Geography Education Archives -

Debbie Glade’s Indiegogo Project

The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly: Costa Rica

It’s not every day that I can help out my blog partner, Debbie Glade (that’s obviously not Debbie to the left but her poodle, Darwin! She’s the lady to the right). She is a tireless supporter of literacy, science and geography for children. Now she’s found a terrific way to get her book, The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly: Costa Rica, into the hands of children who can benefit from her experience on these subjects. If it weren’t for her book, she and I would never have met so I am slightly partial to all things Lilly P. Badilly. Lilly happens to be a strong-willed millipede who, along with her funny family members, stows away on a flight to Costa Rica. Once there, the multi-leggers get caught up in all sorts of adventures sure to entertain youngters.

Just a few days ago Debbie launched an ambitious IndieGoGo crowd sourcing project to raise $18,500 to cover the cost of printing 3,000 (high quality 64-pages) books and CDs. With 47 days to go, Debbie’s goal is to be able to give away every last one of these books to underprivileged elementary school children in south Florida where she lives. After years of visiting schools, libraries and charities to educate children about geography, Costa Rica’s flora and fauna, and naturally, millipedes, Debbie realized so many children who wanted the book were unable to afford to purchase it despite the deep discounts she offered.

Let’s change that and get these books into the hands of eager kids who want to smile, learn and listen to the hysterical CD!

Click here to view the campaign.

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Your Teacher as Your Travel Guide

August 13, 2012
goodreadswithronna
Ages 4-8, Children's Book Reviews, Juvenile Fiction

Today’s review is by Ronna Mandel.

Because You Are My Teacher (Abrams Books For Young Readers, $16.95, ages 4-8) written by Sherry North and illustrated by Marcellus Hall is a book that will get kids excited about going back to school while also celebrating the dedication teachers bring to the classroom. If readers happen to get bitten by the travel bug along the way, then that’s just an added bonus.

I found myself hooked immediately by the cover image depicting a teacher and her students high up in a hot air balloon observing some spectacular scenery. Author North has teamed up with illustrator Hall for yet another installation in the successful series that brought us Because You Are My Baby and Because I Am Your Daddy. With this new picture book told in rhyme, readers will travel the world all because of a teacher’s commitment to sharing her knowledge in a colorful way.

Imagine learning about the world through every mode of transportation. Any book can introduce exotic sites and cities to children. What works so well with this story and what will excite children is that they’ll study the Atlantic on a schooner, get a peek of the pyramids while atop camels, tour the Amazon on a river raft, and dive deep down into the ocean to discover illuminating sea life. They’ll even get to hang glide over the Australian outback! All the while the students are journeying courtesy of their teacher’s imagination, they are discovering what makes going to school so special – teachers. End pages include info on the seven continents visited and all the animals or places mentioned.

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A Great Book to Celebrate the End of Geography Awareness Week

November 18, 2011
goodreadswithronna
Uncategorized

In light of Geography Awareness Week, Debbie Glade reviews a fact-and-photo-filled book about Cambodia.

Did you know that Cambodia’s Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the entire world? It was built in 1100 C.E. during the Khmer Empire. The architects of this grand structure designed it around the sun’s movement, planning out where each and every shadow would fall. These and many other fascinating facts can be found in The Mysteries of Angkor Wat: Exploring Cambodia’s Ancient Temple ($17.99, Candlewick Press, Ages 6 and up) by author Richard Sobol.

Back in January I reviewed Richard Sobol’s wonderful book, The Life of Rice. This author and award-winning photographer must be commended for his continuing efforts to increase geography awareness through his children’s books. In Angkor Wat, Sobol takes readers through the history of the ancient structure and also writes about his most interesting personal travel experiences while in Cambodia. The building of this Buddhist temple remains a mystery, as it is unclear how the sheer number of massive stones used to build it were moved into place thousands of years ago.

What I love about this book is that there is a perfect blend of Cambodian history, modern life and culture, and the photographs are spectacular. The author describes his experience touring the structure with local children, who lead him to a very special place to share a secret about Angkor Wat. He writes in a way that really makes readers feel like they are right there with him touring Cambodia.

I highly recommend this book as a way to teach children about the world. Please note that the story is a bit long and sophisticated for most six-year-olds to read on their own. However the book is ideal for reading together with your young child.

