Hey guys: Sorry for not writing for a while - we are finally ALMOST settled in our PA home! More on that later...the move itself is definitely something to write about since we did a road trip up Route 95 and visited lots of friends and family!
Anyhow, I have an announcement: Aidan recently contributed to a book that was actually published! It's call Dinosaur Soup (and other dubious recipes written by children). It features recipes from kids of various ages that are not corrected but written down verbatim. Really hilarious stuff. :) His recipe for Purple Jello is on p. 111. You should ask Aidan about it when you see him; he's so proud that "he was in a real book". Hehe! :)
Alrighty, more later. I promise. Check out pics here in the meanwhile. :)
Cheers!
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Monday, August 11, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Our kids' recommendations
There are some books, DVDs and CDs that the kiddies have been loving lately, so I thought I would make a list here in case someone was looking for something new to read/listen/watch with their kiddies. And other ppl's recs are always welcome!!
BOOKS
Aidan's list lately:
-Joseph Had Little Overcoat by Simms Taback - A very cool book about a guy named Joseph and what happens to his overcoat. I used it to teach about recycling, too. :) The pictures are so neat and I love the cut-outs.
-And to Name Just a Few: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue by Laurie Rosenwald - We love the modern mix-media illustrations and the kids like that there's lots to look at. [FYI: There is a purple monster on the purple page but our kids didn't seemed to be phased by it.] This book really reinforces color names and mixing colors. Fun stuff!
-Patrick Paints a Picture by Saviour Pirotta - Another book about colors and mixing colors but has a guess the color componenet to it. Also takes the color palette from Nature, which is different. Aidan likes to guess the name of the colors and I've started to reinforce the Chinese words for different colors with him using this book.
-Eric Carle's A House for Hermit Crab, Walter the Baker, and Rooster's Off to See the World are some of Aidan's top pics from Mr. Carle. :)
Jana's list lately:
-Curious George and the Bunny by H.A. Rey - Jana is in love with George right and has finally develop the interest to sit through entire books! :) She likes this one because she likes to copy George and role-play what happens. It's really cute.
-Curious George's Opposites by H.A. Rey - She likes books with action so there is some in here that you can do together - even some facial expressions!
-Curious George's ABC by H.A. Rey - great intro of ABCs for Jana since she likes to find George on every page or so! :)
-Curious George: Are You Curious? by H.A. Rey - Jana likes this one because she readily identifies with people and like to explore different facial expressions. Plus, she kinda likes that he gets in trouble sometimes..hehe. ;)
-From Head to Toe by Eric Carle - Maybe's she's really into the copying thing but she loves to do all the actions in the book. :)
DVDs
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Stories - They did a great job animating this one!
Mister Rogers' Neighorhood: What Do You Do With the Mad That You Feel - I'll hafta admit the trolley part didn't hold their attention too well but they loved the other parts. Really great for Aidan to help him brainstorm what to do when he's mad.
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood: A Day at the Circus - Another great one! And yes, I know, I'm so a child of the 80s! :)
MUSIC
(Don't worry - nothing too annoying for adults to like...at least for a while ;))
Putumayo Kids World Playground - I've been trying to expose the kids to international music and this is a great one to start with. Aidan tries to sing along sometimes and it's so cute to hear his interpretation of these non-English and Non-Chinese lyrics! I should really tape him!!
Putumayo Kids Dreamland - This is for the moments when I want to calm them down a bit but still play some music. I have some more Putumayo Kids CDs on hold at our local library - can't wait to check them out. They have music from so many different cultures, it's great!
Under the Shady Tree by Laurie Berkner - Some fun songs that you can't get out of your head sometimes! Don't say I didn't warn ya! :)
Family Tree by Tom Chapin - Really fun songs - kinda folksy and really clever. :)
Veggie Tales: Silly Songs with Larry - Nothing new or profound but we just love it. Aidan is working on memorizing Larry's Lines about his lips in the I Love My Lips Song. :) Haha!
There's more but, phew, that was a whole lot to type out and I'm gonna take a break. :) If you really want more, feel free to check out my older post, here. Enjoy! And I'd love to hear what your kiddies like! :)
BOOKS
Aidan's list lately:
-Joseph Had Little Overcoat by Simms Taback - A very cool book about a guy named Joseph and what happens to his overcoat. I used it to teach about recycling, too. :) The pictures are so neat and I love the cut-outs.
-And to Name Just a Few: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue by Laurie Rosenwald - We love the modern mix-media illustrations and the kids like that there's lots to look at. [FYI: There is a purple monster on the purple page but our kids didn't seemed to be phased by it.] This book really reinforces color names and mixing colors. Fun stuff!
-Patrick Paints a Picture by Saviour Pirotta - Another book about colors and mixing colors but has a guess the color componenet to it. Also takes the color palette from Nature, which is different. Aidan likes to guess the name of the colors and I've started to reinforce the Chinese words for different colors with him using this book.
