The perfect way to introduce small children to holidays is through books. Children love to be read to and board books work great for the babies and toddlers age group.
Let's look at a couple Valentine-themed board books for the youngest children.
Lovey Things is a sturdy board book about things Things love. Little ones will learn about sharing and caring, smiling and hugging, and blowing kisses from those two favorites - Thing One and Thing Two - from Dr. Seuss's 'Cat in the Hat' stories. A very sweet rhyming way for little ones to learn about the loving ways of Valentine's Day and be introduced to the magic of Dr. Seuss.
Recommended for ages 1 – 4 years, Lovely Things is highly recommended by parents and grandparents. It is an Amazon Best Seller currently listed at #43 in the Top 100, and is #1 in both Poetry for Early Learning and Stories in Verse. It is also #7 in children's Valentine's Day books.
Fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the wonderful world of Eric Carle will love this sweet book. A Valentine's Day gift that gives all the reasons why that someone special makes the world a better and brighter place.
"You are the cherry on my cake; you make the sun shine brighter; you make my heart flutter."
Filled with a range of images from the World of Eric Carle, and featuring the Very Hungry Caterpillar, this board book is for reading ages 1 – 3 and ranks #4 in Children's Valentine's Day Books.
Summary
So, to introduce your youngest children to the Valentine's Day holiday in a fun way, let them meet Thing One & Thing Two through Dr. Seuss and The Very Hungry Caterpillar with Eric Carle.
*Valentine Reads for Young Ones review written by Wednesday Elf
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.”
Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm is a delightful book for children written by Jonathan London and illustrated by Andrew Joyner. It is the first book in a new series featuring Duck and Hippo. Quite honestly, I look forward to reading about their next adventure together. You may wonder why I chose to read a book for children, but I did have my reasons. First, I recently purchased a Kindle Fire and I love being able to see the pictures in color now. What better than a children's book to look at pictures, right? Second, the book was a free choice on Kindle First* in February 2017 if your are an Amazon Prime member. And last, but by no means least, I wanted to be able to review the book for Review This Reviews!
The release of this book is perfect timing! Since their day of adventure takes place in early spring, releasing the book on March 1, 2017 is consistent with the season and weather described therein.
Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm Book
Page 1
Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm
Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm (Duck and Hippo Series Book 1) This really is a precious story about two unlikely friends, clearly a duck and a hippopotamus, who venture out together in the rain. They encounter a few mishaps with just enough intrigue and suspense that a child will be enthralled without being frightened. The illustrations help with alleviating any stress because the characters are shown smiling even in the midst of possible disaster.
As with many children's books, the pictures in this book are fabulous! I love the way the artist dressed the animals. The suit and bow tie are perfect for the more reserved hippo, while the red slicker and polka dot yellow umbrella reflect the ducks adventurous and outgoing personally. I foresee that Duck will likely dream up all kinds of ventures for the more sedate Hippo in future books.
This promises to be a great book series for children ages 3 - 7 and I would certainly recommend the delightful first book, Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm.
Children's Book on Kindle Fire
Fire Kids Edition Tablet, 7" Display, Wi-Fi, 16 GB, Blue Kid-Proof CaseI am thrilled to share that there are Kindle Fires made just for children! As an adult I wanted a Kindle that would feature the images in color for my craft books and cookbooks. After consulting with our in-house electronics expert, Susan Deppner, I selected the Kindle Fire. It was an excellent choice. Once I received it, I couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be for children, especially at bedtime or when riding in a car. It would most certainly reduce the weight of books in a backpack too. I did a little more digging and found there is indeed a Kindle Fire made just for children. While I have no desire to replace the home library and real books, I do think Kindle Fires are fabulous when portability or weight is an issue.
*Kindle First gives Amazon Prime members the opportunity to read a new book that will be published the following month for FREE. You can check it out by clicking here!
Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm Children's Book Review Written by:
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.”
