About viviankirkfield

Writer for children - Reader forever - Mom of 3, educator, author of FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN: AN ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK (PomegranateKids, PIPPA'S PASSOVER PLATE (Holiday House), SWEET DREAMS, SARAH (Creston Books); MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE (Little Bee Books); FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Jan 19, 2021); PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, First Woman to Bike Around the World (Calkins Creek/Astra, Feb 20, 2024) picture book junkie, lover of travel, hiking, fly-fishing, cooking, and playing Monopoly with my grandson.

PPBF: Be The Kite…Inspiring Kids to Imagine and Soar

Posted on January 25, 2013 by viviankirkfield

Perfect Picture Book Friday…come and join Susanna Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others who contribute a picture book review.

A fellow 12x12er and local critique partner of mine sent me a link to an amazing YouTube video this morning. Watch this 80 year-old gentleman demonstrate multi-kite flying…he travels all around the world…I promise you will be entertained for five minutes…and inspired for the rest of your life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=nr9KrqN_lIg

Seeing the kite-flying video encouraged me to review Be The Kite!

Be The Kite

Written and illustrated by Cathi Bosco

Publisher: C & D Publishers (April 2012)

Ages: 2 and up

Themes:

Imagination, friendship, perceiving the world around us, kite-flying

Synopsis:

From Amazon’s book page: “Art – Literature – Imagination! Be the Kite is an inspired, original picture-book by artist Cathi Bosco. Her illustrations and story celebrate the nurturing nature of imaginative thinking. Each illustrated page from this book feature the kite-flying adventure of two great friends and are literally connected. If printed out, each page would fit together making one long continuous picture.”

Why do I like this book:

This is a beautiful book that encourages young children to use their imaginations and take a look at the world. In addition, the author/illustrator invites participation of young readers: ”all young artists are invited to participate in a collective drawing activity. Parents, teachers, librarians and kids can submit their artwork featuring Tilly, George and Pickles and we will proudly include all drawings at our website in The Young Artists Gallery! Details can be found at http://www.CandDStudios.com. Be the Kite is a visually creative picture-book that children from 3 – 10 LOVE! Enjoying creativity and seeing the world in new and different ways are meaningful experiences for people of all ages.”

Related Activities:

MAKING A KITE

Photo courtesy of eHow. You will find instructions for making many different types of kites with children here: http://www.ehow.com/how_5333244_make-kite-children.html

The author’s website where several activities can be found: http://www.bethekite.com/

If you want a step by step video showing how to make a kite that will really fly: http://www.ehow.com/video_4790375_make-paper-kite.html

I also wanted to share that the Asian Festival of Children’s Content has added to their website the speakers and program for this year’s event. I was thrilled to see my name…my trip to Singapore is definitely becoming more real: http://afcc.com.sg/_2013/speakers

I’m honored to be part of such a distinguished international line-up.

If you want a great resource that will give you 100’s of picture book summaries, easy matching crafts (sorry, no kites) and healthful child-friendly cooking activities, purchase a copy on Amazon (or my website) of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. At $24.95, this book makes a PERFECT gift for any parent or teacher of children ages 2-8…as well as for daycare providers and grandparents. No batteries required…powered by a child’s imagination! Buy your copy today!

Author Amy Kite Announces Her Recent Launch of Children’s Book:… (prweb.com)
PPBF! Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk (thiskidreviewsbooks.com)
International Kite Festival (easeyourtravel.wordpress.com)
PPBF: Parenting Advice from Andy Griffith…Set the Rules! (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King with Music and More

Posted on January 20, 2013 by viviankirkfield

Today is Martin Luther King Day.

The definition of courage is “the quality of being brave: the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action.”

Yes, courage is a word that definitely applies to Martin Luther King.

Tributes are taking place across this country and all over the world.

How can we help young children understand and appreciate Martin Luther King?

How do we encourage kids to dream and have the courage to pursue that dream?

I do it through my book, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking and in my school programs.

Daria, founder of Music to Inspire All the World’s Children, does it through music.

I’m thrilled that she invited me to share the following post. Here’s Daria!

The “I Have A Dream:” Song Shares A MLK Day Message With Kids

MLK is one of my heroes.

Not only did he do the right thing. But he did the right thing, under the toughest of circumstances and in the right way. He overcame hatred with the transforming power of love. He stared down ignorance with understanding. And he fought not only for a portion of the population, but for well-being of the entire world, demonstrating his concept of the beloved community. To me, that’s incredibly inspirational.

But how do you share these huge ideas and big concepts with little ears and young listeners? As a musician, I felt moved to write a song and try to put some of these concepts into the lyrics. I hoped the song would be a sing-able way to talk about MLK’s dream as well as a good place to start conversations about these big ideas and what they might mean to our classrooms, families and communities as we move into a new era.

All month, I have the “I Have a Dream” song (lyrics below) free on my website’s monthly song page along with lyric sheets, and sheet music since the song is frequently used for choruses and in schools. I hope you’ll visit and enjoy the resources as you plan your activities or reflect on the idea of service and how you make a difference in your community and your world.

