The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Barefoot Books (August 6, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1905236778
ISBN-13: 978-1905236770
Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches

Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4–The Jade Emperor is concerned because his country does not have a calendar, and no one can tell one year from the next. He decides to hold a race across a great river, and the order in which the animals finish will determine the order of the years. The event is exciting as the creatures maneuver for position, only to be bested in the end by the clever Rat. In this retelling of the ancient legend, Casey maintains the pace well. Back matter includes information about the Chinese calendar in general, as well as the more specific Dragon Boat Festival and Moon Festival. The book is a visual treat, with illustrations in simple collage designs on acrylic and painted backgrounds placed in such a way as to keep the eye engaged and moving. The palette is a pleasing mix of intense and muted tones. An attractive addition for most collections.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"In The Great Race, Anne Wilson's whimsical collages even include baubles hanging from the trees on the riverbank, capturing the joyous spirit of this story about the Chinese Zodiac." --Foreward Magazine"

In The Great Race, Anne Wilson's whimsical collages even include baubles hanging from the trees on the riverbank, capturing the joyous spirit of this story about the Chinese Zodiac." --Foreward Magazine

"In this retelling of the ancient legend, Casey maintains the pace well. Back matter includes information about the Chinese calendar in general, as well as the more specific Dragon Boat Festival and Moon Festival. The book is a visual treat, with illustrations in simple collage designs on acrylic and painted backgrounds placed in such a way as to keep the eye engaged and moving. The palette is a pleasing mix of intense and muted tones. An attractive addition for most collections." --School Library Journal

"Prepared in collaged papers with acrylic and printed backgrounds, Wilson's creatively stylized folk art gives this retelling of an ancient legend a distinctive look. Youngsters will likely enjoy the final spread, which lists the years that fall under each respective animal, and the characteristics of people born under that sign." --Publishers Weekly

"In this retelling of the ancient legend, Casey maintains the pace well. Back matter includes information about the Chinese calendar in general, as well as the more specific Dragon Boat Festival and Moon Festival. The book is a visual treat, with illustrations in simple collage designs on acrylic and painted backgrounds placed in such a way as to keep the eye engaged and moving. The palette is a pleasing mix of intense and muted tones. An attractive addition for most collections." --School Library Journal

Product Description

Race long with Rat, Monkey, Dragon, and their companions while discovering the origin of the Chinese Zodiac. This bright and colorful book includes intriguing notes about the Chinese calendar, the festivals, and the animal that rules each year.

For activities and lessons, go to my other blog http://www.blossombucket.blogspot.com/ and look for "Celebrating Chinese New Year".

The Boy Who Grew Flowers

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Barefoot Books (October 5, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1841486868
ISBN-13: 978-1841486864
Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3–Everyone in Rink Bowagons family is a little different. His uncle trains rattlesnakes and his siblings and cousins are all shape-shifters. The boy has a special quirkiness all his own. On nights when there is a full moon, he sprouts beautiful, perfect, fragrant flowers from his body. At school, he is quiet and shy, and the other children keep their distance from him. One day, Angelina joins his class and all of the students vie for her attention. She has her own gift and recognizes what a special boy Rink really is. Together, their story is one that celebrates individuality and self-acceptance. The illustrations are done in acrylics on board and the way the texture of the wood shows through gives the lovely paintings a folksy quality. The luminous scenes and soulful relationship between Rink and Angelina make this story a joy to read.–Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-3. Rink Bowagon is not like other boys. Not only does he live on Lonesome Mountain, a "hotbed of strange and exotic talents," but he is shy, quiet, and sprouts flowers from his body during each full moon. Shunned at school, Rink keeps to himself--until a kind, honest girl named Angelina Quiz with a short right leg joins his class. Rink instantly likes her and decides to ask her to the school dance, painstakingly crafting her a pair of snakeskin party shoes with one extra-thick right sole to balance her out. When Rink shows up at Angelina's door with green shoes and pink roses in hand (they had previously sprouted from his head), her heart flips, and the rest is history. This quirky, beautifully told story of individuality, love, and kindness (and the benefits of corrective shoes!) is illustrated with soft, luminous acrylics on visibly textured board. Artful compositions, intriguingly varied perspectives, and a gorgeous palette make these whimsical, expressive paintings suitable for framing. An odd, lovely offering. Karin SnelsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Acrylic paintings are the perfect accompaniments to the author's debut story of courage and friendship. A shy boy named Rink, who grows flowers from his body during the full moon, befriends the new girl, Angelina, who has one leg shorter than the other. He makes her special shoes that change her life. With his use of soft colors and subtle details, Adam's ethereal paintings pull the reader into the page." --ForeWord Magazine

