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.

A Reel Cool Summer is a Really Cool Book for Kids

Posted on September 5, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Several weeks ago, I connected online with another author, Martha Rodriguez.

We realized we were on the same page about many things…have 3 children (2 boys and a girl), love our families, have a passion for picture books, recently had our first books published…the list could go on and on. Martha and I exchanged books and she’s already written a review of my book: http://bit.ly/peQ3mt

So now it my turn to tell you all about her book, A Reel Cool Summer.

As parents, we all know how difficult it can be to keep children entertained and busy…especially during the long hot summer. The story opens with three siblings, Joey, Jacqui and Danny, complaining about how there is NOTHING to do. After bantering back and forth, the three kids decide that what they need is a pool for their backyard so that they can cool off. While the two younger children go to ask their mother if they can buy a pool, Joey, the oldest, goes to get the mail.

After pleading with their mother to no avail, Joey takes his brother and sister aside and tells them about a contest that the library is holding. All they have to do is make a movie…and the winner will receive $100…enough to buy the pool that they all want. The entire family works together to build the props and make the costumes and Danny, Jacqui and Joey finish the movie and hand it in to the library with just moments to spare. Will they win the first place prize of $100 and be able to buy the pool that they want? Will they win the third place prize of the mystery box that contains who knows what? You’ll have to buy a copy of this lovely book to find out. You can visit the author’s website and purchase a copy at: http://www.readtomepublishingllc.com/Book.html

She also has a blog: http://areelcoolsummer.blogspot.com/

And you can contact her: info@readtomepublishingllc.com

One of the coolest things about this book is that kids love it. I brought it along with me on my recent trip to Chicago and read it to my 8-year old great-niece and 6-year old great-nephew. They absolutely LOVED it and listened intently to the story. They took turns reading some of the pages and were engaged with the colorful illustrations…which were done by the author’s now-adult son, Joey.

Ms. Rodriguez is to be commended on her first book for children. ..kids obviously love it. As soon as we turned the last page, my niece and nephew jumped up and ran into the house clamoring, “Can we go in the pool?” They were also anxious to hear it another time, so later we sat under the shade of a big tree and read the book again.

I’m sure that the author has more stories about Joey and Jacqui and Danny that she will share with us in future books…I know my niece and nephew and all kids ages 5 to 9 will be ready to listen.

Show-Me-How Story-time with Miss Vivian Travels to Chicago

Posted on August 28, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Frank Sinatra sang songs about many of the cities that he loved…New York – San Francisco – Chicago.

After a fantastic long weekend in Chicago, I’ll have to echo some of his words (written by Sammy Kahn and Jimmy Van Heusen):

Chicago is one town

That won’t let you down

It’s my kind of town.

I arrived on Friday morning and spent the day relaxing with my son and daughter-in-law at their home. Visiting with them is like going to a spa…they LOVE to cook “healthy” and every morning they start the day with a bowl of fresh fruit…mangoes, papayas, bananas, apples, peaches…drizzled with a little honey. For lunch each day, my son made a huge vegetable salad bowl for each of us…cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, mushrooms…all topped with some capers and a splash of aged blueberry balsamic vinegar.

My book event, Starting School Jitters Be Gone, on Saturday at Lollie, a children’s boutique in Evanston, just 20 minutes north of downtown Chicago, was so much fun! This shop is an amazing place…filled with many handmade and locally designed clothes and accessories, as well as other unique items for infants, toddlers and children. The owner is knowledgeable, helpful and a really lovely lady…I know if I lived in the Chicago area, I’d stop in there for any new baby gifts I needed, as well as for birthday and Christmas presents for any little ones on my list.

Of course, Mother Nature had her own plans for 11am, the time the first presentation was to start. The skies over the entire Chicago area darkened, and the heavens poured forth a torrential rainstorm, accompanied by huge claps of thunder and crackling flashes of lightening.

Inside Lollie, however, everything was bright and cheery. A group of young children listened attentively as I read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. As the story about Chester unfolded, the children heard how the little raccoon, anxious about his first day of kindergarten, learned a secret from his mother that helped him overcome his fear and go to school with eager anticipation.

