Valarie Budayr's Blog, page 81
December 11, 2014
Do You Remember the Joys of Paddington Bear? The Paddington Treasury
{Guest Post by Hannah Rials}
The Paddington Treasury by Michael Bond and illustrated by R.W. Alley is a collection of six wonderful stories from the bear that we all know and love—Paddington Brown.
Paddington
This story is the introduction to Paddington Bear’s tale. In here, we meet a young bear from the Darkest Peru who is found by the Brown family in the train station where they are meeting their daughter. Mr. Brown notices the bear and asks him if he needs any help. Not only are they stunned that he can speak, but he is also very impressed with the bear’s manners. After deciding that the bear should come home with them, they name him Paddington, after the train station, and get him some tea to drink. They collect their daughter Judy and Paddington, who makes a mess of his tea and snacks, and take a taxi back to their home where their son and nanny, Mrs. Bird, are waiting. At the Brown’s house, he impresses Mrs. Bird with his very fine manners and experiences his first bath, where he again makes a mess of bubbles, shaving cream, and other bathroom materials. Paddington ends his first day with the Browns by starting to share his story, but ends up falling asleep in their extremely immensely arm chair.
Something To Do Activitiy
Paddington’s Marmalade**A recipe for Paddington’s Orange Marmalade:
Paddington looovveess his orange Marmalade! Here’s how you can create your own from the Food Network:
2. Paddington at the Palace
Mr. Gruber takes Paddington to the place so that he can see the changing of the guards. When they first arrive, he sees a figure in one of the windows, and waves his British flag just in case it is the queen, who happens to be in the castle on this particular day. As the parade starts, Paddington is unable to see over the heads of the people in front of him, and by the time he crawls his way to the front under people’s legs, the parade has passed—he didn’t get to see a single guard. Before Paddington and Mr. Gruber leave, they are invited onto the grounds so that they can take a proper picture for Paddington’s scrapbook—the queen must have seen him waving his flag for her.
Fun Facts about the English Flag:
The flag of the United Kingdom is commonly called “Union Jack.”
The three colors—red, blue, and white—represent the three countries under one ruler, England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The flags of the three countries became combined under the rule of Queen Anne Bolenyn in 1801.
The red cross is England’s flag. The white and blue X is Scotland’s flag, and the red X is Northern Ireland’s flag. Together, they make the Union’s flag.
3. Paddington at the Zoo
Judy and Jonathan decide to take Paddington for a zoo day. Paddington decides to make six marmalade sandwiches in case they get hungry. However, the day does not start off right. When they arrive at the zoo, the guard announces that pets are not allowed in the zoo. Offended, Paddington stares hard at the guard until he lets them pass. Inside, he takes pictures with each of the animals—parrots, donkey, elephant, lion, and penguins. Each time, the animals take a sandwich, and his last sandwich is stolen by a man in the penguin exhibit. At the end of the day, looking back at the pictures, Paddington decides to put the picture of him with parrot in his scrapbook because the parrot is the only one who said thank you for his sandwich.
A recipe for Cheese and Marmalade sandwich:
4. Paddington in the Garden
Paddington is very thankful for the Brown’s garden. It is very beautiful and peaceful, even with the building area nearby. Mrs. Bird decides that it will be a good idea to let Paddington, Judy, and Jonathan have a piece of the garden for themselves to take care of and keep them out of trouble. Judy decides to plant flowers. Jonathan arranges tiles for a fountain, but Paddington has no clue. So he goes in search of ideas. In the market, he finds a book on gardening that talks about looking at your garden from up high to get ideas. Paddington goes to the construction site near the Brown’s house, setting his marmalade down so that he may climb high while the workers are on their tea break. When the laborers begin to work again, his marmalade is knocked over and stains a pile of concrete orange. Instead of throwing the concrete away, as the workers would have otherwise had to do, they let Paddington take them back to the Brown’s, where he makes a rock garden, finished off with some plants that the workers give him. On National Garden day, Paddington’s garden wins first prize, with a gold star due to his extraordinary orange stones.
How to make your own piece of a garden —
1. Ask yourself…what do you want to plant?
2. Picture how you want your garden to look.
3. Make sure everything is planned out and has enough room to grow.
4. Plant and watch the miracle of life!
5. Paddington and the Marmalade Maze
Mr. Gruber takes Paddington for another outing to Hampton Court Palace. Here they see the various rooms, the huge beds, the tall fireplaces, and the orange fish in the pond. Before they leave to go home, Mr. Gruber says that they must go through the maze, even though some people get stuck for hours. A group of tourists overhears them and wishes to see a real english home. In order to lose the group—so that Mrs. Bird will not get angry at them for bringing a big group back to the house—Paddington tricks them into the maze where they get lost. In order to find his way out, Paddington leaves a trail of Marmalade to follow—a trick he learned from his Aunt Lucy, that and keeping a spare marmalade sandwich in case of emergencies.
