Tuesday Tales | The Angel Forever

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Tuesday Tales – The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah

Posted on March 20, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Have you ever heard of the PJ Library? I have written about it before, but it really is an amazing program available in some areas of the country.

Basically, Jewish families within the area with children can sign them up to receive a new book, music CD, or other item each month. Our boys are lucky and have been getting PJ Library items for several years now. As an educator, I love seeing all of the new books and authors that I have never experienced before. As a Jewish mother, I adore reading about holidays, people, and places that mean a lot to our religion. To see if your community participates, head over to the PJ Library website.

With Passover coming right around the corner, JSL received a new to him book.

Holiday House Books — ISBN: 9780823423279 — Paperback Picture Book $6.95

The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah is a great picture book for families to read together. The book takes a cute spin on a familiar tale. We meet the Little Red Hen as she begins to think about Passover. She knows that soon she will need to make matzah, which will mean planting wheat.

Adults and older children will quickly notice the attention to detail that author Leslie Gimmelman includes in the book. The Little Red Hen often uses Yiddish as she kvetches about the chutzpah that her friends who keep denying her assistance as she asks. Over and over, we see how The Little Red Hen keeps working toward her matzah making goal to get done in time for the Passover Seder. Her friends refusing to assist does not stop her from pushing forward.

When JSL and I were reading he adored the illustrations from Paul Meisel. Meisel’s art helps to further bring The Little Red Hen’s Passover tale alive. We can see how hard she works to make the matzah in the 18 minutes and then set her beautiful Seder table.

Of course, when you read the story you will see how The Little Red Hen becomes a mensch. Children of all ages can see how perfectly this word matches her actions given the story.

I highly recommend this book for all children and families to learn about Passover. The Little Red Hen gives some great details in a fun story that is perfect for readers of all ages.

Are you a member of the PJ Library? I would love to hear about books that you have received from them. As always, please share what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: My son received this book as a member of the PJ Library. Membership in our area is free and we are never expected to review/write about this, I simply wanted to share a great book. An Amazon Affiliate link is included in this post for the book mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.

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books Educational holidays interesting photos Product review Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – I’m Not Tired Yet!

Posted on March 13, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Raise your hand if you are tired from lack of sleep thanks to the clocks springing forward. . .

Imagine me sitting here waving my hands wildly! Although extra hours of sunlight are a wonderful thing, they wreck havoc on the sleep cycles of the kids in the house, which transfers over to the adults. Their bodies still think it is earlier, the sun is out, and they do not want to settle to get ready for bed. The timing on a rerelease of a book written and illustrated by Marianne Richmond could not have been more perfect.

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky; ISBN: 978-1-4022-6878-6; Picture Book; $16.99 March 2012

As the mother of an eight and almost five year old, I have heard a lot of excuses from my boys on why they are not tired and/or do not want to go to bed. I have to admit that NHL and JSL have very active imaginations, but nothing quite like Ralphie.

Ralphie is a six year old little boy who is the star character of I’m Not Tired Yet! He and his mother allow us to watch as they participate in their sweet bedtime routine. As we see from the start, Ralphie is not interested in going to bed. Although his mother is aware of his strategy to prolong his wake time, she engages in an adorable play with words with her young son. Together, they imagine multiple animal visits while allowing for time to kiss, hug, poke, and play before finally settling down for the night.

One example of Ralphie’s favorite animal is the polar bear. When he says that he can’t sleep because of a mosquito buzzing in his ear, she quickly suggests polar bear cuddle time. Sure enough the beautiful illustrations from Richmond allow us to see the sweet embrace of mother and son as polar bears.

Of course, children will see the repetitive nature of Ralphie’s mother saying good night to him and something cropping up soon after. Then, as his mother is about to leave, something seems to come to Ralphie’s little mind that requires his mother to stay a little longer.

When I read this book with JSL (4), he curled up next to me to listen to the story. He loved that Ralphie was young, but not too little. What I really liked was how JSL immediately wanted to try the fun items that Ralphie and his mother were doing in the book. We were apes, we did fish kisses, and other adorable items that did not get my little guy too amped up before his bedtime.

I believe this may have been the first time we have read one of Marianne Richmond’s books, but will not be the last. JSL has already asked to check into some of her other titles to read together. Ending the day with some laughs was a definite plus for us.

What have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sourcebooks in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. An Amazon Affiliate link is included in this post for the book mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.

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books jsl Product review sleep Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – It’s a Big World, Little Pig!

Posted on March 6, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

When we first got our Kindle, we wanted to try a picture book on it. That is when we met Poppy the Pig in Dream Big, Little Pig! The book was an adorable tale written by figure skating gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. In it, Poppy wants to be a star and learns that she has to work hard, be persistent, and believe in herself. When I was contacted by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky to let me know that Poppy was back, we immediately wanted to read about her new adventure.