After the story reached its happy conclusion, I showed the children a sample of the craft project and explained how we would all be making “Kissing Handprints”…deciding who we loved and who loved us and then drawing in the features for each person (or pet or stuffed animal) on each finger.

Parents and children clustered around the craft table and we proceeded to draw an outline of each child’s hands. The hum of happy children, busily engaged in a constructive activity with their parents, is definitely music to my ears. “This finger is going to be my mommy” said one little girl. “And those are my dogs” she added.

The storm had ended by the time the second presentation was over. My son and daughter-in-law, who had brought me and had assisted during the program, helped me pack everything up. I’m looking forward to my next trip to Chicago…Lollie’s owner has invited me to come back to do another program, whenever I’m in town. Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking is available at the shop for those of you who are in the Chicago area.

The next few days were filled with family visits, an afternoon at the beach – unbelievable to have a REAL sandy beach with what looks and smells like the ocean (it’s really Lake Michigan) right across the street from the downtown area of a major city – and an architectural river boat cruise. It was difficult to leave…I’m already looking at my calendar to see when my next jaunt to Chicago will be.

My next post will be a review of a children’s book, A Reel Cool Summer, written by Martha Rodriguez. We connected online and she loved my book and did a great review of it. I brought her book on my trip and was able to share it with my great-niece and great-nephew…they absolutely loved it and were totally engaged in the story…so in my next post, it will be my turn to tell everyone why they need to run out and get a copy of Ms. Rodriguez’ fun-filled book for children ages 6-9.

Photo credit: Thanks to JCrocker for the Chicago skyline pic.

Five Ways to Ease Your Eyes from Screen Strain

Posted on August 13, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

Did you know that 70% of Americans suffer from computer vision syndrome?

CVS happens when you stare at the computer for too long.

I discovered some valuable insight into this problem from Eye Care magazine published by HealthMonitor.

This type of “near work” strains the muscles in your eyes that focus on near objects and you also tend to blink less, which can dry out eyes.

Symptoms include blurry vision, headaches and strained, dry or tired eyes.

According to eye specialists, there are five simple steps that can help alleviate this.

1. Follow the two-foot rule: sit about 25 inches away from your computer and tilt the screen to so you look down on your work.

2. Get rid of the glare: glare from overhead lighting and the sun can reflect off your screen…this contributes to eye strain. Dim the lights around your workspace and use shades or curtains to avoid direct light. You could also try an attachable anti-glare screen for your computer.

3. Take breaks: follow the 20-20-20 rule…every 20 minutes, look 20 feet across the room for at least 20 seconds. In this way you will be activating your distance vision. Blink often and take mini-breaks away from your desk. Close your eyes briefly and practice deep breathing which also helps relax the eye muscles.

4. Check your prescription: if you or your children wear glasses, make sure the prescription is up-to-date. Eyes do change and it is important to see your eye doctor on a yearly basis, especially if you wear glasses. If you or your children are having eye problems whether you wear glasses or not, please make an appointment…our eyes are so precious and they are not replaceable.

5. Moisturize: staring at a computer screen, especially in an air-conditioned room, can lead to dry eyes. Use artificial tears or a desktop humidifier and remember the 20-20-20 rule…look away and blink.

Many of us do lots of close work and when you add up the time children spend reading books and doing homework assignments, playing or working on the computer or other electronic devices and watching TV, you’ll agree that it’s really important for them to follow these simple steps as well.

Now that school is starting, many preschoolers will be left at home without older brothers or sisters to play with them. If you’d like to provide great activities for your young child (other than sitting in front of a TV or computer monitor), please visit my websitewhere you can purchase a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking at 50% off the cover price. This award-winning resource for busy parents will provide you with 100 picture book story suggestions and summaries and gives you an eco-friendly craft activity and a child-friendly recipe for each recommended title…FRESH IDEAS FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR! BTW, it’s also available on Kindle!