Healthy Foods from A to Z Helps Fight Childhood Obesity in America

Recently I had the privilege of reviewing a book that could, quite honestly, change the world of childhood obesity in America.  At least, it should.

The book is called Healthy Foods from A to Z Comida Sana de la A a la Z.

As you can tell by the title, the book is bilingual.  It presents healthy food pictures touting various expressions, using both English and Spanish words, and grouping them together based upon what letter of the alphabet the food name begins with.  The publishers sent me the book in exchange for my opinion.  My daughter and I had a ball enjoying all the fun food-created faces.  Then, we went to town creating our own.

This book  is simply amazing.  It takes a basic, simple, easy-to-understand concept of healthy eating and applies it to another concept that is not always so easy:  Two languages and their alphabets.  The languages chosen by Executive Editor, Stephanie Maze and photographer, Renee Comet, are English and Spanish.

After your child makes it to the end of the book, there are additional activities to have fun with as well as an A to Z section for adults to learn the healthy impact and value of each food introduced in the book.

This book would make a welcome and healthy addition to every school, including homeschool, library.  It combines language concepts from both English and Spanish, health and food science-based learning, math concepts of discovering shapes, interpersonal socialization skills using emotional expressions on each presented face and art.  It also opens up communications about healthy food choices and other conversational topics, in a light-hearted manner, between parents and children.

It's fun to page through just to look at the funny food faces.  It's also an enjoyable way to learn letter shapes and sounds of both English and Spanish words and shapes and math concepts along with a touch of art.

The Klampie Mystery Book Review

I read the cutest book to my five-year-old yesterday.  In the mail, I received The Klampie Mystery by Luis Rodriguez in exchange for my honest review, so I sat down with my daughter and began to read.

This book was a story about a plush koala who mysteriously gets replaced by a real koala when the family visits Australia.  I won't tell you how it happens, because that is part of what makes this book fun.  I will tell you, however, that the book is more than just a fun story.

From the opening cover to the back cover, the book shares geographical and zoological lessons that are part of the Klampie mystery.  While you are reading the book to your child, or your confident reader is reading it alone, facts about Australia and koalas will jump off the pages as naturally as the beautiful creation of Australia itself.

The book would make a great summertime read, or would work well to incorporate into a study of Australia or a study of animals, including koalas.  The pages are filled with more than three to five words like in some easy children's picture books.  You get a full story, on a child's level with pages filled with paragraphs and beautiful illustrations.  My five-year-old early/emerging reader enjoyed my reading the book to her.  However, she was pointing to every word as I read.  It is recommended for ages four to eight, and I'm sure most second graders could easily master reading it independently.

Find The Klampie Mystery by Luis Rodriguez at local bookstores, your library or on Amazon.  Follow the author and stay updated on Klampie's mystery at www.facebook.com/klampie

Lima Bear Labyrinth Book Review

I received The Lima Bear Stories Labyrinth book in exchange for an honest review.  So, I sat down with my early/emerging reader, five-year-old daughter and began to read. Having no idea that there is a classic mythological story by the same title, my daughter laughed at the green-colored main characters and enjoyed the newly told story with a surprise ending.  Soon, she was pointing to the words as I read them.  We especially enjoyed the words that would pop off the page with highlights and word art.
The story is about a princess, Princess Belinda Bean.  She is given the throne but Mean ol' Bean is not happy about this and lures her into a labyrinth in an evil plot to take the throne for himself as king.  Authors Thomas Weck and Peter Weck and illustrator, Len DiSalvo, weave the playful story to present a lesson to always leave room for forgiveness in your heart.

The Labyrinth Lima Bean story paints whispers of the classic Labyrinth story, but tells the story using green, Lima Bean, bears.  The illustrations are bright and colorful, and the story line keeps the child's attention using word art and rhymes.

There is one rhyme that is repeated over and over that makes the story memorable for listening ears:

"Oh, Mean ol' Bean
How He Did Scheme.
To Be Rid of the queen,
That was his dream."

Vocabulary words are interjected like "glistened", "dazzled", "gust", "golden", "huge", "glowed" and such.  There are even activity suggestions at the end of the book that make it very usable in a classroom or homeschool setting.

The Lima Bear Stories The Labyrinth by Thomas Weck and Peter Weck and illustrations by Len DiSalvo is a cute, lively and interactive book that your child will enjoy for late summertime reading or to use during the school year.  Early readers who still need help sounding out words, will enjoy being read to, while older readers will enjoy reading the book alone.  Hint:  Even my twelve-year-old son was listening in with interest as I read aloud.

My review was a preview of the book that will be available in August.

Available online http://www.limabearpress.com/books.html

Other books by Weck at Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Weck?store=ALLPRODUCTS&keyword=Weck

New Books from Schiffer for Kids

Schiffer Books has released a new line of books for kids.  And, they are spectacular!  The publishing company sent me some of their kids' books in exchange for an honest review.  So, here is what I thought:

Bugs In Shoes - This book by Beth Wilder is absolutely adorable with it's cute rhythmic flow throughout. It is perfect for early, merging readers.  The bugs progress throughout the book trying on different articles of clothing.  This poetic rhythm and bright happy pictures helps draw the young reader in and makes the words entertaining and easy to remember.  A few lines from the book read as follows:

Bugs in earmuffs

Bugs in coats

Bust in swimsuits

Bugs in floats...

The book also has pages in the back that are meant to be photocopied for your child to color and enjoy.  You could also extend the learning time by using them in a matching game.  As you read the book with your child, have him or her set the matching bugs on the correct pages.

Bertie Bumble Bee - Troubled by the Letter "b" by K.I. Al-Ghani and Illustrated by Haitham Al-Ghani - This book is an excellent resource for parents and teachers dealing with a struggling or dyslexic learner.  The book is a sweet story about a little bee who is very excited about school until he is made fun of because he switches around his letters.  The book walks the reader through an enticing story revealing how mother bee helps her little bee figure it all out.

The suggestions for how to remember the correct way to write letters is very helpful and fun to follow.  The back of the book is filled with pages of how to help your child master basic phonics.  The story and the phonics helps are a rich resource for any teacher or student learning letters, even if it comes easily with no challenge.

Double-Talk Word Sense & Nonsense - By Zora & David Aiken Illustrated by David Aiken is a cute, easy-to-remember way of learning homophones using silly nonsensical rhymes, such as this one:

The sandman, they say, might help us to snore.  But not the sand man we build at the shore.

The pictures that accompany the cute little verses are very appealing.  They will draw your child in to look for detail after detail.

The Tale of Strawberry Snow - by P.L. Caudle Illustrations by Frank H. Simmonds, IV - This is a story about "making new friends" wobbly legs and a courageous heart describes the little pony in the book who makes friends with the most unlikely creature.  The story is sweet and easy to read for early readers (PK-3rd grade).

Boomer Explores Annapolis - by Angelique Clarke Illustrated by Jim Hunt  - This story is a brilliant method of teaching facts about a city while the reader is absorbed in the puppy's story.  Boomer could very well explore your town as well.  I wish there were a Boomer story about every capitol city (at the very least) as a way for kids to learn more about the USA.  Your dog-lover will learn a ton about the city of Annapolis in this story that follows a dog around town.  The factual tidbits about this city in Maryland are filtered in to a young reader unaware of how much he or she is truly learning about historical sites.  The lovable puppy will bring your child back to read the story again and again.  Each time the story is read, your child will remember more historical facts.

The books are available at Schifferbooks.com where you can learn more about other newly-released children's books as well.