You don’t come across children’s stories set in India in American libraries very often. So when we spotted Anklet for a Princess – A Cinderella Story from India at our library, naturally, we were pleasantly surprised and had to check it out.

Granted, the book is a little prose-heavy and may be appropriate for [...]]]>

Indian Cinderella Story

You don’t come across children’s stories set in India in American libraries very often. So when we spotted Anklet for a Princess – A Cinderella Story from India at our library, naturally, we were pleasantly surprised and had to check it out.

Granted, the book is a little prose-heavy and may be appropriate for older readers rather than toddlers or beginner readers. Yet, the vivid illustrations and the charming tale more than make up for that and if you ask me, you can go ahead and enjoy it with your pre-schooler if you like. Which is what I did with M.

‘Not Cinderella again’, I hear you groan! But wait! Replace Cinderella with Cinduri, the Fairy Godmother with Godfather Snake, Cinderella’s slippers with Cinduri’s anklets and the Royal Ball with the Navarathri Puja and what do you have? A magical Indian twist to an age-old fairy tale that you can relate to and relish with your children all over again.

Indian children's book

* My little girl’s favorite parts of this book were the wonderful details in the illustrations…the anklets, the ornaments, the flowing saris and vibrant colors that bring the story alive.
* She also loved the little song about the Godfather Snake that Cinduri uses to beckon him when in need of his help. 
* The book features beautiful depictions of rural Indian settings, clothes, ornaments and village lifestyle. 
* Even if your child is too young to sit through a reading with you, the book provides plenty of fodder for storytelling, craft projects and activities.
* My daughter who loves to wear traditional Indian clothes and jewelry on special occasions couldn’t stop looking at the vibrant costumes and jewels. 
* A longer book like this one may also be a good way to improve your child’s concentration and focus. If you keep the reading interesting enough, you might be suprised to discover how attentive your 3-year old can be!

So, if you’re tired of Cinderella but your child wants you to read it to her for the 456th time, give this Cinderella story from India a chance. And who knows where your next family vacation will take you?!

Indian Cinderella

It’s a sheer coincidence that M and I picked up several of Eric Carle’s books from the library yesterday. Looks like this is going to be Eric Carle week at our home. The first book that caught my [...]]]> The Very Busy Spider Turns 25

Did you know that our very busy friend celebrated her birthday this week?  

It’s a sheer coincidence that M and I picked up several of Eric Carle’s books from the library yesterday. Looks like this is going to be Eric Carle week at our home. The first book that caught my eye, for some reason, was Draw Me a Star. I hadn’t read this one before and as it usually happens with his books, one glance was all it took to make both of us want to  start reading it right away. After that, of course, you just have to take it home to enjoy some more. There’s a fascinating story behind this book and it comes with directions to draw a star – a beautiful book and interactive experience to share with your child. Definitely check it out if you haven’t already.

Anyway, as I cuddled up with M in the library’s children’s section to read the book, I pointed to the author’s name, and asked her, “Have we read any other books by Eric Carle?”  And, without blinking, she said, “The Very Busy Spider”!! (Don’t you just love it when kids learn to make connections and associations and remember the things you hope they will?)

Happy Birthday to The Very Busy Spider

I just realized that The Very Busy Spider’s 25th birthday just went by. So, I’m thinking of ways to celebrate with M this weekend. Here’s what I’ve thought of so far for our Spider party:
* Read The Very Busy Spider together! (Like most kids her age, she loves to say the line ” The spider didn’t answer. She was very busy spinning her web.” on each page)
* Watch a video of The Very Busy Spider.
* Invite friends and get the kids to act out the different parts – taking turns being the spider. (Or volunteer to help organize the play at daycare)
* Do spider crafts and play games. 1)Use yarn and masking tape to make a spider on the floor and ask kids to walk around it without touching the Spider. The one who touches the spider first is out of the game.
 2) Make paper spiders and hang them from the ceiling, under tables, chairs and shelves. Whoever collects the most spiders wins.
3) Children take turns being the “Spider”. The Spider pretends to spin a web  and must not talk or get distracted no matter what the other kids do. The others, of course, try to provoke, make jokes, ask questions and try different ways to distract the “Spider”. When she gives in, she’s out of the game.
* Sing Eensy Weensy Spider and other spider songs.

The Very Busy Spider, with the characteristic, simple, brilliant and childlike quality of Eric Carle’s books leaves us smiling…but not before delivering its message quietly and effectively.

In Eric Carle’s words, “Despite the many diversions in life, we must do our work!”

