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One Very Curious Cat

Here’s regular contributor Debbie Glade’s impression of this smart and stylish series. “I love Candlewick Press books! Oscar and the Snail: A Book About Things We Use is unique, creative and educational.” Read more below:

This “Start with Science Book” features Oscar the curious white kitten, who loves to explore both inside and out, like kittens often do. But this special 0763640395medcat asks a lot of questions about why things are the way they are. Through his snail friend, Oscar learns about how birds use items they find like sticks and feathers to make their nests, why rocks don’t float and even how glass is made. Oscar and the Snail introduces very young children, age 4 and up, to the science of making things out of different materials and why we use those materials. At the end of the book is a simple chart that 07636403951summarizes what Oscar learned in the garden and where the materials come from. Written and illustrated by Geoff Waring, this simple little book is really quite sophisticated. Click here to read about more books in the “Oscar” series.

debbiegladeDebbie Glade is the author, illustrator and voice talent of the award-winning children’s picture book The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica, published by Smart Poodle Publishing. She visits South Florida schools with her reading, writing and geography programs. For years, Debbie was a travel writer for luxury cruise lines. She writes parenting articles for various websites and is the Geography Awareness Editor for WanderingEducators.com. She blogs daily at smartpoodlepublishing.com.

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Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day With Clifford

pbs_kids_logoleftbox-littleScholastic Media and PBS Kids invite families to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Clifford the Big Red Dog!

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, PBS KIDS and Scholastic Media will kick off “BE BIG WITH CLIFFORD: TEN DAYS, TEN WAYS,” featuring ten days of favorite Clifford episodes that will focus on each of Clifford’s ten Big Ideas. The ten days of programming will begin on Monday, January 18th, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, and showcase important life lessons that help teach social and character building skills.

If you’re looking for any entertainment highlights this month, “BE BIG WITH CLIFFORD: TEN DAYS, TEN WAYS” will be a best bet for you and your family. It’s also great for parents of young children who may be unable to participate in a major volunteering project on MLK Day.

Click here now to see a clip.

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Last Chance for Cloudy With a Chance …

Tomorrow is your last chance to enter this contest! IMPORTANT: All entries must be sent to this e-mail address so click for the link now.

To celebrate the DVD release of this classic kids’ book, “Good Reads With Ronna” is giving away (1) fun prize pack worth a total of $60.

1 lucky winner will get:

ratbird-imagecloudy-art-of-making-book(1) The Art and Making of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs book by Tracey Miller-Zarneke, $50. This behind-the-scenes look at the hit film features interviews and insights from film designers about special effects and animation techniques in 300 colorful pages. Plus there’s scratch-and-sniff stickers, a booklet on “How To” make the perfect burger and so much more!

(1) Plush Toy Ratbird will be the perfect companion as you read the book, $10.

Please click here for your chance to win and remember to type CLOUDY in the subject. The contest ends on January 18. For rules, click here now.

http://blip.tv/play/AYGH7U0C

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I’m Indestructible Baby!

Nothing Can Do Me No Harm …

9780761156963creep1Introducing the fantastic new “Indestructibles” series for ages 0 and up from Workman Publishing. Right now there are three titles, Creep! Crawl!, Flutter! Fly!, and Wiggle! March!, all the brainstorm of Amy Pixton, a mom of triplets. With the help flutter1of her mother-in-law, illustrator, Kaaren Pixton, Amy’s idea has come to fruition in the form of these chew proof, rip 9780761156970-1proof books. Not only are the books beautiful to look at, they are fun to touch, too. The best part is they are non-toxic and 100% washable (and waterproof) so your little ones can drool and spit on them to their heart’s delight. Expect to see more of this series because it is sure to be a hit!

wiggle1Oh, and did I mention you can fold them every which way? I just love the idea of scrunching up these books in a diaper bag or glove compartment 9780761156987and pulling them out whenever you need to entertain or distract your child. The artwork is irresistible, bright and simple and since there are no words, the reader can make up a new story each time. As babies grow and develop, the stories can adapt to every new stage of their life. And because of their durability, these books are destined to last, providing years of reading enjoyment. Priced at just $4.95 each, you will definitely want to buy all three.