When I was in school, I learned that the Pilgrims had come to the New World from England to flee persecution for practicing their Separatist religion. After a hard journey on a small ship called the Mayflower, they founded a colony at Plymouth (Plimoth) under the leadership of William Bradford and William Brewster.
The Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower on December 21, 1620, and made Plymouth Rock famous. No one who landed on that day, though, wrote anything about it's being the place where they stepped into the New World.
What I Learned about The First Thanksgiving in School
By the time the Pilgrims celebrated what we now call the First Thanksgiving, about half their number had died of sickness. Those who had survived had a great feast to thank God for all He had done to preserve them. Native Americans gave them some corn and taught them how to plant it for an abundant crop. When they harvested their crops, they invited their Native American friends to share their feast as they thanked God for the food they had been able to grow. Both in school and in the Pilgrim journals, the Native Americans were called Indians. A friend of mine who knows a lot of Native Americans say they still don't mind being called Indians.
Replica of Mayflower at Plimoth Plantation, photo edited from Pixabay
What Some Children Learn in School Now about the First Thanksgiving
Unfortunately, my curriculum materials that are used in schools today aren't accessible as I write this, so I did some research online to see how the teaching about that first Thanksgiving has changed. The first thing we learn is that we shouldn't call it aThanksgiving feast at all since there was no such holiday back then. The purpose of the feast was to celebrate the harvest. Only in retrospect do we call this the First Thanksgiving.
I did some of my research on the Plimoth Plantation website where children can research the holiday for themselves with interactive activities. Here are a couple of telling remarks from the Teacher's Guide, which has all the text from the activity pages.
Fact
or Myth? Many
people think that "history" and "the past" are
the same thing. But they aren’t! The past is what actually
happened. The past can never change. You would’ve have to have
lived at the time to truly know about the past. History is how we
think and write about the past. History is always changing. So events
that occurred in 1621 (the past) will never change. But how we think
about these events (history) has already changed a lot!
Culminating
Activity A
few years ago, historians at Plimoth Plantation decided to look at
the 1621 harvest celebration in a whole new way. They knew there was
more to the story than the "Pilgrims" and "Indians"
having dinner together. They decided to set aside what they thought
they knew and look at the event with fresh eyes. They also realized
that it was important to look at the events of 1621 from both the
English and Wampanoag sides of the story. A lot of their research and
new ideas about 1621 have gone into the creation of this web site.
Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA. Photo courtesy of Pixabay
The gist of this is that historians can't change history -- what actually happened, but they can change the way it's interpreted and taught to match whatever political view prevails in the education establishment. What I learned in school may not have been completely accurate, but neither is the current curriculum in many schools. We now live in a more secular and multicultural society that cares much more about the Native American culture than the culture and beliefs of the Pilgrims who lived at Plimoth Plantation.
The Truth about The Pilgrims
The truth is somewhere in the middle. We need to recognize how God brought Squanto to the Pilgrims, along with Massasoit, Chief of the Wampanoag tribe. Squanto taught the colonists how to produce food in their new land and gave them some corn to plant. Massasoit signed a treaty to live in peace with the Pilgrims, and that peace lasted for fifty years.
So, yes. The Native Americans did play a big role in the survival of the colony. But so did the faith the Pilgrims had in their God, whom they trusted daily to provide their needs. They saw the friendship of Squanto and Massasoit as part of God's providence, a way He was meeting their needs. A reading of the primary sources, such as Of Plimoth Plantation by William Bradford will make it clear what the Pilgrims believed. It is this faith element and God's providence that contemporary teaching often leaves out.
Children's Books about the Pilgrims that Strike the Right Balance
I have chosen these five books as the best for teaching children about this period because most draw heavily from the primary sources. Some almost paraphrase parts of them in language children can understand. Those sources are Of Plimoth Plantation, linked to above, and Mourt's Relation, a journal usually attributed to Gordon Winslow and William Bradford. Both were eyewitnesses to the beginnings of the Plimoth colony.
