Feed Me Books Friday: I Spy, In the Rearview Mirror

Two Happy Road-Trippers

Rather than a big summer vacation, we’ve made several shorter jaunts this year – which has meant a considerable amount of time on the road. As a result, I’ve been on the lookout for car-friendly entertainment. Scored a Crayola dry-erase lap board on clearance at Target, found travel scavenger hunt cards in the dollar bin at Joann’s, and we keep the portable DVD charged and stowed under the backseat just in case. But my favorite find this season has been a toy combined with (you guessed it) a book!

Look – in the backseat – it’s a toy, it’s a book, no it’s a lifesaver!

Ok, so lifesaver might be a better descriptor for the carseats my kids are riding in, but I really had no idea how cool this would be when I ordered it! I have had my eye on I Play’s Peek a Book Bags for some time now – car toy, church toy, diaper bag toy – many possibilities. Then I as I was checking for new options and price drops, I found the Peek a Boo Pack. It combines the Everything A to Z Peek a Boo bag with a board book in a travel friendly fabric case. The bag is made of cloth with a clear vinyl window. Inside, tiny plastic and rubber objects representing all the letters of the alphabet are hidden among tiny white beads. The user (you’ll find this as entertaining as your child) manipulates the beads by squishing and turning the bag while peeking through the window to find the objects. The book features pictures and rhymes highlighting the hidden items and giving children a master list as well as increased motivation to search for them. We had a blast with it on a recent 4 hour car trip. Not only did we search for the objects as directed by the book, but we made up our own games like who could find objects the fastest, finding objects in alphabetical order, finding an object then identifying its beginning sound, and finding an object then challenging a partner. I also purchased the Language Development Eye Spy Bag; while it does not include a book, it does come tagged with a card giving suggestions for vocabulary building activities like practicing letters, colors, shapes, even prepositions, and pronouns. By having two bags we avoided sharing issues and both are definitely entertaining. Your child can benefit from both the cognitive as well as the physical challenge of finding the objects among the beads. This is an item that will be part of my travel bag from now on – B even asked for one this week during a short ride to the grocery store!

Appropriate for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, primary grades.

photo courtesy M Kuhn via Flickr

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Feed Me Books Friday: Making Memories

I leave for vacation tomorrow, so for this week I hope you will oblige me with a little break and enjoy some of my previous travel related posts, like: 

• My suggestions for great books to travel with.
• Ideas for vacation planning with books.
• Why I think books make better souvenirs than snow globes - or most other trinkets.
• Preparation for travel - feeling confident and comfortable.
• Some thoughts on routines, manners, and discipline whether traveling or at home.
• A fun story about what happens at home when the family is on vacation.
• And of course, there's last week's post about packing, if you missed it!

Looking forward to reading all your suggestions when I return! Have a great week!

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Feed Me Books Friday: Prioritizing Packing

How Many Monster Trucks Can You Fit in a Suitcase?

I’m starting to prepare for our summer get-away; I’m a list-writing, pile-making, basket-sorting kind of packer. I need to start early. B must have learned his packing behavior from me, or maybe he’s just eager. As soon as we even talk about a trip on the horizon, he’s ready to pack his bag. Unfortunately, he hasn’t yet mastered the art of practical packing. (I know, I know, HE’S 5!)

Diffusing a Potential Argument with Humor

Rather than arguing about B’s choices after he’s already gotten his heart set on taking 5 pairs of shoes, Mr. Potato Head, and a squirt gun, I’ve learned to have a conversation early about what we’ll need when we get there and what kinds of toys we’ll be able to enjoy. It helps him make better choices, and he develops the cognitive skill of prioritizing and sorting. A fun prelude to making smart choices is Shirley Neitzel’s The Bag I’m Taking to Grandma’s. We love every one of her rebus books we’ve come across, but this one is especially high on the list. The young packer in this story is preparing for a trip to Grandma’s and some of his choices are understandable, if impractical, while others are downright outlandish! The bag could never realistically hold all the items he chooses, but that is part of the fun. Eventually, Mom intervenes with some more practical suggestions, but he still gets to make some decisions too. The story is told in rhyme, with rebus pictures representing all the items he wants to pack, making it perfect for a read-together activity. Read it enough times (like us) and your child will be “reading” the whole thing on his own.

Appropriate for toddlers, preschoolers

Any suggestions for packing success with a preschooler? Cool ideas for fun in the hotel? Remember, I’m making lists here!