So, a very Happy Birthday to you dear Spider. May you enjoy many, many more busy years bringing smiles to countless more children. And may we continue to learn from you the important lessons of goal setting, focus and tireless perseverance.

The Dilemma Surrounding Children’s [...]]]> Reading to Kids Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune

Let me ask you this. Does a trip to the book store end up lightening your pocket book a little more than you expected it to? 
And do you have a hard time picking the best books to read with your kids or keeping up with age-appropriate titles?

The Dilemma Surrounding Children’s Books – To Buy, Borrow or Forgo?

The fact is, you walk into a bookstore with the best of intentions ( namely, to grab a cuppa joe and browse books for free, mostly!) But, somehow, somewhere between the caffeine, the music, the lights and the aisles of glossy, printed material, you decide you just have to have some of those shiny, new books adorning your book shelf at home. Today.

And if you are a parent of young kids, many of those shiny books are likely to have snuck up into your shopping cart from the children’s section.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for buying books for kids. Children’s books make the best gifts for any occasion. Yet, these books aren’t cheap. And you don’t always know which books your child will enjoy. If you end up buying a handful of children’s books everytime you visit the bookstore, the cost adds up. Although I’m guilty of giving in to temptation on several occasions when it comes to buying new books for my daughter, I must admit that there have been times when I’ve refrained, thanks to the price tag. I say to myself that I’ll find a copy at our library or a used one online. And sometimes I do.
But, I’ve often wondered if it wouldn’t be nice to have some kind of a circulation service or online library where we could borrow books instead of buying them and where the cost of books wouldn’t be a factor in enjoying the most beautiful children’s books with our little readers as and when we wanted to.

Grow Up With Books may have the answer

Sanitized, good as new books. Delivered to your door step every month. No late fees. 

Reading to kids made easier

Rent. Read. Return. Repeat!
Grow Up With Books is a company that provides an ‘online children’s book rental experience.’ Not only can parents afford to bring home as many children’s books and picture books as they want, but they can also enjoy several added benefits of the GUWB membership for a nominal cost..like finding the best, age-appropriate books for kids or learning ways to enrich their reading experience with the Read TWO concept. To tell you more about the idea, the company and the experience, I asked Lara Ivey a few questions. Lara is a Reading Consultant with GUWB and was kind enough to answer my questions, along with Phil Daukys, the brain behind Grow Up With Books.

If you’re looking for a way to surround your kids with books all the time, without having to resist temptation in bookstore aisles or writing off all your savings, and if you’d like to learn about ways to engage your children with reading-related activities and ideas, you’ve got to read what Lara has to say.

Reading Consultant at GUWB

When I visit your site, the first words I see are ” Online Children’s Book Rental Experience” But, I’ve noticed you say it’s more than that. How would you describe GUWB?
At first glance, you’d think we were a company that rents books Netflix style.  Which we are–that is true.  However, we like to call it an “experience.” We offer quality literature, connection ideas, the Read TWO Experience, a reading consulting team to help with reading related questions, and even a sanitizing process so that you know your books are clean.

*The books that are offered have been specifically chosen so that GUWB can act as sort of a “filter” for parents having a hard time choosing books.  
*One of my favorite things we do that adds to the “experience” is our Connection Cards.  Inside most of our books (as long as there is a place to put it) you will find a sticker that gives additional ideas for you and your child to connect with a book.  The connection ideas include movement, art, music, math, science, social studies, technology, cooking, writing, and general ones that don’t necessarily fit into a category.  For me, the “connections” bring the books to life and is an added benefit to a GUWB membership.
*Our Reading Consulting Team (RCT) is available to offer guidance with reading related questions.  We won’t diagnose reading problems, but we can suggest books, reading strategies, and activities to make reading an enjoyable experience.  We are available close to 24/7, so that is a definite bonus to GUWB members.  
*The Read TWO Experience…

Which is…?
At GUWB, we believe strongly in the importance of reading being a family experience.  That’s where the “Read TWO Experience” comes into play and GUWB comes to the rescue.  Many times, parents will ask, “I don’t know what to read with my child.”  Or they may say, “I don’t know what my child should be reading on her own and what I should read aloud to her!”  When we review each book, we will mark the general age group that the book is appropriate for as well as HOW to read it.  Would this book be read To, With, or on their Own (T, W, O= Read TWO).   One book might be for 2 different age groups, but would be used differently within each group.  A 3-4 year old would have it read TO them, but a 5-8 year old you might read it WITH or let them read it on their OWN.  The Read TWO Experience really helps to understand how to best use each book.  

