We just moved from the other house about 2 blocks away to this house. My parents are still staying in the house we were in the village. We moved so we could get the kids out of the village (This house is off the main road right before the village) for sickness reasons and a more convenient walk with the stroller to YWAM. Now we can avoid the giant mud puddles that are really hard to navigate in the stroller. As soon as our lease is up in July my parents will move out of the other place and we will see what we do then. Notice the 2 papaya (or paw paw as the Auzzies call it) trees.
Here is our messy living room as we haven’t found a place to put anything yet since we have no furniture. So we are praying that in. You can see the kitchen through the pass through. This house stays much cooler than the other house.
Josh and I and Bella’s room. Sheets are on the line drying. Bella is laying content a rare thing lately!
Sorry I didn’t clear off the table but I thought if I tried to clean everything up you wouldn’t get any photos as it was one or the other before the baby needed me again! The table from the landlord needs serious work as it is a shop type of table made with scrap lumber that the landlord had. But the Oven (to have one!) is a serious upgrade for us! Yeah!!
our tiny sink in our little bathroom.
The rest of our bathroom (shower & toilet).
This house has hot water!
This is Pierce and Dahlias bed room. Notice the bed goes into the doorway. Can’t shut the door yet, but some friends of ours here had some bunk beds they are not using so they are giving them to us. That will be great since the room is so small.
It is weird to explain but we are finding so many other blessing in the midst of these trials. I am sure by our 911 prayer emails it sounds like a hopeless or miserable situation but daily we are finding joy and blessing and encouragement to be here. Although we have struggles we want to be here even though we do miss home and the comforts that came with that like income, familiar food, and even our infrastructure in the US.
If you have never left the country for an extended amount of time on a missionary budget you may not know how hard it is, but it can be rough at times. Everything is different even cooking and grocery shopping not to mention the differences when you suddenly find yourself with out much money to live on and are having to completely rely in faith on God to literally supply for your next trip to the grocery store. Plus all the sickness. The sacrifice is not with out reward though.
(this photo is from the annual celebration of when the gospel first came to Vanuatu. The local church was congregating outside)
Blessings come in at just the right time or last minute. In my prayer time yesterday (not usually as long as I want it to be since I now have 3 busy kids under 5!) I got Isaiah 51 which talks about Gods joy and gladness and constant salvation and was so encouraged. I know that Gods heart for us is Joy and Gladness and reliance on Him in all times. we are finding that in the midst of trial.
(Pierce with a baby turtle from when our friends took us to turtle bay with them)
Like yesterday for example.. I had a VERY trying day with the kids. Pierce is still sick with a stomach bug, Dahlia has these blistering sores all over that are spreading (impetigo? I think it is) and my dad was still pretty laid up with his massively infected foot...I just could not get on top of things chore wise and could not find time to sit with out someone crying or needing me or trying to diffuse a situation with the kids. So my back was tired, I was dying to read the email that had been downloaded from the internet at the base earlier by Josh but that was simply NOT GOING TO happen. But later in the day Bella finally fell asleep (after what seemed like a whole day of holding her and trying to get her back to sleep constantly), I had a great meeting with the teacher that I am working with at the preschool, and 3 yes I said 3 packages arrived for us, and Josh was finally feeling much better! We had just spent our last dollar (literally) on diapers and laundry soap and our dear friends Julie and Shannon showed up with a box of food goodies that are usually too expensive to buy like imported apples, cereal, juice, special cookies and milk as well as a few other things. What a treat!
Then we got a package from Kathy & Becca Sanderson in Alaska filled I mean filled to the brim with treats for everyone! Brand new gifts and clothes for Bella,Pierce and Dahlia as well as food treats for everyone! IT was such a blessing!! We were shocked and they sent some cash that came at JUST the right time.
And the third package came from Australia with an old staff member of Ywam that came for a visit and heard we had adopted. Mind you this is someone we had never met or spoken to they just heard about us from our friends here. She came with clothes for Bella and a two small stuffed animals and shirts for Pierce and Dahlia! What a blessing.
(this photos is a random photo as I have a VERY thin selection of photos at the moment as ALL my photos got deleted on my computer by a virus but I have to keep my blogs picture heavy to keep you reading! So read on..)
