PPBF: Sloppy Kisses…Self-Esteem and Peer Pressure…What’s the Connection?

Posted on April 20, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Hurray! Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday where I link up with Susannah Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others who contribute a picture book review and related resources for parents, teachers and children.

Please bear with me for two important reminders:

1. If you haven’t already been to Susanna’s Perfect Picture Book resource page, I encourage you to go. You will find HUNDREDS of picture book titles to choose from…divided into dozens of categories that will make it easy to find ‘JUST THE RIGHT BOOK’! Click on the title and you will be whisked away to the story summary and review…there will almost always be great resource and/or activity suggestions as well.

2. If you haven’t nominated your local library to win one of the 25 FREE copies of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking that we are donating, PLEASE do so now! Click the book title link above and you will travel to sunny Spain where you can read the most recent review of this must-have resource that makes choosing picture books and planning fun-filled educational self-esteem building activities a snap for parents, teachers and children’s librarians.

Help your favorite library win a copy! Just leave a comment on this post or email me at vivian@positiveparentalparticipation.com, naming the library and telling why the people in your community would benefit from having the book available to them. At the end of the month, twenty-five libraries will be chosen using Random.org.

Do you tweet on Twitter? Are you a fan of Facebook? Have you pinned anything on Pinterest yet? Are you active on LinkedIn? Please help me spread the word about the Show-Me-How Library Project by tweeting, posting and/or pinning. Last week several people re-blogged my post…that’s a great way also!

I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE…HERE IS YOUR PERFECT PICTURE BOOK FRIDAY REWARD!

Sloppy Kisses

Written by Elizabeth Winthrop

Illustrated by Anne Burgess

Publisher: MacMillan Publishing Company (1980)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Peer pressure, teasing/bullying, family, self-esteem

Synopsis:

Emmy Lou’s family is not ashamed to show how much they love each other. However, when a school friend tells her that kissing is only for babies, Emmy Lou begins to question the way her family shows their love. For several days, the little piglet refuses to allow her father to kiss her goodbye when he drops her off at school and she won’t let her parents kiss her when they say goodnight. Although she doesn’t realize why she is so unhappy, her parents do. When Emmy Lou can’t get to sleep one night, her parents sit and talk with her. How will this problem be resolved? Will Emmy Lou go kiss-less for the rest of her life or will she decide to continue her family tradition and ignore the peer pressure.

Why I like this book:

Peer pressure is a very powerful influence, often with negative consequences. Children can reject it only if they have a very strong sense of self-confidence and the knowledge that they are worthwhile individuals, entitled to say no or disagree with what someone else says they should do. Emmy Lou’s parents respected her temporary wish to refrain from kissing…the respect that they showed her enabled Emmy Lou to believe in herself and make her own decision to ignore her school friend’s advice.

Young children need to hear stories like this where the main character triumphs and is able to stand up for what she believes in. The loving relationship is evident in Emmy Lou’s family…her parents paid attention to what she had to say and were respectful of her wishes…up to a point…after all, they ARE the parents.

The text and illustrations work well together…keeping the reader and listener anxiously awaiting the problem’s resolution.

Related Activities:

When our children were young, we enjoyed helping them make things to give as presents instead of buying gifts at the store…a way of saving money while encouraging their creativity.

One of our favorite presents was to make a “gift certificate” for something the recipient might want or need which was something the giver could do, or make. ***GOOD FOR ONE CAR WASHING*** ***REDEEM FOR ONE HOUR OF VACUUMING*** ***GOOD FOR ONE EVENING OF BABYSITTING***

This tradition became so ingrained that even in 1989, when our oldest son was 17, he gave me this card for Valentine’s Day.

When our daughter was 6 years old, she made her own hugs and kisses coupon book as a gift for her father for his birthday. He still has that as well.