What age groups do you target and how do you select the books?
Ages birth-12.  Book selection is key!  We pride ourselves on choosing high-quality books and offering connections with them.  When selecting picture books, some things we look for are rich vocabulary, believable characters that may be multi-dimensional, “voice,” engaging illustrations, child-friendly, humor, age-appropriate, and possible future “classic.”  With novels, we look for some of the same things…rich vocabulary and phrases, complex storyline, “back story” to the main one, believable characters, “voice,” humor, age-appropriate, etc.  With our concept books we’re looking for them to be clear, developmentally appropriate, interactive, and have engaging text and pictures.   Not each and every book will have all of those, but that’s our guide.  

Do you offer recommendations or reviews to help parents/kids in the book selection process?
Reviews are given for each book we offer.  Our RCT personally reads each and every title, taking notes along the way and creating connection ideas.  We also include a “Just a Heads Up” section on books that may be of concern to parents.  Our categories for that are…General, Mild Violence, Mature Language, Mature Content, and Springboard Topics.  The goal of offering the “Just a Heads Up” section is to make parents aware of what their children are reading.  Too often we let our kids read books that we know nothing about.  The “Just a Heads Up” section is located at the end of any book review that we felt deserved it.  Knowing that a book includes “Mature Content” would let you know that it needs a mature reader.  It also may guide a parent to read the book with their child rather than have the child read on his/her own. 

How much does it cost to rent books on GUWB?
Plans range from $13 per month for Very Light Readers to $ 40 per month for Heavy Readers depending on how many books you wish to receive and read each month. The number varies from 3 to 15. You can change your plan at any time…choose a plan with more or less books depending on your need.  You can always email us with questions if one arises. 

Who came up with this idea and how did it all start?
(Answered by Phil Daukys) After listening to my son tell me that “Mommy read that book last night… Daddy, you read that book last week,” my wife and I decided that we needed an alternative and wanted to find a way to help others in the same boat.  Understanding that the library was a great place to get books, but it still did not alleviate that problem of what books we should be reading. In addition, all people are not close to a library… Grow Up With Books was created. 

 How does this compare to visiting the library with your child? You have advantages like participating in story time, being able to select books physically, and enjoying an atmosphere of books and reading. Can GUWB replace that?
(Answered by Phil Dauksys) We love libraries and fortunately we’re close to them, but not all parents are.  We have no intention of competing with libraries.  What we offer, that most libraries do not, is recommended rich literature by age group, taking the guessing game out of the equation for parents in trying to pick the ‘right’ books for their children.  We have sanitized books, connection cards in each book that allows both the parents and children to take a book to the next level, making it come alive. GUWB subscribers have the ability to ask our Reading Consulting Team any question regarding their children’s reading development.

Are you able to source the latest or relatively new titles?
That’s one of my jobs–keeping up with what is coming and what is newly out there.  Some of our latest ones are the Newbery and Caldecott winners.   However, we are always looking for new ideas and welcome suggestions.  Being on Twitter and Facebook connects me with authors, publishers, and educators who also are quite knowledgeable in the book field. 

Is this service available in all the states currently?
YES!  We’ve even sent books to Hawaii. 

What is your role with GUWB as a reading consultant?
I’m afraid to tell you because everyone will want my job!  I have the privledge and pleasure of choosing books, reading them, reviewing, writing connection pieces, blogging, twittering, Facebook, etc.  I get to connect with people and bring books along with me!  It is my dream job and I love spreading the joy of books!

Children’s books are going digital in a huge way these days as that seems to be an attractive way to get kids to read….you have iPhone apps, digital story readers etc…what do you think of this trend? Do you feel it’s all right as long as kids are reading somehow…or do you think that it’s important for kids to experience reading actual books? 
My first thought is if a child is reading, we have accomplished the first and very important goal(digital or not).  If we are building better readers by reading with, to, or having children reading on their own, we have accomplished a bigger goal.  There is no question that the digital movement is upon us, providing convenience. However, no matter what technology comes around, NOTHING will replace the connection made when you are holding your child in your lap and turning actual pages of a loved book.   Prominent author Emile Buchwald puts it quite nicely, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”  We couldn’t agree more. 
 
 How long has GUWB been around and how would you say the response has been? Are parents enthusiastic about your service?
(Answered by Phil Daukys)The concept has been in place for 10 months, the actually website has been operational since 10/09.  The overall response has been enthusiastic.  We have people that love the idea and wish they would have come up with it themselves.  When you combine reading, children, and a mechanism to provide a service that is designed to save parents time and money, you’ve succeeded.