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Big Fun, Little Guy

Playing with the Big Guys

My son, like many 4-year-olds, vacillates between feeling he can take on the world and being afraid to enter his own dark bedroom alone. My husband (shout-out to a super dad!) tries to include B in many of his activities. It accomplishes two things: first, Daddy gets projects done and spends quality time with B at the same time; second, B gains a real sense of pride at being able to do grown-up things. He loves to work on projects around the house or yard with Daddy (and thanks to Papa he has kid-friendly versions of all the requisite tools). He accompanies Daddy to the driving range to practice his golf swing. He’s even tagged along for a couple of casual lunches with Daddy’s colleagues. Unfortunately, sometimes B’s sense of big-boy entitlement goes a little too far, and he has to be reminded that Mommy and Daddy make the rules, and not all activities are appropriate for kids.

It’s a book! It’s a toy! It’s a souvenir! It’s a lesson!

I’ve shared my affinity for books as souvenirs before, and as anyone whose read my last two posts knows, I just returned from some family vacation time. Most of our time was spent blissfully unscheduled, relaxing at the resort pools and recreation areas, but we did fit in an aquarium visit. B’s souvenir from the aquarium trip was a fun book by William Boniface, The Adventures of Max the Minnow. First of all, the book caught B’s eye (and proved entertaining on the car ride home) because of the googly eyeballs protruding from the cover. A rigid clear ball encases each greed-irised “eyeball” which glide and jiggle and are weighted such that no matter which way you turn this board book, the pupils continue to “look” at you! Now, while Minnows weren’t exactly the feature creature at the aquarium, I think a book about fish is enough of a connection to jog our memories and discuss our vacation excursion.


Braun vs. Brains

The story of Max the Minnow is told in rhythmic couplets – iambic septameter to be exact. Unnecessary terminology, I know, that’s the Lit. major in me coming out. What that means to the reader is that every other syllable is accented in slightly shorter lines than Shakespeare wrote most of his works. It makes the text very bouncy and light. The illustrations are bright and cartoonish, and holes through to the back of the book allow a different creature to show off the googly eyes on each page. Max begins the story frustrated that little guys (remember he’s a minnow) must hide and watch the big fish at play. Inspired by watching blowfish puff up, he sets out to try to become bigger by eating malts, pizza, and noodles, but discovers his new pudgy size makes him the target of some clownfish teasing. His last stop is Sharky’s Diner, where his new plump physique makes him a target for the shark chef. He’s sure hope is lost when he discovers his size has slowed him down, but remembers in the nick of time that “brains mean more than bulk” and finds a space just large enough for him (but not the shark) to escape. When children experience frustration because they’re not allowed to do grown-up things or because they’re not physically big enough to do certain activities, this story is a great way to start a discussion about all the special qualities they do possess or privileges they have.

Appropriate for: toddlers, preschoolers, primary grades

What special activities make your child feel grown-up? Hope you’ll share in the comments and/or add your own link to share a recommended book!

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Feed Me Books Friday: Vacation Reading

See You Soon!

As you read this, we’re away enjoying our summer vacation (don’t call me a procrastinator…) with the boys and their Gramma and Papa. If I don’t respond to your comments right away or get around to visit everyone’s links until I return, you have my deepest apologies. We’re not sure yet what our internet status will be while on vacay, and truth-be-told, I will choose quality time with my family over blogging and catch-up later if necessary. In honor of our trip, I thought I’d share one of my favorite vacation-themed books. I also thought I’d share some of my other travel related posts, including travel plans, souvenir books, travel preparation, travel manners, and travel entertainment.


A New Meaning for House-sitting

The humor in House Takes a Vacation, by Jacqueline Davies, is just as, if not more, enjoyable for adults as it is for children. If you’re reading it with little ones, you may want to pause to explain some of the wordplay, or you may choose to let the humor go over their heads. If your child has shown curiosity about figures of speech or confusion due to literal interpretations, this book would be a fun way to go about explaining some of the silliness of language. Upon being left alone by a vacationing family, the house decides it will go on a holiday of its own. The different parts of the house want to go different places that appeal to their personalities (the sun porch longs for the beach, but the basement is a stick-in-the-mud). Davies' word play, puns, and figurative language come fast and furious as the front door leads the way to the seashore. Antics ensue, but the end result is much like any family’s return from vacation: happy memories coupled with warm fuzzy feelings when returning home. The house makes it home just before its occupants, who are puzzled by the hints of adventure (seaweed on the roof) still decorating the house. The story ends with the house planning its next adventure, which is a great invitation to a story or artwork for your little one!


Appropriate for: toddlers, preschoolers, primary grades


Hope you’ll share some of your recommended reading this week! We’ll be ready to load up at the library when we return from our trip!

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More Bang for Your Book-Buck

Fitting Imagination, Reading, and Play in Your Carry-On

With so many folks traveling in the summer (myself included) I like to share tricks I’ve learned for keeping my preschooler busy whether it’s in the back-seat, on an airplane, or in the living room waiting for guests to arrive. Top That! Publishing has a huge selection of magnetic play and learning books that I love! We own On the Farm, Wild Animals, and Let’s Build, Each includes a story on board book quality magnetic pages as well as a fold out scene for imaginative play and an attached case to hold the 20 play scene magnets.
 