The First Thanksgiving Feast by Joan Anderson
This book brings the Pilgrims and Native Americans to life through the black and white photos taken by George Ancona at Plimoth Plantation. It has a comfortable print size for its intended audience in grades 5-7. I believe many in lower grades would also be able to read this independently.
The first part of the story is told through quotes from actual colonists. The last part of the book is narration by the author drawn from the source material. The last page discusses the development of the tradition of the American Thanksgiving and is not actually part of the story. This book is out of print. You can get it at Amazon or at eBay.
Pilgrim Music for Thanksgiving
It is likely that when the Pilgrims gave thanks they sang a hymn. The one churches still sing today that the Pilgrims probably sang is from the Genevan Psalter that dates from 1562 and was used by the Separatists. We know that hymn today as "Old Hundredth," and the Doxology sung in many churches has the same tune. This version is probably close to what the Pilgrims sang.
I think it ironic that I found the same hymn being sung (different arrangement) at Westminster Abbey in a service commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. It shows much of the ceremony that the Separatists despised and separated themselves from. As the processional of the choirs and the Queen and other dignitaries came down the aisle, I was temporarily taken aback, wondering who that bewildered looking younger person in the black and white clip with the crown was. It took me a minute to realize it was a clip of the Queen on her actual Coronation Day superimposed on the processional.
Pilgrim Voices: Our First Year in the New World Edited by Connie and Peter Roop
The clear, easy-to-read, double-spaced type tells the story of the Pilgrims’ first year in the New World as a series of diary entries written in the first person. The primary sources the authors drew from were Mourt’s Relation and Of Plymouth Plantation, sources authored by Edward Winslow and William Bradford. The editors modernized the language and changed Bradford’s journal from the third to the first person for unity of voice. About half of the 45 pages in this God-honoring history are gorgeous color paintings by Shelley Prichett, making this volume a feast for the eyes. The book, suitable for all ages past preschool, also contains a forward full of historical background, the text of the Mayflower Compact, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.
This, too, is out of print. It is available in a Kindle edition or used at Amazon or used at eBay. Many of the used eBay copies have free shipping, and many of the Amazon cheap copies don't.
Three Young Pilgrims by Cheryl Harness
This paperback book for children 5-10 is my personal favorite because of its visual appeal. It is also based on Bradford’s writings. The author and illustrator, Cheryl Harness, has created a panorama of paintings that captures the Pilgrim story. It focuses on three young children, Mary, Remember, and Bartholomew Allerton. Their mother, Mary, along with her new baby, died in 1621.
We first meet the children in the middle of the ocean on the Mayflower and follow their life in the colony. Young Mary Allerton grew up and died of old age in 1699. She grew older than anyone else who came over on the Mayflower.
If your children are visual learners, you’ve got to get this book. The first major painting is a map of the Atlantic Ocean showing the sailing Mayflower with geographical notes tracing the adventures of the Pilgrims from the time they fled England for Holland until they settled in Plymouth. The next double-page spread is a cross-section of the Mayflower showing the people and supplies crowded onto the various parts of the ship.
The main story is illustrated by spectacular paintings showing life on the Mayflower and in Plymouth. Then there is a labeled picture-map of Plymouth Plantation with a timeline of earlier New World explorations along the bottom and an illustrated chart on the far right showing what else was going on in other parts of the world while the Pilgrims were having their adventures. The last pages in the book contain labeled pictures of all the Mayflower passengers, with one double-page spread allotted to the Saints, and another to the Strangers, and the difference between them is explained. The Indians get their own double-page spread which is bordered with small drawings of native plants, animals, and sea-life. The last page is a bibliography. This book is, fortunately still in print and available new and used at Amazon.You can also find it on eBay if you prefer to look there.
The Pilgrims at Plymouth, a Landmark Book by Lucile Recht Penner
The illustrations by S.D. Schindler are as appealing as those in Three Young Pilgrims. These illustrations are on the edges of the pages, accompanied by small bold text to differentiate it from the larger text in the story.