I find the Read TWO experience interesting – I guess I do a little bit of all three when I read to/with my daughter. Is there any incident or memorable ‘reading’ moment you’d like to share related to reading with your kids or in your experience as a teacher?
One of the most important things that I NEVER was willing to forgo during the day was the time I read aloud to my class.  Some of my favorites were Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlotte’s Web, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, All About Sam, Wayside School is Falling Down, Frindle, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  Then there are the lesser-known titles like People in Pineapple Place, The Real Thief, and The Fairy Rebel.   Just recently I had a former student (now a student-teacher) tell me that People in Pineapple Place was the best book she ever heard read aloud.  Now I have to find a copy of it and get it for her so that she can carry on the tradition.  You never know what impact your “reading choices” will have on others!

How does this work logistically? ( According to your site, kids can keep the books for as long as they want, there are no late fees, the books are sanitized every time, how does all this work?)
Phil Daukys: An absolutely seamless process.  Parents sign up, add books to their queue (hopefully with the help of their children), and we automatically ship books to you, free.  When you are done reading the books, you simply place them in the return envelope mailed with original shipment, and place them in your mail. If, by chance, your child falls in love with the book, you can opt to buy the book straight from us!  There are no late fees, no shipping fees, and no concerns with germs with our sanitization process.  Through the sanitization process upon return of books we disinfect each book with an environmentally safe, EPA approved product that kills 99.9% of the bacteria, including H1N1.

If someone reading this is interested in renting children’s books or checking your service out – what action do they have to take and how long on an average would the whole process take? 
Phil Daukys:Interested parents can simply log on to the site, chose a plan, add books to their queue and then wait for their Grow Up With Books shipment. Online time is minimal, but we encourage subscribers to browse our books, ask questions of our Reading Consulting Team, and even check out our prices. We also sell books and are often, if not always, cheaper than Amazon and other online retailers.  Shipping in general takes about 3-5 days to receive your books. We have created an expedited process when books are returned allowing us to have knowledge that your shipment is on its way back. Then we immediately ship out your next round of books, taking precious days out of the process.

——————-
The primary goal of Grow Up With Books is to encourage reading and the love of books among children and to make books accessible to them wherever they are. The online book rental service is just a part of their bigger plan to promote reading and reading-related activities among children, including underprivileged kids. It is with this goal in sight that Grow Up With Books has partnered with various charities and organizations to donate books and promote early literacy both within and outside the United States. To learn more about GUWB’s philanthropic endeavours or if you’re interested in checking out the online children’s book rental experience for yourself, visit http://growupwithbooks.com/. And let me know what you thought!

Listening to John Denver’s rendition of the [...]]]> Has reading to your child ever given you goosebumps? (And I mean in a good way!) It may not happen often. And it probably doesn’t happen to everyone. But if you’ve shared the adaptation of John Denver’s Sunshine on My Shoulders with your little sunshine, you probably know what I’m talking about.

Listening to John Denver’s rendition of the song, in itself, is an experience one doesn’t forget easily. What’s more, the pages of this cheerful book come alive with Christopher Canyon’s splendid illustrations. Brimming with innocence, whimsy, humor, wonder and amazement that characterize a child’s view of life and his surroundings, the book is sure to be one that stays in your( and your child’s) heart, mind and memory for a long time. Not to mention your book shelf.

Simple verses extoll the beautiful nature of sunshine, love and friendship and how they permeate our lives. When you listen to the CD and read/sing it along with your child, Denver’s simple, yet sincere wish – for the reader and the child in each of us – to have a day ‘just like today’ and for ’sunshine all the while’ will tug at your heart strings, on at least a few occasions. 

This is another great book that you can share with kids of all ages. The soothing melody and lyrics along with the bright, crisp illustrations will appeal to very young babies. Older kids may enjoy singing along with the CD and observing the pictures more closely. I think this book makes a wonderful gift for expecting and new parents, kids and tweens.  When you share Sunshine on My Shoulders with your child, you aren’t just reading or singing the words. The magic of John Denver’s music and Christopher Canyon’s illustrations actually transport you to a different realm where you simply begin to appreciate nature, relationships, your family, friends, music, love and everything else that you are blessed with…a little bit more every time you read.

At least, that has been my experience. What do you think?

Birds by Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek

The cliche about a picture saying a thousand words? You have to experience it to believe it. And during one of my recent trips to the children’s section at our library, I was lucky to [...]]]> Sometimes, when you’re reading a book with your child, you don’t have to say a word.

Birds by Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek

The cliche about a picture saying a thousand words? You have to experience it to believe it. And during one of my recent trips to the children’s section at our library, I was lucky to stumble upon one such experience.

