to Another World
Maria
The Circle Widens 

"Becoming strong on earth is a lesson in not floating, in becoming less transparent, in becoming an animal shape against the sky."

From: The Endangered Roots of a Person - Wendy Rose, Miwok

Los Americanos
Walking Into Fire

"The men wore human skins
but removed them at night
and fell to the bottom of darkness
like crows without wings.


War was the perfect disguise. 
Their mothers would not have known them,
That's why fire is restless
and smoke has become the escaped wings of crows."

 From: "Skin" - Linda Hogan, Chickasaw

For more information, visit Naida's website, http://www.bridgehousebooks.com/authors/naida.htm

My Review


Big thank you to Bridge House Books in Rancho Murieta, California for sending a copy to LadyD Books for review.

Eye of the Bear is not what I expected! Naida West has done a superb job in weaving historical fact with fiction and creating the first of 3 great novels about the California Native Americans.

In the back of Naida West's novel is a list of glossary terms. You will learn about the Neophytes. During the time of establishing Missions along the California Coast and inland, the captured Indians, called neophytes were baptized Indians into the Catholic faith. The details of their cruel torture and punishment while confined to the mission walls and way of life was difficult for me to read and almost unforgivable by the Black Hats. This is a fanciful name for the Mexican soldiers who lived in the presidios of San Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Francisco.

Not only does Naida West explain the Spanish terms in her book such as  Tulares, a specie of giant hollow-stemmed marsh grass known as Tule Fog but Naida's main character, Grizzly Hair becomes her main fictional character. The author's huge efforts of research greatly shows in her ***** star novel, Eye of the Bear. If you want to learn the stories of the Indians and their life style, plus the stern, cruel taskmaster's of the mission, like Father Narcisco Duran then you must purchase the book!

Naida reveals so much of what really went on in the missions, stuff you would never learn in school nor have any idea... the land that you walk on was once inhabited by these dear people.


Naida West did a masterful job weaving fact/fiction with California history that I had not known before. A wonderful wordsmith, beautiful job. Naida deserves much praise for  Eye Of The Bear.
I'm looking forward to reading her next book in the series.
Eye of the Bear

* * * * * *

Barefoot Books offers Board Books about Bears.

Bear's Busy Family

Meet the rest of Bear's family and learn about all of their busy activities. Smell, touch, taste and sound are all familiarized in this rhyming text, and there is a full spread family tree at the end.

Ages 2 to 6 years 

Written By: Stella Blackstone
Illustrated By: Debbie Harter

Barefoot Books offers Spanish Books for Kids.

Familia activa de Oso

Bear's Busy Family

Meet the rest of Bear's family and learn about all of their busy activities. Smell, touch, taste and sound are all familiarized in this rhyming text, and there is a full spread family tree at the end. (Spanish language edition)

Ages 1 to 4 years
Written By: Stella Blackstone
Illustrated By: Debbie Harter

Paperback $6.99

* * * * * 

Polar Bear Puppet

Barefoot Books Offers Bear Hand Puppets

Polar Bear Puppet

Brrr! This plush polar bear hand puppet features movable head and arms, a soft vinyl nose, and rubber claws, and is fashioned with ultra-soft, micro fiber fabrics.

Ages 5 to 8 years
Produced By: Folkmanis 
Puppet $20.99 

Black Bear Finger Puppet

Wander through the forest with this cuddly black bear. This finger puppet is six inches long.

Ages 3 to 7 years
Produced By: Folkmanis 
Puppet $7.99

As always,  for browsing for children's picture books and looking at the Folkmanis puppet collection, visit My Bookstore

Thanks for stopping by.

Best,
-- LadyD

P.S.
 November is National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. Writers from all over the world attempt to complete a 50,000-word first draft during the month of November. Not all writers are supportive of NNWM. Here's another viewpoint: http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blogs/nanowrimo-its-not-for-everyone

“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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