"Children who struggle to fit in at school will find a hero in the star of this debut children's book. Adams's incandescent illustrations, painted on textured boards in deep blues and green integrate flowers and full moons scattered across the pages, and the characters' faces look almost beatific...it will remind [young readers] of the power of kindness." --Publishers Weekly

"This is a wonderful story that teaches about accepting differences - and even celebrating them." --Library Media Connection

Product Description

Rink's grandmother was raised by wolves, his Uncle Dud tames rattlesnakes, and Rink grows beautiful flowers all over his body when the moon is full. Townspeople just don t understand the Bowagons. But one day a new girl named Angelica arrives at Rink s school, and he soon discovers she has some unique qualities too. Using humor and metaphor to promote acceptance, this touching story shows us that what makes us different makes us beautiful.

The author, Jen Wojtowicz, who is also an artist, was inspired to write the book by her relationship with her brother with autism). The art, by Steve Adams, is brilliantly done—simple but beautiful, drawing you into the story and never distracting from it.

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The Miracle of the First Poinsettia: A Mexican Christmas Story

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Barefoot Books (October 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1841482455
ISBN-13: 978-1841482453
Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches

Editorial Reviews
From BooklistPreS-Gr. 2.

Oppenheim found the kernel of this story while researching a book about Christmas. She expanded it into the tale of Juanita, who is anxious about Christmas Eve, La Noche Buena. Her father is unemployed, and the family struggles. There will be no gift for baby Jesus at midnight Mass. Oppenheim seems to stretch the story as Juanita wanders through the market place, then home, and finally to church, empty-handed. But it's an uplifting moment when a stone angel in the church courtyard tells Juanita to bring a profusion of greens into church, where they miraculously turn into red poinsettias. Whatever small flaws there are in the text are balanced by Negrin's fabulous pictures, executed in watercolors, colored pencils, and oil pastels. The scenes, in full pages and blocks, are infused with color--the tomato red of the market, the ethereal blue-green of evening, the holy, gold lighting of the church. The sturdy figures have a statue-like dignity in a glowing evocation of old Mexico. Spanish words are well integrated, and there is also a glossary. Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A Christmas gem." --Kirkus

Review

"A Christmas gem." --Kirkus Review

"Negrin's illustrations are richly colored, in pomegranate reds and burnished golds. Even the endpapers are a lush, double-spread explosion of deep red poinsettias from edge to edge. His pictures tell the story at least as eloquently as the text, and add a dimension of magic and beauty that raises 'The Miracle of the First Poinsettia' above the ordinary." --Boston Sunday Globe

"Negrin's mixed-media art creates a lush, dreamlike environment where anything seems possible." --Publishers Weekly

"Negrin's mixed-media art creates a lush, dreamlike environment where anything seems possible." --Publishers Weekly

Lesson Plan Ideas

1. http://www.crayola.com/crafts/detail/christmas-poinsettia-wreath-craft/

2.http://www.yourfinding.info/mov.php?c=miracle+of+the+first+poinsettia+lesson

3. http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=67

4.http://homeschoolingcoach.com/blog/2008/12/11/a-mexican-christmas-folktale-unit-study/

5. http://www.quotidian.us/issues/vol1no2-3.htm

6. http://www.donnan.com/poinsettia.htm

Product Description

Originally native to Mexico, beautiful poinsettia plants decorate homes around the world every holiday season. But few people who love the plant s deep red tones know the traditional Mexican tale about how the poinsettia first came to be. In this extraordinary collaboration, Fabian Negrin brings his warm, glowing scenes to Joanne Oppenheim s thoughtful narrative, transporting readers to Old-World Mexico and into the arms of a young girl as her trust leads her straight into a miracle. A beautiful alternative to the traditional nativity story, this book is a wonderful evocation of Mexican customs and culture.