—What have you learned from your family?
All families have tricks that have passed down through the generations, whether it be recipes, every day tips, or history. So what have you learned?
6. Paddington the Artist
Mr. Gruber takes Paddington to an outside Exhibition, but Paddington does not enjoy any of the paintings that are for sale. Instead, he decides to paint pictures of his own. He paints a sunset, rain, and a self portrait. But the sunset becomes dark before he can finish. And it rained on his painting of the rain. And Paddington could not for the life of him remember what he looked like, even though he kept looking at himself in the mirror. He sets up an exhibition of his own outside his house to sell his paintings, but he falls asleep in the warm afternoon. When he wakes up, all of his paintings are gone, and an envelope of cash rests in his coat pocket. But Paddington does not need to know that Mr. Gruber was the recipient of all of Paddington’s paintings.
—Painting and never giving up.
Painting is not as easy as it seems. But painting is a great outlet for feelings and experiences. Even if you are not the best painter in the world, you can still paint. Artists don’t paint for every one else. They paint for themselves. Never forget that. Paint whenever and whatever you want, and never ever give up!
Thanks for reading!
Born in the hills of Louisiana and raised in the mountains of Tennessee, Hannah Rials is an eighteen year old aspiring author and editor. Now a freshman in college, she’s been writing short stories since she was a little girl, but for the past several years, she has been writing, editing, and reediting a novel of her own that will soon be published by Audrey Press. Hannah has always loved reading and the world of books. With a librarian grandmother who can tell the most magical stories, how could she not fall in love with the written word? Her library collection and love for books grows every day.
The post Do You Remember the Joys of Paddington Bear? The Paddington Treasury appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
Do You Remeber the Joys of Paddington Bear? The Paddington Treasury
{Guest Post by Hannah Rials}
The Paddington Treasury by Michael Bond and illustrated by R.W. Alley is a collection of six wonderful stories from the bear that we all know and love—Paddington Brown.
Paddington
This story is the introduction to Paddington Bear’s tale. In here, we meet a young bear from the Darkest Peru who is found by the Brown family in the train station where they are meeting their daughter. Mr. Brown notices the bear and asks him if he needs any help. Not only are they stunned that he can speak, but he is also very impressed with the bear’s manners. After deciding that the bear should come home with them, they name him Paddington, after the train station, and get him some tea to drink. They collect their daughter Judy and Paddington, who makes a mess of his tea and snacks, and take a taxi back to their home where their son and nanny, Mrs. Bird, are waiting. At the Brown’s house, he impresses Mrs. Bird with his very fine manners and experiences his first bath, where he again makes a mess of bubbles, shaving cream, and other bathroom materials. Paddington ends his first day with the Browns by starting to share his story, but ends up falling asleep in their extremely immensely arm chair.
Something To Do Activitiy
Paddington’s Marmalade**A recipe for Paddington’s Orange Marmalade:
Paddington looovveess his orange Marmalade! Here’s how you can create your own from the Food Network:
2. Paddington at the Palace
Mr. Gruber takes Paddington to the place so that he can see the changing of the guards. When they first arrive, he sees a figure in one of the windows, and waves his British flag just in case it is the queen, who happens to be in the castle on this particular day. As the parade starts, Paddington is unable to see over the heads of the people in front of him, and by the time he crawls his way to the front under people’s legs, the parade has passed—he didn’t get to see a single guard. Before Paddington and Mr. Gruber leave, they are invited onto the grounds so that they can take a proper picture for Paddington’s scrapbook—the queen must have seen him waving his flag for her.
Fun Facts about the English Flag:
The flag of the United Kingdom is commonly called “Union Jack.”
The three colors—red, blue, and white—represent the three countries under one ruler, England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The flags of the three countries became combined under the rule of Queen Anne Bolenyn in 1801.
The red cross is England’s flag. The white and blue X is Scotland’s flag, and the red X is Northern Ireland’s flag. Together, they make the Union’s flag.
