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Party Bears! (Of the Super Happy Persuasion) PLUS a mini-interview with author MARCIE COLLEEN!
It’s YAY o’clock, which means it’s time to join the Super Happy Party Bears in a party dance — “slide to the left, hop to the right…” Marcie Colleen’s delightful debut chapter book series will make kids laugh and want to dance and celebrate along with the bears, and they’ll cheer them on through every…
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On Stage, Everyone! On With the Show! — Julie’s Greenroom
The curtain is about to open on an exciting new offering from Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, Lisa Henson and a whole host of others, including brand new Henson puppets! It’s a wonderful opportunity for kids (and not-kids) to learn stagecraft and to experience all that the arts has to offer in a person’s life.…
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Finding Nourishment in Nature — with a spotlight on Melodye Shore
At heart, I believe we are creatures of nature. We thrive when we have a connection to nature. These days, however, with the many demands on our time, the fact that more and more of us live in cities, and, of course, our close attachment to our electronics, it is all too easy to become…
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Mentors, Mentees, and Mentorship — The We Need Diverse Books Mentorship Program
Most, if not all, of us have had mentors in our lives — people who have influenced us, caused us to see our life in a different way, challenged us to grow. I have posted about a few of my mentors on this blog. Something I said in one of those posts resonates for this…
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Looking Beyond the Expected, with Jonathan Lopes, LEGO Artist
As I pointed out in my second K post last week, sometimes inspiration comes from surprising sources. Today I’m delighted to feature a mini-interview with an artist who has found his medium for expressing his creativity in something most of us see as a child’s toy and an underfoot hazard. Jonathan Lopes is a LEGO…
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Ketzel: the Cat Who Composed, by Leslea Newman — Book Recommendation
This is the second K post today, because I couldn’t resist telling you about this delightful picture book. Sometimes we just need to enjoy the moment. And sometimes we can find inspiration in the most unexpected places, as happened in this delightful picture book. Title: Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed Author: Lesléa Newman Illustrator: Amy…
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Keep Right On to the End of the Road
Have you ever had a mountaintop experience — something so inspiring, so uplifting, so affirming, that you just wish you could stay in that moment forever? Or, by contrast, have you experienced valleys in your life that are so deep you wonder if you will ever come out of them? I suspect you have. I…
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Jumper cables for our lives
One day recently, my car refused to start. I can’t blame it, as it was very cold that day, for humans and for everything else, including little cars. I was sure I’d have to call the Auto Association the next day to do their jump-start magic. However, the next day — a much warmer day…
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I’ve Seen the Promised Land by Walter Dean Myers — book recommendation
Title: I’ve Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Author: Walter Dean Myers Illustrator: Leonard Jenkins Publisher: New York: HarperCollins/Amistad, 2004 Genre: Picture book biography Audience Age: 5 to 10 Themes, topics: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights, equality, inspiration Opening Sentences: March 1968. The country was torn by turmoil.…
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Having Heart and Hope in the Hard Times
How do we deal with hard times? Sometimes it seems as though ostriches, with their fabled “head in the sand” mentality, have it right. When the going gets tough, stick your head in the sand and hope things blow over. First of all, that concept isn’t true. As National Geographic Kids points out, if they…
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Going Forward into Growth in the New Year
I’m back a week before I’d intended to be, because on New Year’s Day I decided that this post needed to be as close to the beginning of the year as possible. In 2017, I want to go forward into growth — there always seems to be opportunity for growth as we look at the…
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Friends and Family Make the Holidays SHINE!
From a treasure trove of picture books gifted to me by a dear friend, there are two I want to share with you today. (There will be others as the blog year and the alphabet continue.) They celebrate the joys of family and friends, and so are perfect for this season. Title: Friends Stick Together…