The author tells the story of the Pilgrims' struggle to create a new home in the wilderness of a new land and how both the settlement they founded and the principles they established helped to shape the new American nation. Each double-page spread deals with one aspect of the Pilgrims' adventure, beginning on the Mayflower and ending with the Thanksgiving feast. This book states that Mary Allerton Cushman died in 1704, which contradicts most other sources I've seen. The text of this book was copyrighted in 1996 before the term "Indians" was deemed politically incorrect.
The Pilgrims at Plymouth offers more details about daily life in the Plymouth colony than the previously mentioned books, including an accurate portrayal of the Pilgrims' faith. It also goes into more detail on the life of Squanto. Both this book and Three Young Pilgrims are good supplements to the more journal-like books first reviewed. They answer more of the questions about details left out of the other books. 44 pages. For grades 2 and up. This book is out of print but is available from both Amazon and eBay.
Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636 by Paul Erickson
The author and photographers who created this book paint a captivating portrait of an early Pilgrim settlement. Many of the photos come from Plimoth Plantation, where history is still alive. I have been there and watched as my rebellious daughter was called out by one of the adult male enacters who heard her talking back to my husband. The "Pilgrim" told her she'd never get a husband with that rebellious attitude. She was in total shock. No one she knew would have dared tell her such a thing.
In the book, Paul Erickson describes the duties of each family member -- even the children -- and their roles in the community as a whole. We watch people at work through the seasons as the women tend to the home, animals, and garden. The men do the heavy work in the fields and handle trading and defense. Children help their parents with their daily chores. We watch the activities of the family as they start their day, get dressed, work, and get ready for bed at night.
Education was also handled at home. Parents taught their children to read so they would be able to read the Bible, which was considered the most important book. Children also learned practical skills as they helped their parents cook, farm, garden, and make clothing from the wool to the finished garments.
The book explains how the government worked and how the colony was founded and organized. The author also describes a typical worship service in the meeting house. That couple of paragraphs is about all we learn about the religion of the colonists, except the importance of the Bible in their lives. We also learn a bit about health and how illnesses were treated.
The author describes celebrations and special occasions. He gives three paragraphs total to what we now call the first Thanksgiving. Part of that is a recipe for the traditional Plymouth Succotash.
Unlike the books I reviewed above, this one doesn't tell us a story or let the characters themselves say much. It has a more academic tone, showing and telling us about life in the colony. The last page analyzes the Pilgrims' place in history. Readers will learn what happened but probably won't relate to it as much as they will by identifying with the characters in the other books. Vivid full-color photos and drawings along with smaller black and white drawings show us a family and the items they would have used in their home and in the fields in Plymouth.
The book also features a timeline of the colony from 1455, when Guttenberg finished printing the Bible to 1863, when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday. There is a reproduction of a 1635 map of the world so students can compare it to maps depicting today's world. We also see a color diagram map of Plymouth Colony. A glossary and index are also included. This book is the most secular in tone of all the ones I review here. Like most of the others, it is out of print. It is available at Amazon or eBay. For ages nine and up. 48 pages.
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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.”
Have you ever been invited to a celebration of Faith? I'd like to take you on a journey to Review two of the most important sacraments in a Catholic child's faith journey. You may be invited to share in this celebration and this "Review This" is to help you recognize the celebration as well as appropriate gifts to mark this important occasion.
Holy Communion and Confirmation, What are they?
Late March, April, and May are traditional months for Catholics to Celebrate the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation. For many families, it will be a time of fellowship not only with their church community but also with parents and grandparents, who will be pleased to see their children growing in their spiritual formation.
Catholic children around the age of eight or nine will begin to learn about the sacrament of Holy Communion. They will learn about the meaning behind the sacrament and all the symbolism that is contained within the celebration of Mass every week.