3. Paddington at the Zoo
Judy and Jonathan decide to take Paddington for a zoo day. Paddington decides to make six marmalade sandwiches in case they get hungry. However, the day does not start off right. When they arrive at the zoo, the guard announces that pets are not allowed in the zoo. Offended, Paddington stares hard at the guard until he lets them pass. Inside, he takes pictures with each of the animals—parrots, donkey, elephant, lion, and penguins. Each time, the animals take a sandwich, and his last sandwich is stolen by a man in the penguin exhibit. At the end of the day, looking back at the pictures, Paddington decides to put the picture of him with parrot in his scrapbook because the parrot is the only one who said thank you for his sandwich.
A recipe for Cheese and Marmalade sandwich:
4. Paddington in the Garden
Paddington is very thankful for the Brown’s garden. It is very beautiful and peaceful, even with the building area nearby. Mrs. Bird decides that it will be a good idea to let Paddington, Judy, and Jonathan have a piece of the garden for themselves to take care of and keep them out of trouble. Judy decides to plant flowers. Jonathan arranges tiles for a fountain, but Paddington has no clue. So he goes in search of ideas. In the market, he finds a book on gardening that talks about looking at your garden from up high to get ideas. Paddington goes to the construction site near the Brown’s house, setting his marmalade down so that he may climb high while the workers are on their tea break. When the laborers begin to work again, his marmalade is knocked over and stains a pile of concrete orange. Instead of throwing the concrete away, as the workers would have otherwise had to do, they let Paddington take them back to the Brown’s, where he makes a rock garden, finished off with some plants that the workers give him. On National Garden day, Paddington’s garden wins first prize, with a gold star due to his extraordinary orange stones.
How to make your own piece of a garden —
1. Ask yourself…what do you want to plant?
2. Picture how you want your garden to look.
3. Make sure everything is planned out and has enough room to grow.
4. Plant and watch the miracle of life!
5. Paddington and the Marmalade Maze
Mr. Gruber takes Paddington for another outing to Hampton Court Palace. Here they see the various rooms, the huge beds, the tall fireplaces, and the orange fish in the pond. Before they leave to go home, Mr. Gruber says that they must go through the maze, even though some people get stuck for hours. A group of tourists overhears them and wishes to see a real english home. In order to lose the group—so that Mrs. Bird will not get angry at them for bringing a big group back to the house—Paddington tricks them into the maze where they get lost. In order to find his way out, Paddington leaves a trail of Marmalade to follow—a trick he learned from his Aunt Lucy, that and keeping a spare marmalade sandwich in case of emergencies.
—What have you learned from your family?
All families have tricks that have passed down through the generations, whether it be recipes, every day tips, or history. So what have you learned?
6. Paddington the Artist
Mr. Gruber takes Paddington to an outside Exhibition, but Paddington does not enjoy any of the paintings that are for sale. Instead, he decides to paint pictures of his own. He paints a sunset, rain, and a self portrait. But the sunset becomes dark before he can finish. And it rained on his painting of the rain. And Paddington could not for the life of him remember what he looked like, even though he kept looking at himself in the mirror. He sets up an exhibition of his own outside his house to sell his paintings, but he falls asleep in the warm afternoon. When he wakes up, all of his paintings are gone, and an envelope of cash rests in his coat pocket. But Paddington does not need to know that Mr. Gruber was the recipient of all of Paddington’s paintings.
—Painting and never giving up.
Painting is not as easy as it seems. But painting is a great outlet for feelings and experiences. Even if you are not the best painter in the world, you can still paint. Artists don’t paint for every one else. They paint for themselves. Never forget that. Paint whenever and whatever you want, and never ever give up!
Thanks for reading!
Born in the hills of Louisiana and raised in the mountains of Tennessee, Hannah Rials is an eighteen year old aspiring author and editor. Now a freshman in college, she’s been writing short stories since she was a little girl, but for the past several years, she has been writing, editing, and reediting a novel of her own that will soon be published by Audrey Press. Hannah has always loved reading and the world of books. With a librarian grandmother who can tell the most magical stories, how could she not fall in love with the written word? Her library collection and love for books grows every day.
The post Do You Remeber the Joys of Paddington Bear? The Paddington Treasury appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 10, 2014
Three Months of Book Giveaways! Four Enchanting Tales from Wisdom Tales Press!
With the winter months upon us, I feel this is a great time for readers of all ages to snuggle in with a good book. I have been blessed with tons of amazing books titles for kids over these last few months and I want to get these books into the hands of young readers. SO, for the next three months Jump Into a Book will be hosting a book giveaway every Wednesday! Some giveaways will be a single title, some will be a “Book Bundle,” but all will be books that your readers will love and cherish. I think these books will also make great gifts as well! Here’s what we are giving away this week (NOTE: All of these books are physical books, not Kindle versions).
