God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Due to the Holiday season being upon us, I plan on sharing books related to the season for the next several weeks. After all, it is my favorite time of year. I have more than enough books to share with others that will cover this wonderful Holiday season! I'm really very excited. It is highly likely that there will be more than one book shared a week this month. (That is if I have time. It is also a busy time of year!)

Today I want to share a book that I discovered just last year; God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren. (Author of God Gave Us You, and other books in the God Gave Us series.) Last Christmas was a rough one for us. It was my son's first and, like many American families, we were dealing with a deployment that meant our family would be worlds apart for the holiday season. I don't mind admitting that I was having a hard time getting into the Holiday spirit, no matter the reason for the season.

God Gave Us You by Lisa T. Bergren

Years ago I was told that I might never be able to have children. I remember the horror I felt, and the pain. I remember telling my then fiance that I would understand if he didn't want to marry me. (He turned me down on that offer, and is now my husband, God bless the man!) I remember the heartache I felt thinking I might never get to have a child when all I had wanted for years was to be a Mommy. 

I remember well the night, back in July of 2008 and well over 2 years after our original family plan was supposed to have begun, when my husband and I threw our hands in the air and gave it to God. What would be would be in his time, not ours. 

We got pregnant that month. (In fact, we strongly suspect it was that night.) While I know that God gives every child to every parent, it is partially my own history that makes me feel such a strong connection with God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren. God gave me my most amazing miracle, and I am so blessed by that!

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

While I know I am a little late because of some personal issues that have been happening outside of Bloggerworld, I very much wanted to do this book in honor of the start of the school year! I have been in love with The Kissing Hand ever since I first learned of it while taking a children's literature class in college, and I think it is a book that every parent and teacher should know about!

On The Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

I remember the birth of my son very well. Perhaps it was the fact that I did it without medication, despite my carefully laid plans to be numb from the neck down when I had my first child. (I vowed at the time never to have another child! My husband and I are considering trying for another child later this year, but at the time I meant it!) Perhaps it is the fact that after several years of believing it would never happen, I was finally holding a beautiful baby, my beautiful baby, in my arms! Perhaps it is just something that is forever etched in your mind as a mother, no matter the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy and birth.

Bear's New Friend by Karma Wilson

I love books that give us a chance to spend some more time with old friends! Karma Wilson's fabulous Bear from Bear Snores On and his woodland friends are back to entertain us is Bear's New Friend!!!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

   In our house, we love Eric Carle! Not only are the stories amazing and entertaining, (with some really good moral lessons too!) but the pictures are beautiful and colorful and can keep even the very youngest little reader entertained! 

Coffee Filter Butterfly

This is such a fun project and can end up being so beautiful too!!! Here is a list of what you will need:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Finger Print Caterpillars

Here is another art project, this time for Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I love Eric Carle, I love this book, and I love this art project! The above picture shows the caterpillars being made on book marks, which is a wonderful idea. It can be done in many variations though, from just doing them on paper to using fabric paint and putting them on a t-shirt. Use your imagination!

Before you start you will need:

• Green ink/finger paints/fabric paint
• Red ink/finger paints/fabric paint
• A marker (whatever color you want is fine)
• Paper (Or a bookmark, or a t-shirt, or a plack...whatever you choose.)
• Wipes (For quick cleaning of little fingers

I think that the project is pretty self explanatory just by looking at the above picture, but I will give a short description here.

First, dip your child's thumb in the red paint and have them make a thumb print on the surface you have chosen. Wipe their hand off with the wipe. Next, dip your child's finger in the green paint and use that to make the caterpillars body. You can make it as long and as wavy as you want. This is your caterpillar so be creative! Again, wipe of your child's hand with the wipe.

Let the caterpillar dry.

Once the caterpillar is dry use your marker(s) to draw the caterpillars legs, eyes, and antennas.

I hope that you and yours enjoy this project as much as I do!

Happy reading!