  
Fantastic Features of These Books:

• Wordless 3-panel play scene encourages imaginative, open-ended play that does not require direct adult participation for non-readers.
  
• Magnetic pages allow play on the move (though they’re not super strong – if you drop them on the floor of the car, the magnets will fall off).
  
• Text of stories introduces contextual vocabulary, and then matching magnets help children identify and interact with new words.
  
• Manipulation of magnets and placement in scenes encourages physical dexterity and fine-motor-skill development.
  
• All pieces can be neatly stowed in attached case, helping to prevent loss and frustration.

Disclaimer:
I’m starting to feel like this review is bordering on sounding like an advertisement, which it’s not. I have no connection with Top That! I did go check out their website to look at some other products, but my links are my normal Amazon affiliate links. I’m hoping the reps at Top That! enjoy my review and might send me something else to share with you, but that may be wishful thinking...



Your Child Makes the Story Complete

In each book, the text of the story identifies where items or characters are located and the actions that are taking place. Your child uses the magnets to complete the illustrations so that the pictures correctly illustrate the text. That’s not to say you couldn’t add whatever magnets looked nice, but B is in a stage that he has realized text has meaning, and he’s emphatic that I read it carefully with him and make sure we choose the correct pieces. When I’m not able to participate closely (i.e., I’m driving) he can open up the play scene and make up his own story. Sometimes he narrates has he goes, and sometimes he creates the scene then describes it for me afterward.

 

Myriad Possibilities

I usually try to limit our packing to one play set when we travel, but at home they sometimes come out all at once. The wild animals have visited the farm and a cow has shown up on the building site – that’s part of the creativity! The Funny Faces series looks adorable and I’m intrigued by the Play and Learn Series, which includes text and magnets that introduce concepts such as shapes, numbers, colors, and first words. I may have to order a new one before our next trip, because as we know, something new is twice as entertaining!

Appropriate for: toddlers (if they’re supervised and past the stuff-in-mouth stage), preschoolers, primary grades.

Don't forget: Feed Me Books Friday will be hosted HERE at Little Sprout Books this week! I hope you'll come back and link up!

Linking Up With:

We Play at Childhood 101 link up

What My Child is Reading

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Story Time at Behavior Boot Camp

Do Rules Relax Too?

With summer in full swing, is anybody feeling we’ve relaxed a little too much? Have you let more of your routine go than you’re comfortable with? For me, it is a balancing act I’m just learning to perform. Maybe when B was younger the routine didn’t seem so necessary, or maybe when I worked outside the home (in a school), summer break was summer break and I didn’t question it. But this year, I have mixed feelings. Some days, I see no reason to hatch a plan or commit to anything besides enjoying the sunshine and following B’s lead when it comes to activities. Other days, I start to crave the predictability of a schedule and I get a little stir crazy.


Bye-bye Bad Behavior

A friend of mine recently commented that she felt her children needed a “behavior boot camp” to wipe out bad attitudes and talking back. She found success in just a couple days of reminding her kids of her expectations. I think sometimes a behavior backslide is at the root of my desire for routine. We let the routine go, then maybe we bend some of the rules, and B has trouble knowing what to expect and acting accordingly. I have no desire to be uber-scheduled or living by my day-planner (I don’t even own one). My new plan for balance is this: summer days will continue to be joyfully free, unplanned, and spontaneous, but we’re going to take lazy out of the equation. When we get up in the morning (or sometimes just before bed) B and I will discuss our plans for the day. We’ll have something to anticipate and look forward to, as well as expectations to adhere to. I think it will make the days happier for both of us.


Travel Trauma

If your summer plans include travel (we have several small trips planned), routines can be hard to come by and behavior an even bigger challenge. Laying out plans and expectations are even more helpful away from home, and that I can say from experience. When B knows what the day holds, dealing with the less fun stuff (car rides, waiting in line, etc) is mitigated by the anticipation of the fun stuff (visiting attractions, seeing friends and family). New experiences also tend to cause a bit of regression in all of us, but especially preschoolers and toddlers – it’s hard to act like a big boy when anxiety is making you want to crawl in mommy’s lap. Getting a heads-up on the people or places you’ll encounter may help the day go more smoothly for your little one. It works wonders for B.


Please Say Please! – It’s a Book, It’s a Game!

Please Say Please! Penguin’s Guide to Manners is a fun book that can help your child remember and practice her manners and social development skills. In the story, Penguin has invited several friends to his house for a dinner party. On each page, the reader is presented with a scenario, “When a chimpanzee wants more to at,” and a possible animal behavior, “she should grab what she wants. Gimme, Gimme!” Followed by the question, “Is that right?” The answer is no every time, but you can make a game out of suggesting an appropriate behavior before you turn the page for the author’s suggestion, “please pass the bananas.” This is a great way to reinforce the expectations at your house and discuss that other people or situations may require different behaviors. The author Margery Cuyler, covers 11 dinner and social gathering behaviors, including trying new foods, talking with one’s mouth full, and greetings and good-byes. B got a lot of laughs out of the “bad” animal behaviors, and did a great job of correcting them.


