The other weekend was my first weekend free from work in over a year. You see, I had to give up my little children’s books and gift shop at a local weekend market in order to better focus on other ventures.
At the same time I was invited join another mom and her family at the Make-A-Wish foundation walk-a-thon. She lost her baby, James, to medical errors 11 years ago. She and her family memorialize baby James by supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my first obligation-free weekend.
The walk was held at the Morris Arboretum and as an added bonus [to me anyway] the arboretum was hosting a scarecrow design contest. One of the themes was Children’s Stories!
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Lastly, don’t forget to check out the many new releases, such as The Kite Princess, Finn at Clee Point, and Red Riding Hood!
Last week a fun new book landed on my doorstep, Arlo Needs Glasses by Barney Saltzberg.
Arlo Needs Glasses (Workman, July 2012) is the latest book from Saltzberg, the bestselling author of Beautiful Oops!, Peekaboo Kisses, and Good Egg.
Arlo Needs Glasses was inspired by Barney’s own four-legged-friend. Just like his character, the real-life Arlo is not very good at playing catch either.
“He just couldn’t get the ball to land in his mouth,” says Saltzberg. “We tried over and over and I honestly had never seen anything like it.” Thus, the idea for Arlo Needs Glasses was born.
At first I was underwhelmed at the thought of yet another children’s book inspired by someone’s pet. But as soon as I opened the book and we started reading it I knew we were in for a treat.
Saltzberg’s brush and pencil strokes are full of whimsy in this brightly illustrated mixed media book. The book is taken to another level with carefully thought out and crafted pop-out and interactive features. On one page you’ll find a whirling ball, on another a giant pull-out phoropter (the machine eye-doctors commonly use to check vision), and even pull out glasses for Arlo or you and your child to try on.
If your child needs glasses or knows someone who does – for my little guy that’s his Daddy, Pop-pop and cousin – the text and illustrations of this book simply and clearly explain WHY they needed glasses and why glasses are so cool.
Check out the book trailer below to get a better feel for what to expect.
To celebrate the release of this new book, Workman is hosting a fun doggy photo contest. It’s so easy to enter and 5 winners will receive an autographed copy of Arlo Needs Glasses.
“MY DOG NEEDS GLASSES!” PHOTO CONTEST
What has four eyes and four legs? Your dog in glasses! Share funny photo of your dog wearing glasses for a chance to win a signed copy of Arlo Needs Glasses by Barney Saltzberg. Be silly, but promise to not put your pup through too much embarrassment.
Enter by posting your photo on your Pinterest board with the hashtag #ArloNeedsGlasses. Then follow Workman’s board: www.pinterest.com/workmanpub. Workman will repin the photos to the “My Dog Needs Glasses!” board.
Five photos with the most likes and re-pins by July 31st will win an autographed copy of Arlo Needs Glasses. Entrants must be U.S. residents.
Here’s my entry:
My doggy-nephew, Brady, looking too cool in shades.
P.S. If you get your hands on this book, and I definitely recommend it, don’t forget to look for the hidden poem included within the eye chart!
Chick-fil-A has recently introduced a few new healthy options Kid’s Meals. You can now opt for Grilled Nuggets as the entree and Buddy Fruits® Pure Blended Fruit To Go applesauce as a side.
Did you also know that you can get a book with every meal no matter what the current toy promotion is? Just ask for the “under 3 toy” and you get a cute little board book that’s perfectly sized for little fingers (and diaper bags and purses!)
Chick-fil-A also just released this this fun app loaded with a ton of printable old school games you can play as a family. There’s also a fun quiz that will lead you down memory lane for sure.
Check out the app for yourself right here and when you’re done enter the giveaway below for a prize pack of 3 free kid’s meals coupons.
Welcome to the March 2012 edition of the Carnival of Children’s Literature!
March started off with Dr. Seuss’s Birthday and the release of The Lorax. I loved seeing everyone excited about Seuss, reading, and the environment this month because of that. I, myself, received free tickets to The Lorax and took my son to see his first ever movie. While I still prefer the book and the 1972 animated special, I have to admit the movie was better than I expected. I hope many families were inspired to buy the actual book or check it out at the library.
