Krista Jefferies reviews The House at the End of Ladybug Lane
I don’t know a child who has not asked, if not begged, his or her parents for a pet. Some parents would be fine with having a pet in the house, but not the obsessively neat parents of Angelina Neatolini in Elise Primavera’s The House at the End of Ladybug Lane ($16.99, Robin Corey Books, ages 4 and up).While Angelina’s parents are known for “vacuuming the grass” and “polishing the flowers,” Angelina is quite the opposite with her naturally untidy ways. Although her parents refuse to give her a pet, Angelina still begs for one and even wishes for one as she gazes at the stars that, to her, look like animal constellations. Her plea is answered as a magical ladybug appears on Angelina’s windowsill to grant the little girl her wish. However, the ladybug mishears Angelina and instead of giving her a pet, she conjures up a pest, who makes a mess of the house while creating delicious culinary treats. Every request Angelina makes is misinterpreted as something else. Illustrations by Valeria Docampo help tell the tale with large, detailed images that pull readers into the story as every creature that enters the house turns it upside. This quirky, hard-of-hearing ladybug is a mix of Cinderella’s fairy godmother and the Cat in the Hat, and the mishaps that result are troublesome but tickling. The story does culminate in a happy ending for Angelina, in which her parents accept her for who she is—a good lesson for parents as well as kids. This is a fun read for any child, just be ready for them to ask for a pet afterward!
Today Good Reads With Ronna is excited to introduce a new weekly educational products review. We’re all over these great games, toys, books, DVDs and CDs that NAPPA(National Parenting Publications Awards) has agreed for us to use. If you’d like to learn more about NAPPA, visit their website, like their Facebook page and keep stopping by here on Wednesdays for more interesting new products for your children and the entire family. Today’s product reviews comes courtesy of Julie Kertes, NAPPA General Manager.
Give your children an early appreciation of art with Master Kitz® by Kidzaw. These kits include everything needed to re-create masterpieces such as Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night or Sunflowers, Gustav Klimt’s The Tree of Life, Monet’s Water Lilies and Hokusai’s The Great Wave of Kanagwa. The re-usable art toolbox contains paints, a specially designed roller, re-usable stencil, art paper, educational materials and easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. Children will learn about each painting and its history and be encouraged to create their own interpretation of each masterpiece.
Parents, how old were you when you wrote your first poem? This week make sure to tune into PBS KIDS‘Martha Speaks and Arthur for some exciting episodes. Teaming up with the Poetry Foundation for a super special week of reading, writing, and poetry episodes April 2-6, 2012 (please check your local listings for exact times), PBS KIDS may even get you waxing poetic!
PBS KIDS will feature former United States Poet Laureate Billy Collins and Inaugural Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky. It just doesn’t get much better than that! Do you have a budding Shel Silverstein, Kenn Nesbitt, or Theodore Geisel at home? Have your youngsters create and publish their own poetry online with an all-new game, Martha’s Rhyme Time at pbskids.org/martha and Fern’s Poetry Club at pbskids.org/arthur.
“Martha Speaks and Arthur share a focus on literacy and actively encourage creativity and love of words,” says Carol Greenwald, Senior Executive Producer atWGBH. “Through this partnership with the Poetry Foundation, we hope to encourage and inspire the next generation of poetry readers and writers.”
“Children who are exposed to the joys of poetry at a young age are most likely to become lifelong readers of poetry as adults,” adds Stephanie Hlywak, Media Director of the Poetry Foundation. “How better to create a new generation of poetry lovers than to enlist the help of Martha, Arthur, Billy Collins, and Jack Prelutsky?”
Airing Monday, April 2, 2012, PBS KIDS will premiere the brand-new Martha Speaks episode “Billy Collins Speaks” (check local listings). In this episode, Billy Collins writes great poems about dogs, and Martha thinks she knows why. Obviously, the former poet laureate must be a canine himself! When Martha meets Billy Collins, she’s in for a few surprises…as is he. Tune in to learn words likepoem, poet, prose, imposter, and metaphor.
