Don't Eat the Baby! ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

No one is going to eat his baby!

By Angie Quantrell Angie Quantrell

Don't Eat the Baby!
By Amy Young
(Viking, 2013)

Don't Eat the Baby! is a funny story about new babies, big brothers, and misunderstandings.

Tom is not sure he wants a new baby. In fact, he names the baby The Blob. At first he is jealous of all of the attention being placed on baby Blob. But soon, Tom hears people saying they want to eat the baby because it is so adorable.

What? They can't eat his baby. Tom decides he has to save the baby. His baby.

Families with new babies will love reading this as they merge the new family member with older siblings. This book also provides humor as discussions take place about silly things adults say.

KID KANDY:

Baby Doll Play

Materials: baby doll, doll clothes and accessories, doll bed or toys

Do you have a new baby sister or brother? They are noisy, tiny, cute, and here to stay. While mom and dad are busy taking care of the new family member, this is your time to play and take care of your own baby.

Pretend the baby is your baby. Feed, rock, burp, and put the baby doll to bed. You can even give your baby a name. It's fun to pretend, isn't it?

You can also ask mom or dad how you can help with your new sibling. Maybe you can go get a diaper for mom or hand dad the blankie. Snuggle in close while baby is sleeping. You used to be that tiny!

Congratulations on being the big brother (or sister)!

What's So Bad About Being an Only Child? ~ Wacky Wednesday Picture Book & KID KANDY

What's So Bad About Being an Only Child?
By Cari Best
Pictures by Sophie Blackall
(Melanie Kroupa Books; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007)

That's a great question. What is so bad about being an only child? Said the person who is one of four children. Not that I want to be an only child! No, I love my siblings.

Poor Rosemary Emma Angela (that's my name!) Lynette Isabel Iris Malone was an only child and desperately wanted to have siblings. For she knew that friends came over, played, ate, told secrets, and all other sorts of fun friend activities - even sleep overs - but friends went home to their own families. And REALIIM (her initials) knew the stress of being the focus of all attention. She longed to share that attention and her life with a sister.

Today's Wacky Wednesday book feature is What's So Bad About Being an Only Child?. This charming (and sometimes alarming) picture book tells the tale of Rosemary as she seeks to convince the parents to give her a sibling. When that fails, Rosemary finds her own siblings. In most unusual ways.

Readers with and without sisters and brothers will enjoy the antics of Rosemary as she is naughty, creative, inventive, adventurous, loving, caring, and kind.

KID KANDY:

Play with Your Brother or Sister (or friend if you are an only child like Rosemary)

Rosemary loved playing with her friends. Here are some ideas.

~ play freeze tag

~ pretend to be pirates (like Rosemary)

~ toss a softball, Frisbee, balloons, or beach balls

~ shoot some hoops

~ pretend the jungle gym is surrounded by HOT LAVA!

~ dig out the dolls or trucks or farms or dollhouses (pretend play)

~ ride bicycles (race)

~ become chalk artists

~ climb some trees and go exploring

Make up your own game! (Remember to take turns choosing what to play.)

Coming Home ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Coming Home
By Greg Ruth
(A Feiwel and Friends Book, Macmillan, 2014)

Coming Home is a beautiful book. Period.

Eighteen words and gorgeous full-page illustrations tell the story about a boy waiting for his parent to return from overseas military service. The pictures fill in many details about military family life. Both poignant and delightful, I would recommend Coming Home to any family with serving military members. Any parent who wants to teach their child about sacrifice and freedom should also read Coming Home. Teachers and workers with children will want to read Coming Home to their groups of children, especially if one of their students has a family member away from home due to military service.

On behalf of all of those military members who have served our country, I say, "THANK YOU!"

And for the family members left behind, the ones who had to wait, worry, and pray, I say, "THANK YOU!"

KID KANDY:

Thank A Military Member

Find someone who served (or is serving) in the military - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, or any other military service.

Draw a picture and write a note to that person. Make sure to tell them thank you for serving our country.

With your parent, mail or deliver the picture and note.

If you deliver your note in person, be sure to:

- say "Thank you"

- shake hands

- make eye contact


Serving in the military is the choice of thousands of men and women. Remember to pray for our military service men and women and their families who miss them when they are away on duty.

Angie Quantrell was very happy and thankful when her son, Taylor, returned from serving overseas in Iraq.

Peter's Chair - Picture Book

Peter's Chair
Written and Illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
(Scholastic Inc., 1967)

I discovered Peter's Chair after I fell in love with The Snowy Day. Two of my young grands are expecting a new baby brother in June. It seemed appropriate to feature a book about the adjustment to new siblings.