Eric Carle's ABC

Eric Carle's ABC is currently one of my son's favorite books, if not the favorite. We read it several times a day, and at each sitting we read it several times. He got it for his birthday from Mommy and Daddy, and I am so glad that we picked it up!

 Just like many other ABCs books, each page had a big letter and the picture of something that begins with that letter. ("A" is for "ants", "B" is for "bird", etc, etc.) Unlike other ABCs books though, this one has Eric Carle's usual flair for color and eye catching art!

It is also unique in the way the pages flip up instead of just turning. For example, when you open up the first page you see the entire alphabet on the left side and on the right page you see the previously mentioned "A" with it's cheery trio of ants...but then, instead of flipping the page to see the "B", you flip the "A" page up to reveal both the "B" and "C" pages! You then flip that page back town and turn the page like you would in any other book to arrive at the "D" and "E" pages on which the "E" flips up to reveal "F" and "G"! It contunies this way throughout the book, adding a unique interest not found in many other books. My son loves flipping the pages for me as I read!

 I also like how Mr. Carle uses some animals that you might not find in any other alphabet book. (Do you know what a Narwhal  is? How about a Quetzal? Have you fed your Xolo today?) I think it is a good way for children to learn about animals they might never come into contact with otherwise. Honestly, my only complaint is that the use the slang "rhino" instead of the full "rhinoceros"...which really isn't a complaint, but more of a pet peeve of mine.

I don't know if it is because we have sang his ABCs to him since he was a baby, or because we sign them as we sing, (He has started to try to follow along, which is just adorable!) but his ABCs have always been one of my son's favorite things! Now, because of that, he has fallen in love with this book! Luckily, I love it too, so we share it together over and over again! I hope that is is one you will enjoy sharing with your own family!

If, like me, you enjoy bringing art into your every day and tying it into other things you might be watching or reading, or if you happen to be a teacher looking for an art project to go along with your daily book, try doing Eric Carle Tissue Letters with your child(ren).

Also, if you enjoy my blog, please invite your friends and family to join! I love sharing the books in my son's library, and I would love to share our experiences with as many people as possible!

Happy Reading!

Guess How Much I Love You by: Sam McBratney & Bunny My Honey by: Anita Jeram

With the Easter holiday right around the corner I decided to talk about two books today, one my son already has, one he will be getting in his Easter basket, and both star bunnies or hares as their main characters!

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney is about Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare and how much they love each other. Sounds pretty simple right?

Little Nutbrown Hare starts off by spreading his arms wide and telling his Daddy that he loves him "This much!" while spreading his arms out as wide as he can manage! Of course, Big Nutbrown Hare, being a big nutbrown hare, has bigger arms and can spread his arms even wider, which he does while telling his baby "But I love you this much!"...which sends Little Nutbrown Hare thinking...

There follows a competition of sorts between Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare, as Little Nutbrown Hare keeps thinking of ways he loves Big Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare keeps telling him that he loves him back. As tall as he can hop, as far as he can see, as tall as he can reach...and even all the way to the moon!

I have read reviews that say it is a unhealthy, competitive book that teaches children that love is a competition and that their love for their parents is not enough. I can truly say that I can see how people would see it like that, and if that is the attitude you have while reading it to your child, how a child could feel that way while listening. I didn't see it that way the first time I read it however, instead I saw a baby and their parent playing a game that I have heard many children and parents play...the "I love you more game"...which I have never seen as competitive but more as a way of expressing something in words that can't possibly be expressed. Like most parents, in the end, Big Nutbrown Hare lets Little Nutbrown hare fall asleep thinking he has won, whispering to his sleeping son that he loves him to the moon...and back, expressing one of the great truths in life. That parents will always love their children more than anything, and that our children will never understand this until they have children of their own.

While I can see why people wouldn't like this book, I love it. The illustrations by Anita Jeram are beautiful, though not with a lot of color or contrast, which might not hold the attention of younger readers who like more color and flash. It is still a book I highly recommend, but you will have to know your child to know if they will be interested in it or if it will be better to wait until they are a little older.