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Postcards about Planet Earth: Q & A

Ask Dr. K. Fisher About Planet Earth ($10.99, Kingfisher/Macmillan, ages 4-8) is a clever, sturdy hardcover book by author Claire Llewellyn. Full of postcards and letters written by animals who pose the most unusual questions to expert Dr. Fisher, this book is sure get kids thinking about Mother Nature. For instance, a salmon wants to know what life will be like for him when he swims from the river to the ocean. Dr. Fisher helps the salmon rest easy by telling him this is a completely natural and safe process for him. All the letters teach young readers about the animals and the places where they live.

Each of the postcards and letters, both to and from Dr. K. Fisher, are craftily illustrated by Kate Sheppard. This makes the book extraordinarily fun to read. There’s a simple glossary and an index in the back of the book as well.

The best aspect of this book is that it teaches kids fascinating facts in a subtle way rather that pounding them over the head with them. I suppose I already knew there are three different layers of the earth, and the core is too hot for any creature to survive. But somehow, seeing an illustration and reading a real simple description, really hit home with me.

Debbie Glade, today’s guest reviewer, 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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If America Were a Village

Startling Statistics About the USA for Little People

Regular contributor Debbie Glade reviews this terrific book from the Citizen Kid series published by Kids Can Press:

David J. Smith is the author of If the World Were a Village, which sold more than 400,000 copies in 16 languages. In If America Were a Village: A Book About the People of the United States, Smith takes facts and figures about the 306 million people of America and reduces them down to a village of 100 people, to give children vital information they can easily understand in the simplest terms. Essentially, this is a book of statistics for little people, and I for one think it’s a brilliant idea.

Did you know that in 1900, 40 people out of 100 in the US lived in towns and cities, and 60 lived in the country? And today, 80 out of 100 live in cities and 20 live in the country? Well, you will learn many more fascinating facts like these when you read this beautiful book. Statistics regarding where we come from, our religions, what we do for a living, how wealthy we are, how many products we consume (this will astound you), how healthy we are and more are all covered. There’s a helpful section in the back of the book with tips to help children understand more about America. And like all books with facts and figures, there’s a list of sources of information.

I love the unique, slightly hazy yet colorful illustrations done by Shelagh Armstrong, depicting Americans in every day life situations. Her cover design, an aerial view of a village is more defined and is also incredibly appealing. The talented Ms. Armstrong has had a lot of experience designing packages for international products, some of which you can see on her Web site by clicking here.

As a geography literacy advocate myself, I am so pleased when I find creative books like this that teach kids (and their parents and teachers) about the world in unusual ways. And what better way to start teaching children about the world than helping them understand their own country first? I highly recommend all children in the USA read If America Were a Village. It certainly would be a welcome addition to any classroom.

Now why didn’t I think of this idea for a book myself?

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Animals As Seen By Darwin & Polo

November 17, 2009
goodreadswithronna
Uncategorized

Yesterday, guest reviewer Debbie Glade looked at Charles Darwin and today she is also reviewing Animals Charles Darwin Saw: An Around-the-World Adventure and Animals Marco Polo Saw: An Adventure on the Silk Road, two Chronicle Books by author Sandra Markle.

Animals Charles Darwin Saw (Chronicle, $16.99; ages 7-10) is beautifully illustrated with bright colors by Zina Saunders. The depictions bring the reader closer to the reality of Darwin’s nineteenth century world. Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzinni’s illustrations in Animals Marco Polo Saw (Chronicle, $16.99; ages 7-10) are both vivid and somewhat smoky at the same time, demonstrating her originality. Her use of light and shadows are incredibly impressive, and I really enjoyed studying all the detail.

In the Darwin book, readers learn about the naturalist’s expedition aboard the HMS Beagle. The author does a good job introducing his theory of evolution to young readers, and I like the way she explains what Darwin was trying to accomplish on his voyage. In reality, Darwin’s findings and theories are quite sophisticated, and Sandra Markle simplifies it for children in a way that is understandable yet not at all patronizing. In Marco Polo, readers are taken on a journey from Italy, through the Middle East and to China, along the same path this great explorer took during the 13^th century. Young readers learn about Marco Polo’s interest in the people he encountered (Kublai Kahn among them), their cultures and religions, as well as the many unique animals he saw that were unfamiliar to him. Both books highlight specific animals with offset copy, giving the reader a greater depth of information.

Also, each book starts off with a note to parents and teachers and has a Table of Contents. In the back is a Glossary, a “For More Information” page and even a helpful Index.

Animals Charles Darwin Saw: An Around-the-World Adventure and Animals Marco Polo Saw: An Adventure on the Silk Road teach children about two curious men from long ago, with great minds, who journeyed afar in search of answers. They each brought back an abundance of new information to share that would change the way we think and live. There is so much that Charles Darwin and Marco Polo have taught us, and these books are a great way to expose young readers to these great men.

