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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

We're Sailing to Galapagos: A Week in the Pacific

Laurie Krebs - author

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Barefoot Books (February 28, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1841489026
ISBN-13: 978-1841489025
Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.8 x 0.5 inches

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal (PreSchool-Grade 3)

A colorfully garbed couple take readers on a jaunty journey to the Galapagos Islands. For each day of the week, the rhymed text introduces one of the islands' unique animals. The repetition of the chorus "We're sailing to Galapagos. I wonder who we'll see" encourages audience participation. The bright collages create striking vistas that will also enhance group sharing. The youngest listeners will enjoy the visit to giant tortoises, black iguanas, and blue-footed boobies before they sail home. Older readers can learn more about the animals and Charles Darwin's famous exploration by perusing the informative entries following the rhyming section. Krebs offers an excellent introduction to a unique set of islands and some of its rare inhabitants. For a complementary choice that considers a single species, consider Francine Jacobs's Lonesome George, the Giant Tortoise (Walker, 2003).–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Tour the Galapagos Islands in a red-sailed boat and encounter many exotic land and sea animals, like giant tortoises, albatrosses, iguanas, lava crabs and booby birds! This rhyming story, which also teaches the days of the week, also includes fascinating facts on Charles Darwin, the Islands and the animals that live there.

About the Author

Laurie Krebs is a seasoned traveller and former teacher from Connecticut, USA. A mother of four grown children, she seeks to expose young people to a variety of different cultures and environments through her writing. Laurie's previous title with Barefoot books was the very successful We All Went on Safari, which was selected as one of Scholastic's "Best Books" for 2003, and was a Practical Pre-School Gold Award Winner (2003). Grazia Restelli was born in the province of Milan, and studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Brera. She graduated in sceneography, and in 1992 took a course in illustration at the Academy of Communication Studies in Milan. Her works have been shown in exhibitions all over Italy, and she has illustrated several books for Italian publishers. We're Sailing to Galapagos is her first title for Barefoot Books.

Lesson Plan ideas

1. Using a map or globe, show children where these islands are located and how they were formed. Some students can hold photographs of real animals that live on the islands. A verse between stanzas allows all the children to sing along as you read the book.

2. I purchased some museum quality Galapagos animal figurines from Safari Ltd. http://www.safariltd.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc? and used them with the book. We discussed each animal as they appear in the book. It allows for the child to be actively involved.

3. It introduces Galapagos animal vocabulary. You can play a game to practice this vocabulary. Find real images of the animals online and print them out into cards. Play what's missing with child by covering all cards with a towel or large non-transparent paper/card after child has looked at them for awhile. Then remove one card and ask "What's missing?". This encourages child to name the missing animal. Do the same with the remaining cards till you're done. You can do the same with the animal figurines in (2).

4. This book also introduces the days of the week. You could ask questions like, "What day do you think comes next?", etc.

We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey through Tanzania

Jambo! (means hello in Swahili, the most widely spoken language in sub-Saharan Africa).
As I go through books with my Big Little E, I will blog about the individual books here so we can all share in the benefit of them!

Here are some useful information on We All Went on Safari:

NOTE: "We All Went on Safari" has been printed in 16 foreign countries
and has won the following awards:

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award
Kirkus Book Review Stars
Child Magazine's Best Children's Books of 2003
Family Fun's Best Books of 2003
Capitol Choices 2004
The Children's Literature Choice List 2004
ForeWord Magazine's Silver Award for Picture Books
Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee, 2005
Great Lakes Great Book Award Nominee 2005
Teacher's Choice Award of 2004

Editorial Reviews

Review
"In this charming tale, your child follows a group of Maasai people as they travel across Tanzania, encountering big cats, ostriches, warthogs, monkeys, elephants, and other fascinating wildlife. There is also a glossary of Maasai names and a review of Swahili numbers from one to 10." --Your Big Backyard"

"The text's easy, natural rhythm makes reading aloud a pleasure:
'We all went on safari
Where the treetops intertwine.
We met mischievous monkeys,
So Doto counted nine'.

Each sharply detailed scene glows with jewel-like color, set off by the traditionally dressed human figures' heads and limbs. Further information about the Maasai, Tanzania, the ten children's Swahili names, and the equal number of wild creatures met along the way close this brilliant, horizon-expanding outing." --Kirkus Review (starred review)

"Youngsters will learn numbers from one to ten in English and Swahili as Mosi, Tumpe, Arusha, and other friends count African wildlife. Attractive borders frame vibrant watercolor spreads of different types of animals, including giraffes, elephants, zebras, and lions. The rhyming singsong verse, beginning with the refrain "We all went on a safari," lends itself to a fun read-aloud." --School Library Journal"

Product Description
Join Arusha, Mosi, Tumpe and their Maasai friends as they set out on a counting journey through the grasslands of Tanzania. Along the way, the children encounter all sorts of animals including elephants, lions and monkeys, while counting from one to ten in both English and Swahili. The lively, rhyming text is accompanied by an illustrated guide to counting in Swahili, a map, notes about each of the animals, and interesting facts about Tanzania and the Maasai people.

Lesson Plan Ideas
'It is important that children from the earliest stages are helped to recognise that there are many ways of seeing and understanding the world.'