About the Author

Joanne Oppenheim is the critically acclaimed author of more than fifty books for and about children, which have won US awards such as the IRA Big Book Award (1993) and the Ezra Jack Keats Award (1998). A former elementary teacher, Joanne has received widespread recognition for her work in child development, education and children's literature. Joanne is currently the President of Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Inc., a New York based organisation that reviews children's media, including toys, books, videos, music and software. Fabian Negrin is a native Argentinean whose magical, dreamlike paintings have illuminated the pages of five other books for children, including The Secret Footprints (Knopf, 2000) and Gauchada (Knopf, 2001). Fabian lived in Mexico for many years and now makes his home in Italy with his wife and son. This is his first title for Barefoot Books. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Elusive Moose

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Barefoot Books (September 6, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1905236751
ISBN-13: 978-1905236756
Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches

Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–

An unseen narrator lists the variety of northern wildlife she has seen, while expressing her desire to see a moose. Even just one glimpse of the elusive beast would fulfill her wish. The simple text is brought to life by endearing fabric appliqué illustrations. Each spread brims with cuddly looking felt animals and birds, adorned with button eyes, sequin spots, and pom-pom noses. The textured artwork lovingly depicts horses in a green pasture, beavers gnawing white birch trees, ducks swimming in a blue-patterned pond, etc. Colorful flowers made from an assortment of beads, fabric scraps, and creative stitch work add depth and contrast to the pictures. Observant children will notice that the yearned-for moose appears in each spread, often partly hidden but sometimes in plain view, adding to the fun. Back matter includes an annotated picture catalog of the animals mentioned and shows their tracks. A cozy fall-turns-to-winter story to share with budding nature lovers.–Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Fabric and felt collages, accented with tiny sequins, buttons, and beads, make a cozy, tactile backdrop for this humorous, winning lament. The narrator, whom viewers never see, gives a rhyming catalog of all the animals he or she has seen in the north woods: "Far off in the north / I've seen horses with foals. / I've spied beaver families / And marmots and moles." But never has the narrator seen a moose. The joke of the book, which grows richer with each reading, is that moose are present in part in every double-spread--antlers peeking through forest foliage, "moose hoof prints / On land white with snow." Finally, on the last spread, the narrator's wish comes true: there's a moose looking right at the viewer. Appended are several pages that picture and identify the animals that appeared in the book as well as a selection of animal tracks and a "Meet the Moose!" page of intriguing information about the shy creature. Connie FletcherCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A cozy fall-turns-to-winter story to share with budding nature lovers." --School Library Journal

Product Description

Travel to the northern lands to search for the elusive moose hidden in every scene of this charming book. You'll learn about the animals and the changing seasons in no time with the informative notes at the end.

About the Author

Joan Gannij began her career as a writer/photographer in America, before moving to Amsterdam to focus on her writing. She has written a number of travel guides and poetry collections, and Elusive Moose is her first project for Barefoot Books. Clare Beaton has been charming audiences for years with her handcrafted children's picture books. She has published many titles with Barefoot, including How Big is A Pig? (PB: 9781841480787; BB: 9781841489582), Mother Goose Remembers (HC with CD: 9781846860034), Secret Seahorse (HC: 9781841480787; PB: 9781841488769; BB: 9781905236145), and I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur (HC: 9781841482378; BB: 9781846860157). Clare lives in London. --This text refers to the Board book edition.

Lesson Plan Ideas

1. Moose Facts

http://www.moosefoundation.org/moose_facts.htm

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/moose.html

http://www.mymoose.com/Moose_Facts/moose_facts.html

http://eduscapes.com/nature/moose/kids.htm

http://mooseworld.com/

http://www.facts-about.org.uk/animals-moose.htm

2. Unit on Alaskan moose, using all subjects by Michelle C. Massion

http://www.col-ed.org/cur/misc/misc17.txt

3. ANKN searchable lessons and units

http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/curriculum/units/moose.html

Twelve Days of Christmas

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Barefoot Books (September 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1841489409
ISBN-13: 978-1841489407
Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.8 x 0.3 inches

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly

Thanks to Griffin's (The Fabrics of Fairy Tale) luxuriously appliqued and embroidered collages and handmade-paper constructions, the 12 days of Christmas here add up to a visual feast. Sequins, beads, buttons, richly dyed fabrics and more embellish these spreads in celebration of the traditional carol about true love and creative gift-giving. A CD recording of the song performed by British vocalist Caroline Butler. All ages.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Eye-popping colors in neon brights and jewel tones serve as the backgrounds for these creative collage illustrations by Griffin (The Fabrics of Fairy Tale, not reviewed), who adds contemporary flair to the old Christmas song. For her fabric-art illustrations, Griffin used beads, buttons, sequins, shells, mirrors, faux jewels, and a wide variety of fabrics and trimmings combined with embroidery details to create her images for each day of gift-giving. Some of the concepts are traditional, such as the single partridge in a pear tree; others are more unusual, like Griffin's idea of five golden rings-bracelets around an elephant's legs and trunk. This celebration circles the globe: her drummers are African with African fabrics worked into the design; her pipers are Middle Eastern snake charmers playing traditional instruments; and the maids a-milking and ladies dancing include women of color. A large decorated numeral begins each double-page spread on the left side, and the words describing each cumulative gift addition are added in a different typeface for even more visual interest. Children will like the dynamic colors, varied design elements, and tiny details; adult quilters and needle crafters will be drawn to Griffin's undeniable artistic flair. A CD of the Christmas song is included. (Picture book. 3-7) (Kirkus Reviews)

