Childrens Days Books

I am surprised that SLJ panned this title. I personally think it is excellently crafted and very age-appropriate for grade K-3 for teaching the spirit of community service. The main character approaches the service projects the way a kid might, and she works through her commitment to the project with the spirit of a kid. The book is not preachy and definitely not a downer, like "oh, look at these poor people and their lousy lives.." like some books that are intended to create sympathy do. The people who come to the church for the community Thanksgiving dinner are portrayed as normal people with dignity and the story does not create a sharp delineation between the children who are doing the service from the children who are receiving the service.
I am using this title with my Brownie Girl Scout troop to teach them about how children can go about helping in bigger projects that benefit the whole community.

The Can-Do Thanksgiving offers young children, their parents, and/or their teachers a vehicle in which to begin to explore the subject of homelessness, hunger, and the needy. Its strenth is that it's written in a format that kids can understand and have fun with. It will also give a child a feeling that perhaps in their own way they can do something. After all, we ask our kids donate cans of food to feed the hungry but it often ends there. Well, the cans do go somewhere and each one can help someone, somehow, in its own way. In The Can-Do Thanksgiving children will experience this first hand.

Well, the book Meet Calliope Day, was funny, outgoing and Calliope could cook up mischef as fast as you can say Two Tan Tonned Men 56 times. WOW. This book, Captain Tweakerbeak's Revenge wil surly be just as funny and outgoing. P.S My name is Calliope. So I at least have a coincidence with a book! At LEAST!

Noreen Catherwood, otherwise known as Little Miss Prissy Toes was the teacher's pet, who never raised her hand to answer any question, never lost her homework, finished every assignment on time and consequently annoyed the heck out of every other student in the fourth grade including Calliope Day. She was the one the teacher chose to umpire the day's game of recess kickball. Here was Noreen wearing black shoes with white laces, and lacy white socks. And Noreen had the audacity to tell Calliope she was out.

Calliope did what she could to hate Noreen. But to every challenge Calliope presented, Noreen rose. The girls' bad beginning grew into a strong friendship that involved a plot to transform Noreen's pet parrot Baby into Captain Tweakerbeak. They taught him language appropriate for a pirate bird, and presented him to their class, complete with the pirate's scarf on his head and an eye patch. He wasn't a sea parrot, but a space pirate: "Silence earthling," he told the cheeky boy in the front row.

The children liked the parrot too much, though, and the teacher sent Calliope to the office with him. She discovered the intercom on, and instantly cooked up a prank. "This is Commander Zero, leader of the Red First Squadron, Planet Mars. We have seized your school. Do not, I repeat, do not panic." The plan ended in disaster when Captain Tweakerbeak reverted to Baby's personality.

Naturally, Calliope was in for it. But the events that overtook our mischievous little heroine and the cigar-smoking parrot must, I am afraid, remain secret, until you read this book.

Here's a hint for parents, though: This book will keep your third or fourth grader reading for hours. Alyssa A. Lappen

I bought this book when I was doing research for my new child care center. I loved it! It is easy to read and entertaining. At the same time it provides valuable information from an experienced profesional. I loan my copy to parents who are looking to enroll their child in my program. As a parent I could relate to the stories and information.

This book is a goldmine. I never thought I would have to worry about choosing a daycare center, but after I decided (with much agony) to move my child into a center, a friend suggested I read it. I am so glad I did. I realize some of the mistakes I made in my first-choice of daycare, and feel much more confident this time around. I can't think of a single question she did not address in this book, and can't recommend it highly enough.

This book helped give me much more peace of mind than I would have thought possible. My only disappointment is that I don't live close enough to put my child in her center -- the author sounds wonderful!

The case of the Vampire Cat is one of our family's top three Hank stories. We often listen to it on car trips. Our boys are 18 and 11 now, and they've both been listening to that story most of their lives. We never get tired of it.

In this two-book audio pack, you can listen to two more adventures from Hank, that hilarious cowdog. In the first story, Hank book #5: Faded Love, Hank goes to visit his One True Love, Beulah the collie. In the second, book #6: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, Hank must find out who's been murdering chickens before he gets blamed. I wouldn;t miss them!

Chain Letter, written by Lucille Lang Day and illustrated by Doug Dworkin is the fun story of a chain letter and its impact on the people and animals who receive its instructions. Following the letter through its arrival in hands of so many recipients, Chain Letter carries its young readers through the good and bad things that fulfilling or disregarding a chain letter might bring in an entertaining and creative story that includes elephants, snake escapes, the Statute of Liberty and her generous donations, the abominable snow man, and so much more. An original and popular addition to any school or community library picturebook collection, Chain Letter is very highly recommended -- especially for all young readers who might one day encounter one of these seemingly endless chain letters.

my child loves it. the artist is very talented! can't wait for more books!