It’s a Big World, Little Pig! is available in stores today. Poppy returns in this book following her dreams of going to a special competition in Paris. The heroine gets nervous about traveling from New York City all the way to Paris. She is especially worried about not making new friends in this far off location. Tim Bowers illustrations whisk us away from Poppy’s home in New York City to the competition village in Paris.

Through the book, Poppy meets and makes friends with competitors from different countries. She waits on line to register and meets a panda from China named Li. They talk, look at a map of the village, and share some of their own language with each other. This learning adventure continues as Poppy meets more friends and they help each other to be less nervous along the way.

As a parent, I love this book and how Kristi Yamaguchi helps to show that fears are normal when you do something new and different. She also shows that by being brave and meeting new people, you can help each other with these situations. We may not all look the same, or speak the same language, but kindness and smiles are understood by everyone. In addition to this, I adore how supportive Poppy’s parents are and how they continue to encourage her to reach her goals and then travel to view things in Paris with her after the event.

The educator in me adores how this book could convert to many teachable moments with older children. Not only can you talk about the concept of following your dreams, but you learn about new cultures, new places, and new languages with Poppy’s new friends. A lot of fun activities with passports. There are even activity kits that you can download for free from the first book that would be fun for children to try.

Another great perk about purchasing the book is that Kristi Yamaguchi is donating 100% of her profits from the book to early childhood literacy programs supported by her Always Dream Foundation.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sourcebooks in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. Two Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post for the two books mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.

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books Educational photos Product review Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Hunger Games Mania

Posted on February 28, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

In September 2008, author Suzanne Collins wrote a book that would quickly become a fan favorite. Now, almost three and a half years later, The Hunger Games has sold over 23.5 million copies in the United States. The book has spent more than 160 consecutive weeks on The New York Times bestseller list.

Hunger Games Trilogy on Kimberly Kindle

I have to admit, I have heard people raving about the book for a long time, but never stopped long enough to read it. Then more and more came out about the book being made into a major motion picture from Lionsgate. I was definitely more intrigued as friend after friend mentioned reading it. In addition to this, many teacher friends have used the book within their classrooms as a unit of study. Scholastic has even made pages on their website to help fans of all ages to connect to the trilogy and learn more.

When we got our Kindle, we selected The Hunger Games Trilogy as part of our prize. Last week, I finished reading some other books and sat down to start The Hunger Games. After the initial chapter, the pages were turning faster than I could imagine. Suddenly, I was swept away in the world of Katniss Everdeen. My mind was racing as the book reminded me of some novels that I read in High School, only I adored this SO much more. I quickly finished book and am now almost finished with Catching Fire. I have put my knitting down and can’t stop reading every chance that I have.

On March 23, The Hunger Game will blast onto the screen in theaters across the country. We will be able to watch Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, Effie, Cinna, and all of the other characters that captivate their audience. Here is the trailer for the movie:

Are you a fan of The Hunger Games Trilogy? Are you looking forward to seeing the movie coming out in less than a month? Let me know your thoughts on another book to movie event.

Disclosure: Three Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post for the items mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link. We bought this book on our own from Scholastic and know it is on our gift list for other children.

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books Educational interesting me moments Movies Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Isabella: Girl on the Go

Posted on February 21, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Last year, I read a blog post about a book called My Name Is Not Isabella: Just How Big Can a Little Girl Dream? It was not just any book. It was about inspiring children, especially girls, to dream big. The spunky little character within the story is Isabella. Author Jennifer Fosberry introduces us to this fun child who did not simply want to be herself, she wanted to be famous women in history. I fell in love with the New York Times bestselling book and was so excited to hear that Fosberry and illustrator Mike Litwin teamed up again for the new sourcebook about Isabella. The book is being released today.

In the first book, Isabella uses her imagination to showcase to her mother the amazing scientific women that she is pretending to become. She learns that the sky is the limit if she follows her dreams. In Isabella: Girl on the Go, we watch as Isabella sits in her backyard and talks to her father.

Once again, Isabella’s imagination takes her from her yard and propels her into the adventure of a lifetime. Each time her father asks her who she is, we are whisked off to a new city where we see a famous structure.

Thanks to Isabella, we are able to see that everything in the world is just a dream away. We learn about new careers like being an archeologist, artist, astronomer, and more while traveling to places like Paris, London, China, and beyond. The playful words from Fosberry allow readers to see where Isabella has gone in her imagination. They are paired perfectly with the gorgeous illustrations from Litwin.

The book really could be for multiple age levels. Younger children will marvel at Isabella’s silly imagination and talks with her father while in her own yard. Older children can use the tale as a starting point to do more research about the places and structures that Isabella sees within her vivid imagination. At the end of the book, there is even more information about the places and structures that we visit.

I know that I highly recommend this book and hope to use it for gifts in the future. More information about the book, a downloadable Isabella Girl on the Go Passport and activity kit, and book tour can be found on Sourcebooks website. I know I will be printing these out to try with my kids soon. They look like a fun addition to a book study in a classroom, or something to try at home on a snowy or rainy day.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sourcebooks in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. Two Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post for the two books mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.