If you would like to know more about author Sam McBratney please feel free to read more here or visit his page on the Harper Collins website. 

Bunny My Honey, which was written and illustrated by Anita Jeram (who illustrated Guess How Much I Love You) is about another long eared family, Mommy Rabbit and her baby, Bunny. Bunny, who Mommy Rabbit calls Bunny, my Honey.  

Mommy Rabbit, as mommy rabbits do, taught Bunny all the things little rabbits need to know. She taught him to hop and twitch his nose and stomp his big old feet. And sometimes, when Bunny's games with his little friends ended in tears, Mommy Rabbit was always there to wipe away his tears as mommy rabbits (and humans) do.

One day, quite without meaning to, Bunny gets lost in the woods, and no matter how hard he tries he can't seem to find his way out again. Scared and alone he starts calling for the one person who is dearest to him, the person who calls him her Honey...his Mommy. Mommy rabbit does just what a mommy rabbit should, and finds and comforts her scared little Bunny Honey.

It is a cute story with beautiful illustrations, which is why it made its way into my son's Easter basket this year. I think that it might bore older children because it really is a simple little tale without too much detail and "fluff", but it is a book I think that my son and other young children will adore. The pictures are beautiful and colorful and the story is sweet for a mother and child to share together. It is one I would recommend reading yourself before spending the money, just in case you feel it will not hold the interest of your child.

If you want to know more about Anita Jeram or her beautiful illustrations, please visit her website.

Thank you for reading!

Marshmallow by: Clare Turlay Newberry

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Once upon a time, there was a little 5 year old girl. Every week her first grade class took a trip to the school library. Every week the little girl returned the book she had taken out the week before and returned it. After the librarian put all the returned books away, the little girl made her way over to a very special shelf and took down a very special book, the very one she had just returned in fact. (In fact, 21 years later, that little girl could find the exact same spot in that exact same shelf if the library in question had never been rearranged.)

 The book, Marshmallow, was written by Clare Turlay Newberry in 1943, and as a result was impossible to find in the stores, though the little girl above searched for it for years!!! In the Spring of 2009 the littler girl, now 25 and expecting a baby of her own, was delighted to find it in a book store, displayed with the Easter books and a new pale pink/peach cover. (It had been gray way back once upon a time.) Alas, the poor little girl, now a woman, didn't buy it right then and instead went back to get it tor her unborn child the following week, by which time it was gone! 

Now, Spring 2010, again looking through the children's Easter displays, I (for I am the little girl previously mentioned, in case you didn't know.) found it again, this time in paperback. I grabbed it up happily and immediately, proud of the prize I have now for my son's first Easter basket! I have re-read it several times, and am delighted to share that I am as enchanted by the story and illustrations as I was when I was a happy little first grader who eventually had to have it suggested to me that I should give other children a chance to check out the book.

Marshmallow is a true story about Oliver the cat, who is very used to being the center of attention in his house. That is until one day when his owner brings home a white little ball of fluff...the bunny, Marshmallow. Oliver is not happy about this new arrangement at all. At first he is scared of the trusting little unknown creature, but eventually his natural instincts start to kick in...Can little Marshmallow's natural affection overrule the ages long relationship between cats and bunnies?

Not only a wonderful storyteller, Clare Turlay Newberry was a very talented artist! Her beautiful hand drawn black and white images with gentle touches of color bring the story to life! In her life, Mrs. Newberry swore that her story and images were drawn and taken from real life, even a picture of Oliver and Marshmallow laying in each other's arms. 

I love, love, love this book and highly recommend it to any and everyone!It makes me desperately want a bunny, but since the hubby says no, I guess I'll just have to wait until I can convince him that it would be a good investment. (It will teach the kids about responsibility and taking care of other creatures...right?) *sigh* Oh well. Until that day I will just have to enjoy sharing the story of Marshmallow with my own son!

Mrs. Newberry had a life long love for cats that is apparent in not only Marshmallow, but some of her other children's books as well. Many of then, like Marshmallow, are winners of the Caldecott Honor! I suggest that you look up not only Marshmallow, but many of Mrs. Newberry's other works. 