HUGS AND KISSES COUPON BOOK

Here is a lovely craft activity to do after reading Sloppy Kisses. Young children need hugs and kisses from those they love on a daily basis…how about making a “hugs and kisses” coupon book so that your child can get extra ones as needed. When your children come to you with a hug or kiss certificate, you will have a great opportunity to talk with them…maybe they had a bad day at school, perhaps they are worried about an upcoming assignment…or maybe they just need a little reassurance and demonstration of your love.

You will need: Construction paper, markers or crayons, stapler, scissors.

1. Use one piece of construction paper for the cover…cut it if you wish and fold it in half.

2. Your child can decorate the cover.

3. Cut another sheet of construction paper (or copy paper) into coupon-size certificates.

4. Write the words: Good for 1 Kiss and Good for 1 Hug on them.

5. Let your child decorate each coupon.

6. Staple the coupons into the cover.

I’ve been making these coupon books and gift certificates for over 40 years, but now everyone’s doing it.

Dltk has some adorable printable coupons here that look like this:

Family Crafts has a wonderful assortment of printable coupon ideas here.

eHow has a page on making printable coupons here

Cricket Magazine has a board book set called Mommy Hugs and Daddy Kisses here.

The Bennington Free Library has a story page with activities for Sloppy Kisses here.

Parents Magazine has a page of instructions for making coupon books here.

Nick Jr. has some printable hug coupons here.

This post is part of a series for parents and teachers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays hosted by Susannah Leonard Hill. Click on her link and find lots of other picture book suggestions with summaries and activities. And please don’t forget to leave a comment, nominating your local library to be the recipient of a copy of Show Me How!

Building Self-Esteem and Literacy…One Picture Book at a Time (clarbojahn.wordpress.com)
Free Copies of Show Me How! Nominate Your Library to Receive One! (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
A Picture Book Is Worth a Thousand Words (clarbojahn.wordpress.com)
Building Self-Esteem: The Chocolate Rabbit (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)

PPBF: The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes

Posted on April 6, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday where I link up with Susanna Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others who contribute a picture book review and related resources for parents, teachers and children.

Some picture book points to remember:

Having picture books available for young children to look at and listen to is almost as important as having air to breathe and food to eat.
Set up a bookshelf for your child’s collection.
Books can be expensive…check out used book stores and consignment shops for discounted picture books.
The library is an amazing resource for children’s books. You can speak to the librarian about recommendations and story programs.
Read to your child every day.

This last reminder reminds me that we need to announce the WINNER of the March Positive Parental Participation Reading Challenge. Marcy, over at Orples, is a hands-on grandmother. We’ve connected through Jake’s Sunday Posts and she often writes about the activities she and her grandchildren do together. I know she will enjoy sharing a new picture book with them. Congratulations, Marcy!

National Library Week is April 8-14. To help celebrate, visit the library with your children at least one day next week if you can…and make it a habit to go often. Does your child have a library card yet? Find out how old your child has to be…if he doesn’t have one yet and is old enough, help celebrate National Library Week by signing him up.

A child’s library card is a passport for learning about the world.

Do you want your library to win one of the 25 copies of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking (MoneyPenny Press, Ltd. 2010)?

Many libraries are very limited in what new materials they can buy for their collections because of reduced revenues. Another way to celebrate National Library Week is to nominate your library to win a copy of this great parent/child activity book? It’s easy! If you haven’t done it already, just leave a comment on this post, naming the library and telling why the people in your community would benefit from having the book available to them. At the end of the month, twenty-five libraries will be chosen through Random.org and the people who did the nominating will get to present the book to their local library.

Do you tweet on Twitter? Are you a fan of Facebook? Have you pinned anything on Pinterest yet? Please help me spread the word by tweeting, posting and/or pinning about the Show-Me-How Library Project.

Thank you, thank you, thank you…and now…are you still there…here is a really special picture book, just in time for Easter.

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes

Written by Dubose Heyward

Illustrated by Marjorie Flack

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (1939)

Ages: 4 and up

Themes: Mastering tasks and skills, goal-setting, holidays (Easter), overcoming gender discrimination, family, working together.