We happened to find the book, Birds, created by Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek. And let me tell you, it’s a visual treat from start to finish.

Illustrated by Laura Dronzek, vibrant colors fill its pages.  Bright acrylic paintings with thick black outlines depict different kinds of birds in various settings throughout the book. They’re simple, beautiful images with no intricate detailing or embellishments. But, from the moment you open the book to the time you turn over the last page, you’ll probably have a hard time catching your breath, as each page and the visuals on it tell a hundred stories.

This simple children’s book with sparse text and generous use of primary colors will appeal to very young babies, pre-schoolers and beginner readers alike. Very few kinds of books effectively combine all the elements that are appropriate for these different age groups, and Birds is one such exceptional book. 

Read to Your Baby

Narrated from a little girl’s point of view, the book is about her observation of and interaction with birds. She appears to be fascinated by their form, number, colors, shapes and habits and wonders what the sky would look like if birds painted the sky with their tail feathers as they flew. She observes how they never seem to move when you keep looking at them and when you look away for just a second, ”they were gone.”  Sparingly used, yet compelling words convey the child’s curiosity, wonder, imagination and longing to be more like a bird.  The book ends with her innocent and charming declaration that although she can’t fly like a bird, she can do something else that brings her closer to the birds that captivate her imagination…

Reading to Kids

Reasons to share this book with your child -

*You can enjoy it with a child of any age – the white background and bold images with minimal text are easy on the eye, yet very hard to ignore
* It gives you and your child an opportunity to appreciate art – colors, forms, shapes without being overwhelmed by intricate details or too many images
* Since there isn’t really a plot or story, there is tremendous scope for you to engage your child in a conversation – ask questions, count the birds on each page, name them, wonder what a bird might do next, identify favorites, find out the type of birds. The images are simple enough to be traced out for your child to color in on a rainy afternoon.
* It could serve as a great introduction to birds for pre-schoolers, encouraging them to observe birds everywhere.

A lot more than you might imagine.

Whether you’re dealing with the terrible twos, terrific threes or other stages in between or haven’t yet figured out how to get your picky eater to well…pick [...]]]>

Children's Storybooks that entertain and teach

What has reading to your baby got to do with disciplining her or tackling potty training?

A lot more than you might imagine.

Whether you’re dealing with the terrible twos, terrific threes or other stages in between or haven’t yet figured out how to get your picky eater to well…pick a meal and eat it, you’ll be surprised to find an unlikely friend in your baby’s book shelf.

Books prove to be quite effective and helpful in coaxing children into doing things they don’t want to do. They provide parents a way of getting their fussy kids to cooperate without having to resort to the frequently futile lecture mode.

I think the authors of children’s books are either insanely wicked-smart or have wised-up with parenting experience. Either way – they seem to know what they’re dealing with when they write books about dinosaurs eating healthy or being polite or a little, determined engine climbing an impossible mountain. The best part is – now all you and I have to do is to find these gems and read them to our little guys and gals when the situation demands it. Of course, you may not find success the first time or even the first dozen times. But rest assured, reading to your kids about everyday situations that they can relate to and showing them how their favorite dinosaur, giant red dog or bespectacled character handled a situation or acted in a certain way brings you a lot closer to accomplishing your mission – be it potty training, a lesson in politeness or helping kids overcome separation anxiety.

You don’t have to take my word for it though, for, each child, situation and family is different. And both you and I know that no two days or experiences in the parenting universe are the same. But the next time you are faced with a difficult situation that involves your kid, why not give reading to your child about a similar or related incident a shot? It just might help. Besides, if you’ve faced a check-out lane crisis at the supermarket or lived through one of Junior’s screaming episodes at the popular, neighborhood restaurant – you don’t even have your dignity or reputation at stake. So, there’s nothing to lose and maybe a solution in sight.

So, go ahead – pick up one(or more) of these delightful books and read it with your child. Will your problems vanish and your child undergo a dramatic behavioral change? Of course not. (And gosh, I hope not!) But you will have, together, discovered a few different ways to deal with the little challenges you face as a parent. And maybe along the way, if you’re lucky, you will have instilled in your child a love of reading and sowed the seeds to a lifelong habit that’s incredibly hard to break.

Baby books to the rescue – Here’s a list of children’s books – some old favorites and a few you may not have heard of – that you may find helpful in dealing with the common challenges of parenting, especially with younger kids. Of course, this is nowhere near an exhaustive list. Please feel free to add to it with your suggestions.

