Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian?

Posted on May 6, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday I enjoyed my last Show-Me-How Story-time presentation of this school year at Queen Palmer Elementary School in Colorado Springs. I did two programs…the first teacher had picked Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for Bed by Barney Saltzberg. What child doesn’t want to hear about a silly pig that has a unique idea of how one should get ready for bed. The children chuckled when they saw how Cornelius brushed his teeth with a body brush and soap. They were horrified when Cornelius fed his fish chocolate chip cookies. They counted the number of books Cornelius had picked for his father to read to him…19 books, they said, NO WAY! After the story, all of the children made construction paper clocks with movable hands and were excited to be able to take them home to show their parents how they could tell time. The second teacher had chosen Frederick by Leo Lionni. The children in that class loved hearing about the little mouse that collected sun rays, colors and words while his family collected nuts, seeds and wheat. I believe the children understand the lessons behind Mr. Lionni’s story…we need to celebrate the uniqueness of each individual, and every member of the family (even young children) contributes in his or her own special way. Do you celebrate your child’s uniqueness? Many of the activities in my book focus on celebrating a child’s unique gifts and talents.

The teachers loved the book and one of them is going to request that the school obtain copies for the kindergarten classes…she commented that teachers are so busy (just like parents) and would appreciate a resource like Show Me How! because it just about provides 100 lesson plans…complete with story suggestion, arts and crafts project and a simple cooking activity (and many of these are no-cook)!

As many of you read this, I’ll be winging my way from Colorado Springs to Chicago.

I’ll be spending the Mother’s Day weekend with my son and his wife.

Since we all LOVE eating sushi, taking long walks around the lake, watching classic foreign films and being with one another, I know I will have a great time.

My daughter-in-law (the talented artist who designed and drew the cover for my book) is picking me up at the airport. She’ll be taking me to Evanston, a suburb of Chicago, where I’ll be meeting with the owner of Lollie’s, a beautiful children’s boutique. Alexis has already read Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking and is interested in offering it for sale in her shop. I’m really excited about that! My hope is that indie bookstores and shops across the country will carry the book to make it more accessible to parents and teachers. Several libraries in various states have also purchased the book for their collections…if you are not in a position to buy the book, why not ask your local library to purchase copies…many libraries welcome suggestions from patrons regarding future book purchases. If you feel the book would be a valuable resource for your community, let your library know!

The rest of my time in Chicago will be spent having fun and also connecting with my sister and her sons and their families, all who live in and around the Chicago area.

So, I may not be able to post in the next few days…but I’ll be back Tuesday afternoon and am eagerly looking forward to my first featured author guest post with Colorado Springs award winning author, Rebecca Dunning.

Also, a quick reminder about the Mother’s Day bonus offer that ends May 8 on my website. If you purchase a copy of the book (at 20% off the cover price), you will also receive, with your order, a $10 Marshalls/TJMaxx gift card. What a great deal…a wonderful resource of great fun-filled activities and story suggestions for you to use with your child and a gift card to stores that are overflowing with great stuff for mom…Happy Mother’s Day!

Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian?

Posted on April 23, 2011 by viviankirkfield

: Image by Amy Bonner via Flickr

The school year is winding down

Thursday was my next-to-the-last Show-Me-How Story-time presentation.

So, I was just a little bit sad as I walked into Trailblazer Elementary School in Colorado Springs.

But, you can’t remain sad long when surrounded by smiling eager kindergarteners!

The children sat on the story rug and I sat in the story rocking chair and I read them Frederick, by Leo Lionni. This picture book is definitely a favorite with young children. The simple yet engaging illustrations clearly convey the frustration of Frederick’s family as they assume the young mouse is just trying to get out of collecting food supplies for the winter.

The story shows that each of us is a unique individual with different qualities and strengths. As a poet, Frederick used words to create pictures in the minds of his family members. And this, the story brings out, is equally as important as food…in fact, you might say it is a different type of food.

The teachers and their aides had done a stellar job of preparing the simple materials needed for the craft project. There were so many different colors and shapes of construction paper flowers; I thought there was a spring garden blooming on the teacher’s desk.

I am always amazed and excited by the comments I hear from the children. All three kindergartens were able to take part…the teachers split them into two groups for back-to-back story and craft presentations. After the story, the children were eager to tell me what supplies Frederick brought and what foods his family collected. They also discussed poetry and were able to come up with many rhyming words. Each time I would ask a question, almost every hand would wave excitedly as each child wanted to be the one to provide the answer.

Next month I have one more presentation and then the school year will be over. I look forward with anticipation to reading and crafting with a new group of children in August.

Please don’t forget about the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop and Giveaway of a copy of Show Me How. All you need to do is click on the link and subscribe to my blog and leave a comment on why you’d like to win the copy of this great resource for parents and teachers.

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.