This is an excellent textbook for those looking to understand more about children ages 0-5yrs. It's not complicated by technical jargon; this text gets right to the point. The author, Karen Stephens, has skillfully crafted a book that deals with the five areas of development in a practical way. The book provides the reader with a well-rounded experience of what educators of young children need to know when working in early care. I can only hope that the publishers and authors update the material, so as to include some newer advances within the Early Care and Education field. Other than that, the book is simply excellent.

This book is very user friendly and just right for high school students thinking about child care as a profession. The workbook is a must! It includes study guides and activities.

The collaborative work of author Kathy DellaTorre O'Keefe and illustrator Anne Catharine Blake, the "Child's Guide To The Holy Days" was published by the Paulist Press to teach children ages 5 to 9 about the meaning and significance of special and recurring occasions within the Catholic Church to commemorate and celebrate of 'Holy Days of Obligation in reference to the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, the Ascension, All Saint's Day, Christmas, and the Virgin Mary. Young readers will be able to learn about the special obligations associated with each significant day, the religious legacy of Catholic traditions, and the differences among dioceses that can occur in each holy day's observance. Thoroughly 'kid friendly', the "Child's Guide To The Holy Days" is especially recommended for family, parochial school, and parish library collections for young children.

Author Kathy DellaTorre O'Keefe has given parents and teachers a wonderful resource for teaching our children about the Holy Days that highlight the liturgical calender of our Catholic Church.

In simple language, O'Keefe orients the reader to the meaning of "holy day of obligation" and "diocese", explaining the sometimes shifting nature of our celebration of the six Holy Days currently celebrated in the United States. In story form, she weaves descriptions and dates for each of the Holy Days, relating them to their scriptural roots.

Wonderful illustrations by Anne Catharine Blake compliment O'Keefe's uplifting tone. This book, aimed at readers ages five through nine, reads more like a storybook than a textbook. It is a wonderful way to share our Catholic traditions with any child and should be a resource in every Catholic family and school library.

Yes, it's true (although sometimes hard for parents to face) -- CHILDREN BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SAY. You can help compensate for some of the things you've said and later wished you hadn't by making good use of the fun and truly usable exercises in this book! Children love stories, and this book is packed with interesting folk tales that illustrate the positive and help children understand the incredible depth and breadth of human emotions.

I was amazed at how engaging and fun all of the exercises in this book are, even for older children. This priceless addition to your book shelf can even provide you with tools for improving your own self-esteem. After all, it's never too late for a happy childhood. Get started today with this awesome book!

A delightful book that is well written. I have read some of the storys in it to my four year old and he has enjoyed them. I've also tried some of the simpler games, like "If I was a colour, I'd be..." with him. I feel that this book has given me what I was looking for to develop my relationship with my child (there's also further recommended reading). It has been written so that it can be dipped into and a story read from or activity carried out to suit the circumstances or age of the child (use your own discretion). A final word, this book (the activities, visualisations and stories) can also be done by parents too!

This book is a MUST READ! It took me only a few days to complete because I couldn't put it down! It is such a wonderful description of the angel realm and how we are all connected... somehow. Not only does it make you think twice about your own life and the energy and people in it, it is also a wonderful fairy tale to let go and really get lost in! I would absolutely recommend The Children of Angels to anyone who is looking for a great read!

This is the first book that I have read in 7 years that I have finished! The Children of Angels was a page turner. I have to read the book again because it is both entertaining and introspective. I love the way the story shifted from Metatron speaking through Margaret to the present day story of Angie and Serena, daughters of Uriel and Ariel. The story resonates for me in my spiritual journey of discovering the people in my lives and their roles.

Although I spent a short time in Mauritania (2007)....
I did get to accompany a tribal chief into
the interior of the country and
this allowed me to observe how his tribe functioned
on a daily basis.
I ended up buying this book
because it not only talks about a Moor child
but also a Pular child....thus depicting the lives
of 2 different tribes with balance, and as far as I can tell,
respect....
Although it does not cover the residues of slavery in some areas
of this country,I believe the main goal of this book
is to focus on the POSITIVE aspects of the culture
whether it be white Moors or black Pulars.....
I finally bought a copy for myself as
it serves as a great memory of my time there.
I also plan to use it
as a great resource for teaching
about this area of the world to my students.
In addition, the photographs of the the Moor and Pular
children at work or at play
are really natural and gorgeous !!!
I highly recommend this beautiful children's book.

Having just returned from Mauritania as a Peace Corps volunteer, I found this book culturally rich and sensitive in it's subject matter. The photographs are beautiful and depicts what life is like in Mauritania for many people. I also liked that there were two different ethnic groups explained. This is very important to understanding Mauritanian culture.For children, it is approachable and easy to follow. This is a very unique culture and the author does the richness of this culture justice in her book.