Peter is a young boy who discovers life is not the same after a new baby comes to live in the house. All Peter wants to do is play. But he soon finds out that he must play quietly. His crib has been painted pink and his high chair is soon to follow the pink trend. When Peter sees his blue chair, he realizes he must do something!

Peter runs away with a few of his prized possessions. With his dog, he attempts to sit down in his chair. But Peter does not fit. He has outgrown it.

Peter comes on new-baby-sister board with his own decision to make the chair work for his baby sister.

Peter's Chair is perfect for families with new babies.

KID KANDY:

Time to dig out the baby doll and crib. Set up a homeliving area with baby bed, doll, baby toys (bottle, high chair, stroller, baby backpack, and so on), blankets, and doll clothes. Engage your child or children in play that involves taking care of the baby.

~ If your doll is waterproof, set up a baby bathtub and let your child bathe the baby.

~ Sing lullabies and chat with your child and the baby as you play.

~ Rock the baby, put the baby to bed, change the baby diaper, and feed the baby.

~ Reassure your child by offering plenty of love and cuddles. Talk about the baby coming and some of the changes that will take place. Let your child express his or her feelings about the new baby.

~ Prepare your child for the new sibling by listening, talking, and reassuring. A new baby is a big and wonderful deal!

Angie Quantrell loves her grands, children, books, and reading. She loves building connections between them all.

Claude the Dog, A Christmas Story - Christmas Picture Books

Claude the Dog, A Christmas Story
by Dick Gackenbach
(Weekly Reader Books, Field Publications; 1974)

Some of the best books are the old ones. I doubt many can find Claude the Dog, A Christmas Story, but it deserves a mention because of the message.

Claude the dog has a homeless friend, Bummer. Bummer came to visit right after Claude had received three very special Christmas gifts from his family. Bummer, who had nothing, appreciated the gifts. And Claude unselfishly gave Bummer his gifts. Bummer finally noticed what was happening. But was Claude upset?

No. Claude understood the importance of something bigger - his family and his home. He was happy to share his gifts, because he could simply go and enjoy the love of his owners.

I love the generosity of Claude and how he helps his homeless friend.

I suppose you could say that Claude sets an example for all of us. And isn't Claude the cutest dog?

Fun Activity:

Do you have a dog? Let your child act out the story with a pillow, a blanket, and a toy mouse. Use the real dog. Substitute a stuffed dog or other favorite animal. Want to be like Claude and help out this season? Collect pet items and donate them to your local pet shelter.

Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit - aka - What's Important at Thanksgiving?

Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit
by Norman Bridwell (Scholastic Inc., 1993)

Clifford, the beloved giant red dog, loves his family. Emily Elizabeth is especially close to his heart. But what about Thanksgiving when Emily Elizabeth flies to visit her grandparents and Clifford cannot go? Imagine Clifford in a plane!

Clifford embraces the season and fights the normal adventure of travel on the Thanksgiving weekend to visit his mother in the big city. Traffic jams, parades, football games, turkey dinner - all are a part of his Thanksgiving travel. But what is most important to Clifford?

Emily Elizabeth. And his family.

Yes, Clifford is a picture book character, and I hear has his own cartoon on television - though I have yet to see it. But Clifford knows what is valuable.

Let's concentrate on that this Thanksgiving. Family and friends.

Tell someone you love them.
Greet the neighbors.
Shake hands.
Smile at people you see walking down the street and in the stores.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Snow Globe Family

Looking out the walls of my own private snow globe residence...

The Snow Globe Family
by Jane O'Conner (Puffin, 2008)

Current winter conditions make me think about a favorite picture book, The Snow Globe Family, by Jane O'Conner.

We recently read this lovely winter story at school. A family living inside the snow globe on the mantle is waiting for a snowstorm so they can play in the snow. They wait and wait. Meanwhile, a life-sized family enjoys a winter storm and heads out to play.

The baby is the one who notices the tiny family in the globe. Knocking it down causes a huge blizzard to appear for the family inside the globe.

Both families enjoy winter wonderlands.

After receiving snow globes for Christmas, several girls shared them with the class. Just last week, we had heavy snow days. It looked like we were living inside a snow globe while at school! The students loved the connection to the story and our real life weather event.

Make this delightful picture book a family winter favorite! It is perfect for inspiring the imagination of children as they create their own pretend snow globe worlds.