If you are interested in Mrs. Newberry and her books, please feel free to read more about here here or here. 

Thank you for reading!

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by: Beatrix Potter

There is nothing I like more than a story with a lesson to it. I don't think that all books need to have some kind of deep moral message, but it is nice when they do. Even more so when you don't feel like you are being preached to...something no child, or adult for that matter, enjoys.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is one such story. Little Peter, the only boy in a family of females, has a rebel streak that I for one find endearing. (Even as a child I felt that his sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail were goody-two-shoes. This is terribly unfair, but I have a thing for rebel bunnies!) 

Despite being warned away from the gardens of horrible Mr. McGregor, the very gardens in which Peter's father met his untimely end as a rabbit pie, Peter runs there strait away while his mother is out at market and his sisters are off being good and picking blackberries. Apparently, Farmer McGregor's lettuce, French beans, and radishes are just too tempting to be resisted by the little rabbit!

But oh, woe for our little misbehaving Peter, he is spotted by the angry Mr. McGregor and the chase is on! He loses his shoes and he loses his jacket and he can't find his way back to the garden gate...the only way out and to avoid being made into a yummy rabbit pie! Poor, poor Peter! What kind of evil man wouldn't want such a cute bunny in his gardens?

This was always a favorite of mine as a child, and I still very fondly remember my Grandmama telling me the story over and over of my beloved little Peter! I was thrilled add the book to my son's library in both board book and a little hardback copies! he will also be getting a little Peter this year in his Easter basket! If you are unfamiliar with Peter Rabbit, or the other amazing works of Beatrix Potter, I would suggest that you find a book store immediately and become familiar! 

Beatrix Potter is arguably one of the most well known children's authors of all time. She wrote and illustrated over 20 short stories about Peter and his many friends and fellow forest animals! If you are interested in Beatrix Potter and her works, check out The World of Peter Rabbit. 

If you want to know what happens to Peter...well, you'll just have to find the book to share with your child. (Or yourself...I do sometimes read my son's books to myself just for a few moments of quiet respite...And I am quite unashamed of the fact too!)

Thank you for reading!

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr/Eric Carle

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? was the very first Eric Carle book my son ever had. Before we even had children, my husband and I had made an agreement that we would never refuse our child a book they wanted, (this decision was made after we heard a child in a book store asking their mother for a book and she replied "No, you don't really want that, but if you stop asking I'll buy you a video game.") and so when Parker reached out for this book one day while we were out shopping I bought it for him happily. 

Baby Bear, Baby Bear is the last in a series of books by Bill Martin Jr and illustrated by Eric Carle. They are all great books, but I particularly loved this one because I call my son my Baby Bear frequently. 

If you have read any of the What Do You See/Hear? books you know what they are about. They are kind of like a giant seek-and-say for young children. You get to see the beautiful illustrations of Eric Carle as you flip from page to page learning not only colors, but about animals that children might not be exposed to on a daily basis. (How many children regularly get to see mountain goats or flying squirrels?) As Baby Bear tells us that he Red Fox, we go on to Red Fox to ask him "Red Fox, Red Fox, What do YOU see?" and he sends us off to the next animal, and so on and so forth until we find Baby Bear's Mama Bear and find out what she sees.

This is yet another book with just enough repetition to  be entertaining and educational to young children without making it annoying and obnoxious for the reader. It won't be long before your child is following along with you as you seek out what each animal is seeing. (Or giving every animal from the Baby Bear to the Blue Heron to the Mommy Bear herself kisses the way that my son does.) 

Of course, if you have Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? I highly recommend that you get the other books in the series: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, and Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?

If you are interested in more works by Bill Martin Jr, please check out his site here. If you are interested in the illustrations and writing of Eric Carle, please visit his official site here. 

Thank you for reading.

Bear Snores On by: Karma Wilson

"In a cave in the woods, in his deep, dark lair, through the long, cold winter sleeps a great brown bear."