So in the middle of a trying day God reached out and through 3 different people from 3 different countrys sent us a blessing and encouragement! Then while Josh was out he ran into a friend from church and ended up spending the day with him and by the end of the day this friend offered us a car to use so we could take our parents up to see our land. That was a huge blessing as we have been here almost 4 months and that has never happened (the loan of a car). We just felt so blessed.
(Pierce & Dahlia w/ new slippers from the Carley’s in New Zealand!)
Were we still tired, still experiencing some sickness, surrounded by laundry and broke? Yes but by the end of the day we felt blessed, encouraged and strengthened. God is so good.
SO as far as sickness Josh no longer has hepatitis (PRAISE GOD!!) just a cold now, Pierce seems healthy, I have a cold and Dahlia is still suffering some kind of blistering skin infection that is causing sores., and a bad cold. Please pray for our continued healing.
Summary: In this eye-opening book, the first to investigate the explosion of the multibillion-dollar preschool entertainment business and its effects on families, Dade Hayes -- an entertainment expert, author, and concerned father -- lifts the veil on the closely guarded process of marketing to the ultra-young and their parents. [...] Going behind the scenes to talk with executives, writers, and marketers who see the value of educational TV [...] On the other side, he brings in the voices of pediatricians and child psychologists who warn against [TV] [...] Along the way, Hayes narrates the fascinating evolution of Nickelodeon's bilingual preschool gamble, Ni Hao, Kai-lan, from an art student's Internet doodles to its final product: an educationally fortified, Dora-inflected, test audience-approved television show. It tells us why the raucous Dora the Explorer has usurped Blues Clues for preschool primacy, why the Brit hit In the Night Garden won't follow Teletubbies into American tot stardom, and why the comparatively quiet and wholesome Sesame Street has reigned for decades. [read full summary here]
I picked this up at the library in the new book section. I flipped through it and saw discussion of actual preschool shows that my children watch which really intrigued me. I loved how the book showed both sides of the babies/preschoolers and TV debate instead of just saying TV is bad.
The book used some words and phrases that I wasn't familiar with like "start-and-stop sonic rhythms" and "casio-synthesizer incidental music." I think there were a few parts where it would have been better if it was explained in simpler terms, but for the most part it was fine. there were also words that I did understand but some readers may not, depending on reading ability: "mimicry, verbatim, emphatic etc..."
I learned about how Dora came to be. Did you know she started out as a non-Latina raccoon? I didn't. It was very interesting to learn about the processes that shows go through from idea through to finished show. There is so much more to it than I ever thought. As stated in the summary, the book was written before Ni Hao, Kai-lan was created and follows it through all the steps, showing each in much detail. I specifically found the parts about how focus groups are held with preschoolers very intriguing. Pages 105-111 is all about focus groups for Ni Hao, Kai-lan.
Pages 78-79 talks about mimicry (the act of imitating closely.) Raise your hand if your child has said one of these sentences:
a) "Who do you ask when you don't know which way to go?" "MAP!" b) "A clue! A clue!" c) something similar from a tv show
Many parents worry that it's not good if their child is repeating word for word many things they hear on TV, as if they aren't thinking for themselves or something. However research suggests differently:
"...research that suggests that mimicry, known to be a fundamental development tool throughout the animal kingdom, plays an important part in unlocking toddlers' imaginative powers."
Think of other times your child uses mimicry:
"[Paul L.] Harris shows, they will adopt a "mommy" tone and tell their dolls to go to sleep, or even when playing with another small child, they adopt a "baby" voice and ask their friend if they can go to the bathroom. In other words, mimicry simply allows a child to manipulate the world during exploration, and the inherent ego centrism of the child will always allow them to shed a role easily."
Every time a TV show is mentioned, it's shown in italics which was helpful. There were references not only to Dora and Ni Hao Kai-lan but Blues Clues, Sesame Street, Super Why!, Curious Buddies, Go Diego Go, Wonder Pets, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Elmo's World, Yo Gabba Gabba, Baby Einstein and lots more.
I realize Anytime Playdate is not a book that everyone would be into but if you love nonfiction, have a child under 5 that watches television or are otherwise interested in the preschool entertainment boom, this is your book.
Here is a long interview with Dade Hayes regarding his book and the book's topic. I'll be honest, I didn't watch it. (45 minutes)
A blog/community was brought to my attention today called Getting Boys to Read. It's a blog with a forum attached design to help parents, educators, librarians and anyone else to get boys to read more.
