More and more it seems that stories of fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods tug at our heart strings. How do we explain these disasters to our young children? Capstone came up with a most creative and unusual way. Flood ($15.95, Capstone: Picture Window Books, Ages 6-8) took a bold approach and created a book with no words, rather with incredibly detailed and impressive illustrations by Alvaro Fernandez Villa. These pictures tell the full story of a family of four that must flee their home before a major flood destroys it.
Capstone is making a substantial donation from the sale of Flood to the non-profit organization, Save the Children. The money raised will be used for the Domestic Emergency Relief Fund which provides food, health care and education to families with children following natural disasters.
As parents, we want to protect our children from pain and despair, yet this is not always possible. This book was created with that purpose in mind; it helps young children understand and deal with natural disasters, teaching them the inevitable lesson that some life events are unfortunately out of our control. The wordless narrative allows parents to open up discussions about what the family in the book is experiencing. Capstone provides an excellent Flood Reader’s Guide containinggeneral information about floods and tips on “reading” a wordless book – before reading, while reading and after reading the book. It’s all in studying the details of the illustrations and asking children what they see and how the family must be feeling while fleeing their home. There are even suggestions about acting out the story or posing as a reporter.
Flood covers the gamut of so many emotions – hope, fear, despair, sadness and eventually gratitude. It gives children and parents a chance to express themselves without the fear of being judged. I admire Capstone for taking the risk to broach such a sensitive and unpleasant subject for young children – and oh, how well they do so. I also love the fact that this book will inspire children to think in ways they may never have before. They will look at the illustrations and use their own judgment to determine what is taking place. And I must add here that these are some of the best illustrations I’ve seen in a picture book.
When you finish “reading” Flood with your children, you are left with the powerful message of hope. And, as I mentioned earlier, when you buy the book, Capstone donates a portion to Save the Children, leaving others in need also with hope.
AMERICAN GIRL ENCOURAGES READING AND FUN
WITH READ-A-PALOOZA!
(Plus you’ll help Save the Children’s U.S. literacy program when you buy American Girl books)
Enter below today for your chance to win a bunch of the best books for summer reading
In conjunction with American Girl’s super summer celebration of reading called Read-a-palooza, Good Reads With Ronna is offering a great giveaway. It’s just the right time to join the millions of girls who’ve grown up with American Girl’s award-winning books and discover the delights of reading all summer long. So get out your beach bag, sunblock, swim suit and some sunglasses and get ready to dive in to a good time
Books shown here do not necessarily reflect titles offered. Please refer to list on the left.
One winner will receive a selection of summer reading including:
McKenna (A 2012 Girl of the Year book)
McKenna Ready to Fly (A 2012 Girl of the Year book)
The nonfiction advice book, Take the Challenge
The nonfiction advice book, A Smart Girl’s Guide to Liking Herself
The Innerstar University Book (these are “choose your own ending” books), Behind the Scenes
A Cecile Mystery, The Cameo Necklace
Click here to enter with your name and address, then leave a comment below and remember to
LIKE Good Reads With Ronna on Facebook for your chance to win. Contest ends midnight on Weds., May 30. Scroll down for contest rules. Good luck!
Keep your girls away from electronics and get them into books to sharpen their reading skills and keep them happily entertained while away from school. American Girl’s Read-a-palooza, a summer reading program created for girls ages 8 to 12, is packed with fun activities and incentives that encourage literacy. Read-a-palooza takes place May 1 to September 3, 2012, and also includes a charitable partnership with Save the Children’s U.S. literacy program.
To participate in Read-a-palooza, girls can visit americangirl.com/reading, where they can download colorful bookmarks and free book-related content, such as tips and materials for starting a book club. They’ll also be able to do reading challenges and take fun, interactive quizzes. Starting in June, girls can participate in Read-a-palooza by visiting an American Girl retail store, where free reading events will be offered all summer long.
To further emphasize the importance of reading and to help a great cause during its Read-a-palooza campaign, American Girl is partnering with Save the Children’s U.S. literacy program. From May 1 through September 3, 2012, $1 of every book purchased through American Girl (up to a maximum of $100,000) will support Save the Children’s efforts to raise literacy rates in impoverished communities by providing basic education and equipping schools and teachers with reading materials. In addition, American Girl will make its third donation of books to Save the Children this fall, bringing the value of the company’s total book donation to nearly $1.5 million.
For more information about Read-a-palooza and American Girl’s partnership with Save the Children, visit americangirl.com/reading.
AMERICAN GIRL READ-A-PALOOZA GIVEAWAY RULES
TO ENTER – We are giving away 1 prize of 6 assorted American Girl books to include (2) Girl of the Year books: McKenna and McKenna Ready to Fly, (1) Take The Challenge,(1) A Smart Girl’s Guide to Liking Herself, (1) The Innerstar University Book: Behind the Scenes, (1) A Cecile Mystery: The Cameo Necklace worth a total of $49.70.
This giveaway ends at midnight on Wednesday, May 30th, 2012 with one winner selected on Thursday, May 31st. Winner will be notified by email so be sure to include your name, address, (no P.O. Boxes please) and phone number in an email to Ronna.L.Mandel@gmail.com. Please write American Girl Giveaway in the subject line.
For a chance to be the winner please leave a comment on the giveaway blog post (no one or two word comments please). Be sure to LIKE Good Reads With Ronna on Facebook for an additional entry and follow us on Twitter @goodreadsronna for an additional entry to the giveaway, too. If you don’t provide an email where you can be contacted your chance to win is forfeited.
This giveaway will run through midnight on May 30, 2012 (PST). Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact us at Ronna.L.Mandel@gmail.com before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. (18+) residents only.
American Introduces Read-a-palooza
About American Girl
American Girl Brands is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel, (NASDAQ:MAT, www.mattel.com), the world’s leading toy company. Since American Girl’s inception in 1986, the company has devoted its entire business to celebrating the potential of girls ages 3 to 12. American Girl encourages girls to dream, to grow, to aspire, to create, and to imagine through a wide range of engaging and insightful books, age-appropriate and educational products, and unforgettable experiences. In meeting its mission with a vigilant eye toward quality and service, American Girl has earned the loyal following of millions of girls and the praise and trust of parents and educators. To learn more about American Girl or to request a free catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005, or visit www.americangirl.com.
About Save the Children
Save the Children’s U.S. Programs work to break the cycle of poverty and improve the lives of children by ensuring they have the resources they need—access to a quality education, healthy foods, and opportunities to grow and develop in a nurturing environment. When disasters like hurricanes and wildfires strike, Save the Children is among the first on the ground ensuring the needs of children are being met.
Save the Children’s early childhood education, literacy, physical activity and nutrition, and emergency response programs reached more than 147,000 children and families in the United States last year alone. For more information, visit www.savethechildren.org/usa.
More and more it seems that stories of fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods tug at our heart strings. How do we explain these disasters to our young children? Capstone came up with a most creative and unusual way. Flood ($15.95, Capstone: Picture Window Books, Ages 6-8) took a bold approach and created a book with no words, rather with incredibly detailed and impressive illustrations by Alvaro Fernandez Villa. These pictures tell the full story of a family of four that must flee their home before a major flood destroys it.