Then in the classic Arthur episode “I’m a Poet,” Arthur and his friends are challenged to write a poem for a contest—to be judged by inaugural Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky. Though intimidated at first, everyone comes up with a poem that reflects his or her own unique approach.
Two new Martha Speaks episodes highlighting parts of speech and featuring a visit from the Bookbots air on PBS KIDS Tuesday and Wednesday, April 3-4, 2012 (check local listings). Additionally, past episodes of Arthur celebrating creative writing will air on PBS KIDS Tuesday-Friday, April 3-6, 2012 (check local listings).
New games highlight poetry and creative writing online at pbskids.org!
Kids are invited to read, write, and share poetry online with Martha’s Rhyme Time at pbskids.org/martha and Fern’s Poetry Club at pbskids.org/arthur.
Martha’s Rhyme Time
In Martha’s Rhyme Time, kids can create rhyming couplets for Martha to perform. Building each from six different sets of words, there are—mathematically speaking—a bazillion combinations to create. Kids also can customize the performance stage and create a printed version to color and stick on the fridge. And, of course, with Martha being Martha, she’ll introduce and explain many new vocabulary words along the way!
Fern’s Poetry Club
Fern’s Poetry Club is a long-running, popular poetry feature on the Arthur website that encourages children to write and share their poems online. Fern’s Poetry Club contains information to help kids understand what poetry is, a description of different types of poems, and tips for kids on how to write their own poems—plus an archive of poems submitted to the site over the past 10 years. To celebrate National Poetry Month, new features will be added, including poetry-related video clips from Arthur. Kids will now see Fern, Arthur, and all their friends enjoying this wonderful form of expression!
About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative partnerships, prizes, and programs. For more information, please visit www.poetryfoundation.org.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs. Follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.
I adore all things Passover and all things matzah, the unleavened bread we eat for eight days during this Jewish holiday. The book, upbeat and educational, will help children learn in a deliciously untraditional approach to this very traditional celebration. The artwork, while not elaborate, conveys all the necessary emotions needed to supplement such a colorful story in a delightful way.
Miriam, the main character, loves being with her parents, and relatives for the Seder, or feast. These Seders take place two nights, and an important ritual is to read aloud from the Haggadah, the book that tells the story of Passover. We relive history about the Jews’ exodus from Pharaoh’s rule to always remember how Moses led his people to freedom. When the Israelites, or Jews fled to cross the Red Sea, their departure was in such haste there was no time for the bread dough to rise! This year, Miriam eats just a bit too much matzah and can only be coaxed to try more when her Grandpa introduces her to a unique type of French toast known as matzah brei they will make together. There’s a terrific recipe included (see below), an author’s note and a glossary of Yiddish terms used.
The Best Matzah Brei in the World (as told to the author by her father)
This is a fun meal to make with the help of an adult. Always make sure an adult helps you when you are cutting items and using the stove or other hot surface.
This recipe makes one large matzah brei.
Ingredients:
7 pieces of matzah
warm water
3 eggs
¼ cup milk
pinch of salt (optional)
2 tbsp butter
toppings such as applesauce, sugar and cinnamon, maple syrup, sour cream, and salt and pepper
Utensils:
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl
2 large plates
fork or whisk
measuring cup
mixing spoon
frying pan
spatula
knife
Break up seven pieces of matzah into small pieces and soak in warm water in the large bowl for one minute. Then drain by covering the bowl with a large plate and tipping it to let the excess water run out.
Using the fork or whisk, beat three eggs together in the small bowl with the milk and a pinch of salt (optional), and then add this mixture to the crumbled, drained matzah. Mix together well.
In a large frying pan, melt the butter.
Pour the matzah brei mixture into the frying pan. Spread it out evenly so that it resembles a large pancake. Cover and cook over a very low heat for about ten minutes, until crisp and brown on one side (raise the edge of the matzah brie with a spatula to check if it’s crisp and brown).
