Earth Day in the Classroom

 If you're a teacher or a mama, it's especially fun to make a big deal about Earth Day.   Here are three things I think would be wonderful to have year round in the classroom, but are particularly educational for Earth Day.

RESPECT THE EARTH FLASHCARDS:  For the budding environmentalist.  These cute large retro looking flash cards are perfect for Earth Day.  They depict various animals doing earth friendly activities like going the the Farmers' Market, unplugging chargers and recycling.  They are sweet while stressing the importance of taking responsibility.

GREEN TOYS TRUCK AND RACE CAR:  I think this would be great for pre-school and kindergarten.  It's rounded edges and non toxic materials make it safe for little ones.  Green Toys is an innovative company that uses recycled milk containers to make their toys.  As cute as they look, they are durable and can take some serious play. 

THIS TREE COUNTS:  This book is way more than a counting book, though it does offer some of that.  It helps to instill reverence for nature and deep appreciation for one of the earth's most magnificent and vital adornments: trees.  Together a class plants trees and learns that they are necessary for cleaning the air, and providing shelter for humans and other creatures.  The artwork is lovely and this was a book my son wanted me to read over and over.

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ZEN GHOSTS by John Muth

My son and I eagerly await John Muth's Stillwater books and I'm so thrilled to have this latest effort, ZEN GHOSTS, which takes place during my favorite time of year, Autumn and Halloween.  Stillwater, the giant panda is my most adored contemporary children's book character.  But these books are obviously not just for children.

Addy, Michael and Karl, featured in the prior books, are getting ready for Halloween.  Stillwater  joins them for festivities and reads the children a story by candlelight.  The vibe of the book is both cozy and mysterious.

As you can tell from the cover, the illustrations are magical.  There is a two page spread depicting trick or treating that is magnificent, so visually the book is incredible, and perhaps the most striking one of the series to date.

The Buddhist theme is appropriate for young children as they can be even more receptive to subtle teachings than adults.  In some ways, a koan is more accessible to a child.  As with the other two Stillwater books, Zen Ties and Zen Shorts, this is a story within a story and this one goes pretty deep.  What genius to contemplate illusion in a Halloween setting!  What is real and what is not real?  "Which Senjo is the true one?  Are they one or are they two?"  This book works on many different levels and I can't get enough of it.  Find it HERE.

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Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted To Be Noticed

Wink is a little ninja who can't sit still or be quiet.  Even though Master Zutsu tries to teach stealth through discipline, Wink doesn't get it.  Master Zutsu tells his students, "Silence is the weapon of the ninja," but Wink can't help himself and is unable to embrace stillness.  Boy does this sound familiar.  Wink is my four year old!

Wink goes through a series of encounters until he finally finds an appropriate outlet for his enthusiasm and creativity.  Though put across in a humorous manner, there are deeper underlying issues such as feeling left out or different (something we can all relate to at some point) and personal authenticity--finding a way to express your true self and being appreciated for that.

The illustrations are fantastic, filled with charming details and visual textures.  This book is intelligent, unique and fun to read over and over.  Author J. C. Phillipps did her own fabulous artwork for the book and there are rumors of a follow up to Wink (yaay!).  Find it HERE.

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Green Gift Guide: HERE COMES JACK FROST

Here Comes Jack Frost, by Kazuno Kohara, is a bittersweet, touching book about a boy's encounter with Jack Frost. For me it was about living in the moment and the fleeting joys of winter and ultimately, life. The illustrations are lovely and it makes for a quick read, nice for a goodnight story. It's a sweet, sensitive tale and I think it would make a great Holiday gift. Find it HERE.

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Where Teddy Bears Come From, a Quirky Holiday Children's Book

Where Teddy Bears Come From, by Burgess and Ayto is a refreshing holiday tale of a little gray wolf who can't sleep and his search for a teddy bear to help him with his insomnia. Mama wolf packs a lunch for his expedition where he seeks advice from Wise Owl who quickly sends him on his way. In a cheeky nod to the fairy tale classics, he encounters the Three Pigs (who aren't so little anymore) and Red Riding Hood who all at first mistake him as the Big Bad Wolf. No one seems to know where teddy bears come from and little wolf becomes discouraged.

He then meets up with a bearded old man in a red suit who wishes the little wolf was indeed the big bad wolf as he needs help inflating a flat tire. Little wolfe kindly obliges with some huffing and puffing and then asks the man if he knows where teddy bears come from. The man assures him he will soon find out--which he does by the end of the book.

The illustrations are modern and colorful, the prose is fun to read out loud and it's full of personality. It really stands out amongst Christmas books and I recommend it. Find it HERE.

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24 Penguins Before Christmas Advent Calendar

I've always loved the thrill of an Advent Calendar. Here is a contemporary take on an old tradition from the French author/illustrator team Jean-Luc Fromental and Joelle Jolivet who brought us the fabulous 365 Penguins. 24 Penguins Before Christmas is modern and fun and very European in its unique 3-D diptych format.

The Calendar features the characters from 365 Penguins, and comes with a tiny little book, a page to be read each day corresponding to the advent window and the little surprise dwelling within. Amazon has it right now for a steal, you can find it HERE.

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Charlie and Lola Halloween Sticker Book

Lola is having a hard time deciding what to be for Halloween. She's not alone! My son changes his costume idea pretty much daily. We've run the gamut from ghost, alligator, astronaut to wizard to name a few. It's actually kind of fun to watch kids change their minds and become enchanted with new ideas, however fleeting.

In the pages of My Halloween Sticker Stories, Lola contemplates costume ideas, grows a pumpkin from seed, and deals with a big disappointment in a positive way. The book comes with a couple of pages of stickers which is always exciting for my four year old. You can't go wrong with Charlie and Lola and they are extra fun on holidays.

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Quell Back to School Anxiety with THE KISSING HAND

The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn, is a great antidote to back to school anxiety. Chester racoon is nervous about going back to school. So Mama Racoon teaches him a trick--the kissing hand--to ease his jitters.

I think this book is great for kids of all ages and any time mamas and their offspring have to be separated. My son loved the story (even though he is not nervous about school) and wants me to read it over and over. You can find it HERE.

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I am EXTREMELY absolutely boiling

Book stores, it turns out, are a great place to seek refuge from the heat. And look what we found. Charlie and Lola always nail it for me, I think I love them more than my son does (I know I do because he's starting to want to watch Diego more). I am EXTREMELY absolutely boiling is obviously about coping with summer heat (with a sub-plot), and it's as cool as all the other Charlie and Lola books. With 103 degree heat, it was perfectly apt and made me smile.

They're the only modern cartoon characters that really mesmerize me, almost make me feel like a kid again. If you're not familiar, they're British, very smart and very artful. You can get books and DVDs and it's on tv, but I DVR everything, so I'm not sure what channels. Visually, it's a feast to watch with lots of color and pattern and texture variety, the plots are intelligent, sensitive and funny. They also have a show/book about recycling that got my son very excited about that. If you've never seen them, it's a refreshing treat.

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