This week I am giving away some wonderful books courtesy of Wisdom Tales Press! As you may already know, I a huge fan of Wisdom Tales and their high-quality multicultural books for kids. Wisdom Tales is also one of our Platinum Sponsors for Multicultural Children’s Book Day and I couldn’t be more grateful. They were also kind enough to supply me with FOUR gorgeous books to giveaway this week! Good luck!
The Olive Tree by Elsa Marston and Illustrated by Claire Ewart
Read my book review of this wonderful book (with activities!) HERE.
The Dreidel That Wouldn’t Spin: A Toyshop Tale of Hanukkah by Martha Seif Simpson and Illustrated by Durga Yael Bernhard
“This dreidel doesn’t work!” the father had cried. “What do you mean? How can a dreidel not work?” the shopkeeper asked. It was certainly the most beautiful spinning top the shopkeeper had ever seen, with magical golden letters on its sides. But it just would not spin for two spoiled children who insisted on owning it! Later, the shopkeeper decides to try it one last time: would it spin for another child, one who carried the true spirit of Hanukkah in his heart?
Horse Raid by Paul Goble
Read my book review with companion activities HERE.
The Pandas and their Chopsticks By Demi
Eating bamboo shoots with chopsticks three feet long? Impossible, you say. Not if you are a playful panda and learn to share and work together with your friends! In her beautifully illustrated new book, award-winning author, Demi, presents ten classic animal stories, each containing important moral lessons for little hearts and minds to absorb. Cunning kitties, helpful hummingbirds, talkative turtles, and hasty hedgehogs, all bring these meaningful fables to life. Through her magical illustrations and whimsical storytelling, Demi teaches the importance of being humble, the dangers of being too proud, the importance of generosity and sharing, and how everyone, no matter how small, has a part to play in life.
DETAILS ON GIVEAWAY:
ONE winner each receive a one copy of all three books. Giveaway begins December 10th and ends December 17th, 2014
Prizing & samples courtesy of Audrey Press
Giveaway open to US addresses only
ONE lucky winner will win one copy of each book listed above.
Residents of USA only please.
Must be 18 years or older to enter.
One entry per household.
Staff and family members of Audrey Press are not eligible.
Grand Prize winner has 48 hours to claim prize.
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on December 18th
The post Three Months of Book Giveaways! Four Enchanting Tales from Wisdom Tales Press! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 8, 2014
What would you do with a Dreidel that doesn’t Spin ?
It’s nearly Hanukkah time once again and do I have a most magical tale to share with you!
The Dreidel That Wouldn’t Spin by Martha Seif Simpson and illustrated by Durga Yael Bernhard is a precious tale which shares an important message of the heart.
Two days before Hanukkah, a peddler goes to the toymakers shop and sells him a beautifully painted wooden dreidel. This particular dreidel comes just in time because the shop keeper had sold his last dreidel.
“Remember,” said the peddler. “That the miracle of Hanukkah cannot be bought. ”
In a strange series of events, two different children bought the dreidel and then returned it the next day insisting the dreidel didn’t spin. How does a dreidel not spin?
Each time the shop keeper refunded the customers money. He himself would try spinning the dreidel and it always spun perfectly with no problems.
Later that same afternoon, a man and a boy came to the shop looking in the windows. They were very poor wearing ill fitted and patch clothing. They had no money but the shopkeeper invited them in any way just to look around. The young boy was delighted in all that he saw and wanted nothing, just the joy of looking at everything.
The shopkeeper was so touched that he gave the boy the beautiful dreidel that wouldn’t spin for the other children. The shopkeeper told him that the dreidel was broken but this very special boy could make it spin. The boy with the golden heart could spin the dreidel. As the dreidel spun and landed it left a special message but I’ve told you enough of the story now. I’ll leave that for you to discover on your own.
This book is magically written and the story masterfully told. Durga Yael Benhard’s illustrations are colorful and captivating bringing this tale of the heart to life.
Pssst: Would you like to WIN a copy of “Dreidel?” Starting tomorrow (12-10-14) I will be giving away a copy of this wonderful book along with other lovely Wisdom Tales Press titles! Remember, this giveaway won’t be live until Wednesday, but be sure and stop back to enter to WIN!
Something To Do
Though I’m not Jewish, I can share that our best friends are and we’ve celebrated Hanukkah with them for years and years. Hanukkah is December 16th-24th this year !!!
What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is the Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah lasts for eight nights, celebrating a miracle which happened a long time ago.