I took a quick look around and it looks pretty good. There are multiple contributors to the blog and the forum looks busy. The articles look helpful although I can't say for sure as I don't have any boys. However I wanted to direct anyone who does to the site so that you may find some help.
Summary: Do we really understand ourselves? We are fascinated by polls and survey data about our responses to stimuli from the outside world, data can provide interesting insight into what compels or repels us. As the Internet becomes more ingrained in our lives, from reading the news, to communicating through email and social networks, to transacting online, the byproduct of our aggregate movements provides an even deeper insight into who we are.
Click is a book for one of these kind of people:
Those in Research.
Those in any business really
Those who like facts and stats
I'm in the third position. I find it very interesting what people search for online.
"Click, provides a behind the scenes view into the daily analysis we conduct on the Hitwise research team. With a sample of over ten million Internet users U.S. and twenty-five million worldwide, insights can be gleaned on the sites we collectively visit, what we search for and what that tells us about ourselves."
The book reveals some very interesting patterns that no one could ever have guessed. In fact when shown the data, even the author had to figure out why it would be like it was. for example, searches for Prom Dresses is at it's height during JANUARY! With proms in June, why would people be searching for dresses so early? You'll have to read the book to find out for sure.
The book is full of graphs and stats, something that just totally interests me. I made the mistake of not keeping notes during reading so I don't have as much to say as I'd normally have. It's all search term data from Hitwise. I especially found the section entitled Web Who.0 very informative as it coveres Web 2.0 which is social media basically. I found the top "how to" queries and "why" queries (of the latter, Why is the sky blue" is the top search at all times except when Britney Spears shaved her head!)
For someone like me, it's all just very interesting but to those in business, this book is more important. After tons of data, the last section is about why all this data can be helpful. Knowing what people want to know can be indispensible in a business.
Summary: Influenced by Native American folktales, this fascinating story deals with bullying, self-confidence, and understanding the phases of the moon. After the sun insults and bullies her, the moon gets very upset and disappears - much to the chagrin of rabbits who miss their moonlight romps. With the help of her friends, the moon gains more self-confidence each day until she is back to her full size. The "Creative Minds" section explains the phases of the moon and helps to answer those pesky questions like "why is the moon up during the day?", or "why does the shape of the moon change? Moon crafts and games supplement the understanding. Illustrator: Ben Hodson Sylvan Dell Publishing 2006 32 pages Ages 6-10 978-0-9764943-4-8 (Hardcover) $15.95
As I've mentioned before (Animals are Sleeping), Sylvan Dell Publishing's motto is Science and Math Through Literature. After every story is quite a few pages of something called For Creative Minds which contains all sorts of fun and educational info and activities for further learning.
In the Creative Minds section for this book you'll find general moon observations which defines words such as phases, lunar, waxes, crescent, gibbous, full moon etc... as well as the Native American names for the moons (Wolf Moon, Grass Moon, Fruit Moon etc....) There are activities to do such as charting the moon for a month, making edible moon cookies and making a phases of the moon wheel. There is also info on how the moons orbit around the earth. There is a quick paragraph about bullies too as the sun bullies the moon in the story.
The Creative Minds section is great for kids who just love to learn and for homeschooling families who are looking for activities to do with their kids on certain subjects.
The story itself is very well done, here's an excerpt:
"The moon tried to start dancing again, but the sun's words tormented her. Her arms and legs seemed to heavy to twirl. She felt very alone in the heavens. She slowly walked along her skypath, hanging her head. Her body began to shrink until she was jus a sliver of her former self."
The book has won some awards and honours which you can see on the Sylvan Dell page for the book as well as view and print out the creative minds activities and see other helpful items such as reviews, quizzes, author interview and related websites.
Thanks to Elaine from PR By the Book for a copy of this great book.
1-55037-748-5 I received this book for review way back when and it got lost in the pile of books. Actually I read it right away but just kept putting off writing the review, don't know why. This is a unique book in that it's a mixture of a picture book and children's nonfiction. Or as the back of the book says:
"A cookbook, craft book, and game book all wrapped up in one amusing story!"