Appropriate for preschoolers, primary grades.


Linking up with What My Child is Reading this Week

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You Can Take the Moon with You

Packing Up

Around our house, we take a lot of imaginary vacations. Usually our destinations are places we’ve visited before as a family, but sometimes B picks out places from books or movies. He received a small, hand-me-down, rolling suitcase from our neighbor a couple years ago, and he loves to pack it up for our imaginary trips and other pretend games. Sometimes it’s full of clothes, but other times it is full of books, play power tools, or plastic food storage containers pilfered from the kitchen cabinets. It always intrigues and amuses me to hear B’s rationale behind his packing choices.


Trip Preparation


We just returned from our first summer getaway, and have a couple more planned in the coming months. We’re opting for shorter, nearer, more affordable trips this year, because it allows us to stretch our enjoyment (and our dollar) over the whole summer. Whether you’re traveling across town or around the globe, you’ll enjoy reading See You Soon Moon in preparation for your trip. Packing up and leaving home can be hard at any age, but for the toddler or preschooler entrenched in their familiar routines, it can be a major cognitive challenge. A book like See You Soon Moon can help address questions and soothe discomfort.


A Travel Story for Your Sprout

Donna Conrad’s See You Soon Moon is told from the perspective of a little boy preparing for a trip to Grandma’s house. You and your child can read about his preparations: “I think I’ll take my blanket,” and trepidations: “I’ll miss you swings,” as well as the trip experience: “the car is jiggling me up and down.” From the car window, it appears to the little boy that the moon he bid goodbye to at home is instead following him up the hill, around the lake, and along the highway. The trip is uniquely illustrated by Don Carter with dimensional oil painting. Upon arrival at Grandma’s the little boy greets her and discovers the moon is there too – a comforting and familiar feeling in a less familiar place. B loves to go on trips, but we always bring along some familiar objects to make our stay more comfortable, and what easier way to feel connected to home than to remember that we’re all going to bed under the same moon? How do you make trips more comfortable for your little ones?


Appropriate for toddlers, preschoolers, primary grades.


I’m linking up with Feed Me Books Friday and Meme’s the Word (on Saturday).

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Souvenir Books

What do You Bring Home?

When you are lucky enough to find the time and money for a family vacation, the most important things to bring home are happy memories and strengthened family bonds, but beyond that, what makes the best souvenir? I’m a photo junkie, with big dreams of vacation scrapbooks. Right now those look more like vacation scrap-piles, but it’s a start. Kid’s souvenirs can be tricky… A T-shirt? A theme-park toy? Something local and authentic they’ll break before you get home? Something made in China they pick out in the gift shop? The answers depend on the kid, the parent, the trip, and the moment, but I’d love to hear what you think. We have established two traditions in our travels with child(ren) thus far: We write a postcard and send it home to each child (cool photo, written memory, local postmark) and we look for a book that is either about the location or about an activity we enjoyed there. In choosing and buying books, I’ve sometimes waited until we’ve returned from the trip to gauge what was memorable for B and seek out a book that will help him recall those memories.

My Lucky Toddler

Due to a serendipitous combination of circumstances, including my teaching schedule, an invitation from my parents, and a Christmas gift, B’s first vacation was a trip with my extended family to Hawaii. My lucky 18-month-old got to experience a plane flight, a Hawaiian holiday, and irreplaceable family memories. We got to introduce our toddler to the warm tropical ocean waters, see the sights, and have some help from the family along the way.

I wonder how many of those memories will stick with him – he still talks about it now, and I hope that by talking about it and jogging the memory with our souvenir book, he’ll continue to treasure those early vacation memories as he ages.

Take a Board Book Tour of Hawaii

If you read my post on Good Night America, you already know I’m a fan of Adam Gamble’s Good Night World Series. After returning from Hawaii, I ordered Good Night Hawaii from Amazon because experience told me that it would be full of references to the tourist stops we enjoyed and pictures that would help B remember and articulate his experiences. I was not disappointed. While not every location featured in the book was familiar to us (no volcano exploration on that trip), it gave us a springboard for our memories of the places we did visit and has also generated some talk of plans for other trips (much like Good Night America).

Appropriate for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, on up!

Better than a T-shirt?

So am I a nerd for thinking books make great souvenirs? Or are there other bibliophile travelers out there? I never bought books as souvenirs before my kids were born, but I’m starting to wish I had!

I’ll be linking up with Ginny Marie’s Where in the World Wednesday at Lemon Drop Pie.

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