Debbie 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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Let’s Go Exploring for Geography Awareness Week

November 16, 2009
goodreadswithronna
Uncategorized

According to guest reviewer Debbie Glade, Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventure (Templar Books, an imprint of Candlewick, $19.99; ages 8-12), written by A.J. Wood and Clint Twist, “is the highest quality, most inviting, most creative, most entertaining, most sophisticated and most informative children’s science book I have ever read. There, I said it.”

Debbie 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.

As soon as I took one look at the unique cover, I knew this was a special book. The pages are accessed by opening the flaps of a sturdy, magnetic cardboard cover. What lies inside is a visual wonderland of flaps to flip and envelopes to open, revealing letters, illustrations, maps, photos and scientific information regarding Darwin’s findings aboard the HMS Beagle. You will actually feel as though you are reading Darwin’s diary from the famed voyage of 1831 to 1836. The pages were even printed to look as though they were hand sewn to the binding! (FYI – This book is one of three historical notebooks from Templar Books, all of which I’d love to read.)

This is not a book for you or your child to rush through; rather you will want to curl up on the couch and take your time reading and discovering. You don’t want to miss a thing. Open the inside cover to pull Darwin’s family tree out of an envelope. Then continue on to read about the experiences that led Darwin to a life of scientific exploration and discovery. View a map of the track the HMS Beagle took, read a letter from Darwin to his father about his decision to take the voyage and then soak in all the flora and fauna as seen by the great naturalist himself. And of course, learn about Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Did you know that the HMS Beagle’s departure was delayed numerous times before setting sail? Or that there were 74 people on board the not-so-large ship? And that Darwin experienced severe seasickness? Or that Darwin was a very religious man? You will learn about these facts as well as details about Darwin’s tracking of plant and animal species and how he collected specimens in South America, around Cape Horn and on his voyage back to England.

Reading Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventure is as close as you can get to actually being on Darwin’s voyage of 1831-1836. This book is indeed a lifetime keeper.

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Writing and Art Contest for Children

24 Days Left to Enter
“I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest”
Writing and Art Contest for Children
Prizes Donated by Rand McNally’s Online Store

Smart Poodle Publishing announces its final call for entries for the “I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest” Writing and Art Contest for Children. The contest is FREE and is designed to teach children about geography and give them an opportunity to practice their writing skills as well as express themselves artistically. The deadline is November 30, 2009. Children in grades 5K through 5th grade are invited to write a story about Costa Rica and submit art work to win fantastic prizes generously donated by Rand McNally’s Online Store. In addition to these valuable prizes, Smart Poodle Publishing will award the First Place winners in each age category $100 as listed below.

Teachers are welcome to submit all their students’ essays and artwork together, using the teacher’s email address as the contact, rather than each parent’s email. Please visit www.smartpoodlepublishing.com for full contest rules and entry form.

First Place Winners in three grade categories (5K-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade, 4th-5th grade) will each receive these three prizes (Value listed):

Rand McNally Personal Journeys World Pinable Wall Map($84.99)
Rand McNally Hard Bound World Atlas ($24.95)
Kids’ Travel Activity Bundle ($15.80)
A Check for $100

Second Place Winners in three grade categories (5K-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade, 4th-5th grade) will each receive these two prizes (Value listed):

Rand McNally Traveler Series Kids Illustrated Wall Map ($64.99)
Kids’ Travel Activity Bundle ($15.80)

Third Place Winners in three grade categories (5K-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade, 4th-5th grade) will each receive this prize (Value listed):

World Knowledge Bundle ($22.90)

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The Scrambled States of America Contest

Election Day is a perfect day to celebrate our great country and win a prize, too! Based on the hit book by Laurie Keller from Henry Holt And Company, Gamewright brings us The Scrambled States of America Game. Billed as the Whimsical, Mad-Dashing Geography Game, according to my eight year-old son, Coleman, it’s simply an amazing game! But don’t just take Coleman’s word for it. The amount of awards this game has garnered is so impressive and these are just a few!

Got twenty minutes to share with your child? This game for two to four players makes learning the states a snap. The object of the game is to send the most states home (because they’ve all gone somewhere else hence the ‘scrambled’ in the game’s title) by matching State Cards to Scramble Cards. The player who collects the most State Cards wins.

I am giving away one of these educational games recommended for ages eight and up to one Good Reads With Ronna winner. Click here now to enter for your chance to win. The contest ends on November 23. Be sure to write Scrambled States of America Contest in the subject line. For contest rules click here now and good luck!