Of course, if you know me at all, you would know that anything about a bear is going to catch my attention. Sometimes the books I pick up disappoint, but that is certainly not the case with Bear Snores On. I read it first back when I was teaching, and fell in love with it then, so of course I had to have it for my son's library! 

There is a wonderful flow to the creative rhymes as Bear is joined, unknown to him, by several other forest animals seeking shelter from the storm outside. As Mouse is joined by Hare and they are joined by Badger and so on and so forth, a nice little party starts to gather in the bear's little cave..."but the Bear snores on".

The flow of the rhyme and story makes it an enjoyable book to read out loud, plus there is just enough repetition to be beneficial to little listeners (it won't be long before they are joining in on "...the bear snores on!") without driving the reader crazy like some children's books tend to do. There are wonderful opportunities to do voices for the different animals, which my son loves, and we get to make sounds like the animals do. "Chew, Chomp, Crunch!" and his favorite..."ACHOOOOOOOO!!!" when the bear is tickled by a stray fleck of pepper. 

In addition, the illustrations are beautifully done. Jane Chapman's drawings of Bear and his forest friends are warm and eye catching, and her creatures are adorable! You are left just wanting to cuddle Mouse, pat Hare on the head, and give Bear a great big bear hug! I know that many would say that it's the story that matters, but when you are reading to children who can not yet read themselves, I find that the pictures often help them understand and enjoy the story almost as much as the words do. In a day when some children's picture books are starting to look like they were drawn by someone with very little time and very little imagination, it is refreshing to see a book where the illustrator clearly has as much love for the characters as the author does.

My son adores the book, and eagerly helps me turn the pages between giving kisses to Bear and his friends! He will even sit and look through it when we aren't reading together, happily "reading" out loud to himself and pointing at his favorite pictures. At only 10 months old, this is one of his favorite books to read with me, along with the other Bear books. I highly suggest this book, and it's "siblings", also by Karma Wilson.

If you are interested in the other Bear books, or the many others written by Ms. Wilson, please visit her page: http://karmawilson.com/. If you would like to see more art and books illustrated by Jane Chapman, please visit: http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/25815/Jane_Chapman/index.aspx.

Bear Of My Heart (Holiday Special)

BEAR OF MY HEART by Joanne Ryder

In honor of the holiday, I wanted to share the book that I bought to give my son on our first Valentine's Day together. Bear of My Heart caught my eye in the store because I frequently call my son my "Baby Bear". I have always had a love for bears, and it has passed over into my adulthood, and thus transferred into my relationship with my baby boy. 

As it turns out, the book was amazingly appropriate to describe my feelings for my little miracle, and I think that many mommies (and daddies) would probably share my opinion. 

"There are so many bears in the world, dear, but there's no other one that will do. You are the bear of my heart, dear, and I am the one who loves you." starts off a wonderful little story about a baby bear and their parent and the love that is shared between them. 

Mama or Papa (they are never specific as to which) Bear speaks of the promise of the future they have together, showing their baby bear the world and all the things they will teach them and take them to see. 

Then come the promises that every parent makes in their heart on the day of their child's birth...the promises to be there whenever their Baby Bear needs them. The promises to give hugs and kisses, to guide and protect, to be there every time they are needed, because "You are the bear of my heart, dear, and nothing can take that away."

I was in love with this little book and its message long before I got to the last lines. It is now safely tucked away for his first Valentine's Day tomorrow with a little message from Mommy written in the front. I hope one day, years from now, he will be looking through old boxes and packages and come across this book. Maybe he'll decide to read it to his own son or daughter, smiling fondly over the thought of his Mother picking this out so many years ago. And hopefully, holding his own precious little miracle in his arms, he will understand the full extent of the message passed on in these pink, gilded pages. 

"No matter how big you may grow, dear, or whether we're near or apart, I will love you forever and ever, for YOU are the bear of my heart." 

 If you are interested in Joanne Ryder or her books, please visit http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Joanne-Ryder/1240247.

Thanks for reading!