Showing posts with label Books for Kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books for Kids. Show all posts

Sunday, January 11, 2015

The Classic Berenstain Bears Book Series

The Berenstain Bears - Available on Amazon
A Review - Children's Books About Life Lessons and Why we Love The Berenstain Bears Collection

As a mom of four sons, I have to say The Berenstain Bears Books were a staple in our home. I use the term 'were' because I've since passed most of them down to grandchildren or, in some cases, they've been given to schools.

The Titles Tell You Exactly The Lesson Your Child is About to Learn

The title of these books makes it very clear to us moms exactly what 'life lesson' we are about to teach our child. With titles like; Too Small for the Team, Learn About Strangers, and Mama's Helpers, it's easy to see why we know what we're getting. After all, we're busy, and the more precise the title, the better it is for us!

Teaching Life Lessons Seems Just a Bit Easier with a Storybook!

When the kids are growing up, we're always in 'teaching' mode: Put this away; please share with your brother; turn off the lights; finish your homework, please, and so on! Do these instructions sound familiar to any of you? I'm sure you've said these things and a lot more!

What I loved about the Berenstain Bears Collection of books was being able to teach the boys a life lesson without sounding like a preachy mom. When it's a character in a book learning a lesson, it's simply more fun for the kids to watch that character 'take the lesson' instead of mom telling 'them' what to do for a change! I like to think of these books as a break from life lessons while still learning a life lessons. Oh, we moms can be sneaky!

They need a series now for teenagers and young adults! I can just picture it; my teenage son sitting beside me while I read, 'Did the Berenstain Bears Not Teach You Anything! Clean Your Room Cause Mom is Older and too Tired to Preach! - Only problem is, they would probably love being sent to their room for a time out, request extended time, then laugh about how they managed to get mom to read them a story and, bonus...sent them to their room!




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Sunday, December 7, 2014

Noel the Christmas Ornament Book

A Rare and Classic Christmas Cartoon


Noel is a beautiful Christmas story written by Romeo Muller, the writer of numerous popular holiday classics such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and The Little Drummer Boy.

Noel, the cartoon, and the book were absolute favorites in our home. If you need help getting a hold of a copy of the DVD or the book, I'm not surprised. It's hard to find. 

Years ago, we watched the Cartoon on TV as a Christmas Special, and after seeing it, we had to have the book. All my boys are grown, and we still have the book. We passed many books down to other family members but couldn't part with this book. I've since passed it along to our youngest teenage son and told him to keep it for his future family. Thank goodness he loved the idea.

What is the Story About?

Noel is about a Christmas Ornament that gets passed down through the generations as the owners of a home change.

It starts out with a family in a Victorian home in the Victorian Era who, when Christmas comes, put brand-new Christmas decorations up on the tree. Noel is one of the ornaments adorned with a happy tear from its maker. Noel is joy-filled during the holiday season because he gets to be around a loving family during a magical time he doesn't understand.

Every Christmas, Noel is curious about the Manger's purpose under the tree. Since he is positioned higher up on the tree, he can never see the Manger.

Noel hates the New Year because he's shoved back into his ornament box, put back in the attic, and must wait nearly a year to see the family again.

As the years pass and the family ages, the house changes ownership multiple times. Poor Noel is sad as the families age and leave. Eventually, the home is abandoned and lonely, and the rest of the ornaments are left for decades. Until one day, in current times, a new family purchases the home and fixes it up. They find the decorations in the attic and put them on the tree. Noel is so happy...he calls this his 'happiness'....but something terrible happens; his old ornament age causes him to fall from the tree and break!

When he falls, something unique happens; although his ornament shell is broken, he can still see, and his ornament happiness spirit continues to live. With his spirit free from its ornament trappings, he finally gets a look at the Manger. That's when he learns what Christmas is all about.

Available on Amazon - If you can get it? Last I checked, it was a pricey version only:





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Monday, September 29, 2014

A Day of Paying Attention

“It is quite possible that an animal has spoken to me and that I didn't catch the remark because I wasn't paying attention.”   ― E.B White, Charlotte's Web      

Last week, on Review This! I wrote about the Shawan Downs Legacy Chase annual benefit steeplechase in Maryland.  I love going to watch the horses race around the course, jumping over a variety of fences.  It is an amazing, good time.