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It’s All in The Wrist

img00212Welcome to new guest reviewer, Angie C. Angie is an on-air radio personality and entertainment reporter. She worked for many years in Boston radio at heritage alternative station WFNX, and has also worked in various markets around the country including the legendary Indie 103.1 FM in Los Angeles. She can currently be heard weekdays on www.HoundstoothRadio.com. Angie is a wife, and mother of an energetic and creative 5-year old daughter named Kendall. She now calls Studio City, CA her home.

9780753463802I Can Draw: PETS, illustrated by Simon Abbott (MacMillan/Kingfisher), is a “wipe clean” book that teaches children how to draw basic animal shapes in a few quick steps. My 5 year old LOVES to draw, so this was right up her alley. Once she saw the basic outline of the animal she was off and running. It wasn’t long before she was drawing other animals and shapes in the book. The illustrations are simple and effective. This book definitely improved my daughter’s animal drawing ability! Very cute. EDITOR’S NOTE: This book is recommended for ages 3-6 and is part of the I Can Draw series of books.

img00215The first thing I’ll say about The Zoo I Drew by Todd H. Doodler (Random House) is how much I LOVE the cover. It’s corrugated (cardboard)! Or at least, it’s textured to feel that way. I’m big on textures. Once you open this book, you realize that 11this is an alphabetical tour of animals through the Zoo. (A is for Alligator, B is for Beaver…etc) The illustrations of the animals are very simple and cartoonish. The descriptions of the animals and their histories are cute and written in rhyme. I think I liked this book a bit more than my daughter did. Well, to be fair, it just held my attention longer than hers. I would say it’s probably more for 3 to 5 year olds.

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The Looking Book

51e7imzbjjl_sl500_aa240_The cover of The Looking Book by P.K. Hallinan is so cute, I couldn’t wait to open it up. A mommy insists that her boys stop watching TV and go outside to play. But the boys resist until Mommy gives them “lookers,” special glasses that she promises will help the boys see things like they’ve never seen them before. (This got me excited to read on.)

The first thing the boys notice are the green, green leaves on a tree, followed by marching bugs, twigs, rocks and much more. From the smell of roses to a purring kitten, these boys really have a great time exploring their yard. It’s so much more fun that just watching TV! Best of all, in the end they discover something important about their “lookers.” Artist,
Patrice Barton’s wonderful illustrations are perfect for this book. Author P.K. Hallinan has more than 8 million books in print, and loves to inspire young readers and teach them about life values. He does exactly that in The Looking Book.

dsc_0024-300x217Debbie Glade is the author, illustrator and voice talent of the award-winning children’s picture book The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica, published by Smart Poodle Publishing. She visits South Florida schools with her reading, writing and geography programs. For years, Debbie was a travel writer for luxury cruise lines. She writes parenting articles for various websites and is the Geography Awareness Editor for WanderingEducators.com. She blogs daily at smartpoodlepublishing.com.

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Add These Books to Your Collection

p1210564Today’s guest review family is the Medina family from the San Fernando Valley area. Audrey Medina, a mother of two works at Wella Corp as Color Tech Support and her husband, Tony Medina works as an ad developer for Los Angeles News Group. They are the proud parents of Gavin, a Pre-K student in Woodland Hills and Reese, their 6 month old cutie pie.

SCHOOL BUGS

9781416950561My son Gavin is four. He was immediately drawn to the stark graphic illustrations as well as the interactive pop up sequences in School Bugs by David A Carter. The text nicely bolstered the illustrations. It was short, sweet and a nice paced read, the perfect night capper for the kiddies.

I would not recommend this book for very young toddlers in observance of the intricate pop ups which might tear easily, or at the very least not something left on the book shelf within the reach of the young toddlers. However I do recommend it highly for the rest looking to bolster their story book library.