-Eric Carle's A House for Hermit Crab, Walter the Baker, and Rooster's Off to See the World are some of Aidan's top pics from Mr. Carle. :)
Jana's list lately:
-Curious George and the Bunny by H.A. Rey - Jana is in love with George right and has finally develop the interest to sit through entire books! :) She likes this one because she likes to copy George and role-play what happens. It's really cute.
-Curious George's Opposites by H.A. Rey - She likes books with action so there is some in here that you can do together - even some facial expressions!
-Curious George's ABC by H.A. Rey - great intro of ABCs for Jana since she likes to find George on every page or so! :)
-Curious George: Are You Curious? by H.A. Rey - Jana likes this one because she readily identifies with people and like to explore different facial expressions. Plus, she kinda likes that he gets in trouble sometimes..hehe. ;)
-From Head to Toe by Eric Carle - Maybe's she's really into the copying thing but she loves to do all the actions in the book. :)
DVDs
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Stories - They did a great job animating this one!
Mister Rogers' Neighorhood: What Do You Do With the Mad That You Feel - I'll hafta admit the trolley part didn't hold their attention too well but they loved the other parts. Really great for Aidan to help him brainstorm what to do when he's mad.
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood: A Day at the Circus - Another great one! And yes, I know, I'm so a child of the 80s! :)
MUSIC
(Don't worry - nothing too annoying for adults to like...at least for a while ;))
Putumayo Kids World Playground - I've been trying to expose the kids to international music and this is a great one to start with. Aidan tries to sing along sometimes and it's so cute to hear his interpretation of these non-English and Non-Chinese lyrics! I should really tape him!!
Putumayo Kids Dreamland - This is for the moments when I want to calm them down a bit but still play some music. I have some more Putumayo Kids CDs on hold at our local library - can't wait to check them out. They have music from so many different cultures, it's great!
Under the Shady Tree by Laurie Berkner - Some fun songs that you can't get out of your head sometimes! Don't say I didn't warn ya! :)
Family Tree by Tom Chapin - Really fun songs - kinda folksy and really clever. :)
Veggie Tales: Silly Songs with Larry - Nothing new or profound but we just love it. Aidan is working on memorizing Larry's Lines about his lips in the I Love My Lips Song. :) Haha!
There's more but, phew, that was a whole lot to type out and I'm gonna take a break. :) If you really want more, feel free to check out my older post, here. Enjoy! And I'd love to hear what your kiddies like! :)
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Some book reviews :)
There are some things that we've tried and really liked lately, so I thought I'd share my thoughts here. :)
THE SNEAKY CHEF by Missy Chase Lapine
I'm sure a lot of you have heard lots about this book. Its premise is to sneak healthy ingredients into comfort foods to up the nutritional value. So, you'll find spinach in brownies, beans in cookies and avocadoes in milkshakes, for example. Even though our kids love vegetables for the most part [I feel so blessed!], I still would like to increase their fiber, protein and vitamin/mineral intake. [That's the dietitian in me speaking. Hehe.] Anyhow, I was a bit skeptical but decided to try it out since our library had a copy. Wow, was I in for a big surprise! So far, we've tried 3 recipes and LOVED them all! We made a scumptious breakfast cookie, a decadent chocolate chip cookie and a super fluffy pancake. The best thing was that the kids could have these treats and I felt good giving it to them. No one (not even dear hubby) could tell there was all this added goodness in there. So, I highly recommend you check this out!
Lately, Ms. Lapine was criticized for trying to hide these nutritious ingredients instead of making them more apparent. Her critics were concerned that this was not teaching kids to each a more balanced diet. However, if you continue to encourage your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables (and more fiber) ON TOP of serving them nutritious treats, you can't lose. :) Just my 2 cents.
BOOK CORNER
We go the library at least once a week and since Aidan and Jana love books, we usually end up carrying a bagful home each time. Here are some books Aidan has been pouring over recently:
The Red Book by Barbara Lehman - A wordless book that has an interesting twist to it. :)
What Do You Do With Tail Like This by Robert Page, Steve Jenkins - A wonderfully educational book that introduces fun animal parts to little ones. Awesome cut-out illustrations!
Flotsam by David Weisner - Another wordless book about being at the beach with an interesting twist.
Museum Trip by Barbara Lehman - [I guess we're on a roll with these wordless books, eh? I guess we've been picking them because I've been trying to speak more Chinese to the kids and it's easier not to translate, if you know what I mean. Also, Jana just likes looking at the pictures sometimes, so it helps her to stay interested. :) I also have Aidan tell me the story sometimes and without the words, he feels like he can tell it back to me more readily. :)] I love the surprise ending to this book! And Aidan likes to help the boy finish the maze. :)
The Adventures of Polo by Regis Faller - Polo has such an adventure in this book and it keeps you guessing - a real page turner for Aidan.
Fish Faces by Norbert Wu - Aidan liked it so much we bought it for him! But great pictures of various kids of fish with a guide in the back. Kev actually wrote in all the names right next to the picture of the fish so we didn't have to keep flipping back and forth. One of the first books Aidan memorized. ;)
My Visit to the Aquarium by Aliki - This book helped Aidan relive his aquarium trips. Sometimes when he asks to go the the awuarium and we're unable to, I try to whip out this book so he can go there in his mind, at least. :) Great illustrations!