Title: The Little Engine that Could
Creators: Watty Piper and Cristina Ong
Helps with: Encouraging kids to persevere, be helpful, kind and friendly and to never give up . Especially helps when kids are frustrated with a difficult puzzle or can’t figure out something by themselves. Give this book a few casual readings and when you see them ready to give up or feeling overwhelmed with something, offer a gentle reminder. Even chanting the mantra ” I think I can” with them, when dealing with a challenging task, may help.

Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Creator: Eric Carle
Helps with: Teaching kids to eat healthy, the connection between eating and development and about transitions.

Title: How do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food
Creators: Jane Yolen, Mark Teague
Helps with: Teaching kids table manners, being polite and coaxing picky eaters at meal time. Also, check out the other books in this series.

Title: Raccoon On His Own
Creator: Jim Arnosky
Helps with: Easing separation anxiety, especially when kids start daycare or school. A beautiful book about a baby raccoon unwillingly separated from his family only to be reunited with them at the end of his unexpected, but exciting adventure.

Title: A Potty for Me – A Lift-the-Flap Instruction Manual
Creator: Karen Katz
Helps with: Potty training, of course. What happens when mom gets a brand new potty for her baby but he is not quite ready to use it, yet? A simple book that coaxes kids into the process, gently and naturally.

Title: Ready for Anything
Creator: Keiko Kasza
Helps with: Encouraging optimism, a positive attitude and teaches kids about the importance of being well-prepared. A tale of two friends who, after almost cancelling their picnic, manage to overcome their fears of what might happen and eventually have a great day out.

Title: I’m Going to be a Big Brother/ I’m Going to Be a Big Sister
Creators: Brenda Bercun, Sue Gross
Helps with: Coping with the arrival of a new sibling. By telling them the important role they have to play as big brother or sister and how everybody loves them just as much as before their little sibling arrived, these books make great gifts for the older child when the new baby arrives.

Title: Tilly and the Rhinoceros
Creator: Sheila White Samton
Helps with: Showing kids to be compassionate and give unconditionally, like Tilly Gobble the kind goose. The book depicts an unlikely friendship that develops between the kind Tilly and Gregor the bully. It’s also a great book to share with your kids when you want to discourage them from bullying.

Title: Yes We Can!
Creators: Sam Mcbratney and Charles Fuge
Helps with: Teaching kids about their special talents and individuality and how they can combine their gifts to work and play together. When Kangaroo, Duck and Mouse set out to outdo each other at what the other is good at, everyone ends up disappointed and grumpy. But, with a little encouragement from Mommy Kangaroo, when each does what he is best at, they quickly turn the day around and have fun just as they planned to. This book offers a way to tackle sibling fights and is a good choice to take along on play dates too.

Ah! The universal question that puts a damper on pretty much anything you ever want to do.

How many childhood dreams and adventures have we all given up, not daring to follow through because of this very question sneaking its way into our eager, curious minds…either because someone planted it there or it just [...]]]>

What if?

Ah! The universal question that puts a damper on pretty much anything you ever want to do.

How many childhood dreams and adventures have we all given up, not daring to follow through because of this very question sneaking its way into our eager, curious minds…either because someone planted it there or it just sort of weaved its way in somehow?

On the other hand…how many fantastic discoveries have been made because of this very question? Because someone took the fear out of it and put the wonder back in ‘What if’.

If you think about it, I’m sure you’ll trace pretty much every memorable experience, adventure or event that you can think of to a ‘What if’…either in a good, wouldn’t-have-missed-it-for-the-world way or a regretful, why-did-I-ever-listen-to-them-and-not-to-my-heart way.

As you turn the colorful pages of Ready for Anything by Keiko Kasza, with your child, you’ll discover together how easy it is to turn things around simply by asking a set of What if’s!

Buddies Raccoon and Duck are almost ready for a picnic when one of them comes up with some of the scariest situations that might ruin their day. Just when they decide that picnics are way too dangerous for them and opt to stay home hidden beneath the safety of their blankets, the other wonders…What if none of those horrible things were to happen? Instead what if all that’s in store for them is a beautiful day with a picnic-basket full of fun – just the way they had planned? Their enthusiasm returns as they visualize a wonderful day out and encouraged by pleasant thoughts, they do end up going on their picnic after all.

Things are going well until one of them realizes he’s forgotten a huge detail! But, luckily the other – is ready for anything.