In 165 BC the Greek Emperor captured the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. A group of brave Jewish warriors known as the Maccabees recaptured the temple. As they were re-dedicating the Jewish Temple, they only had enough olive oil to light the sacred lamp, the menorah, for on day. This little bit of oil ended up lasting for eight days and nights. During Hanukkah a new candle is lit each night for eight nights.
Latkes Recipe
One of our favorite parts of the Hanukkah celebration is our friend Suzie’s Latke party. Latkes are potato pancakes. Here’s her fabulous recipe. Enjoy !!!
Ingredients
1 -1/2 pounds russet potatoes peeled
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour (or more)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions
In a food processor grate the potatoes. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and transfer potatoes to the sieve. Set sieve over a bowl, twist cheesecloth into a pouch, squeezing out some moisture. Let mixture drain for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour off liquid from the bowl but leave the white potato starch that settles in the bottom of the bowl.
To that starch add shallots, eggs, flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt and freshly ground pepper. Return drained potatoes to this mixture and toss to combine.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking pan with paper towels. When you are ready to eat, in a large skillet heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium high heat until hot. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of potato mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes a side; latkes should be golden and crisp on both sides. Eat right away or keep warm in oven. Serve with applesauce or sour cream or cottage cheese mixed with sour cream.
Dreidels and Chocolate
One of the nights of Hanukkah we head over to the Roseman’s for dinner, and some serious dreidel spinning and geld ( chocolate gold coins) eating.
The dreidel is a four-sided top which has four distinct letters in Hebrew on each side. The object of the game is to spin the dreidel and collect coins or candy depending upon what letter appears after each spin.
Each side of your dreidel will need to have on it one of the following Hebrew letters;
נ (Nun)
ג (Gimel
ה (Hei)
ש (Shin)
You can make your own Dreidel here.
Here’s how to play
Each player starts with some gelt (or money, sweets or counters). Each player puts one coin into the pot in the centre. The players take it in turns to spin the dreidel, following the instructions of the letter which lands facing up.
נ = Nit (Nothing), play passes to next player.
ג = Gants (all), the player takes all of the pot.
ה = Half, the player takes half of the pot.
ש = Put, the player puts all of his coins into the pot.
Play can go either for a set amount of time or until one player has won all of the coins.
Make a Hand Print Menorah
It wouldn’t be the Festival of Lights without a Menorah. Here’s a great way to remember your little ones as they grow and celebrate at the same time. You can find it here.
FREE GIFT from Jump Into a Book!
Free Activity Book – Celebrating A Santa Lucia Christmas
Click the picture and sign up to get your Free copy of this family fun-filled activity book!
Need gift ideas for Christmas? Give the gift of education and guidance with Donna Ashton’s The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook Now available through Audrey Press Books!
The post What would you do with a Dreidel that doesn’t Spin ? appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 7, 2014
Schooling Through the Seasons: A LiveStream Holiday Event!
Join myself and The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook author Donna Ashton for our second Holiday LiveStream Show entitled Schooling Through the Seasons!
Mark your calendars for December 9th 2014 7 pm Eastern On The Waldorf Connection Channel.
Donna and I will be discussing idea and tactics for homeschoolers to stay on task during the busy holiday season. We will also be discussing behind-the-scenes info and tidbits from The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook and also my latest book; A Year in the Secret Garden.
As always, Donna and I will be giving away a boatload of amazing prizes. Here’s want attendees can enter to win!
Giveaways:
4 copies of The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook
4 copies of A Year in the Secret Garden
Grand Prize: 10 Elsa Beskow books :Winners Choice
Winter Festivals audio & PDF workbook full of ideas, verses, crafts, for St. Nicholas thru Three Kings Day
Grand Prize-Waldorf Homeschool”U” Homestudy Course
$50 Gift Certificate for Cedar Ring
Join Us! December 9th 2014 7 pm Eastern On The Waldorf Channel
The post Schooling Through the Seasons: A LiveStream Holiday Event! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 6, 2014
Exciting Updates and Collaborations for Multicultural Children’s Book Day!
Can you believe November is almost over?! January 27th is coming up quickly and we are excited to share all sorts of wonderful updates and victories connected to this event:
Valarie and Mia just returned from the National Council of Social Studies meeting in Boston and are still processing the landslide of amazing connections, book donations and potential guest bloggers for MCCBD. A huge “thank you” to Platinum Sponsor Wisdom Tales Press for inviting Mia and Valarie to this event and helping to open doors to endless opportunities.
Speaking of sponsors, we have a ton of excellent sponsors thus far for MCCBD and more keep popping up! ::Happy Dance:: Here are our current sponsors:
Multicultural Children’s Book Day Sponsors
Our Platinum sponsor is back from last year, Wisdom Tales Press!