Sarah, Violet and Joe go over to their grandparents house and do all kinds of fun activities. Each of these activities is explained well so that you could try them with your grandparents too. Some of the activities include: Pita Pizza Recipe, Playing Card Crowns Craft, Cucumber Shark, Monster Spray, Happy Face Pancakes, Snakes and Scribbles (you'll have to read the book to figure out what that means!), Nifty Napkin Holders, Belly Button Soup, Grandfather, may I? and Sarah's Easy Paper Hat. There are 38 activities in all. The illustrations are done in watercolour and are very nicely done. They are not too simple for say an 8 year old but not too detailed for a 4 year old. Deirdre Betteridge has done illustrations for other books too, including A Pocket Can Have a Treasure In It by Kathy Stinson. Dette Hunter has also published 38 Ways to Entertain Your Babysitter and 38 Ways to Entertain Your Parents on Summer Vacation. Buy 38 Ways to Entertain Your Grandparents from Amazon.com (where you can also see two shots of the inside of the book)
See what others received and maybe participate at Printed Page.
Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices and Take Back the Birth Experience by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein - No I'm not pregnant but I'm still curious and I have been pregnant before. This is from Wellness Central at Hachette
The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America by Dr. Drew Pinsky and Dr. S. Mark Young - from HarperCollins. I'm not American but I figure we have about the same celebrity narcissism in Canada. This book interests me because I'm not crazy about celebrities and I don't get why others are.
In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms by Dr. Laura Schlessinger - from HarperCollins as well. In general I'm not fond of a lot of Dr. Laura's advice but I was shocked last year to find I enjoyed her book, The Proper Care and Feeding of a Marriage and I'm a SAHM as was my mom so I wanted to read it.
The Man's Book: The Essential Guide for the Modern Man by Thomas Fink - from Hachette. I just couldn't resisit. I'm not a man but I wanted to see what was so essential for men to know. I am also showing it around to my hubby and all my male friends so I can include some of their thoughts in my review.
A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy by Charlotte Greig - regular readers know I don't read much adult fiction but I thought I'd give this one a try. It's from Other Press and I was approached by the author. It was originally published in the UK and was just published by Other Press on May 12.
Without Sin by J. Tomas - a book by Prizm which publishes books for the GLBTQ community. Without Sin is a teen novel that "explores a gay teen's coming-of-age without being sentimental."
Summary: The Bipolar Handbook comprehensively illuminates every area of the disorder by drawing upon the real questions asked by patients and families during the nearly twenty years that Dr. Wes Burgess has worked as a bipolar specialist.
So what's covered exactly?
Basics of Bipolar (types, mania, depression, mixed-state, cycling etc....)
Healthy Life Changes (stress reduction, sleeping, nutrition, weight loss, vitamins/herbs/supplements, exercise, caffeine/alcohol/drugs/tobacco, health fads etc....)
Medical Treatment (info and common questions on meds used for Bipolar - mood stabilizers, anti psychotics, anti anxiety + seldom used meds, new meds, treatments without meds, meds that make bipolar worse and seizures with depression.
Finding the Right Doctor
Psychotherapy (types and their differences, benefits, choosing a therapist, 4 stages of Bipolar recovery etc....)
Strategies for Career Success (choosing a career, interviewing, decreasing stress, dealing with supervisors and coworkers, boundary issues, work attitudes, disability etc....)
Healthy Relationships (conversation, socializing, love, sex, anger/jealousy, fantasies/obsessions, social boundaries, finding the right partner, etc...)
Women's Issues (Bipolar premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy, women's sex issues, hormone supplementation, bipolar women in abusive relationships
Crisis Management (family and friends, warning signs of crises, psychosis, hospitalization, etc...)
Resources (websites/forums/groups, services/organizations, US health information, books, etc....)
Official DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Mania and Atypical Depression and NIMH list of symptoms of mania, combined bipolar and unipolar depression and psychosis.
That's a lot crammed into one book but each section (except the last two which are Appendices) are made up of questions and answer from Dr. Burgess's own patients and families. For example some of the questions in the Bipolar Basics section are:
"What does the name "bipolar disorder" mean?, If I have bipolar disorder, how much of my life will I actually be sick?, Does bipolar disorder cause physical health problems, Can I be hopeful about my future, Why do you talk about bipolar disorder like it is a disease? I think I am a normal person?"