The direct link to the download is:
http://www.dariamusic.com/monthly_song.php. For more information, visit

my site or contact me at daria@makemusicwithme.com. I’d love to hear from you!

http://youtu.be/lBQ36WnekVM
I HAVE A DREAM

Words and music by Daria A. Marmaluk-Hajioannou

There’s a man I think you’ve heard of
His name is Martin Luther King
He wanted a world of peace and love
He said “I have a dream”

Chorus:
I have a dream
I have a dream
I’ve been to the mountaintop and I’ve seen…
I have a dream

He said: “I know that this is possible
I know that this can be
If each one can learn to live with love
Then we can all be free”

If you share this vision
You know it’s not a difficult thing
We can build a world of peace and love
And we can all be queens and “kings”

I’m very grateful to Daria for sharing this post with me and I hope you will visit Daria’s wonderful website: Making Multicultural Music Blog
http://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com

When you are there, you can also download the song and coloring pages and help your children celebrate the importance of pursuing one’s dream and doing the right thing.

Here’s a direct link to one of the coloring pages: http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/mlk.pdf

Since it is such a special day, I’d like to share another gift with you.

Here’s an easy-to-make dessert from Chapter Two (I’m Special: Helping Your Child Value His Own Strengths and Qualities) of my book that will have your children dreaming sweet dreams.

DREAMY FRUIT SALAD

Children love to help in the kitchen. They acquire skills as they measure and mix ingredients and “read” the recipe. One of the basic components of developing true self-esteem is mastering tasks and skills. So why not invite your child to assist you when you make this delicious and nutritious dessert.

Cooking with kids builds self-esteem, develops literacy skills and is just plain fun!

You will need: 1 large package vanilla instant pudding, 1½ cups milk, 1 diced apple, 1 peeled navel orange (sectioned), 2 bananas (sliced), ½ cup sliced strawberries, ½ cup blueberries and a large bowl.

Mix instant pudding and milk in a large bowl. Chill for 10 minutes.
Add diced apple, orange sections, bananas, strawberries and blueberries and mix together gently.
Makes 4 – 6 servings. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Creative tip: use your imagination and substitute different fruits.

Many other bloggers have paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King. Here are a few links you might want to visit.

http://childrensbooksheal.com/2013/01/18/i-have-a-dream/

http://clarbojahn.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/perfect-picture-book-friday-climbing-lincolns-steps-the-african-american-story/

http://eof737.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/dr-martin-luther-king-a-legacy-of-courage-hope/

Today is special for another reason…it is Inauguration Day for President Barack Obama…I offer a prayer for him and for his advisors…that they may have a little of the courage of Dr. Martin Luther King…and may their decisions in the next four years have a positive impact on the people, the country and the world.

VIDEO: Martin Luther King – “I Have A Dream” (tampa.cbslocal.com)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream (firstteachers.wordpress.com)
What Martin Luther King Had To Say About ‘Right To Work’ (addictinginfo.org)
Martin Luther King Day Celebrations Around LA (947thewave.cbslocal.com)
How To Make Martin Luther King Jr’s Dream A Reality With Kids (bagladyboutiqe.wordpress.com)
What If Barack Obama And Martin Luther King Wrote A Speech Together? [Video] (newstalkcleveland.com)

Sunday Post: Simplicity…Children Need Less Stuff

Posted on January 19, 2013 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…the week’s theme is SIMPLICITY.

The media would have us believe that our children NEED more stuff…electronic gadgets and expensive toys for example…to make them smarter and happier people.

I disagree!

Our children need more of our time, love and positive participation.

Do you want to help your young children succeed in school?

Read with them.

Do you want to develop their literacy skills?

Talk with them.

Do you want to build their self-esteem?

Cooking with kids builds self-esteem, develops literacy skills and is just plain fun!

Spend time with them doing SIMPLE activities like crafting or cooking.

Do you remember the ‘6 items or less’ craze that was popular about two years ago? The theory of ‘less is more’ is not a new one. It can be a wonderful way to start this New Year. Applying an attitude of simplicity to one’s life does help because it:

Cuts down on stress
Saves money
Encourages an appreciation for what one has
Strengthens the bond between parent and child
Alleviates the disconnect that often takes place in families today

Do you want to have a great time with your young child?

Grab some construction paper (plain white copy paper works just fine) and a couple of markers or crayons.

Sit down with your child at the kitchen table or on the floor.

Each of you can draw a picture or a design.

If you want to turn it into a simple arts and crafts project, add a pair of scissors (safety ones with blunted tips if you want a young child to be doing some of the cutting) and a glue stick.

Cut shapes out of one paper and glue them onto another paper.

Talk with your child about what you are both creating.

Hang up the completed art work.

WOW! Less than 15 minutes of your time equals a happy young child.

If you’d like a great resource book chock-filled with simple craft activities AND lots of picture book suggestions, please check out my book, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. Most of the activities (picture book reading, easy craft project, child-friendly recipe) take less than 15 minutes to do. There are several wonderful new reviews on Amazon…I hope you will check them out.