We have a new Platinum sponsor, Daybreak Press Global Bookshop & Gathering Space.
We have three new Gold sponsors: Satya House, Multicultural Kids, and Stephen Hodges of The Magic Poof!
We have one Silver Sponsor: Lee and Low Books and Omnibus Publishing.
We have five Bronze sponsors: Rainbow Books, Felicia Capers of Enough of Frankie Already!, Chronicle Books for Lowriders in Space, Muslim Writers Publishing, and Bliss Group Books.
We would like to encourage Sponsors to also pass the word and let multicultural children’s book authors know of our Author Blogroll page on the MCCBD site. For $50, authors can showcase a specific book title with description and links along with some specific social media tweets, pins and updates on their book.
Highlight thus far:
We have NINE amazing Co-Host. You can view them here.
This year, we have 100+ bloggers signed up and we are interviewing 25 authors and illustrators who came in through our collaboration with the Children’s Book Council… PLUS a huge list of generous book donators that we have already accumulated. Again, please pass the word if you know of any quality bloggers who would like to review books for this event.
We will be posting daily for 25 days on our Multicultural Children’s Book Day blog for the month of January. There will be author visits, giveaway and guest posts from Children’s Book Council members.
The MCCBD Team has decided that the official hashtag for MCCBD is #ReadYourWorld.
We are also partnering with First Books to help get new diversity books into the hands of kids. We are doing a virtual fundraising campaign on their behalf as well as donating proceeds from what we raise. Pass the word and you can view the Virtual Book Drive HERE.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day’s website and blog is coming together nicely and… ::drum roll:: we are officially a non-profit! Yay!
We are currently working with Publisher’s Weekly on an article about the MCCBD event.
There are a lot more exciting things in the pipeline for Multicultural Children’s Book Day to come. Thank you for your support!
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The post Exciting Updates and Collaborations for Multicultural Children’s Book Day! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 4, 2014
What are you Wishing For? The Christmas Wish
The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert and the most stunning photography by her husband Per Breiehagen is mesmerizing and sure to become a family classic.
Can you imagine living “…so far North that you never have to put away your winter clothes?”
Such is the case for Anja who’s greatest wish is to go to the North Pole and become one of Santa’s elves.
Before she leaves in search of Santa, Anja helps the old woman down the street by catching her cat, decorating the gingerbread house they had baked together and sweeps out her sauna as well as finds a small pine tree for her to enjoy.
Next thing on her list before she departs is to deliver cards and presents to all her friends.
After studying the map on the school room wall, Anja is ready to go and find Santa Claus with the help of a red cardinal who helps her find her way. Anja makes her way through the snow on wooden skis until she comes to a horse.
The horse let’s Anja sleep in his barn and lets her ride him for one day and one night. The horse takes Anja to a cave where her next helper friend awaits.
A musk ox guides Anja through the cave which is filled with ice. When they reach the other side, a huge polar bear greets Anja and offers to take her further North.
Anja rides on the back of the great bear. As they wait for the next friend to come and help, they settle down for a cozy nap. After a while, Anja hears jingle bells.
As she looks up she sees a flying reindeer. Landing in front of her, the reindeer announces that he has come to take her to Santa. Flying behind the reindeer on her skis, Anja makes it to Santa just in time to deliver the gifts.
Santa declares Anja his most important helper, because Anja brings kindness and joy to all those around her all year long.
I cannot stop reading this book. It is so reflective of my Scandinavian culture and captures the colors, sounds, feelings, and magic of winter perfectly.
Back Story
Inspired by his native Norway and his snow loving daughter, Anja, award winning photographer Per Breiehagen created a series of striking images of Anja dressed in traditional Norwegian clothing and Sami reindeer shoes.
The photos show Anja interacting with reindeer and other Arctic animals. The response to these images on Per’s website was beyond expectations. People from all corners of the world wanted to see more.
Lori Evert, Anja’s mother, was so inspired by the beauty and magic of the image of Anja and the reindeer that she wrote a narrative about who they might be and why they were there. The family then created more pictures to illustrate the story.
The Christmas Wish, which began as a family Christmas card, has evolved into a beautifully crafted book for children.
**some of these links are affiliate links
Somethings To Do
To live inside this wintry tale I’ve come up with the following activities:
1. Decorate a Gingerbread House: There a great tutorial at Mom&Munchkins!
2. Make your own greeting cards with this tutorial from Tinkerlabs!
3. Make one of those incredible red hats that Anja is wearing. Here’s how we did it !!!
We couldn’t very well read a book about a Norwegian elf and not have a hat to wear like hers. This simple and fun version I created so that children could knit this without any problem. You can knit this flat or on circular needles. Either way it comes out just fine.
