What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday: FREDERICK

Posted on April 6, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by Sergey Yeliseev via Flickr

One of my favorite children’s picture book authors and illustrators is Leo Lionni.

His stories get to the heart of the challenges and concerns that young children face and his bold yet simple illustrations bring his characters to life.

FREDERICK is one of the four books that are part of the SHOW ME HOW Story-time Program at the local schools here in Colorado Springs. Each time I’ve read the story, the kindergarten and Pre-K children are eager to listen and then discuss the events in the book and relate them to their own lives.

FREDERICK

Written and illustrated by Leo Lionni

During the fall, a mouse family scurries around to collect seeds and nuts for the winter. One mouse, however, does not seem to be doing anything except daydreaming. Frederick explains that he is collecting sunshine, colors and words…but his family believe he is just trying to avoid the hard work. When winter comes and the long cold days and nights seem endless, Frederick entertains his family and lifts their spirits by reciting the poetry he composed while the other mice were collecting seeds and nuts.

Each one of us has special gifts and, as parents, we need to recognize and encourage our children’s strengths and talents. Sometimes this is very difficult, especially if your child does not enjoy doing what the rest of the family likes to do.

For example, most of the members of a family might love participating in all kinds of sporting activities, but one child in the family does not, preferring to draw or play a musical instrument. In a situation like this, it is even more essential for the parents to provide opportunities for that child to develop his own gifts and pursue his particular interests.

Just 15 minutes a day, reading a picture book story, will help build YOUR child’s self-esteem, develop pre-literacy skills and create a life-long parent-child bond. If you are looking for a resource that will make choosing a picture book a snap, please visit my website where you can purchase a copy of SHOW ME HOW! The book has just received the KIDLUTIONS PREFERRED PRODUCT AWARD: http://kidlutionsppa.blogspot.com/2011/04/show-me-how-build-your-childs-self.html and, as you can imagine, I am thrilled!

I’ll be at the Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument, CO on Sunday, April 10^th from 2-3:30 and I hope everyone local to that area will stop in to say hello! There will be a Book Fair and book signing which benefits the Tri-Lakes Community Preschool Tuition Assistance Program and if you need any details, you can go to www.coveredtreasures.com. Come on over and spend a lovely afternoon in Monument and support early childhood education!

Another reminder…Tuesday, April 12^th, my blog will be hosting the book blog tour of Max, the Dog. You can visit http://readwithmax.com/blogbooktour.html for information about where Max has already been and where he will be going for the next few weeks. There are prizes to be won for those who follow the tour so please check it out.

What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday: YES WE CAN! and the Versatile Blogger Award :)

Posted on March 23, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

It’s been a most wonderful week so far! I want to share some good news before I review the picture book I choose for today’s post.

Of course, every coin has a flip side…and I guess we all decide which side of the coin we will focus on. Sunday afternoon, I pulled my back out and was in quite a lot of pain. No, that is NOT the good news. 🙂 Then, on Tuesday, I went to my doctor who did an adjustment of my back (OUCH!) and when I went to the parking lot to get in my car, I noticed I had a flat tire! No, that is still NOT the good news. 🙂

The GOOD news is that one of my fellow bloggers, Eliz of Mirth and Motivation presented me with the Versatile Blogger Award…an honor coming from the best blogger I know out there. She asks that I pass along the “good vibrations” to other great bloggers out there…so many of them were on her list already. 🙂 But, when I get back from my trip to the east coast, I will try to send it out to some of the people whose blogs are so very helpful to so many. 

The other GOOD news is that Jamie of Avant Garde Parenting selected me as Parent of the Week and I’ve posted that button on my sidebar. You can click on her link to read the article.

Oh yes, and there is still more good news! I leave on Friday for New Hampshire to spend a LONG weekend with my daughter and her family…I am really excited to see them…I know my 2 ½ year-old grandson has grown so much since I saw him in October. I’m excited to be reading, crafting and cooking with him and I’ll definitely try to do a post while I’m there…but, if you don’t hear from me for a few days, you’ll know why.

This week, I’ve been concentrating on the theme of companionship and, in SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING, I found the perfect picture book to review, Yes We Can! by Sam McBratney.

YES WE CAN

Written by Sam McBratney

Illustrated by Charles Fuge

Little Roo, Country Mouse and Quacker Duck start to make a giant pile of leaves, but stop to rest. While they are resting, they start making fun of each other for what they don’t do well. Roo’s mother suggests that each show what they CAN do best. Little Roo jumps over a log. Quacker Duck floats on a puddle. Country Mouse chases and catches his own tail. The friends agree that each one is special and has unique talents and qualities.

Little Roo’s mother found a creative way to teach her son and his friends to appreciate their own special talents without envying those of others. Being a good friend and companion does not always come naturally. As parents, we need to encourage our children to value their own strengths and qualities, as well as the strengths and qualities of others. We make a start by recognizing their uniqueness and by supporting their creativity, even if it veers in a different direction from ours.

If you are looking for 99 other MUST READ picture books, please visit my website where you can purchase a copy of SHOW ME HOW!…a unique resource that pinpoints and summarizes 100 picture books every young child should hear and provides a matching craft project and cooking activity for each recommended title. Leave a comment here about why you would like to win the Crafty Easter Basket for your preschooler or fill out the contact form on my website. At 50% off the cover price, this MUST HAVE BOOK is now a CAN HAVE BOOK.

Nanny McPhee’s Third Lesson: Work Together!

Posted on February 4, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Workers used harnesses attached to steel cable...

Image via Wikipedia

Nanny McPhee’s Third Lesson: Work Together!

Have you been to the great cathedrals in Europe?

Have you seen the Hoover Dam or Mount Rushmore?

Are you amazed at all the medical and technological breakthroughs that are announced on an almost daily basis?

What do all of these have in common?

They were all produced by TEAMWORK!

In the movie, Nanny McPhee tells the children that they must work together.

When people work together, we can build bridges and great cathedrals. When people work together we can develop new breakthroughs in technology and medicine.

But can we implement Nanny McPhee’s third lesson in our daily parenting routine? YES WE CAN!

I know that sometimes it seems that every member in the family is going in a different direction. 🙂 How can we get everyone going in the same direction?

Maybe you can have a weekly family pow-wow where everyone is welcome to contribute their ideas and concerns. Many stores used to have a suggestion box where customers could drop in comments of praise or recommendations for improvement. Perhaps you can have a box where everyone can deposit suggestions for future dinner menus or vacation ideas or issues they would like to talk about at the family meeting. Younger children can tell mom or dad to write their words for them. Keep a pad of paper and a pen or pencil next to the box.

Of course, parents need to be available to their children every day…but you could also set aside a special “talk” time where the family can discuss how to WORK TOGETHER to solve problems or plan thngs.

Even very young children are capable of helping with household chores by:

Separating darks and lights when you are doing the wash…great lesson in categorizing.
Folding towels when the wash is dry…great lesson in geometry (halves, quarters, etc.)
Dusting while you straighten up each room…put on some happy music and you can all dance while you clean.
Helping in the kitchen as you prepare meals…pouring and mixing ingredients.

When you encourage young children to take on responsibilities, you are helping them develop a positive self-image…we all need to feel useful, valued and valuable. Your family will get stronger as you work together. And if you listen with respect to the opinions of your children, they will be more likely to listen with respect to yours.

Stop by tomorrow for a look at Nanny McPhee’s Fourth Lesson: Be Brave!