IN THEIR SHOES: GRATITUDE AND KINDNESS

IN THEIR SHOES

Life can be challenging. For many of us, the world has become an uncertain place. Children are especially vulnerable to the daily bombardment of tragic news, devastating weather events, and disappointment. Social media has assured us that an unsettling event experienced halfway around the world is communicated to us in real time. Shielding children from these events has also become more difficult for parents, family, and educators.

I was inspired to write my newest book, Daisy Finds a Home, as means of showing children that while things may not always happen the way we feel they should, that there are people in our lives that can help to make life better. 

Strong and hopeful are positive words that help children make it through a difficult time.

Children can also help others by remembering that each of us wears a unique set of shoes that take us on unique paths—and all paths have their own unique potholes to navigate.  For example, a friend may seem extra grumpy. Yet, that friend may have just learned that their parent lost his/her job. A classmate may be extra quiet because their best friend moved across the country.

As this is the time of year that people focus on helping others, this is an excellent time to remind children that they can help make another person’s light shine brighter by lending a hand, speaking a kind word, or helping them with an important task. By doing so, children will learn that when a person’s light shines brighter, some of that glow is also cast upon the person that helped.

Included in this blog post are three printables for children to color, cut, and use. The first is a thank you card to share with someone that has helped the children in your life. The second is a reminder to be a friend to others. The third is just for funzies!

Reminder: the eBook version of Daisy Finds a Home will be available for a free download on November 10 and 11, 2016. This read-aloud book is great for the younger crowd—kiddos under the age of 7.

Click the link to take you to the page. The free eBook download is scheduled for November 10 and 11. Thanks.
Link to eBook on Amazon

Kickstarter, Children's Literature, & a Rainbow of Products

My new favorite web site does not instantly offer educational activities. Nor does this site offer crafting instructions. However, this site does offer the fruits of those efforts and the inspiration to do more.

The site to which I am referring is Kickstarter—and I’m hooked!

By now, anyone connected to the internet, social media, or a television has heard of the concept of crowdfunding. Kickstarter is an artist and creation-based crowdfunding web site that helps folks bring their projects to life. The site is a direct connection to the artists, authors, engineers (yes, engineers!), coders, and creators of all-things-wonderful. As each campaign begins, backers have the opportunity to experience the story behind-the-product, the inspiration, and sometimes even the frustrations faced in completing the project. I think of Kickstarter as an art fair with a twist—the venue reaching worldwide, not just a small community.

As one of my passions is children’s literature and the important message tucked inside the pages of any children's book, I have naturally spent hours exploring the many MANY children’s publishing campaigns on Kickstarter. On any given day, I have discovered book projects that focus on education—teaching youngsters anything from the alphabet to computer coding, the environment, the beauty of art—from mosaics to needle felting, and acceptance—of ourselves as well as the differences in others.

And, needless to say, my postman will be busy over the next few months delivering the final results of all of this exploration. Yes—the backers receive these products some time after the campaign ends (if the goal has been met).

So, to avoid losing the message in the words, I will simply provide the links to some of my favorite projects thus far that are still ongoing. I hope you consider checking them out.

Sam is Stuck—A project that provides high interest books to students with reading challenges.

A Boy Named Penguin—A project helping children to understand friends and classmates with ASD (autism spectrum disorder).

Honey for a Song—A story celebrating humanity and our connection to nature. Beautifully crafted needle-felted illustrations!

Cats with Hats—A project to produce adorable cat-themed sticky notes w/ dot-to-dot cats. Who doesn’t lovecats! The kiddos in your class certainly will!

Peace by Piece—A project born out of the 9/11 tragedy and the continuing effort to promote peace. Beautiful artwork with important message for everyone.

 While these campaigns may have ended, the books may be available online.

The Land without Color—An easy-to-read chapter book with a cleverly devised story line. The book is currently available on Amazon.

The Great Talent Show Blog—An awesome alphabet book with follow-up activities. Coming soon!

Kickstarter Kickoff with a New Book Project

Nearly two years have passed. Where, oh where did the time go? I am sorry that this blog has not received any new posts from me for a while. I realize there are no excuses for such a long delay. However, my dear husband has been battling the Big ‘C’ and my time has been spent with him and working extra hours to help him with his much-needed time off from work. He hasn’t beaten it yet, but I’m confident he will. He’s a fighter and my bestest best friend!

I wanted to take this opportunity to share my newest project—a story and activity book for the kiddos with a Thanksgiving theme. I know that we haven’t even reached Valentine’s Day yet. However, this project was put on hold in 2014 and is begging to be released. The project will hopefully be launched by late spring.

So, without further delay, I’d like to introduce Pickled Pumpkin Pie—a story told in rhyme about a quirky uncle and the family that loves him. This story is a tribute to my dear Aunt Kitty. While she was not a lot like Uncle Pete in respect to his peculiar ways, Aunt Kitty always brought laughter and sunshine into our home with every visit. Families are what it’s all about, after all, and I wanted to find a way to thank Aunt Kitty for making my childhood fun.

For this latest book project, I teamed up with a very talented artist—Jaime D. Buckley. His comic book style was perfect for the characters of this story and I am thrilled and honored that he created the illustrations for this book. He is definitely a “Hero” to me~and to this project.

To help defray some of the costs for this book project, I have also ventured into the world of crowdfunding with a Kickstarter campaign. I discovered this great avenue for supporting projects when I backed a campaign in Baltimore, Maryland—the former home town of my father and grandfather.

Below are some sample activity pages from the print version of the book:

Artwork by Jaime D. Buckley

A Needle-felted Pumpkin Available for One of the Pledge Tiers

Below you will find the link to the project. I hope you consider making a pledge. Thank you in advance.

Click Here to Access the Kickstarter Campaign

It's February and Yes~Winter is Still Here!

 

The crisp and often snowy days of February are perfect days to stay inside and curl up with a good book or two.

 

Below are some great suggestions for Snow Day reading for the kiddos in preschool through second grade.

 

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner

This book provides a delightful story about the hilarious antics of a group of adventure-seeking snowmen.

 

Tracks in the Snow by Wong Herbert Yee

Told in rhyme, this story is about discovery and imagination. Does a hippo really like the snow?

The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll and Jeni Bassett

This easy-to-read story reinforces the importance of teamwork.

 

Sometimes Snow Falls in the Summer by Deb Troehler

This tale is a gentle story of a granddaughter’s visit with her grandmother where anything is possible..

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

This timeless story tells of the adventure of a little boy that discovers the wonders of snow.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Mary Azarian

This story follows the life of the man who not only explored the beauty in nature but also shared his findings with the world.