Supplies
Yarn : I used a chunky 5 baby alpaca yarn
Needles size 10
Yarn needle only if knitting flat
Gauge: 4 X 4 14 sts over 20 rows
Cast On 65 stitches
Work in rib stitch for two inches. Rib stitch is: knit 2, purl 2
Work in Stockinette stitch for 16 rows. Stockinette stitch is knit a row, purl a row.
*On row 16 start decreasing: This is a knit row. Knit 1, K2together. Knit as usual until you get to the last three stitches at the end of this row. K2together, K 1.
Nest Row: Purl *
Continue this pattern until you have 5 stitches bind off. Gather tightly to close if you are working in the round.
If you knitted this flat, block, and sew together.
Is that cute or what? If you create this fun hat in your house, please share the details in the comment area below!
The post What are you Wishing For? The Christmas Wish appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 3, 2014
3 Months of Giveaway! Beezus and Ramona (and other Chapter Books for Girls)
With the winter months upon us, I feel this is a great time for readers of all ages to snuggle in with a good book. I have been blessed with tons of amazing books titles for kids over these last few months and I want to get these books into the hands of young readers. SO, for the next three months Jump Into a Book will be hosting a book giveaway every Wednesday! Some giveaways will be a single title, some will be a “Book Bundle,” but all will be books that your readers will love and cherish. I think these books will also make great gifts as well! Here’s what we are giving away this week (NOTE: All of these books are physical books, not Kindle versions).
This week I am giving away some wonderful Chapter Books for Girls. Good luck!
Having a little sister like four-year-old Ramona isn’t always easy for Beezus Quimby. With a wild imagination, disregard for order, and an appetite for chaos, Ramona makes it hard for Beezus to be the responsible older sister she knows she ought to be…especially when Ramona threatens to ruin Beezus’s birthday party. Newbery Medal winner Beverly Cleary delivers a humorous tale of the ups and downs of sisterhood. Both the younger and older siblings of the family will enjoy this book.
Meet Ginger Pye, the smartest dog you’ll ever know. Jerry Pye and his sister, Rachel, feel pretty smart themselves for buying Ginger. It was the best dollar they ever spent. Ginger steals everybody’s heart . . . until someone steals him!
Marvin lives with his family under the kitchen sink in the Pompadays’ apartment. He is very much a beetle. James Pompaday lives with his family in New York City. He is very much an eleven-year-old boy.After James gets a pen-and-ink set for his birthday, Marvin surprises him by creating an elaborate miniature drawing. James gets all the credit for the picture and before these unlikely friends know it they are caught up in a staged art heist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that could help recover a famous drawing by Albrecht Dürer. But James can’t go through with the plan without Marvin’s help. And that’s where things get really complicated (and interesting!). This fast-paced mystery will have young readers on the edge of their seats as they root for boy and beetle.
DETAILS ON GIVEAWAY:
ONE winner each receive a one copy of all three books. Giveaway begins December 3rd and ends December 10th, 2014
Prizing & samples courtesy of Audrey Press
Giveaway open to US addresses only
ONE lucky winner will win one copy of each book listed above.
Residents of USA only please.
Must be 18 years or older to enter.
One entry per household.
Staff and family members of Audrey Press are not eligible.
Grand Prize winner has 48 hours to claim prize.
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on December 11th
The post 3 Months of Giveaway! Beezus and Ramona (and other Chapter Books for Girls) appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 2, 2014
How Do We Change Mine into Ours? The Olive Tree by Elsa Marston
Today we are venturing to the land and country of Lebanon and reading a most enduring and powerful story about sharing and restoration called The Olive Tree by Elsa Marston and Illustrated by Claire Ewart.
For many years Sameer lived next to an empty house which had been deserted during the Lebanese civil war. One day the family returns and with them came their daughter Muna. There is a quiet politeness between the two families. Respectful and polite but not friendly.
Separating the two houses is a stone wall and a very old olive tree. The trunk of the tree is on Muna’s side of the stone wall and the branches hung over Sameer’s side of the wall.
Muna feeling the tree is hers because the trunk is on her side of the fence, forbids Sameer to pick up the fallen olives which have dropped on his side of the wall.
Now no one benefited from the olives as they lie on the ground rotting.
One night a storm destroys the tree, leaving nothing left to fight over.