Opening Line:

“We hear of the Easter Bunny who comes each Easter Day before sunrise to bring eggs for boys and girls, so we think there is only one. But this is not so.”

Synopsis:

A young country bunny sets a goal for herself of becoming one of the five Easter bunnies who deliver Easter eggs all over the world. It seems her dreams will not be realized as the little bunny grows up and becomes the mother of twenty-one baby bunnies. Using ingenuity, common sense and lots of determination, she trains each of her children to master certain skills.

Will Little Cottontail Mother prove that she is the kindest, wisest and fastest bunny in the whole world? Can she complete all of her tasks? Does she win the golden shoes that will enable her to fly? Read this charming story to find out!

Why I like this book:

This book was written over seventy years ago…yes, you know how I love these old classic picture books…and is still relevant today! This is a very modern feminist tale…twenty-nine children and she still has a dream that she realizes…overcoming gender discrimination and economic hardships.

Little Cottontail Mother is a loving and caring mom…but that doesn’t stop her from expecting her children to be responsible and helpful and courteous. She teaches them the life skills they will need as adults.

The illustrations are from the ‘illustrious’ Marjorie Flack…need I say more!

Related Activities

HANDPRINT EASTER BASKETS

I’ve made this craft with kindergarten classes…they really love it! This is a lovely keepsake because it is made from your child’s handprints. Hang on the refrigerator or use as an Easter door decoration. The picture here is from Artists Helping Children.org They have lots of great ideas and instructions on their website.

You will need: Construction paper, tape, glue stick, crayons or markers, scissors

1. Trace at least 8 hands for each basket (these are the handle).

2. Cut out a basket shape and cut a slit in the top (the eggs will slip in here).

3. Lay out the handprints, overlapping slightly, to form a handle shape. Tape them while you are arranging them and then glue in place.

4. Cut out a bunch of Easter egg shapes. Your child can decorate them before sliding them into the slit. Glue in place when they are in the right place.

Gail Terp has an awesome blog post with craft ideas and more here.

Anita Silvey’s Children’s Book-A-Day Almanac did a lovely in-depth review here

Book Reviews for Kids did one here.

Talk with your children about the tasks that Little Cottontail Mother taught her bunnies. What tasks can your child help with at home?

Make a goal chart…Little Cottontail Mother had things she wanted to accomplish…help your child make a chart of tasks and skills he or she wants to master.

This post is part of a series for parents and teachers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays hosted by Susanna Leonard Hill. Click on her link and find lots of other picture book suggestions with summaries and activities.

And please, don’t forget to leave a comment, nominating your local library to be the recipient of a copy of Show Me How!

You Belong @ Your Library (rochpublibrary.wordpress.com)
A Picture Book Is Worth a Thousand Words (clarbojahn.wordpress.com)
Turn page for National Library Week, April 8-14 (tcpalm.com)

PPBF: Dinosaur vs. The Library

Posted on March 30, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday where I link up with Susannah Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others who contribute a picture book review and related resources for parents, teachers and children.

Before I get to the picture book review, please bear with me because I have three very important things to share.

Important thing #1:

I am donating twenty-five copies of my book to libraries across the country and around the world.

National Library Week starts on April 8^th. For me, the library has always been a place of wonder…as a child, I took out so many books that I looked like some alien being made of books as I walked along with my two little feet sticking out beneath the stack of books that rose higher than my head. During my years of teaching kindergarten and then while parenting my own young children, the library was a treasure-trove of early childhood resources and programs. These days, I keep busy doing the Show Me How Story-time program in local kindergartens, Pre-K’s and libraries, reading the classic picture books and doing the simple craft projects that are recommended in Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking (MoneyPenny Press, Ltd. 2010).

Would you like your local library to receive a free copy of Show Me How?