In the section on medications, there are a bunch of questions under each med listed. For example under Lamotrigine (Lamictal) some of the questions are:
"How do you decide when to prescribe lamotrigine?, What are the usual side effects of lamotrigine?, Does lamotrigine cause weight gain? "
I can't say whether the career part was helpful as I don't have a job of any kind. The section on disability was very short and isn't US specific which was nice. The book has helped me understand a few things better (I have bipolar) and inspired some questions that I asked my doctor about to clarify. The book was written in 2006 but as of today, only two of the links listed no longer work, which is great. Personally I can think of a few better sites to go to then was listed but it's a good start.
Congrats to Marie who answered my question about memories with fathers by saying:
"my father passed recently which is still difficult for me, but he was really the smartest man I have ever met. He taught me many things, the love of reading included, and I wish I had known how special it was to have him while he was here."
Just keeping my head above water these last two weeks. Josh has all the symptoms of hepatitis, my parents arrived (into our 525 sq ft home) with lots of luggage & supplies, dad has a bad foot infection and can’t walk, baby crying and both girls not sleeping well at night….., new team arrived at the ywam base BUSY!
So please pray and I will post photos and more later.
THANK YOU ALL YOU PRAYERS! WE sent out our 911 prayer request for us while Josh was sick and we were all going crazy with only one parent well. The kids usually have a REALLY hard time going to bed, actually Dahlia has a hard time and sometimes Bella.
(Dahlia doing her sassy power walk it is so funny!)
Pierce does really well.
Every (I MEAN EVERY!!!) night she wakes up several times and wont cant whatever go to sleep with out someone laying down with her for a while (usually till she is almost asleep and we sneak out, then she notices screams crys and eventually I go in again...) Last night was awful she wouldn't fall asleep and I was SO tired and Bella wouldn't sleep, so they took turns crying till late, and the house was a mess, cause I couldn't do anything but feed and hold Bella and get meals.
(the two culprits!! )
Poor Josh was out on the couch really sick with a stomach bug or food poisoning... And today started the same..Josh is still sick but since the kids were exhausted we started them to bed very early and BECAUSE OF YOUR PRAYERS we had EVERYONE (kids) in bed quiet by 7! with out another peep!! NOTHING!! we were even able to watch a movie with out one single interuption,,, (well almost Josh's stomach flared up a bit but still )AMAZING!! Can I just say again that NEVER happens. THANK YOU GOD!! We are so blessed by your prayers. WE needed that peace and quiet to recharge for the next day. we were running on fumes! We watched Fireproof what an awesome movie!! Thank you all so much for your prayers. just wanted to let you know right away they are working and we are feeling them! Love you guys, Kristy
PS mom and dad hope you are not expecting an immaculate home with a guest room! We will be giving you our living room with a sheet for a wall (that is if you brought a spare one! he he), and we will aim to have the dishes done and to hide the laundry! Love you guys can’t wait!
It's Day Three and I have a special surprise for you! (See Day One and Day Two) The author, Kim Norman has offered to giveaway one copy of Crocodaddy to one lucky winner from North America (Canada, US or Mexico) The giveaway is open only until May 16th 11:59 PM EST so hurry to enter! Ways to enter: (you need a SEPARATE comment for each thing you do, or it only counts as one entry) 1. Comment with a memory of you and your dad, or your child and their father, or you/child and grandfather or stepfather or even father figure. (Something along those lines. I know not everyone has a relationship with their father but I'm sure you can think of something. Maybe your older brother was like a father to you or your best male friend acts like a father to your child.) = One Entry 2. Comment on of the other two posts in the Crocodaddy Tour (see links above) with something more than "That's nice" or "Neat book" = One Entry for each comment (up to 2) 3. Tweet this giveaway and come back with either twitter user name or the link to the status update = One Entry 4. Follow Me or Subscribe to Me and let me know about it = One Entry 5. Stumble my blog (not this post) and tell me your stumbleupon id. - One Entry
Today I'm going to share an interview I (C) did with the author, Kim Norman (KN). After that is some basic author info for you and some links. Kim is pictured at left.
C: Did you ever write books as a child?
KN: I remember I did once. I don't remember how old I was. Couldn't have been more than 1st or 2nd grade. I made this little book out of folded sheets of paper and wrote a story. Told my brother I'd written a book. He was older, maybe 10 or so, and he told me that a book had to be MUCH longer than that. I realized he was right, and never tried it again during my childhood. Too bad I let myself be so easily discouraged. I might have become a prodigy!