Follow the Line Through the House by Laura Ljunkvist - A really fun book that has you literally following the lines through the house to explore all the rooms. There are also activities on each page to keep it educational. :) Jana just liked looking at all the stylistic pictures and bright colors.
Jana has been picking:
Where's Spot by Eric Hill - What can I say, a true classic! But I think what really drew Jana to this book was the fact that she got to say her favorite word of the moment at each page - "NO!". :)
Spot's First Walk by Eric Hill - I think she's loving the flip-the-flap books. :)
The Nose Book by Al Perkins - Aidan had really liked this one, too. But Jana loves this book and likes to point at all the noses she can find when we're reading it [though her finger sometimes ends up in your nose sometimes...haha!].
The Eye Book by Theodore Lesieg - She's also fascinated with eyes - maybe she's revelling in the fact that she knows her body parts and can point to them when asked?
Chicka Chicka ABC by Bill Martin, Jr, John Archambault, Lois Ehlert - A fun book similar to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Bright, fun colors, too! :)
Alrighty, more later! G'night!
THE SNEAKY CHEF by Missy Chase Lapine
I'm sure a lot of you have heard lots about this book. Its premise is to sneak healthy ingredients into comfort foods to up the nutritional value. So, you'll find spinach in brownies, beans in cookies and avocadoes in milkshakes, for example. Even though our kids love vegetables for the most part [I feel so blessed!], I still would like to increase their fiber, protein and vitamin/mineral intake. [That's the dietitian in me speaking. Hehe.] Anyhow, I was a bit skeptical but decided to try it out since our library had a copy. Wow, was I in for a big surprise! So far, we've tried 3 recipes and LOVED them all! We made a scumptious breakfast cookie, a decadent chocolate chip cookie and a super fluffy pancake. The best thing was that the kids could have these treats and I felt good giving it to them. No one (not even dear hubby) could tell there was all this added goodness in there. So, I highly recommend you check this out!
Lately, Ms. Lapine was criticized for trying to hide these nutritious ingredients instead of making them more apparent. Her critics were concerned that this was not teaching kids to each a more balanced diet. However, if you continue to encourage your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables (and more fiber) ON TOP of serving them nutritious treats, you can't lose. :) Just my 2 cents.
BOOK CORNER
We go the library at least once a week and since Aidan and Jana love books, we usually end up carrying a bagful home each time. Here are some books Aidan has been pouring over recently:
The Red Book by Barbara Lehman - A wordless book that has an interesting twist to it. :)
What Do You Do With Tail Like This by Robert Page, Steve Jenkins - A wonderfully educational book that introduces fun animal parts to little ones. Awesome cut-out illustrations!
Flotsam by David Weisner - Another wordless book about being at the beach with an interesting twist.
Museum Trip by Barbara Lehman - [I guess we're on a roll with these wordless books, eh? I guess we've been picking them because I've been trying to speak more Chinese to the kids and it's easier not to translate, if you know what I mean. Also, Jana just likes looking at the pictures sometimes, so it helps her to stay interested. :) I also have Aidan tell me the story sometimes and without the words, he feels like he can tell it back to me more readily. :)] I love the surprise ending to this book! And Aidan likes to help the boy finish the maze. :)
The Adventures of Polo by Regis Faller - Polo has such an adventure in this book and it keeps you guessing - a real page turner for Aidan.
Fish Faces by Norbert Wu - Aidan liked it so much we bought it for him! But great pictures of various kids of fish with a guide in the back. Kev actually wrote in all the names right next to the picture of the fish so we didn't have to keep flipping back and forth. One of the first books Aidan memorized. ;)
My Visit to the Aquarium by Aliki - This book helped Aidan relive his aquarium trips. Sometimes when he asks to go the the awuarium and we're unable to, I try to whip out this book so he can go there in his mind, at least. :) Great illustrations!
Follow the Line Through the House by Laura Ljunkvist - A really fun book that has you literally following the lines through the house to explore all the rooms. There are also activities on each page to keep it educational. :) Jana just liked looking at all the stylistic pictures and bright colors.
Jana has been picking:
Where's Spot by Eric Hill - What can I say, a true classic! But I think what really drew Jana to this book was the fact that she got to say her favorite word of the moment at each page - "NO!". :)
Spot's First Walk by Eric Hill - I think she's loving the flip-the-flap books. :)
The Nose Book by Al Perkins - Aidan had really liked this one, too. But Jana loves this book and likes to point at all the noses she can find when we're reading it [though her finger sometimes ends up in your nose sometimes...haha!].
The Eye Book by Theodore Lesieg - She's also fascinated with eyes - maybe she's revelling in the fact that she knows her body parts and can point to them when asked?
Chicka Chicka ABC by Bill Martin, Jr, John Archambault, Lois Ehlert - A fun book similar to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Bright, fun colors, too! :)
Alrighty, more later! G'night!
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