Global citizenship activities in the early years provide opportunities for young children to:

• make connections between their lives and the lives of other children and families across the globe
• develop respect for other cultures, religions, languages and lifestyles
• understand that areas of their lives, such as the food we eat and how it is produced and transported, mean that we rely on the skills and resources of others.
  

Global issues are part of children and young people’s lives in ways unfamiliar to previous generations due to advances in technology such as the internet. We know far more about how children live across the world and can share information about our families and lifestyles. This provides an opportunity to encourage children to develop positive attitudes, to promote equal opportunities and to challenge discrimination.

Activities for under-5s

Download Global Citizenship: Activities for under 5s, activity ideas from the extensive Oxfam site on developing ideas about diversity and interdependence.

For a start, you can introduce your child to a foreign language - Swahili - with this precious, beautifully illustrated book. Your child will learn to count in Swahili:-

moja - one

mbili - two

tatu - three

nne - four

tano - five

sita - six

saba - seven

nane - eight

tisa - nine

kumi - ten

It's also in the style of Barefoot Books to include reference pages in the back of the book and in this book, you'll find the Swahili names for the animals found in Tanzania. For more Swahili for beginners go to http://mwanasimba.online.fr/E_index.html and then go to http://languagestudy.suite101.com/article.cfm/foreign_language_number_games to play foreign language number games and finally listen to Swahili songs here http://mwanasimba.online.fr/E_songs.htm

Books for Africa

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the United States, a holiday that reminds us to express gratitude for what we have and reach out to those who have less. In this spirit of giving, we cannot think of a better time to announce Barefoot Books' partnership with Books For Africa, a truly inspiring organization whose mission is to bring the enduring gift of literacy, education and hope to underprivileged children and their communities in Africa.

Books For Africa is the largest shipper of donated books to the African continent. Since 1988, they have sent over 20 million books to 44 African countries and into the hands of rural schoolchildren. Many of these children are taught in primitive schoolrooms without running water, electricity or the basic materials and tools needed to learn. By collecting, sorting and shipping books to these communities, Books For Africa provides these children with the fundamental tools they need to learn, grow and improve their individual lives and the world around them. To learn more, we encourage you to visit the Books For Africa web site and watch this inspiring video on their mission.

Before we go into the details of this partnership, we felt it was important to share the story of how it came to be. This story speaks volumes about the power of human connection, because our relationship with Books For Africa stemmed from a chance encounter between one of our very own Stallholders and a Books For Africa employee. Tara Morrison, a Stallholder in Minnesota, was selling Barefoot at an outdoor event this summer when she struck up a conversation with a woman who walked into her booth. This woman turned out to be Linda Mah oney, the Director of International Relations for Books For Africa. Tara, who has a life-long passion for Africa's culture and people, already knew of Linda's organization and was happy to gather more information about it and share the story of Barefoot Books. Sensing the connection between the two, Linda made sure to pass along her business card before purchasing some books for her granddaughter. Afterwards, the mission of Books For Africa stayed with Tara and she continued to reflect on the similarities between the two organizations. Eventually, she called Linda to meet for coffee, and as Tara told us, "The more we talked, the more we could both envision what an amazing partnership this could be." So Tara put Linda in touch with our staff here at the US office, and we too quickly realized what a perfect fit this would be for both organizations - and the rest is history!

From a chance encounter evolving into a conversation over coffee and eventually into the exciting partnership we are announcing today, we thank Tara for illustrating so beautifully how simple human connections can grow and develop into something larger and more rewarding than we could have imagined. We couldn't be more excited about launching this meaningful partnership with Books For Africa. They are truly an organization that speaks to the core of what Barefoot Books is about - spreading literacy, art and cultural understanding throughout the world, and extending a helping hand to children less fortunate than our own.

We have committed to this partnership through at least the end of 2009, and this week we are implementing a number of ways to supplement the work of Books For Africa. Without further ado, read below to hear how Barefoot will be working with Books for Africa to support their existing efforts and bring the colorful art and story in ou r books to children half-way around the world!

Books For Africa Donations on the Barefoot Books Website (US only) This Wednesday we are launching a new Books for Africa page on our US website that will allow customers to donate a selection of African-themed books to Books For Africa by "purchasing" them at well below retail value. These donated books, available for either $5 or $3, will be set aside at our warehouse in Wisconsin and picked up in bulk by Books For Africa for shipment to the African continent.

For $5, customers can donate these hardcover titles: We All Went on Safari, Mama Panya's Pancakes, We're Sailing Down the Nile, Hidden Hippo
For $3, customers can donate these board book titles: How Loud is a Lion, Zoe and her Zebra

Books For Africa Bookmarks
For the second component of this partnership, we will be offering beautiful We all Went on Safari-themed bookmarks for sale. The proceeds from the sale of these bookmarks - which read "Your purchase supports Books for Africa" on the back - will be donated to Books for Africa to offset the cost of shipping books to the continent. The bookmarks will be shrink-wrapped in packs of 20.

This special offer below will extend from late-Wednesday, 26 November through 11:59pm PCT/23:59 GMT on Sunday, 30 November (3:00 am EST on Monday, 1 December). Spend $50 and get a free copy of We All Went on Safari.