Slumber Not Guaranteed

Time for Bed 
by
Mem Fox
illustrated by Jane Dyer

This is a wonderful book to read with children before bed.  The language is sweet.  Your little ones can cuddle up with you and enjoy listening to the pattern of the text.  They will also enjoy the beautiful illustrations.  It even seems to have an effect on my dog, Kobie, however slumber is not guaranteed.

The repetitive text and the rhyme make it an easy book for children to memorize.  The pictures are beautiful, but not supportive enough to help children to decode unknown words.  I would use this book purely for enjoying time together as a family.  As you read, you could model directionality and return sweep in the text.  But, I think I would just cuddle up with my kids and let them know how much I love them.  Sweet dreams!

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"Get nice and fat for my stew!"

If you read my blog last week, you will remember that I decided to do a review of some great children's books for the next few weeks.  These books are kid-tested and family approved.

This week's book is The Wolf's Chicken Stew written by Keiko Kasza.  In this story, the wolf gets a terrible craving for chicken stew.  He searches for the perfect chicken for his stew, when he finds her, he decides to fatten her up a bit so that he would be able to have more stew.  Each night, he cooks some scrumptious food and delivers it secretly to the chicken's home.  After a time, when he decides the chicken should be nice and fat for his stew, he returns to the chicken's home to find a surprise awaiting him.

This is a great book for reading with expression.  The language is fun and though not a pattern book, the language makes it easy for the kids to memorize.  My son would "read" actually, recite from memory, this book.  This is great.  He was developing one to one correspondence, he knew that for every word on the page, a word needed to come from his mouth.  He was developing directionality and fluency.  All great early literacy concepts.  These concepts are not particular to these books that I am reviewing.  These are just some of the books that we enjoyed.  The important thing is to read with your child.  Help them to develop a love for language.  Rhyming words, help children to internalize spelling patterns which will help them in both reading and writing because reading and writing are inverse operations.  I am not advocating formal instruction for very young children, but rather help them to notice and become active with print.  Build their listening vocabularies by reading to them.  Through your modeling, children will come to school knowing that the text carries the message, they may have many early literacy concepts at least partially under control and so much more.  Happy reading!

I would love to use your photographs and write a story for you and your family to enjoy for years to come.  Send me your pictures, approximately 24 to 30, from any event that is special to you.  I will talk to you about the event to get some information from you and then I will write a story about that event using your pictures.  This is a fantastic way to get your child interested in print.  Kids will love seeing their name in print.  They will be motivated to read because the book is about the people they love.

   

You Never Know What You Might Find

You never know what you might find when you clean out the basement.  As I was straightening up our basement the other day, I ran across a box my son had labeled when he was about 12 years old.  The box read, "books I want my son or daughter to have" as I opened up the box I was reminded of some of the great books that we read together when he was small.  I thought that you might enjoy reviewing some of these titles and why we enjoyed them.

The wide-mouthed frog is such a fun book.  It is a pop-up book written by Keith Faulkner and illustrated by Jonathan Lambert.  The wide-mouthed frog hops along asking the different animals he encounters what they like to eat, until he meets a big green alligator and finds out that the alligator likes to eat wide-mouthed frogs.  The reader will then enjoy the frog's reaction.  My husband especially enjoyed reading this to my son.  He liked doing the voices of the different animals and he would tease him with the last page of the book opening and closing near my son's face.  My son would laugh and run from my husband as he chased him with the book.

This predictable pop-up is just one of the many books we enjoyed together as a family.  Reading is a wonderful way for families to enjoy spending time together.  As a reading specialist, I know how important it is for a child's academic success.  As a mom, I know how important it is for a family's togetherness.

I think I would like to spend the next few weeks reviewing some of these books that I found stored away.  I thought that you may find the list helpful for Christmas shopping.

I also thought I would share some of the very rudimentary books I made for my son to help him learn to read.  These books were for my son to read.  The wide-mouthed frog and other picture books were read to my son helping him to develop a love for reading, to enjoy language and develop a sense of story and many other reasons.  The little books I made were to help him develop some concept of print.  Each page I wrote, it was either necessary for me to give him the pattern or give him a way to get to the words on the page.  Some were sight words, when he was first learning, he could use picture clues, first letter and prediction.  My goal was to make it easy and help him to feel successful.  I also wanted to scaffold him to the next level.

