Books

Fairy tales are very popular in our house. I'm not sure why, but my 4-year-old son is really into them. Maybe it's the timeless stories, or perhaps it's the element of fantasy involved (he's an imaginative little boy), but regardless of the reason, he's very drawn to them. For that reason, The Barefoot Book of Fairy Tales has been getting a lot of mileage with us.

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Some of the best loved books in our house are those published by Barefoot Books. Founded by mompreneurs in the UK in the 1990s, Barefoot Books has become a successful childrens' book publisher through a winning formula of great stories accompanied by beautiful art and illustrations. Many of their books, like Whole World pictured above, come with sing-along or read-along CDs, many narrated by well known award-winning actors. Stories presented in Barefoot Books are both timeless and timely, and include tales from a variety of the world's cultures.

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The New Year is here and it's not too late to get organized in your busy life. One of the tools that I have to do that, which I absolutely love, is my BusyBodyBook! The BusyBodyBook is a stylish and easy-to-use family organizer that allows you to keep track of the entire family's schedules. My BusyBodyBook is for the 2007–2008 academic year, but they also offer a traditional 2008 calendar year version which could definitely come in handy right now at the start of the year.

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While dueling cookbooks Deceptively Delicious and The Sneaky Chef have been grabbing the headlines lately, we recently got our hands on a fantastic little book that relies not on sneaking vegetable purees into your unsuspecting kids' food, but rather making delicious and nutritious meals that children love. The Baby Bistro Cookbook by Joohee Muromcew, a Marin mom and a frequent contributor to Town & Country and San Francisco magazines. The book, which gets kudos from food world heavy hitters like Mario Batali and Alice Waters, has great recipes that are often simplified but no less delicious versions of grown-up favorites. We like the chicken and white bean chili and peanut sesame noodles, but there are many more good things from simple dishes like toasted cheese sandwiches to shepherd's pie. Highly recommended!

To get into the spirit of Halloween, my kids and I recently checked out a bunch of spooky books from the library. My kids always look forward to going to the library on Wednesday for reading time and the chance to check out some new tales and fun stories of the coming season. I have to admit that I have also been having fun myself reading all the scary and not-so-scary tales of Halloween. My 4 year old and 20 month old have really enjoyed the following books:

Pumpkin Moon by Tim Preston

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Being pregnant and looking hip and gorgeous never went hand-in-hand when I was expecting. I use to go in and out of dressing rooms with handfuls of jeans, trying to find a pair that were somewhat flattering and, most importantly, comfortable. I recently came across a copy of a cool and insightful book called Rock Star Momma: The Hip Guide to Looking Gorgeous Through All Nine Months and Beyond by Skye Hoppus. Boy, I wish I had this book when I was pregnant! Author Skye Hoppus is a designer and former head of the MTV West Coast music office, and founder and owner of Childish Clothing, a ultra-hip line of maternity and children’s clothing. She’s also a real-life rock-star momma, and the wife of Mark Hoppus of blink-182 and +44 fame.

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Books, books, books! I have always loved to read books, especially when I was a kid. The sense of adventure and thrill of discovering a new story was always exciting. My son has also found the love of reading, so we were both excited when we discovered Barefoot Books. We instantly fell in love with their interesting and unique books. Barefoot's award-winning books capture your attention immediately, with their colorful and whimsical artwork. Some of the books include audio CDs, so your child can read and sing along with the stories. Some of the popular titles include African Playground, Alligator Alphabet, Animal Boogie, Dragon on the Doorstep, and my son’s favorite, Walking through the Jungle. To find out more about all their books and to purchase them online, go to www.barefootbooks.com.

Now that summer’s around the corner and school is almost over, I like to plan out different and funs things to do with my kids. Last summer, we discovered the reading game program at the South Novato Library, which my son loved being a part of. Participants were awarded prizes based on the number of books they read. This year the Marin County Public Library will be sponsoring the “Get a Clue!” reading program starting in June. Check with your local library for details.

Here are a few selections from the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2007 Children’s Notable Book recommendations. Visit their website for more reading suggestions.

Armstrong, Jennifer. Once Upon a Banana
A runaway monkey discards a banana peel, setting in motion a hilarious sequence of events in this nearly wordless picture book, punctuated by a series of rhyming street signs.

Bachelet, Gilles. My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World
This silly cat doesn’t always act like other cats.  Could that possibly mean it’s not really a cat?  That's the question in a picture book that will have readers giggling.

Chodos-Irvine, Margaret. Best Best Friends
Two best friends have a fight that separates them--no more hugs, no more sharing toys until the fight is over.  Preschoolers will see themselves in this loving story.

Newman, Jeff. Hippo! No, Rhino!
An absent-minded zoo keeper places the Hippo sign in front of the rhino’s enclosure.  Ignorant visitors mistake the rhino for a hippo even though the youngest reader can plainly see the truth, and say, “No, rhino!”

Pinkney, Jerry. The Little Red Hen
Oh joy of joys! There is yummy bread to be made, but who will help the little red hen?  

Shannon, David. Good Boy, Fergus!
Shannon humorously portrays the daily antics of Fergus, a West Highland terrier, who gets into all kinds of trouble, but is always a “good boy.”

For a links to Marin library websites, check our resources directory.