They will learn about Jesus, his life, his death and his Ressurrection, and the promise to return again. They will also learn that Jesus loves them in a way that is beyond comprehension. For Adult Catholics it's a time to remember and relive the beauty of receiving Communion for the first time ever. It's also a great time to help our youngsters learn to live the Gospels, to live the way we were taught by the actions and the life of Jesus. It is also a time to explain to our children that living as Christians is not an easy task. That they will work at being good Christians every day of their lives, and that it should be a life lived in Joy!
Jesus loves each one of us, just the way we are! We need to learn how to love everyone in the same way. That is what we are called to do if we want to live truly Christian lives. We will fail many times, and that's when Communion becomes especially important. We come back to God, asking for His strength and His courage to become more and more like Him. We need that courage and strength so that we can look at all of our brothers and sisters with the same loving eyes that our God sees them. It's not easy to do, but with the sacraments that continue to nourish our souls, we will gain that strength that we need.
Children are such wonderful examples for us! As we get older, we tend to become more jaded. Our many disappointments in life sometimes take their toll on our spirits. That is why it's important for us to help our children. In helping them to celebrate these milestones, we are reminded of God's love for us too. Even though we are grown up in mind and body, we are still children of the Almighty and he loves us as a Perfect Father would. Sharing the sacraments with our children helps us to remember what we are called to do as followers of Christ!
Confirmation, Growth in the Spirit of God
The Sacrament of Confirmation is done when the children are a little older. Children are usually about 12 or 13 years of age. This sacrament mirrors the Jewish Bar/Bat/Mitzvah (when the young people are seen as old enough to read the Scriptures). After all, Christianity has its roots in the Jewish Faith, so this is the Catholic sacrament of a "coming of age". Our children are now seen as old enough to accept the faith that we have kindled in them through their younger years. It is time for them to decide for themselves, that this is the faith that they will accept for their lives. Parents accepted the duty to teach their children the faith when they were Baptized. Now, at this time in their lives, they stand on their own two feet and accept the faith for themselves. Many people wonder about the taking on of a saint's name as part of this celebration. Let me explain, children who are on their way to making their Confirmation are encouraged to look to the Saints who have lived a good Christian life. They take on the name of a Saint that they admire for the way they lived their lives and hopefully will follow in that saint's example on their own journey of faith.
As with any faith celebration, gifts are usually given to mark this day as a special time in their lives. Appropriate gifts would include a Bible, Prayer Book, Books on the Lives of Saints or Leaders in the Church. Books that make the young person think about their lives and direction. There are many really good books that are not "religious" but make the young mind expand in ways that will benefit them. Philosophy books that are great for the soul and make young minds question their lives and their beliefs will hopefully make them grow in their faith journey. After all, it is a journey that will last for the rest of their lives. We shouldn't stop growing in our faith life, just because we are out of school. It should be a journey that lasts a long, long time.
Being a Christian is hard work in our everyday world. Encouraging our children to look beyond themselves for guidance is a wonderful way for them to grow in ways that are more than physical. I truly believe that we are spiritual as well as physical. If the religious type of gift suggestions are not to your liking, the books by Chesterton or C.S. Lewis are great books for anyone to read. You don't have to be Christian or Catholic to get something out of them. They are classic reading for everyone.
My hope is that this Review will help you if you should ever find yourself invited to a celebration of faith for someone you care about. Please bookmark this Review so that when your invitation arrives, you will be prepared to help the child celebrate His/Her growth in the Spirit of Christ.
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.”
Three Outstanding Picture Books to Win Little Hearts (A Review)
Today we will look at three books written by Pat Furstenberg
Everyone knows that children love Pictures and Picture books with lots of interesting words and sounds. Part of every childs' development comes from those times when they are snuggled up with mom or dad, Grammie or Grandpa listening to the words and looking at the pictures. It's also a wonderful time to bond with our children and grandchildren in a way that will bring fond memories back to them one day.
