The Biggest, Best Snowman - Winter Picture Book

The Biggest, Best Snowman
By Margery Cuyler
Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
(Scholastic Inc., 1998)

The Biggest, Best Snowman has the funnest characters! Little Nell is adorable and faces the problem of being the baby of the family. Consequently, she is usually told that she is too little to do anything for or by herself.

Unfortunately, Little Nell believes the hoopla passed on by Big Mama, Big Sarah, and Big Lizzie.

Enter the forest friends of Little Nell. With their encouragement and teamwork, Little Nell makes the biggest, best snowman. Ever.

I love the characters and the repetitive language used in this picture book. The story is enjoyable and lets little ones believe that they can do anything, even though they are small. The illustrations are delightful. This is a perfect book for preschoolers and kinder-aged boys and girls.

Kid Kandy:

Snowman Glitter Play Dough

Recipe:

3 cups white flour
1 cup salt
1/4 cup silver or white glitter
1 T. alum
2 T. baby oil

3 cups boiling water

1. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.

2. Add baby oil and boiling water.

3. Stir with wooden spoon until cool enough to handle. Pour out on counter and knead until well mixed. Warning: This dough is very hot. Only an adult should knead it.

4. Cool and store in a lidded container.

To Play:

Roll glittery snowballs. Stack on top of each other to make snowmen. Provide chenille stems, twigs, and buttons to use on snowmen. Or dig out the rolling pins, roll the dough, and use snowman cookie cutters to make a snowman family.

Two Renegade Realms - Book Two of the Realm Walkers Trilogy

Two Renegade Realms, Book Two of the Realm Walkers Trilogy
By Donita K. Paul
(Zondervan, 2015)

Oh, boy!

I have almost reached the end of the second book in the Realm Walkers Trilogy. I can't seem to stop myself from reading just one more chapter, just one more...search and rescue, search and rescue...

Donita K. Paul is again over-working her imagination and creativity (for our benefit) in this new world of realm walkers.

The first book of the trilogy, One Realm Beyond, introduced new world ideas such as stacking planets, portals, mor dragons, hampers (bigger on the inside pocket type storage containers - flat to the touch from the outside, but full of great things on the inside), and special crowns that enhance the wearer's ability to do a wide variety of things.

In Two Renegade Realms, Mrs. Paul continues to add new (delightful, odd, interesting, and scary) creations and characters like Neekoh, Old Trout, and orreries. The path of our heroes-on-quest travels through the air, underground, over water, and through mountains and valleys. Mrs. Paul builds the suspense, thickens the plot, and continues the story of the realm walkers with numerous problems, detours, hazards, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

A massive and destructive collision between two renegade realms following a special orbit and the planets inhabited and visited by our story characters is quickly approaching. Cantor, Bixby, Bridger, and Dukmee must find a way to prevent corrupt leaders from capitalizing on the soon to arrive catastrophic events. Add a shortage of mor dragons, lack of realm walkers, and the urgent and necessary search for Chomountain (the right hand of Primen and famed realm walker) - the action and troubles never end!

Will they stop the invasion? Do they find everyone? Can they stop the corrupt council members? Is that romance building between Cantor and Bixby?

I don't think I can wait for the third book in the Realm Walkers Trilogy. I hope Mrs. Paul is busy writing.

In the meantime, maybe I will work on figuring out my own hamper. And it can't hurt to look for a mor dragon.

Note: I received this ARC (Advance Reader Copy) copy of Two Renegade Realms free of charge. In return, I am giving you my honest opinion of this book.

The Snowy Day - Winter Picture Books

The Snowy Day
By Ezra Jack Keats
(Scholastic Inc., 1962)

I don't have snow. I really, really want snow. But it just hasn't happened yet.

So let me give you a favorite book about snow.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is a Caldecott Medal winner, so I know I am not alone in my love for this book.

Peter. Meet Peter, a young boy who wakes up to a brand new world covered with mountains of snow.

After breakfast, Peter puts on his adorable snowsuit and heads out to explore. Just as any child would do when confronted with fresh snow, he makes tracks, drags sticks, makes a snowman (who looks suspiciously like Peter), makes a snow angel, and watches big boys throw snowballs. Peter even makes his own snowball and puts it in his pocket to keep for later.

The story is perfect. The illustrations are simple yet speak volumes. The Snowy Day is a classic. And a must for any reader.

Kid Kandy:

~ If you have snow, go outside! Copy the things that Peter did in The Snowy Day.

~ Make a snowball. Where can you keep it so that it stays frozen? Experiment. Make three snowballs. Put them in different places. Which one stays frozen the longest? Which melts the quickest?