More importantly, March is Women’s History month! There’s no doubting that when you see the fantastic lineup of reviews this month either. Yet, we still have a nice bit of variety outside of Seuss and women’s history. I put a number of new titles on our MUST READ list and I think you will too after hopping through these posts.
Over at Boys Rule Boys Read! Iron Guy Carl clowns around by reviewing 3 joke books. I have just one question for Carl, what do you call cheese that doesn’t belong to you? NACHO CHEESE! HAhahaaha!
Shirley SimplyScience Blog presents Meltdown! by Fred Bortz, a new book that talks about the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan and explores our choices of power source.
Finally, what’s a carnival without a little bit of sugar overload!? Zoe from Playing by the book sharesa gallery of Edible Books that were submitted to the Edible Book Festival this year.
I hope everyone had fun at this month’s Carnival of Children’s Literature. Join the fun again in April over at A Curious Thing!
My little man is turning 3 in a few weeks. I’d like to celebrate with you by giving away a copy of one of our favorite books, Bear’s Birthday!
Bear’s Birthday is the latest book in a series of 8 best-selling books featuring Bear. Although not overtly a counting book the story starts with Bear blowing up 10 balloons in preparation for his party. As the written story progresses, you’ll have fun pointing out how a balloon gets lost on each page. By the end of the book, Bear has had a great party and all the balloons are gone.
This book is a great BIRTHDAY GIFT for any 1-4 year old but is perfect year round. We read it quite frequently and my son loves the page wear Bear blows out his candles. He blows the candles with Bear. So stinkin’ cute. There’s one problem though … we often get stuck on the page early in the book with a choo choo train. As in, he gets mad if I try to turn the page because he wants to keep looking at the picture!
Yes, like a stereotypical young boy he’s obsessed with trains now. We’re going to take him on a train ride with the Easter bunny for his birthday and I’ll be gifting him a copy of Magic Train Ride.
Publisher Description: Bear’s Birthday
Join Bear as he celebrates his birthday in this latest addition to the bestselling Bear series. Help Bear count backwards from 10 to 0 and find out who is making his balloons disappear.
Ages 2 to 6 years
Written By: Stella Blackstone
Illustrated By: Debbie Harter
To win a copy of this fun book enter using the Rafflecopter form below. I’ll be so happy if you do and consider every entry a Happy Birthday to my son.
I’m so lucky to belong to a social networking group called the Philadelphia Social Media Moms. PSMM is a dynamic group of around 200 women bloggers from the Phila Metro Area. Last night was our big holiday party. Really, there can’t be a better day than “Cyber Monday” for a bunch of bloggers to get together and celebrate.
My son was immediately drawn to the bold cover design of Lauren and The Leaky Pail and attempted to read it while galloping on his rocking horse. But after we read both stories together and I think he liked The Costume Trunk Book better since it included a little bit of pirate talk. Arr!
The cool thing about Paddywhack Lane books is that there are adorable figurines and playsets that match the stories and characters. I have to get my hands on the Anthony’s Treasure Hunt Playset. My son would love it. Anthony even comes with a black and white kitty cat just like we have!
Big thanks to Paddywhack Lane for helping to sponsor the festivities and sharing their books with us. Such an adorable line.
Meet Tenzin, a kindhearted boy who discovers a wounded musk deer high up in the hills. In this Tibetan tale, Tenzin nurses the deer back to health, and must learn the most important lesson of all: how to love enough to let go.
Climb to the top of Lonesome Mountain to meet a very special boy named Rink — every full moon, he grows flowers all over his body. This heartwarming story celebrates difference and friendship, as Rink meets a girl with her own secret, and they discover ways to help each other.
Three children embark on a day-long trek through the rainforest, discovering all sorts of exotic creatures in their natural habitats. The charming, rhyming text highlights an adjective for each creature. The story is complemented by educational endnotes about the creatures in the story, and the peoples of the rainforest.
Chick-fil-A has recently introduced a few new healthy options Kid’s Meals. You can now opt for Grilled Nuggets as the entree and Buddy Fruits® Pure Blended Fruit To Go applesauce as a side. 
Welcome to the March 2012 edition of the Carnival of Children’s Literature!
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