THERE WAS AN OLD MONSTER

9780545101455_lgThe illustrations in There Was An Old Monster, by Rebecca Emberley with illustrations by Ed Emberley and Rebecca Emberley, were subdued against the dark backdrop of the pages.
I felt with the proper reading style (low gruff dramatic voice) Gavin’s interest was held. Also accompanied by the occasional scare and grab tactics for emphasis. For those nights when some energy is in vast reserve this book helped expend some of it.

I do recommend it highly for the over age 3 crowd.

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Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs Giveaway

“A perfect storm of humor, heart and hot dogs.” – Michelle Tan, People Magazine

cloudy-art-of-making-bookFrom the Academy Award ® nominated studio behind Open Season comes CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, the box office hit from Sony Pictures Animation, arriving on DVD, Blu-ray TM High-Def and PSP, today, Tuesday, January 5.

To celebrate the DVD release of this classic kids’ book, “Good Reads With Ronna” is giving away (1) fun prize pack worth a total of $60.

1 lucky winner will get:

ratbird-image(1) The Art and Making of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs book by  Tracey Miller-Zarneke, $50. This behind-the-scenes look at the hit film features interviews and insights from film designers about special effects and animation techniques in 300 colorful pages. Plus there’s scratch-and-sniff stickers, a booklet on “How To” make the perfect burger and so much more!

(1) Plush Toy Ratbird will be the perfect companion as you read the book, $10.

Please click here for your chance to win and remember to type CLOUDY in the subject. The contest ends on January 18. For rules, click here now.

http://blip.tv/play/AYGH7U0C

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Getting Back Into the Yard

b02635kickthecansm

b02635treasuresmFrom L.A. Parent’s Managing Editor, Christina Elston, comes this timely review as families make resolutions to get the kids (and themselves) off the couch and away from the computer.

Remember Follow the Leader, Kick the Can, neighborhood baseball? These were the things we did as kids when the grown-ups sent us outdoors to play. And without such enticements as chat rooms, iPods and Nintendo, these were the best game in town.

b02635baseballFor children of the electronic age who might not have learned these neighborhood pastimes (and consequently spend lots more time sitting), there’s a new series of books called Project Play ($9.99-$14.99, www.ProjectPlayBooks.com).

b02635leadersmThe series features hardcover rhyming books for new readers (around ages 5-7) and paperback chapter books for the big kids (ages 8-12). Both sets of tales feature “Play it Again” Sam and his friends on the block as they play classic outdoor games. The narrative and illustrations are engaging enough to inspire your own kids to give these games a try – and the books oblige by including the rules. Hardcover books offer parents tips for getting the game going. The 5th installment in the series is called Ghosts In the Graveyard

Be a Character in Project Play’s Upcoming Book Contest:

From January – June 2010 they are accepting applications for children ages 5-12 to suggest a great game and story about that game for their next book.

Looking for the latest health news? Check out Managing Editor Christina Elston’s “Health-e” blog at L.A. Parent.com

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There’s No Place Like a Funeral Home

pc0706211Matthew is a 10-year old boy from Virginia. He loves to play basketball, is very involved in the Weeblos and loves to camp. He also plays piano and viola.

9781416935964From the The Funeral Directors Son series comes Kip Campbell’s Gift, written by Coleen Murtagh Paratore. This is the best book I have ever read. Kip Campbell can talk to dead people. That’s really awesome. Some people think Kip is weird, but I think that would be cool. Kip helps his family because he can talk to dead people. The dead people leave Kip gold when he helps them.

Editor’s Note: This book is recommended for ages 8-12. If you want to get hooked, try reading an excerpt from the first chapter by clicking here now.