Both Sameer and Muna feel the loss of their ancient friend the olive tree. Trying to make Muna feel better Sameer said, ” At least you’ll have firewood. ” Sameer then started picking up wood chunks and quietly placing them by the side of Muna’s house.
Muna started picking up wood and branches and stacking wood next to Sameer’s house. Quietly they put their differences aside, stacking wood at each other’s houses until all the wood was picked up. Muna picked up the fallen olives and laid them on a chair outside of Sameer’s house.
Finally in one last gesture, they decided to plant a new olive tree between the houses so each family could benefit.
This story is beautifully and simply told. It tugs at the heart-strings and encourages all of us to do better, be generous, and work together. Along with Elsa Marston poignant story are exquisite illustrations by Claire Ewart which bring the story to life and gives us a glimpse into the beautiful country of Lebanon.
I highly recommend the The Olive Tree. It’s one that will grace our coffee table for years to come.
A Closer Look
Some of you may know this and for some this might be news. My husband is from Lebanon and I’m happy to say that I have visited this country for nearly 30 years. It is beautiful in it’s variety of terrain. It’s largest city, Beirut sits on the Mediterranean Sea but Lebanon also hosts very high mountains with forests of pine and cedar trees. It is totally possible to be skiing in the mountains and looking at the sea below.
We have many wonderful family memories of Lebanon and olive picking season is one of them. The harvest has just finished and it brings to mind one of the oldest olive groves on the earth which just happens to be in Lebanon.
Noah’s Olive Trees
There is a grove of ancient trees way up north in the mountains of Lebanon. It is known that these are the very trees that a dove took a branch in it’s beak to bring to Noah to show him the flood waters had subsided and land had been found. For thousands of years these trees have seen, feast, famine, good times, war, and in a simple word, life. To this day the trees still bear fruit and they press olive oil from it.
Here’s a look at these old and beautiful giants who carry such a large lineage.
just a note: Because of the incredible difficulties the countries of Lebanon and Syria are facing these days I am not giving the specific location of these trees. I want to protect them for future generations and keep them from harms way.
Something to Do
Fun facts about Olives
Olives have been a staple in the Mediterranean for at least 5,000 years.
Olive trees may live to be 1500 years old, the average life span is about 500 years. There are olive trees in Lebanon and on the island of Crete that are at least 5000 years old.
Over 90% of world olive production is used to make oil, and almost 98% of the acreage is in the Mediterranean region.
Green olives are picked early in the season and black olives are picked later in the season as they have ripened and turned black.
California is the only state where olives are grown commercially.
There are 500 million olive trees in Europe, and 50 million in California. California produces less than 5% of the world crop, but it produces more than 70% of the ripe olives consumed in the U.S.
How to Cure Olives
Olives can’t be eaten right off the tree. The fruit of an olive tree is known as a drupe. It is very very very bitter and needs to be picked or cured. I couldn’t leave you today with out our family olive curing recipe.
1 pound of green olives
1 pound of black olives
Lemon wedges
Brine:
2 tablespoons rock salt per 1 cup of water
Green olives are picked before they ripen. To prepare green olives, wash and then soak in water for 2 days – this helps remove any bitterness. Change the water at least twice a day.
Place the olives in sterilized jars with lemon wedges and cover with brine. Add a little olive oil on top, and seal. Leave them at least for 1 month before eating.
Black olives are picked at harvest time. Rub with coarse salt, cover with water and set aside for about 4 days. Place the olives with lemon wedges in sterilized jars and cover with brine. Add a little olive oil on top, and seal. Leave for at least 1 month before eating.
Added kick: You can put a hot pepper in the brine mix as the olives cure or pickle. It will make your pickles spicy with a kick but not too spicy.
Enjoy!
**some of these links are affiliate links
Don’t Miss this Extended CyberMonday DEAL! Starting Sunday, November 30th through December 7th you can get the Cyber Monday price!
The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook $15.00
The post How Do We Change Mine into Ours? The Olive Tree by Elsa Marston appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
November 30, 2014
Give the Gift of Reading: CyberMonday deal on these 4 Kidlit Books!
It the Jump Into a Book/Audrey Press Cyber Monday Sale!
We are offering four of our most popular books to our readers at sale prices for a limited time. Starting Sunday, November 30th through December 7th you can get the Cyber Monday price!
The Fox Diaries $9.95
The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory PDF
$9.95
The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook $15.00
A Year in the Secret Garden
$15.00
We encourage you to share the good news with family and friends!
Hurry These prices will only be here from
11/30/14 thru 12/7/14
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The post Give the Gift of Reading: CyberMonday deal on these 4 Kidlit Books! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