Needlework and embroidery make up the fabric of this fantastic picture book that miraculously turns a cumulative dirge into a delight. Sequins, buttons and elegant appliqué against lush, almost electric material make this like a quilt in a binding, and also like a quilt, this book is sure to be a family treasure. Gotta love those five ring-bearing elephants! British vocalist Caroline Butler carols on the accompanying CD. As far as gift-giving, this book is a little bit country and a little bit rock-and-roll, and definitely beats eleven pipers piping (probably considerably more economical, too). (7 and up)

Product Description

Rachel Griffin brings her collage illustration to one of the world's best-loved Christmas carols in this book and CD package. Children will learn to identify the words on the page as they follow along with the CD.

Lesson Plan Ideas

1. http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/detail/12-days-of-christmas-lesson-plan/

2. http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAMusicChristmas12DaysOfChristmasIdeaK5.htm

3. http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp290-07.shtml

4. http://dimacs.rutgers.edu/~judyann/LP/lessons/12.days.html

5. http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/math/twelvedaysxmas.html

6. http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MathMusicTheTwelveDaysOfMathChristmasSongIdea2.htm

7. http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/consumer.html

8. http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/Lessons/11044.htm

I Dreamt I Was A Dinosaur

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Barefoot Books (September 3, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1841482382
ISBN-13: 978-1841482385
Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.8 x 0.5 inches

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal (PreSchool-Grade 2)

Fantastical dinosaurs in a medley of plush hues are introduced in this charming picture book. The narrator begins by stating, I dreamt I was a dinosaur./You should have seen me romp and roar! Creatures created out of antique fabrics, felt, and other bric-a-brac cavort across the spreads; chomp on dyed yarn grass; forage for food among lacey flowers and ribboned stems; and swoop across the sky next to a sequined lava-spewing volcano. The sweet and simple text keeps the rhythm moving and works well with the art, always complementing and never competing for space. The pictures really do steal the show, though, with their incredible detail and inventiveness. Sequins have never looked so good. A small snail, hidden on each page, also entices readers to pore over the pages. At the end, the young narrator is seen in his bed, clutching his toy dinosaur. Then everybody disappeared–the dinosaurs had fled./Just my baby diplodocus lay beside me in my bed. A turn of the page reveals a plethora of information that will hold the attention of dinosaur fans. Even better are the Meet the Dinosaurs pages that identify the reptiles from the story, offering pronunciation guides and brief facts on each. This is easily one of the most adorable dinosaur books out there for the preschool-primary crowd.–Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"This is easily one of the most adorable dinosaur books out there for the preschool- primary crowd." --School Library Journal

Product Description

If you could be a dinosaur, which would you be? Would you roar like the ferocious T-Rex? Or soar overhead like the pterodactyl? In this playful early-learning book, Stella Blackstone s lyrical, rhyming text takes readers on an unforgettable Jurassic journey, while fabric artist Clare Beaton recreates the prehistoric world of dinosaurs using a colorful array of felt, sequins, beads and buttons.

About the Author

Stella Blackstone has written many best-selling titles for Barefoot Books, including the popular Bear and Cleo series, An Island in the Sun (HC: 1-84148-193-9; PB: 1-84148-0797-7) and Secret Seahorse (HC: 1-84148-704-X; PB: 1-84148-937-9; BB: 1-905236-15-8). Stella lives in Somerset, England. Clare Beaton has been charming audiences for years with her handcrafted children's picture books. She has published many titles with Barefoot, including Mother Goose Remembers (1-84148-073-8), Who Are You, Baby Kangaroo? (HC: 1-84148-217-X; BB: 1-905236-19-0) and Secret Seahorse (HC: 1-84148-704-X; PB: 1-84148-937-9; BB: 1-905236-15-8). Clare lives in London, England. --This text refers to the Board book edition.

Lesson Plan Ideas

1. Dinosaur theme page http://www.cln.org/themes/dinosaur.html

2. Dino activities from Children's Chicago Museum http://www.cln.org/themes/dinosaur.html

3. Dinosaur unit http://www.prekinders.com/dinosaurunit.htm