~ No snow? Get out the white tempera paint and a big piece of dark paper. Use fingers to make your own snow prints.

Snowmen at Christmas - Christmas Picture Books

Snowmen at Christmas
By Caralyn Buehner
Pictures by Mark Buehner
(Scholastic Inc., 2005)

Don't you just love snowmen?

I do. I'm at the age that I may not want to play in the snow, but I definitely want someone to build a snow family in my front yard. Without a doubt.

And while the lovely volunteers are busy creating my snow family, I will be inside, wondering what my snowmen will do at night while I slumber. How will they celebrate Christmas? What will they eat? What will they drink? Do they give gifts? Sing songs? Dance?

I do enjoy the Snowmen series of books. I'm glad a gifted writer and illustrator have explained the night mysteries of snowmen. For a fun time, read Snowmen at Christmas.

Now all I need is snow. And volunteers. Any takers? Hot cocoa provided.

Kid Kandy:

~ Build a snowman. Make sure he/she has a scarf, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hat. Maybe add a few arms and feet. You can spray on color to make clothes. Mix food coloring in a water bottle. Spray where you want the colors to go.

~ Use large and small marshmallows to build mini snowmen. Stick toothpicks in to marshmallows to make them stay in place. Use frosting to stick on raisins, chocolate chips, and little candies for features and clothes. Eat carefully! (First remove toothpicks.)

~ Use white crayons to draw snowmen on blue construction paper. Choose other colors to add details. Add white glitter glue to make snowmen sparkle!

The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving - Christmas Picture Books

The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving
By Jan & Mike Berenstain
(Scholastic Inc., 2010)

Merry Christmas!

Giving. That's what The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving is all about.

Maybe you've heard it. The gimmee's. Are there any more presents? We're all done? Why can't I have more? I didn't get...

Actually, there is one commercial from this season that I do not like at all. I'm not even sure who the company is that the commercial represents. But I do know that the entire focus of the commercial is "Wha'ja'git?" That question is repeated, repeated, repeated, and repeated from numerous famous cartoon and imaginary characters.

That is NOT the message I want children to learn and inhale about the Christmas season. Not one bit.

Rather, I would have them learn about the joy of giving.

Reading The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving is a great tradition that speaks to the important character trait of giving. Or we could call giving a positive social habit. Or a generous human social trait.

Brother and Sister Bear enjoy the usual trappings of a family and church Christmas. But the ending is what promotes the true spirit of giving. Read this book to find out more.

It's Never Too Late.

Kid Kandy:

~ Give away old toys. Some families have children choose one toy to go out for each new one that comes in.

~ Save change in a jar throughout the year. Carry coins as you go about your errands during the holidays. Let your child put money in the red buckets or donate cash to a shelter.

~ Adopt a family with same-aged children as the ones in your family. Let your child shop for the child his/her age. Wrap the gifts and deliver.

~ Ask your child what he/she would like to do to give. Find a way to do it.

The First Night - Christmas Picture Books

The First Night
By B. G. Hennessy
(Puffin Books, 1993)

The First Night, a Christmas picture book about the Nativity, is filled with delicate and beautiful paintings. The simple language is perfect for retelling the story about the birth of baby - Baby Jesus. Young children will enjoy both the story and the illustrations.

For young children, The First Night gives a story in simple format. As parents, teachers, and caregivers read aloud, preschoolers will internalize concepts of print - reading front to back, front and back, text, illustrations, and story features.

Merry Christmas!

Kid Kandy:

Look at the illustrations. Dig out a black permanent marker or felt tip pen. Let your child draw a picture on heavy paper. Use watercolor pencils, water, and brushes to color in and paint the picture. Discuss the different techniques used by illustrators and artists. Maybe your child will grow up to become an artist or illustrator. How awesome would that be?

The Christmas Song, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire - Christmas Picture Books You Can Sing

The Christmas Song, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
By Mel Torme and Robert Wells (1946)
Illustrated by Doris Barrette
(Scholastic, Inc., 2007)

Here is a beautifully illustrated Christmas picture book you can read and sing!

Everyone knows "The Christmas Song", though I would hazard a guess to say we instead call it "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire." Each year, as I go around humming this song to myself, I am again urged to go hunt down some chestnuts and throw them on an open fire. Tried that once and managed burnt chestnuts.

Now that certain home and cooking magazines have shown the correct way to prep and cook chestnuts, should I venture to purchase those chestnuts (which magically appear in the produce section of the grocery store come every December), I think my success would be much greater. Perhaps even tasty.

Go for it. Sing the song. I mean read this book. And sing the song.

And while you are at it, pick up some chestnuts. Watch an online video on how to cook them up proper.

And have a wonderful, beautiful Christmas.