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Globetrotting With Kiwi and Pear

The very talented artist, Joyce Wan, won a greeting card illustration contest as a child, and that led to creating greeting card collections with the loveable hugging monkeys we see on her new book, Greetings from Kiwi and Pear.

Having just returned from the annual National Council for Geography Education Conference, I was delighted to review this book. Young children in America are in desperate need of educational materials that teach them about the world. When you open this sturdy, compact book, you will find a colorful map of the world showing the plane routes taken by Kiwi and Pear on their world journey. And to make that even better, there are 34 stickers at the back of the book, so children can mark the monkeys’ travel locations as they read or listen along to the story. I love that!

On each set of pages is a simple postcard describing what Kiwi and Pear did in each destination, with a postage stamp that matches a sticker (with illustration and place name) to stick on the map. An outline showing where the sticker should go is included on the map to make it easier for little ones to find. Brilliant! The pages on the right fold out to display adorable, colorful illustrations of the monkeys enjoying their travels. Among their destinations you will find something on every continent – places such as New York, Antarctica, Paris, India, China, Mexico, Australia and more. And to make this even more fun, there’s a page about outer space!

I can’t say enough about the importance of books like Greetings from Kiwi and Pear. This book introduces children to travel and geography in a fun and educational way. Parents and grandparents will thoroughly enjoy sharing it with their loved ones. It’s never too early to teach your kids about the world, and Greetings from Kiwi and Pear is a great place to start!

Editor’s Note: This book is available from Blue Apple, an imprint of Chronicle Books and is recommended for ages 4-8.

This delightful book was reviewed by regular contributor Debbie Glade. 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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Writing Contest For Kids

Smart Poodle Publishing Announces the:

I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest!

Young Travel Writers

and

Artists Contest

Smart Poodle Publishing, publisher of The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly: Costa Rica, is pleased to announce its national children’s travel writing and art contest. Children from Kindergarten through 5th Grade are invited to submit original stories and artwork to the “I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest!” Contest, based upon a real or imaginary travel adventure in the Costa Rican rainforest. For an entry form and complete contest rules, visit smartpoodlepublishing.com or Click here to enter today!
All prizes donated by Rand McNally’s online store at www.RandMcNally.com.

“Smart Poodle Publishing is on a mission to do its part to help improve geography education in the US,” said publisher and author Debbie Glade. “We are thrilled to be able to offer exciting prizes directly related to geography education this year, all of which have been generously donated by Rand McNally’s online store at www.RandMcNally.com.”

A total of nine winners will be chosen. There will be First, Second and Third Place Winners in three grade categories: 5K-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade and 4th-5th grade.

First Place Winners will each receive (Value listed):
– Rand McNally Personal Journeys World Pinable Wall Map ($84.99)
– Rand McNally Hard Bound World Atlas ($24.95)
– Kids’ Travel Activity Bundle ($15.80)

Second Place Winners will each receive (Value listed):
– Rand McNally Traveler Series Kids Illustrated Wall Map ($64.99)
– Kids’ Travel Activity Bundle ($15.80)

Third Place Winners will each receive (Value listed):
World Knowledge Bundle ($22.90)

This contest is free. No purchase necessary. The deadline to enter is September 30, 2009. Entries will be judged by a panel of travel and education experts. Winners will be announced on October 15, 2009. Winners’ stories will be published on www.smartpoodlepublishing.com as well as on www.RandMcNally.com.

About Smart Poodle Publishing
Smart Poodle Publishing is the publisher of The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly: Costa Rica (ISBN 978-0-9800307-9-2) and the Ask Lilly Badilly All About the World Geography Q and A video program. Award-winning author Debbie Glade visits schools with her reading and geography programs. Smart Poodle Publishing recently sponsored the “What I Wish Everyone Knew About Librarians” national writing contest for librarians.

About Rand McNally
From America’s number-one-selling Road Atlas, The Thomas Guide®, FabMAP® and Goode’s World Atlas to StreetFinder® Wireless and IntelliRoute® trucking database, Rand McNally has been an industry leader in the mapping, routing, geographic reference and trip-planning tool marketplace for more than 150 years. With More Roads-Better Directions™, the Company’s products are sold in more than 50,000 retail outlets and distributed to 98% of schools across the U.S. Rand McNally is the premier resource for online travel planning as well as maps and directions. For more information, please visit www.RandMcNally.com, call 800-333-0136 or buy maps and travel gear online at http://Store.RandMcNally.com.

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