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Finesse Your Family Tree

th_scotland_bagpipePerhaps your children spent some of this holiday with relatives who were not born in the United States. Well I’ve got just the perfect way to help you delve into your family’s past. In our home, a copy of My Heritage Book arrived just in time for my third-grader’s Family Pilgrim project at school. He began asking questions about which of his grandparents or great grandparents came to America from another country.

sample2My Heritage Book (KidsHeritage Inc., www.myheritagebook.com, $39.95; ages 5 and up) by Deanna Bufo Novak with beautiful watercolor pictures by Alicia Bresee, helps children embrace their heritage and is sure to become a treasured keepsake. In this personalized book, children foray into the past to learn about their family’s ancestry with more than 60 countries to choose from. My Heritage Book also includes a letter to the child from the person(s) purchasing it, the child’s birth date, the child’s name throughout, a glossary, and pages where the child can fill in his or her own family’s traditions and a family tree. Each book contains up to th_ar_mapfour countries, making this an ideal gift for multi cultural families. The ordering process is easy: simply go online, choose up to four countries of origin (see website for complete listings), then fill out the required fields with the child’s first, middle and last name. There are also prompts for the child’s birth date and a closing for the letter on the first page (i.e. We Love You!) along with names for the closing letter (i.e. Mommy & Daddy).

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Dec. 30 is Last Day to Enter Talkin’ Sid The Science Kid Contest

Calling all Sid fans and curious young scientists! You know the animated TV series, Sid The Science Kid produced by The Jim Henson Company and KCET (PBS/ Los Angeles). Well now you can bring the inquisitive 5-year old Sid right into your living room!

We have one of the first ever TALKIN’ SID THE SCIENCE KID plush toys to give away!! Simply click here for your chance to win this great prize and remember to write TALKIN’ SID in the subject. The contest ends Dec. 30. Click here for contest rules and good luck!

Plus, if you want to buy one immediately, you can get a $3.00 off coupon to use towards your purchase of the TALKIN’ SID THE SCIENCE KID plush toy from Playskool/Hasbro at Toys ‘R Us. Go to www.coupons.com and then click on the “Toy and Game” link on the left hand side of the page. Right now the TALKIN’ SID THE SCIENCE KID is only available at Toys ‘R Us

feature-plushTALKIN’ SID THE SCIENCE KID

(Approx retail price: $24.99/Available Now; Ages 3 and up)

Now kids can bring their friend Sid home with the lively TALKIN’ SID THE SCIENCE KID plush character. This soft and loveable plush SID is 12 inches tall and comes ready to play and learn with his iconic “microphone.” Squeeze his belly to hear seven different popular phrases from the series. Requires two “AA” batteries, included. Plus this toy also includes a DVD called “The Sticker Chart.”

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Call Of The Poodle

pc070621 Matthew, a 10-year old boy from Virginia, is today’s guest reviewer. He loves to play basketball, is very involved in the Weeblos and loves to camp. He also plays piano and viola. 9781416974741I really, really liked 100% Wolf, written by Jayne Lyons with illustrations by Victor Rivas. I thought it was funny that Freddy Lupin was all ready to become a great wolf like his father and instead turns into a pink poodle. Freddy tries to figure out how to help himself, and he meets fun dogs along the way. Freddy realizes it’s okay to be different.

This book made me laugh. A lot of my friends want to read it after I told them about it. I think you will want to read it, too!

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“I Love Costa Rica’s Rainforest!” Contest Winners

Debbie Glade is a regular contributor here at Good Reads With Ronna. I’m happy to share the following info with you about the contest I helped judge for Smart Poodle Publishing.

Smart Poodle Publishing Announces The “I Love Costa Rica’s Rainforest!” Contest Winners

Smart Poodle Publishing, publishers of the children’s book and CD, The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica (978-0-9800307-9-2) announced the winners of its national “I Love Costa Rica’s Rainforest!” Writing and Art Contest for Children. 176 entries were received from children in grades kindergarten through 5. Students were asked to research the plants and animals of Costa Rica’s rainforest, write a real or imaginary story about the destination and illustrate their stories. Several teachers across the U.S .had each student in their classes submit an entry.