Ready for Anything is a great book to read aloud with your child for many reasons. First of all, it’s interesting. It takes you into the workings of a child’s mind via the two friends in the book – one of whom is afraid horrible things might happen and the other imagines just the opposite. It’s not just a great read for kids, but a charming, simple reminder to us grown-ups to replace some of the negative What-ifs that prevent us from enjoying the lighter moments in life with a few positive ones. Camouflaged beneath the simple, child-friendly plot lie layers of sub-text reflecting how we think, why we don’t take risks and how by choosing to imagine the worst, we often miss out on the best. I love the way this book is designed and written to appeal to very little ones as well as to older children and parents who read to them. The illustrations capture the vivid details visualized by the two friends, bringing the characters and their worlds – real and imagined – alive.

Whether to encourage your child to try a new hobby or to alleviate her pre-school separation anxieties or just to enjoy a good read with her – Ready for Anything lives up to its title.

Additional activities to try with your child -
- Talk about a picnic your child would like to go on. Come up with a few What if’s together. (Try the same for any situation – first day of school, first swimming lesson, first weekend away from parents with a grandparent or relative)
- What does Raccoon bring to the picnic? How many can you/ your child remember without looking at the book?
- Think of a situation where each of those items may come in handy.
- Which of the ‘What if’s’ do you think really happened on their picnic? Whose version was closer to what actually took place?

But if I had the time and was looking for a really special [...]]]> You could probably come up with hundreds of reasons why books make the most wonderful gifts.  Classics, picture books, board books, bedtime stories, fairy tales…how great is it that you’ll NEVER run out of choices when picking out a book as a gift?

But if I had the time and was looking for a really special gift for a child, I’d probably go with a personalized book, especially for milestone occasions. In my search for unique and meaningful gifts for children in my family, I chanced upon I See Me a couple of years ago. The brain child of Maia and Allan Haag, this website sells personalized children’s story books. If you haven’t considered buying personalized books before or have been looking for a source of very high quality, classy personalized children’s gifts, you should definitely check out I See Me!

Last week, I had a chat with Maia Haag,  mom of three, co-creator of I See Me and author of personalized children’s books. In this interview, she shares her thoughts on her company, her kids and why she thinks personalized books are so important for kids.

Creators of Personalized Children's Books

How did you come up with the idea for I See Me ? What is the story behind all these children’s stories?

I was working at General Mills in a marketing position and really wanted to start my own business. I had gone to business school and come back to General Mills and was anxious to start my own business. I was looking for an idea to start a business and I knew I wanted it to be something to do with children. And I was looking for some sort of product that would take advantage of my husband’s creative skills -he’s a graphic designer – and also leverage his printing connections. And so I was thinking about greeting cards or some sort of printed products. Then my husband and I received a personalized story book for our first child when I was on maternity leave. And that was the light bulb – because I looked at the personalized product and my husband and I both thought – we can create personalized books with higher quality, better illustrations and better writing and it was a great idea for starting a business. So that’s the beginning of the story.  I had a six month maternity leave and  I spent the last three months of that maternity leave working on the idea for the first book which was My Very Own Name and started to write the story. Then I left my job at General Mills. I went and spoke to the president of my division and told him that I was leaving to start my own children’s book business. He thought I was a little bit crazy.(laughs) I spent the next three months after that writing the business plan and that’s how it started.

How do you come up with the story ideas for all the books? What’s the process like?

Well, I knew we wanted a book that was focused on the child’s name in the story and so everyday I would take our newborn in a stroller around the lakes of Minneapolis and think of different book ideas as I was walking around the lake. Then I would come home and share different ideas with Allen. The one about the animals bringing the alphabets that spell the child’s name really stuck.  We thought that was unique and would be a great way to focus on the name.

…All the animals you picked out and their illustrations – they really each have a story of their own.

Yes, Allan and I worked together and for each animal we sat down and defined whether it would be a boy or a girl and what its personality would be, what it would be doing and where and then we gave those directions to the illustrator who would then sketch it and that’s how we created all the animals.

Personalized Chilldren's Storybook

Is the process pretty much the same for all the other books?

Well, for 6 years, we only had that one book – My Very Own Name. And my focus was really on building the operations side of the business and getting distribution for the books and marketing. Then, we finally got to the point where we really needed a new product to grow the business. I noticed that year at Halloween that a lot of girls were coming to the door dressed as princesses and fairies. And that was the inspiration behind the second book – My Very Own Fairy Tale.

Do you have a personal favorite among all your books?

Wow, I’ve never been asked that before. Probably, my favorite book out of all of them is actually The World According to Me. Which is a book that features the child’s own illustrations and the child’s own answers to questions. And the reason I love that so much is because the child gets such a kick out of seeing their own illustrations in the story and it’s really fun reading the book to the child – the words that they wrote.  And it’s a keepsake that I think will be really fun for our kids to have when they’re older.