I made it a point to go again this year.  The weather Saturday was perfect. Following days of cold and rain, Saturday was a sunny, clear-skied day in the 70's.

Moving from one spot, to the next, finally settling on the deserted back fence. I sat in the long grass along the very old fence. Between races I admire the lichen on some of the ancient wooden rails.  Then I realized, despite my best efforts to find privacy, I was not alone.

Dancing spiders
There were spiders moving and dancing along these flat old hardwood boards.  I wasn't sure if they were marking their territories or trying to mate. Perhaps they were warning me to leave. Every few inches there was one of these thumbnail sized spiders. They slowly moved along, back and forth, lifting their hind ends high then dropping them, like hydraulics on a car in a parade. Up and down, up and down, while moving back and forth.

At first I nearly squealed. I'm not extremely afraid of spiders, but I do hate walking into webs when I hike and I'm afraid of the ones that jump.  Initially, I thought these would jump. They looked aggressive. I thought they would move up and down, up and down, side to side, then jump on me.  But they never jumped.

As I watched, mesmerized, I began to notice the webs spitting out of the spider's caboose.  I could see it with my naked eye, spurt, shooting off into the wind, iridescent in the sun.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Look closely, see the web?
I watched and tried to photograph the dances and web spurting, being very careful not to rest my elbows on the top board again in lieu of a tripod.  I was vaguely aware of people walking by, probably wondering what in the world the crazy lady was doing.  Why bursts of shutter clicking while no horses were running?

But I remained focused on the spiders. And their dances. Amazed at how relatively thick and how long the webs were. String after string, like invisible kites being guided by the spider's hiney. Not forming a cobweb, but streamers of spider string blowing to the sky.

The spiders had begun to look less ominous.  In fact, I began to think of one of my very favorite books of all time. Charlotte's Web.  What a great story.  And something was scratching away at the back of my brain.  I knew I had read a fun review about Charlotte's Web. Now just who wrote that thing, I asked myself over and over.


Charlotte's Web
I returned home and found it, the reviewer of Charlotte's Web was Mary Beth's granddaughter.  That explains why the review stuck in my head. Do you want to read a cute and insightful review from the perspective of a little girl? I am five times Rachel's age of 10 but I still love Charlotte. Isn't it amazing how a good story can stick with us for our entire life?

And that was how I spent my Saturday at Shawan Downs, watching horses fly and spiders dance.  

Written by Dawn Rae
Images of spiders by Dawn Rae

Disclosure: In affiliation with AllPosters.com, Dawn Rae is a blogger and content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of AllPosters products.





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Let's Sew Together and Build Lasting Memories


lets sew together book cover
Ask me where I learned to sew and you’ll get the answer that’s commonly expressed by seamstresses, tailors, and designers all over the world. “My mom taught me to sew!” Ask that question and look into our eyes. You’ll see a fondness as we recall awesome memories of spending time with our moms and their sewing machines.

When I opened the cover of Let's Sew Together: Simple Projects the Whole Family Can Makelet's sew together by Rubyellen Bratcher (Potter Craft, New York, 2014), memories of the time I spent sewing with my mom flooded my eyes. No matter what kind of problems mom and I may have had while I was growing up, we always ironed things out with the help of mom’s sewing machine.

Mom and I bonded early in life over the sewing machine. She didn’t have a how-to manual, she just let me play along with her on projects that wouldn’t harm my tiny hands. As I got older, she trusted me to cut the fabric, not my long hair.

Mom and I made some cool projects over the years. Clothes, dolls, handbags, quilts, and anything else that caught our eyes. As I thumbed through Let’s Sew Together, I saw how mom and I could have made our projects even cooler with the tips offered by Bratcher. With four young daughters, Bratcher knows what kids like, how to get kids involved in sewing, and how to hold their attention.

Let’s Sew Together is written for the mom that has a basic knowledge of sewing and knows how to operate a sewing machine. Moms with no sewing skills shouldn’t be discouraged from trying this book. There are ten no-sew projects for moms and kids to learn together. Start by making a pom-pom for some soft ball tossing fun. Make little boys a bold bow tie and little girls barrettes with baubles. Or, make stories come to life with a no-sew storytelling box.

For the mom that feels comfortable using a sewing machine, there are 27 sewing projects that are appropriate for pre-school age kids. Bratcher provides easy-to-sew projects that even adults will love. I fell in love with several of the projects and have already started the Quirky Rag Doll found on page 124.

