Skidamarink - The "I LOVE YOU" Song ~ Picture Books You Can Sing

Skidamarink - The "I LOVE YOU" Song
Illustrated by Jacqueline East
(Scholastic Inc., 2007)

February is the month of love.

Time to learn and sing a new song! Skidamarink - The "I LOVE YOU" Song is one of my favorite songs for the month of Valentines Day. (Skidamarink is pronounced skid-UH-muh-rink.)

Skidamarink is illustrated by Jacqueline East. The bear family, very adorable with their cozy home and cuddly baby bear, sings their way through family life. The winter fun activities and home life shared in the book makes me want to go ice skating or cuddle up with hot cocoa. Young children will enjoy seeing the fun baby bear has with his mom and dad.

Note to adults: While kids will get it and love it, skidamarink is a silly, nonsense word that might trip up adults. Don't worry. It's fun to say and sing. And skidamarink rhymes perfectly with 'a dink a dink.'

KID KANDY:

~ Of course, one could choose any activity from the book and enjoy it as a family - ice skating, eating oatmeal, sledding, building a snowman, drinking hot cocoa, playing a game, painting pictures, or reading a book. I would encourage you to avoid getting sick though.

~ For those fortunate enough to have snow this year, get outside and paint some hearts. Mix red food coloring with water in a spray bottle or squirt gun. Head out and spray hearts and XOXO on snow banks.

~ If you are like us (no snow), dig out the sidewalk chalk. Go outside and draw chalk hearts and XOXO messages on the sidewalk or driveway.

~ Check out YouTube for videos of the motions that go with Skidamarink. Or just make up your own. It will be your own secret love language.

Spread the love! Keep singing Skidamarink while you have fun!

Happy Valentines Day from the Red Onion.

Angie Quantrell loves silly songs. Now she will be humming Skidamarink for the rest of the day.

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.

I Can Give

I Can Give by Angie Quantrell (Woman's Missionary Union, 2003)

Whoo-hoo! Happy 10 years of publication, I Can Give! I just noticed that it has been 10 years since publication. How time flies.

Meet Juan Carlos and his family in I Can Give. Juan Carlos learns many different ways that he can give to help others. He can give his time, his energy, his ideas, his help, his friendship, his thanks, his praise - even his money. Juan Carlos learns that giving is not just about money, but much more.

I Can Give features single phrase sentences for young preschoolers. Each simple sentence is also given in Spanish, together with the pronunciation. For older children and beginning readers, a longer story tells about Juan Carlos and his adventures. Adorable illustrations show Juan Carlos as he gives to others.

I am so excited to realize that I Can Give is 10 years old. That is a decade worth of young readers. Happy Birthday, I Can Give.

Visit www.wmustore.com or call 1-800-968-7301 to purchase I Can Give. Thank you!

Hmmmm. I'm thinking it's time for some happy cake!

Ah, the Sweet Aroma of Books

I love books! I never feel quite secure unless I have a book or two stashed with me at all times. There are never fewer than ten books stacked on and under my night stand table. Usually, bookmarks hold spots in three or so mid-way complete book readings. Books. I have to have them.

Recently, a teacher I know remarked, "Some people are just wired for text. Look at that poster. Either you see all the words and read it immediately. Or you don't notice the words and just see the photographs."

At that second, I realized that I was text-oriented. Totally text-oriented. I knew that prior to this discussion, but I hadn't thought of it that way before. I have a constant battle in my mind, editing what I am reading or writing, wondering if it's worth it to send the typo information in to publishers...Or what other excellent vocabulary can be used when I am thinking of what to put on paper. Print, fonts, hand-written, professionally type set, scribbled, doodled,... All of it is attached to my field of vision and thinking. Yes, I love photographs and illustrations and embrace beautiful art. But if there is ANY text nearby, I will read that first. Then enjoy the rest.

Any way I look at it, books are me. Books and magazines are an extension of my personality. My loves and excitement. My hobbies, free time, addictions, obligations, pleasures...

Where is my book? I feel like reading something great.