Yes, and I like how the book engages the child in the writing process and through the book the child and his family learn about each other. So, tell me, why do you think personalized books are important? How are the different from any other book – say classics or just books in general which are considered great gifts for children? Why are personalized books even more special?

I think personalized books are fabulous for children because they encourage the child to want to read that book over and over again. They hear their own name in the story. A personalized book really engages the child because it’s such a personal story that’s about them. That’s the primary reason. The second reason is that personalized books build self esteem in children – especially because we’ve made it a point to create stories that boost self esteem in children, which make them feel that they’re really special and unique.

How do we purchase a personalized book from your website? Please describe the process.

It’s very easy – you just go to our website – www.iseeme.com and provide the child’s first name, last name and birth date and the dedication that you would like to include in the book in the title page. And we take that information and we make the books. So it’s very easy to order, and also very friendly and personalized.  With the World According To book and we also have a new one called the You and Me book – with these two books – you order a kit that has everything you need in it – to provide the answers to questions, drawings, photos and there’s a mailing envelope to mail the materials out to us. So we make it as easy as possible for the person who’s doing the book and we do all the work to layout the book, type set the answers and produce a beautifully designed book.  They get the book back about three weeks later.

What are your thoughts on reading to children? Any tips and advice for parents and educators on how to read, what books to pick?

Yes, for very young children it’s important to find books that are colorful with their illustrations, that rhyme. Rhyming is important because it helps children learn the sounds of the English language. Before they learn all the words, they start getting interested in the sounds of the language. Finding a book that builds self esteem in the child and shows a child from an early age that he or she is very special. Many books have a message of one sort or another. It’s a question of finding a book that has a strong message that you’d like to teach your child.

It’s important to understand the child’s reading levels, that you get a book that has the right number of words on a page, so that they continue to be engaged.

Besides I See Me books, what are some of your favorite children’s books, your recommendations for young children?

We love Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar because it’s interactive. Our kids have always loved putting their fingers in the holes on the pages. We turn to so many books and they like different books different nights – let me think. Both of our boys love Cars and Truck that Go by Richard Scarry because they’re interactive and a lot of things to find on each page. We’ve actually incorporated that in our book My Very Own Fairy Take – there’s a fairy on each page for the child to find. It makes the book more fun for the child and makes them want to read it that much more.  And The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is another favorite.

Do you have any plans to create personalized books in other languages – since there are so many children coming from bilingual or multilingual families and it’s important for children to be read to in their mother tongue?

Yes, we have been evaluating that and when it’s the right time we will.  It involves not only translating the books but also developing a marketing and distribution plan to get the books into the right places. One challenge in translating the books is that they’re all written in rhyme. So it’s not as simple as straightforward translation. We would have to completely rewrite the books if we wanted them written in rhyme in the other language.  So, the short answer is Yes and we’ve been sort of deciding when is the right time to do that.

Do you have any interesting experiences to share with regards to I See Me books and your children?

A: With all three of our children, when we’ve read My Very Own Name, they’ve all fully believed that they’re the one in the bassinet in the beginning of the book and that makes the books so much fun. Our daughter loves My Very Own Fairy Tale and she likes to point to the girl at the back of the book – whose back is to us so that it could be any girl. She talks about the fact that it’s her and that she’s about to sit on the throne. So, it’s very fun for us as a family to watch our children see themselves in the story.

And you do have a new book with the holiday theme…

A Christmas Bear for Me – I was just thinking about that one. That one has also been a very popular one.  One thing I’d like to share is that our son Austin, who’s 11, has become a key part of our product development. He reviews all of our books before we finalize them to look at it from a child’s perspective. And he has made some significant recommendations to us that we have used to make our books even better. For example,  with A Christmas Bear for Me, we were planning on including a Certificate of Ownership for the bear and it was his idea to instead include a letter from Santa, because that would be more important to a child than a Certificate of Ownership of the Bear.  And for example we had an illustration of all the stockings on the mantelpiece on the night before Christmas. And they had some candy in them and he was the one who noticed that the stockings shouldn’t have anything in them yet because it was still the night before Christmas.  So, he sees things that we don’t always see.  We have three kids who are 11, 8 and 3. So we read books at different levels at home which has helped in the product development.

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So, if you’re looking for a perfect gift for your kids, nephews, nieces or other children – pay I See Me a visit. And be prepared for the widest grin and the loudest squeal of delight when your gift is opened. If nothing else, at least, you won’t have to worry about giving the exact same gift as someone else. And I think it’s safe to assume that your gift won’t be forgotten or lost amidst a sea of plastic toys any time soon.