“The response was overwhelming,” said Publisher, Debbie Glade. “We never expected to receive so many excellent entries. And the artwork is incredible! We are grateful for the generosity of Rand McNally’s Online Store for donating such high quality educational prizes!”

Contest judges included: Ronna Mandel Associate Editor of LA Parent Magazine; Dr. Jessie Voigts, Publisher of Wandering Educators; Eli Gerzon, founder of World School Travel Tours, Dave Fox, award-winning travel author; Tim Lytle, Publisher of the Real Costa Rica website; Tim Ravenna, award winning graphic designer and artist; Rachel Glade, high school student, PSAT National Merit Scholar and College Board AP Scholar with distinction; and Debbie Glade, award-winning children’s book author, illustrator, book reviewer, comic strip artist and publisher.

The Contest winners are:

K5 – 1st Grade

First Place – Hansel Desouza (Age 6) CA
Second Place – Emily Juncosa (Age 7) FL
Third Place – Lauren Nicole Ramirez (Age 6) FL

Honorable Mentions
Hallie Fumero (age 6) FL
Breanna Galindo (Age 6)
Jadin Hankin (Age 6) TX
Suzanne Juncosa (Age 7) FL
Arianna Plancher (Age 6) FL

2nd – 3rd Grade

First Place – Peter Finch (Age 7) RI
Second Place – Adeline Shaw (Age 9) MI
Third Place – Justin La Jesse (Age 8) AL

Honorable Mentions
Kylie Grant (Age 8) FL
Jasmine Macchia (Age 8) FL
Michael Pierce (Age 8) FL
Anita Summers (Age 7) NC
Colby Tomasello (Age 8) FL

4th – 5th Grade

First Place – Kevin Huo (Age 10) CA
Second Place – Aidan Hawkesworth (Age 9) FL
Third Place – Nimai Agarwal (Age 10) MD

Honorable Mentions
Cassandra Anderson (Age 9) FL
Claire Bower (Age 9) FL
Kennesey Del Castillo (Age 10) AZ
Daniel Marquina (Age 9) FL
Melanie Rose Hampton (Age 9) AZ
Emily Weeks (Age 9) FL

The award winning entries and list of prizes donated by Rand McNally’s Online Store can be viewed at url= http://smartpoodlepublishing.com/contest.html.

Debbie Glade
Smart Poodle Publishing
smartpoodle@comcast.net
www.smartpoodlepublishing.com
www.lillybadilly.com

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Win a Talkin’ Sid the Science Kid!

Calling all Sid fans and curious young scientists! You know the animated TV series, Sid The Science Kid produced by The Jim Henson Company and KCET (PBS/ Los Angeles). Well now you can bring the inquisitive 5-year old Sid right into your living room!

We have one of the first ever TALKIN’ SID THE SCIENCE KID plush toys to give away!! Simply click here for your chance to win this great prize and remember to write TALKIN’ SID in the subject. The contest ends Dec. 30. Click here for contest rules and good luck!

Plus, if you want to buy one immediately, you can get a $3.00 off coupon to use towards your purchase of the TALKIN’ SID THE SCIENCE KID plush toy from Playskool/Hasbro at Toys ‘R Us. Go to www.coupons.com and then click on the “Toy and Game” link on the left hand side of the page. Right now the TALKIN’ SID THE SCIENCE KID is only available at Toys ‘R Us

feature-plushTALKIN’ SID THE SCIENCE KID

(Approx retail price: $24.99/Available Now; Ages 3 and up)

Now kids can bring their friend Sid home with the lively TALKIN’ SID THE SCIENCE KID plush character. This soft and loveable plush SID is 12 inches tall and comes ready to play and learn with his iconic “microphone.” Squeeze his belly to hear seven different popular phrases from the series. Requires two “AA” batteries, included. Plus this toy also includes a DVD called “The Sticker Chart.”

Share this:
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