I did do other forms of writing, though, and it's clear if you read my report cards that my teachers were always impressed with my writing. So I'm not sure how I ended up a graphic artist, because they never really commented on my brilliant artistic ability. Oh well, if I'd gone into a writing profession, say journalism, I might well have burned out early and might never have discovered my love of children's books, which I rediscovered when I became a mother.
C: When did you come up with the idea for Crocodaddy? Did it just come to you or did it require lots of brainstorming?
KN: The name was used for a pretend game in our backyard pool. I'm not even sure who coined the name, me, my husband or one of my kids. Probably me, but I'm just not sure. It definitely took a while, thinking about the name during my morning walks, for any sort of story to evolve. And it took even longer for the refrain ("Crocodaddy, Crocodaddy...") to emerge. I always try to keep my picture book revisions in a single notebook until I'm ready to type them up. I don't always manage that because I lose notebooks around the house and end up writing in more than one book. But somehow I managed to keep all the drafts of Crocodaddy in one notebook, which I'm glad about, because it allowed me to look back and see the evolution of the story. I had always thought I remembered finding the refrain first. But when I looked through the notebook, I realized I'd written a couple of earlier versions, sans refrain. One version was strong in terms of rhyme and language, but my critique group thought it might be too scary for toddlers. It was after THAT, during a walk, that the bouncy refrain came to me. Somehow the refrain lightened the mood of the piece, and then, of course, David Walker's delightful illustrations turned it to pure delight.
C: Why did you choose a crocodile instead of another animal to represent the daddy?
KN: Oh that was definitely because of the sound of the word. I love wordplay. The "D" sound in crocodile just merged so nicely with the opening consonant of "daddy." Put them together, and you've got the perfect, kid-friendly water creature!
C: Did you/do you have a good relationship with your dad?
KN: Oh yes, I adored my father. He was definitely a Crocodaddy at heart, although we hadn't invented the word when I was a child. There was nothing more fun to my siblings and me than roughhousing with my dad with him in a pool or -- better yet -- in Kezar Lake in Maine, where we often spent our vacations. He was a big man, about 6 foot 4, so the most precarious fun of all was sitting on his shoulders as he pretended to stagger around in the water.
C: I've always heard you should write what you know. Why did you choose to make the child a boy in the story instead of a girl?
KN: Yes, that was definitely a case of writing what I know. I have two sons, no daughters, so the yellow Labrador retriever and I are the only girls in the household!
C: What are your plans for the future?
KN: Simply more and more and more books! I have resolved that I WILL finish writing that novel I've dabbled at for too long. Picture books are easier for me, because they're so compact. When I'm writing a novel, it feels a bit like wandering around in a strange land without a map. Also, I have an "evil inner editor" who tends to natter more loudly when I'm writing longer works. But I am resolved to squelch her and finish that novel!
C: I just want to add a big thanks to Kim Norman for letting me ask her some questions.
Bio: Author Kim Norman’s first picture book, JACK OF ALL TAILS, was released by Dutton, a Penguin imprint, in 2007. CROCODADDY, (Sterling, a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble), makes its grand debut in May. She is looking forward to the release of two titles in 2010: I KNOW A WEE PIGGY WHO WALLOWED IN BROWN, illustrated by Henry Cole, (Dutton); and TEN ON THE SLED, (Sterling.)
Kim is active in community theater and her church’s music program. (She loves pretending she’s a pop star singing into a mic for the praise & worship service.) She lives in Virginia with her husband, (the REAL Crocodaddy), two sons, a dog and a cat.
This week I'm touring Crocodaddy by Kim Norman. It's a picture book aimed at the preschooler level.
Summary: A boy and his dad are at a pond when the boy decides to go on a Crocodaddy hunt. All of a sudden the dad is nowhere to be seen but a crocodile in his father's shorts is swimming in the water and the boy is ready to hunt!
"Fearlessly, I step in front, captain of the Crocodaddy hunt!"
The book has a rhyming quality to it (front/hunt) and the boy is just adorable (look at that illustration on the cover!) Illustrations by the way were done by David Walker.