I admire the way Bratcher combines sewing lessons with learning lessons. While helping children make Cheerful Flip’Em Placemats (page 68) and Prep & Play Place Settings (page 71), Bratcher suggests books with a food theme for parents to read with kids, shows how to teach proper place setting, and talks about the importance of feeding our children well. There are similar helpful learning activities sprinkled generously throughout the book.

I appreciate that Bratcher includes sewing projects for boys. Not only can boys help make their own clothes, there is a super hero robot to share adventure stories, a fortress for hide-and-seek fun, and drums to make a lot of noise.

If your child has expressed an interest in sewing, I highly recommend this book. There are a variety of projects for clothing, jewelry, table settings, pillows, educational toys, fun time toys, and party decorations. You’ll also find ways to make each project unique by letting kids have their hand at fashion design.

I give this book 5 stars. Click on the book cover below. This is an Amazon link that will take you to the book's detail page where you can purchase your copy.

lets sew together book coverlets sew together
Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. My opinions are my own.




Posted by Coletta Teske
Coletta Teske

About This Contributor

Coletta Teske writes reviews on books, business management, writing, crafting, cooking, and gardening. She is also an avid recycler and shares her tips on recycling. She delights in upcycling an old object, recycling or transforming discarded items into a new treasure.





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, July 5, 2014

Book In Some Crafting Time

There are some fantastic ideas, photos and tutorials online when it comes to kids crafts (and crafts in general). But sometimes, there's nothing like picking up a lovely craft book and flicking through for inspiration - especially nice when you're plotting your next project with your preschooler, as they can curl up on the sofa with you and get inspired from the pages, too! 

Some of the books that have made it into our library recently include the following four awesome volumes. 

red ted art book
Red Ted Art is one of my favourite blogs and the book of the same name is absolutely fantastic. Beautiful but simple crafts that are easy for little folk AND mums too, using materials that are easy and cheap to source. 

thomas make and do book

Fans of Thomas the Tank Engine (such as my daughter!) will love the ideas in the Thomas Make and Do Book. As well as a game and baking ideas, it has lots of tutorials for making trains out of cereal boxes and even the Fat Controller, mostly using recycled household items and stickers and cut outs from the book itself. 

show me a story book
Show Me a Story has some amazing ideas to combine art with storytelling, such as making story mats, story stones, story cubes and many other wonderful ideas. MeltedRachel has a review of this book here


artful parent book
Finally, we have just got a copy of The Artful Parent, the official book of another great blog of the same name, which we are just dipping into for some fabulous art and craft ideas. 

There are so many craft books out there aimed at children, but which to choose? That is where you can come in! Reviewing the craft books you have at home, that are tried and tested by your family, can help other mums and dads decide on which books would be best for them. 

Why not review one of the books on this list of the Best Craft Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers? Or if your favourite isn't on the list, review that instead, and add it to the guestbook on the lens! 

Happy crafting, and happy reviewing!






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Monday, March 3, 2014

Happy Birthday to You and Happy Reading to Me!

“I am what I am! That’s a great thing to be! If I say so myself, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!”  ~Dr. Seuss

Theodor Geisel was born on March 2, 1904. He passed away on September 24, 1991.  It is hard to believe he is gone since his writing and his art continues to touch people; adults and children alike. After all, Theodor Geisel was also known as Dr. Seuss, and whose life hasn’t been touched by Dr. Seuss in some way?

To celebrate Dr. Seuss this weekend, I wrote a book review of one of my favorite Seuss books. Even though today is a day past his birth date, you can join the fun and review your favorite Seuss book too.  Especially since March 3, 2014 is National Read Across America Day.  What a better way to introduce a child to the love of reading than with a Seuss book?

In addition to writing a review of McElligot's Pool, I also pulled a few lesser-known (is there really such a thing) Seuss titles from my shelf this weekend and read them again.  I love that Seuss brought us both entertainment and life lessons. One of those very important lessons is something I am still trying to learn from Marco and his adventures at McElligot’s Pool. You will have to either read my review or the book itself to know which life lesson I’m referring to.

Thank you Theodor Geisel for sharing your talent and vision with us. And for introducing us to the Cat in the Hat, green eggs and ham, Things 1 & 2, and so many other wonderful characters, places, and things. 




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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