From my own experience, there is nothing quite like the quiet time spent with my little ones telling a story, listening to them describe how they see the pictures and teaching them some great life lessons all at the same time. Books and the words they contain are stepping stones that children love to learn and hear. So when you come across some books that you know children will love, it's only fair to share what you have found.
Rhyming and word-play are an important part of every child's verbal development. There are word rhymes that are still taught to children today that go back at least 60 to 70 years and we are still teaching these same rhymes with their sing song rythms. The kids just love them all.
These three books by Pat Furstenberg are all written in this way. The pictures are delightful and the stories themselves are ones that will resonate with big and little hearts. Children will enjoy the stories of unlikely friends, while parents and grandparents can tell little side stories too.
The Cheetah and the Dog are an unlikely pair, yet they become and remain good friends even though no on thought this was possible. Too many differences don't matter when your hearts are in the same place. How many times does that happen in real life? Do you have a friendship that is still as strong as the Cheetah's and the Dog's?
The Elephant and the Sheep is an endearing story too! How often we make friends but don't think beyond what we see right in front of us. Each of our lives are different, but, the one thing we all need is a friend. A friend that can see beyond our hardships and differences. Only when we try really hard do we sometimes find out the truth. Little sheep learns a valuable lesson about friendship, love, and family. Elephant learns something too, family can be much more than living with other elephants. Family can be living with those who love us!
The Lion and the Dog is another story about our differences and how they really don't matter. What matters is how we care and treat each other. Lion is so sad, yet the little dog Milo doesn't give up on Leo, even when he is less than friendly. Milo knows what every good dog knows, everyone needs a friend!
If you have children, reading them stories about friendship and caring for others is a great way to encourage empathy at a young age. The world needs more of that! Word play and stories with great illustrations makes it easy for parents and grandparents to instill little life lessons in a very heart-warming way. If you are a member of Amazon Prime, you can get these books and so many more by Patricia and other authors as well, delivered right to your Kindle device and some are free with Prime Membership.
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.”
The Hunger Games Book Series from a Romantic Viewpoint
I would be the first to admit, that I never expected "The Hunger Games Trilogy" would end up being on my list of most romantic books of all time. I had heard mixed reviews about the books and I wanted to see for myself what all of the fuss was about.
It turns out, The Hunger Games Trilogy is not only action filled, a bit of a thriller and almost seems prophetic at times, it really is a fabulous love story right up to the very last words, in the very last book of the series.
I don't think I have ever cried as much over a book, or felt so close to the characters that I thought of them as personal friends.
The very best part about this book, is that I would feel comfortable recommending it to any age or gender. I don't recall any profanity in the book and absolutely nothing crude or immoral, including the love scenes. Yet, every scene was vivid and consuming.
The only thing that I would caution readers about, is obvious. It is a book where people are killed. Those descriptions are detailed, but I wouldn't categorize them as gory. If you can say a book "tastefully" kills someone brutally, than that would be my description of those scenes.
Background for The Hunger Games Trilogy
Review Written by Cynthia Sylvestermouse
The main characters of "The Hunger Games Trilogy" are children, who are thrown into adult situations such as battle and survival. As a parent, I wanted to protect these kids. I think that played a large part in the amount of tears I shed while reading these books.
While some of them are experienced hunters, they are not murderers and have to find a way to survive when they are cast into a vast arena for days, in some cases, weeks, without any supplies and most of them without any real training.
For the fans of the actual Hunger Games, they believe these games are set-up for sport, for the purpose of entertainment, reminiscent of the coliseum games in Ancient Rome. In fact, they are much worse.
They are established for the purpose of reminding the districts, which are comparable to the states of the United States, of the ultimate power and control the government has over whether they eat, work, live or die. That the government literally holds their lives, and their children's lives, in their hands and they can do anything they want to, any time, to you and all that you love.
How corrupt and evil to hold parents under governmental thumbs by killing, or threatening to kill their children while the whole world is watching for sport and entertainment.