Budget cuts drastically reduce the number of books our libraries can purchase and all you need to do is leave a comment on this post, naming the library and telling why the people in your community would benefit from having the book available to them. At the end of the month, twenty-five libraries will be chosen through Random.org and the people who did the nominating will get to present the book to their libraries.

Important thing #2:

If the library you nominate is chosen, would you also like to do a review Show Me How! on your website/blog site/newspaper/magazine? I will be happy to include a second copy in the package, just for you! So if you are interested in doing a review, please indicate that in your comment.

Did you know that the first public library in the United States was started in Peterborough, New Hampshire in 1833?

Did you know that Andrew Carnegie helped build more than 1700 public libraries between 1881 and 1919?

Do you know any other interesting facts about libraries?

I’m really excited about this…how many nominations will there be…and what states (or countries) will they come from? Does anyone know how to put up a graphic of a map and pin the locations of the libraries that are nominated?

Important thing #3:

Donna Martin over at On the Write Track also has some exciting news! She will be manning (or should I say womaning) a booth at the Children’s Festival of Reading in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday, May 19^th…and she is inviting authors and illustrators to donate signed copies of their books for her booth. I’m mailing out two copies of Show Me How to her today. This is an amazing opportunity to spread the word about your books…and, more importantly, encourage young people to become readers and lovers of books!

You can find out more about the event…and the giveaway she is hosting…when you visit her website.

Important thing #4:

Oh, that’s right! I said there were only three! But actually, Perfect Picture Book Friday is VERY important, so now, without further ado, my picture book selection! And with nominations for your favorite library now open, this was definitely the Perfect Picture Book!

Dinosaur vs. The Library

Written and illustrated by Bob Shea

Publisher: Hyperion Books (2011)

Ages: 2 and up

Themes: Behavior, friendship, dinosaurs, libraries

Synopsis:

Dinosaur is going to the library…one of his favorite places. As he walks along, he meets his friends…cow, chicks, turtle and owl, and he challenges them to a roaring contest (can you guess who is the winner?) and then invites them to come along with him.

At the library, he finds out that he must be quiet, especially during Story-time. Can Dinosaur hold in his roar?

Why I like this book:

It’s definitely hard to hold in the roar…and young children will identify with dinosaur immediately. What child has not been told, “Hush, be quiet!” in church or when an adult is on the phone or…at the library? All of the books in author Bob Shea’s Dinosaur series are wonderful…this book is funny, the illustrations are charming and any book that celebrates reading must be a winner!

Related Activities

Every child should have his or her own library card as soon as your local library will allow it. Make weekly trips to the library and check out the children’s programs that most libraries have going on…story-times for all ages, reading challenges with prizes, free movies and other special events.

HOMEMADE BOOKPLATES CRAFT PROJECT

Encouraging young children to love books and reading is one of the most important things a parent can do. Does your child have his or her own bookshelf? As parents, we know that we have to feed our children’s bodies. Next time your child has a birthday, choose a book and start a collection that will feed the mind and spirit as well!

Bookplates add a special touch…they let your child know that “THIS BOOK BELONGS TO ME”.

There are many instructions and printable bookmarks at the websites below. Here is a simple one you can help your child make.

You will need: White or light-colored cardstock paper (or you can use construction paper or copy paper), markers and/or crayons, scissors, tape or glue stick.

1. Cut the paper to the size you would like the bookplates to be (2 or 3 inches by 3 or 4 inches is a good size).

2. Write the words: This book belongs to…and then your child’s name.

3. Let your child decorate the edges and add his own design or pictures.

4. You can also cut pictures out of magazines and paste them on the bookplate or use stencils.

5. Roll a piece of scotch tape and use it to secure the bookplate in the book or use a glue stick.

6. Tip: you might not want to tape or glue a bookplate in a vintage collector book.

Here is a picture of a bookplate that my oldest son and I made together over 30 years ago. If the book looks familiar…it is! Gift-Bear for the King is the book I reviewed last Friday.