It is obvious that my son gets his art talent from me.  The great thing about this book is the last sentence he wrote.  He had already learned that stories often slightly change their pattern at the end.  He even chose the correct verb form because he was so immersed in language.

It is probably not necessary to do all of this to teach your child to read.  I did it because I enjoyed it.  I would carry little blank books with me and if we were waiting for our order in a restaurant or sitting waiting in a doctor's office I would make him a little book.  Making your own books is probably not necessary.  Although, it is important to immerse your child in language.  So, keep reading!!!

Don't forget Kim's Custom Books when you want to create that special book of memories for your family.

Thanks,
Kim

We All Have a Story to Tell

We all have a story to tell.  Sometimes we are just too busy to realize it.  I once heard it said that when your life draws to a close no one wishes that they had spent more time at work, yet we seem to spend most of our time and energy working.  Time goes by so quickly and you never can get back what is lost.  It is important as parents to make memories for our families.  Family is so important.  It is where we are secure, where we are loved; no matter what.  Treasure all those times together and keep a story for future generations and your own memories.

A friend of mine suggested some great ideas for books.  Here are a few of her suggestions: an engagement book, a wedding book, a book that chronicles your pregnancy, elementary school years, sport seasons, senior year,  your visit to the pumpkin farm, take pictures of your family at Thanksgiving and then give each one who was there a photo book of your time together for Christmas.

Check out the beautiful family album on Kim's Custom Books facebook page.

This is a great gift idea. I am teaming up with a friend of mine who is an amazing photographer.  She will shoot a session with your family.  Then, I will use the portraits from your session and create for you a beautiful album that will be a treasured keepsake.  You can have this wonderful package for just $300.  Book a family album with me by November 15 and I will give you 10% off.

Tell me how I can help you to make this book a reality.  I need your help to be successful.  I value your comments.  Thank you for your interest.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Candy corns,  hot apple cider, football, soccer, decorating pumpkins, sweatshirts and sweaters these are a few of my favorite fall " things".  What about you?  Post a picture of you or your kids on Kim's Custom Books facebook page enjoying some of your favorite fall things.  Get people to like your photos, the person whose photo has the most likes before midnight on 10/21/11 will receive 10% off the story book if ordered before 12/31/11.

Have a fabulous fall! 

..., but I don't have any children.

As I talk with people about my products I am often struck by their assumption that if they don't have any children they can't do a book.  So not true!  I thought you might appreciate a list of book ideas.

1.  Instead of doing the traditional Christmas letter what about a Christmas book.
2.  Travel book
3.  Family history
4.  Thank you to a soldier.  Pictures of family and friends thanking him/her for their service.
5.  Wedding
6.  Babies
7.  Retirement
8.  Building a home
9.  Moving
10.  Friendship
11.  Sports

12.  A special sporting event you attended.


Comment and add your book ideas.

Excited about my new logo:

This handsome, young guy's mom is an amazing photographer.  Thank you, Laura and Christian for this great new logo. 

My business is evolving as I learn and grow.  I am now offering three different products.

The Scrapbook  

Have lots of digital pictures but 

no time and no way to show 

them off?

Give me your digital images and I will 

put them all together in a

scrapbook that will be cherished

by all.

The Story Book

What kind of story do you want

to tell?

I will use your family, vacation, or

event pictures, and craft a story

to tell of the great memories that

you had together.

The Family Album

Let's capture a family session

together!  First I will have my

photographer shoot a session

with your family.  Then I will use 

the portraits from your session

and create for you a beautiful

album that will be a treasured

keepsake.

I will be at the Garlic Festival, Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25.  The festival is a celebration of food, farming and fun.  It is located at the Garden of Eve, 4558 Sound Avenue, Riverhead, NY.  It sounds like a great time.  Please, stop by my stand and introduce yourself.  I would love to talk to you about my business.  Here is a link to the Garden of Eve. www.gardenofevefarm.com.