The Romantic Side of The Hunger Games Trilogy
But, once you look past all of the political aspects, you see there is a beautiful love story intertwined throughout the pages.
Now remember, these are children, well teenagers actually, but from a parents perspective, they are children. Had these children not been thrown into "The Hunger Games", I doubt they would have discovered or revealed their love for one another at such a young age, but they were placed in situations that forced them to grow up faster and that created an everlasting bound of dependence, trust, devotion and love.
My heart broke for Peeta, who knew he loved Katniss long before they were the chosen participates in the 74th annual Hunger Games. Upon first declaration of love, the reader thinks perhaps Peeta is playing a game himself for the purpose of winning support and favoritism with the fans, especially when it looks like he has teamed with an alliance to kill Katniss. But, we find out rather quickly that he is actually trying to infiltrate the enemy with the intent of saving her life.
The Hunger Games are designed to insure there will only be one participate that survives. There can only be one Hunger Games winner each year!
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
— The Bible ~ John 15:13
The Hunger Games Trilogy - Easy Reads
I Read All 3 Books in 2 Days
The books are fast and easy reads and the story-line is gripping enough that you simply cannot put the books down!
You will want to have all 3 books on hand when you start the first book, because you will want to keep reading.
Okay, that's it! That's as much as I am going to tell you!
You simply must read the books for yourself! No review, no excerpt could possible delve deep enough into the layers of this story to do it justice.
It is a love story I doubt you will ever forget. I know I won't!
The Hunger Games Trilogy Books ~ Romantic Book Review
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.”
I don't know whether to say Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary, because each one of them would be correct. Curious George is still looking really good and he's only 75 years old!
Curious George books have been making children happy for a long time. They have been favorites of children since 1941. Margret and Hans Augusto Rey were the author and illustrator of the books. They fled France, on home made bicycles, carrying the manuscripts for the first Curious George book with them. In those times, only H.A. Rey was credited with the work on Curious George because there were already a large number of children's books written by female authors. Even then, marketing was everything and giving the credit to Hans, seemed to give Curious George more "attention". As he (Curious George) became well known in the literature world of children, credit was given back to Margret and Hans was cast as the illustrator.
The original book started with George's capture in Africa by the man with the Yellow Hat. He takes George on a voyage to the 'Big City" where he will live in the zoo.
Much to George's dismay, zoo life was not for him and he escapes. But George and the Man in the Yellow Hat (who never has a name) are reunited and thus begins all of George's adventures.
In 1947 George gets a job. In 1952 he learns to ride a bike, in 1957 he get a medal and so his adventures are all about things that would interest and garner the attention of post war children. Three more books would follow, George Flies a Kite (1958) Curious George Learns the Alphabet (1963) and Curious George goes to the Hospital (1966). The years were full of changes and prosperity and relative peacefulness. So the world as a whole was much more relaxed. Stories of George and his antics were welcomed stories, read to children everywhere.
George and his "man in the yellow hat" are really almost like a father and son. The man, as he is referred to in many of the tales, takes George into situations where he will learn something new. While the original Curious George was only made into 7 different stories, the publishing company adapted several of the Telefilm series into books edited by Margret Rey. Most of these are out of print, but had been re-released with some new cover art. (For you collectors, keep your eyes open for these 1984-1993.)
A third series called the New Adventures of Curious George appeared in 1998, and still continues to the present day. New illustrators continue the art work in the same vein as was started by Hans Rey. Children all over the world still seem to love Curious George.
Since his original release, Curious George stories have been made into two movie shorts. He has been featured at water-parks, a Christmas film, and video games. In 2010 Curious George was still being used for a live-action/computer-animated series. Public Broadcasting Systems loves Curious George and you can still see him on their PBS channels. To this day, there is still one toy store that carries everything "Curious George" and that is in Cambridge Mass. If you get a chance, go for a visit, I'm sure that some childhood memories will be rekindled.
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