October Giveaway: Follow and Win!

Trick-Or-Treat!

 

We are celebrating Halloween all month long! During the month of October, all followers of this blog will be automatically entered in a random drawing to take place on October 31st.

 

The winner will receive:

 

Monster Mayhem

 

A monster sized collection! Meet Frankenstein, ogres, and the elusive "monster at the end of the book." Learn how to scare a monster, care for a monster, and all about how a monster is born. Monster Mayhem is a collection of 7 ridiculously funny books perfect for the monster aficionado.

 

This gift collection includes: 6 hardcover and 1 paperback picture books and Laughing Giraffe Books; exclusive motivating game, all of which will arrive beautifully wrapped. Upon completion, kids will enjoy receiving a pair of Monster Feet in a separate package. Retails for $114.

 

 

To enter, select either of the following options located on the right hand side of the blog:

Follow by e-mail:

Enter your email in the space provided. Don't forget to forward your verification message to CustomerService@LaughingGiraffeBooks.com to complete your entry.

Join this site:

Click this option and sign in using Google, Twitter or Yahoo! This is the only step you need to take.

And, don't forget to comment on our posts for extra chances to win. Each appropriate comment is an additional entry.

Pass it on!

Timeless Authors, New Tales

Everyone can name a book or two that they remember fondly from their childhood. For many, these were written by prolific authors including Shel Silverstein, Maurice Sendak and Dr. Seuss. Lucky for us, each of these authors has released a new book within the past month - some posthumously- to delight and inspire us. Take the time to revisit these favorite authors from your childhood, or to introduce young readers to these new tales.

Shel Silverstein (1930-1999)
A poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, and screenwriter, Silverstein was best known for his children's books. He is the author of "The Giving Tree," "Where the Sidewalk Ends," and "A Light In the Attic" among others.

His newest collection, released September 20th, features never before seen poems and drawings carefully selected by his family from his personal archives.

"Every Thing On It"

Learn about the 28 uses for spaghetti, what happen when a hair dryer runs in reverse, and the symptoms of the disease "lovetobutcants." This newest volume of poems and illustrations by Silverstein will amuse and delight as much as his much loved classics.





Maurice Sendak (1928 - )
Maurice Sendak is an author/illustrator of children's books and a producer of operas and ballets for both television and stage. Best known for his books "Where the Wild Things Are" and "In the Knight Kitchen," Sendak has written and/or illustrated an impressive number of memorable children's books.

"Bumble-ardy," released on September 6th, is the first books that Sendak has both written and illustrated in 30 years. The story evolved from an animated segment on "Sesame Street" that originally aired in the early 1970s.

"Bumble-ardy"

Bumble-ardy has missed his first eight birthdays due to his parent's dislike of anything fun. Living with his aunt-divine, Adeline, on his ninth birthday, Bumble-ardy is determined to celebrate. He rounds up every grubby-swine he can find and parties while Aunt Adeline works at Smith & Klein. How will it end? Humorous rhyming verse and animated pictures will have children delighting in the antics of the birthday pig.



Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)
Theodor Seuss Geisel was a writer, poet and cartoonist who often wrote under the pen names of Dr. Seuss and Theo LeSieg. The author of 46 children's books, Dr. Seuss counts "Green Eggs and Ham," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," and "Horton Hears a Who!" among his works. His most famous work is arguably "The Cat and the Hat," a children's primer created using only 225 "new reader" vocabulary words.

His most recent book, released posthumously in September 2011, features 7 rarely seen stories originally published in magazines between 1950-1951.

"The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories"

A collection of seven original stories from one of America's favorite authors. Children and adults will delight on the stories of scheming cat engaged in tricking an innocent duck, a boy with "far-flung career fantasies," and the story that was the inspiration for the bathtub-ring scene in "The Cat and The Hat Comes Back."




Happy Reading!

Rosh Hashanah: Books to Celebrate With

Sundown on Wednesday, September 28th signals the start of Rosh Hashanah, one of the most important holidays in the Jewish tradition. A celebration of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah is full of symbolism, sweet treats, and reflection. Here are a few books perfect for introducing young children to this important holiday:

Happy Birthday, World: A Rosh Hashanah Celebration by Latifa Berry Kropf

This board book focuses on the parallels between a little boy and The World celebrating their respective birthdays.  On your birthday you eat cake, blow out candles and get birthday presents. On The Birthday of the World,  Rosh Hashanah, we eat apples dipped in honey, light candles and give presents (or tzedakah). A unique spin on the holiday that young children can relate to.

It's Shofar Time! by Latifa Berry Kropf

Filled with full-color photographs, this informative book focuses on the symbolism of Rosh Hashanah. Learn about the sounds the shofar makes (translated to mean "Listen!," "Get ready for the new year!" and "Let's make this year a good one!); the tradition of tashlich (throwing crumbs into the water to say "I'm sorry"); and why we eat sweet foods (for a sweet new year). Preschoolers will enjoy learning about this important celebration.

Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah by Sylvia A. Rouss

Sammy the spider learns all about Rosh Hashanah by watching the Shapiro families' preparations. He admires the beautiful cards the family receives, the round challahs Josh and his mother bake, and the apples and honey the Shapiro's will eat for a happy new year. What will happen when Sammy gets too close to the honey?

Shanah Tovah! Happy New Year!

Playing With Color

Children are back to school, Fall activities have started up again, and the focus is once again on the ABCs and 1,2,3s. Take advantage of a few minutes of afternoon downtime to focus on colors with these charming books and fun activities.

BOOKS TO ENJOY:

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh (Ages 0-3)

Three white mice find some jars of red, blue and yellow paint. The mice have fun playing with the paint and learning about colors.



My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss (Ages 0-4)
Colors and moods are paired together in this creative book by prolific children's author Dr. Seuss. A great springboard for talking about feelings.

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni (Ages 3-8)
Little Blue and Little Yellow are best friends who hug each other so hard they turn green! What will they do when their parents don't recognize them?


ACTIVITIES TO COMPLETE:

Finger Paint: Place a dollop of blue, yellow and red paints on a paper plate. Give children a large piece of easel or butcher paper and encourage them to mix the three primary colors to create new colors. When the paint has dried, be sure to label each new color with its formula (i.e. red + yellow = orange).

Make A Mood Collage: Select a piece of colored construction paper to represent a favorite mood. Create a collage using images from magazines and other sources that you believe fit with your chosen mood. For example a collage of rainbows, beaches, birthday hats and dogs mounted on yellow construction paper might represent "happy." Be sure to label your collage.

Mix Frosting: Begin with a few small containers of white frosting. Carefully add drop of food coloring to the frosting, making sure to stir after each addition. Let children experiment with adding different colors, different quantities of food coloring, and mixing the jars of food coloring together. For extra fun, be sure to use your new frosting colors to decorate cookies, cupcakes or cake.

Remembering September 11th, 2001

As the decennial anniversary approaches, we are surrounded by reminders of September 11th, 2001. TV stations replay horrifying footage of the plane hitting the twin towers, newspapers are filled with personal recollections of the day, and follow-up stories on the families of victims populate the web. So vivid are our recollections, that many of us remember exactly where we were and what we were doing at 8:46 that September morning.

But, what about our children who weren't around on that fateful day 10 years ago, yet are still privy to these circulating images and stories? Children who may not be familiar with the tragic events, or who might be confused by the sniptets they have overheard. How do we broach the topic of 9/11in an informative way that is age appropriate and not overly graphic?

The following two stories focus on touching responses to 9/11 that treat the destruction and devastation of the day as a background story, not as the main topic. As a result, you can determine how deep you want to delve into the events of 9/11, and adjust to your child's needs and reactions.



"14 Cows For America," by Carmen Agra Deedy and Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah

This story focus on a Maasai tribe member who happened to be studying in New York City in September of 2011. Haunted by the devastation and injustices of the day he returns to his tribe for permission to gift his cow- a symbol of life- to America in an international show of support. Not only does the council grant Kimeli's request, but gifts an additional 13 cows.

While the story focuses on Kimeli's trip back to Kenya and the gifting of the cows, the events of 9/11 are referenced. Kimeli speaks of an event that "burned a hole in his heart," refering to "buildings so tall they can touch the sky," "fires so hot they can melt iron," and "smoke and dust so thick they can block out the sun." These descriptions provide a spring board for discussing the tragic event, but do not make them the focus of the story.


"Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey," by Maria Kalman

Past its prime, The John J. Harvey is pulled from his duty as New York Harbor fireboat, slated to be scrapped. A group of eight friends, eager for a piece of history, save the historic fireboat and work to restore it to its former glory. Now a pleasure vessel, the Harvey is well known in the rivers it frequents. On September 11th, when firetruck scramble to fight the flames at the World Trade Center due to damaged and destroyed hydrants, the John J. Harvey answers the frantic call for help. For four days and nights Harvey helps to fight the flames along side New York's remaining two fireboats.

Although the story mentions to destruction and devastation of the day- "The sky filled with fire and smoke. The buildings exploded and fell down to the ground. Many people were hurt. Many lives were lost."- it focuses on the response of the people, and the heroic role of the John J. Harvey as they all came together to help in the aftermath of the tower collapse.



These read alouds provide a perfect opportunity to discuss the events of September 11th, 2001 in a safe, comforting environment. References to the events of that day encourage conversation and discussion, but are truly just a sidebar to the heartwarming central stories. Just be sure to keep a box of tissues nearby!