When the matzah brei is cooked on one side, turn it over by placing the other large plate over the pan and then flipping the whole thing over. While the matzah brei is on the plate, add more butter to the frying pan, if necessary. Then slide the matzah brei from the plate back into the pan to cook the other side. Again, cover and cook over very low heat for about ten minutes.
When the second side of the matzah brei is crisp and brown, it is done. Cut into wedges and serve with applesauce, sugar and cinnamon, maple syrup, sour cream, or salt and pepper. Essen In gezunt!
If you could see my shelves at home, you’d know how much I love books about gardening. And one of my greatest pleasures is sharing my gardening knowledge with children. And Then it’s Spring ($16.99, Roaring Brook Press, ages 4 and up) is a perfect book for curious little gardeners. There are but a few wonderful words on every page, written by Julie Fogliano, and a whole lot of story telling going on with the illustrations, by Erin E. Stead. The story is about a boy and his dog who are eager to be done with winter so they can see less brown in the garden and more green. Yet day after day, week after week, brown is all they see. Until one day spring has arrived. I love the way this story charmingly epitomizes the anticipation every child experiences while waiting for something truly important to him or her. It also inspires kids to want to get out in their yards and plant seeds. And that is a very good thing.
What better time than spring to read a book about farmyard animals? Even better yet, this book should be read on a night when your little one is having trouble settling down to go to sleep. Farmyard Beat ($15.99, Knopf Books for Young Readers, ages 1 and up) by Lindsey Craig is a catchy rhyming story about different farm animals that cannot sleep because they’ve got a beat going on in their heads. What you’ll truly love about this book is the fact that the animals eventually do wear themselves out, hopefully inspiring your child to do the same! You’ll also admire the illustrations by the inimitable Marc Brown (of the Arthur books and cartoon fame). The vivid pictures are actually collages made from hand-painted papers, and they’re just so darn cute.
-Reviewed by Debbie Glade. To see Debbie’s organic tomato garden video, click here.
Sam is a young, shy giraffe who loves trucks, dogs, and chocolate cake, but none of his classmates know this about Sam. In Beth Bracken’s Too Shy for Show-and-Tell, ($22.65, Picture Window Books, Little Boost series, ages 4 and up) Sam’s fear of speaking in front of his classmates makes him feign illness to try and get out of going to school on Show-and-Tell day. But, Sam’s mom sends him to school despite the real butterflies knotting up poor Sam’s stomach. When his classmates begin presenting their show-and-tell items, Sam notices that everyone gets applause. Even Otto, who says “weaf” instead of “leaf” gets applause from his peers. When it is Sam’s turn, he summons his courage and shares a little bit about himself with his classmates for the first time, and everyone claps.
Too Shy for Show-and-Tell is a perfect read for a child who struggles with shyness or anxiety about speaking at, or even attending school. Jennifer Bell’s illustrations movingly depict sweet, but shy, Sam who wants nothing more than for his classmates to know him. Coupled with Bracken’s well-written story about overcoming one’s greatest fear, Bell’s softly sketched portrayals of Sam’s facial expressions and body language show just how much his shyness affects him. The story has heart and purpose and would be an excellent addition to any collection.
Reviewer Karen B. Estrada has 9 years of experience as an English educator teaching students ranging from 6th grade to adult learners. She got her start teaching as a participant of the JET Program, during which she spent 3 years living and teaching in a rural Japanese town of 5000 people. Since then, Karen has continued to teach English and Writing Skills at various levels in diverse settings such as Harlem, New York City, suburban New Jersey, and semi-rural Maryland. She holds a BA in English from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX and an MA in Teaching of English from Teachers College, Columbia University. Karen is currently taking a short break from teaching as she awaits the arrival of her first child due in late April.
Krista Jefferies reviews The House at the End of Ladybug Lane 