The boy taunts the Crocodaddy with a rhyme throughout the book:
"Crocodaddy, Crocodaddy swim away fast. This day's swim could be your last!
So do you think the boy catches the Crocodaddy? You'll have to read the book to find out!
The book is really cute, a great Father/Son read, perfect for Father's Day. I don't know if the preschooler set would understand that the crocodile is really the father, I had to explain it to my 3 year old. However even without knowing that, she still loved the storyline. 5 stars from my daughter for sure!
"I turn off all power outlets in my house when we're not using them, recycle all the used/read papers, participated in Earth Day, and erm, pass down college textbooks so that people won't have to buy them."
She has been contacted and has 3 days to reply or I'll pick another winner. Thanks everyone who entered and check back for more giveaways and reviews.
I haven't done one of these posts since February because I haven't been going to the library much (which is weird for me) and when I did it was only for picture books so I didn't bother. This year I've been focusing on review books so much I forgot that my favourite way to read is to peruse the shelves in the nonfiction section. I finally got to the library a week or so ago without my kids and was able to take my time and look around, here is what I picked up. The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters by Rose George Click: What Millions of People Do Online and Why it Matters by Bill Tancer Bipolar II: Enhance Your Highs, Boost Your Creativity, and Escape the Cycles of Recurrent Depression--The Essential Guide to Recognize and Treat the Mood Swings of This Increasingly Common Disorder by Ronald R. Fieve, MD The Bipolar Handbook: Real-Life Questions with Up-to-Date Answers by Wes Burgess, M.D., Ph.D. Anytime Playdate: Inside the Preschool Entertainment Boom, or, How Television Became My Baby's Best Friend by Dade Hayes
These are the books read in April 2009. PB means picture book. Picture books aren't counted towards total pages read.
e.g. Title by Author (Challenges/Review Copy) (Pages)
NOTE: All the following books that aren't picture books are being counted towards the 100+ Reading Challenge and some of them are for the A to Z challenge.
A Promise of Hope by Autumn Stringham (Review Copy) (283) Towards Understanding by Lillian Brummett (Review Copy) (150) Trash Talk by Dave and Lillian Brummett (Review Copy) (188) 10-10-10 by Suzy Welch (Review Copy) (250) Barking Up the Right Tree by Jessie & Ruth Tschudin (What an Animal, Review Copy) (112) Dewey by Vicki Myron (What an Animal) (276) How To Talk to Anyone About Anything by Jill Spiegel (Review Copy) (112)
Total Books: 7 (4 during readathon) Total Pages: 1371 Fav Read: A Promise of Hope by Autumn Stringham followed closely by 10-10-10 by Suzy Welch Least Fav Read: Towards Understanding by Lillian Brummet (mostly because I'm not big on poetry)
Other Fun Facts:
Wow I did really poorly this month. I wasn't reading great up till the readathon and then after that I barely read at all. I didn't start reading a book after the readathon until the last few days of April and even then had trouble getting into anything. I'm getting a little better now that I'm reading some library books, and taking a break from review books for a week or two. I think I needed that break.
Stars: ***1/2 Summary: Jessie the dog was abandoned by her lifelong family. At the very same time, Ruth had an unusual premonition. It all came together as Jessie barreled her way (quite literally!) into the lives and hearts of the Tschudin family. Jessie will steal your heart, too, as she shares her intimate story and points out -- with her very own paw -- some very practical lessons. I received this book from Bostick Communications and read it during the readathon. It was a good quick read at 112 pages, perfect for the readathon. This is the second book "written" by an animal I've read in the last little while but this one was better and more believable. It may just be me but it seems easier to think of dog's thinking like we do than cats. Obviously we don't know what they are thinking or would say and my guess is it's probably nothing like we think it is (because we are humanizing them) but I enjoyed this story. Not only is it the story of how Jessie was rescued and brought into Ruth's life but also how Ruth learned some lessons from her new dog. Between each chapter there is a "Paws" for Lessons Learned. E.g. Avoid the type of kidding that can hurt others. It hurts, you. Be willing to work hard to get what you want.
Consider others when making decisions. The lessons aren't cheesy either, they are real. In short this was a uplifting read that I recommend for older kids, teens and adults.
Best of all, ten percent of all proceeds from the sale of this book will go to help animals and children in need of homes. Other's Reviews Book Reviews and Life
