Review: If I could keep you little...

If I could keep you little...

Those words alone just grabbed the attention of every parent, grandparent, and pretty much anyone who's had their heart captured by the beautiful innocence of a child. Those eyes wide open to the world and looking up at you with all of the trust and love they can muster. Those first wobbly steps and choppy blending of sounds as they begin to give words to their surroundings. These moments remind me of a simpler time, a time of exciting firsts. You know, that magical time before kids learned the words, NO or WHY NOT.

When I was offered the chance to review Marianne Richmond's new book If I could keep you little... I was immediately reminded of those sweet firsts with each of my kids. So, of course I said yes.

I expected to tear up while reading it, which I did, but not for the reasons I thought. Marianne does a great job preserving those milestone memories with her words and her own illustrations. She also helps you recognize that there are more memories to come, and each is as important to our children as those very first moments are to us. That's a great message, because if given the actual choice, we would not want to hold our children back from becoming the strong, independent, and hopefully happy people they are meant to be.

I love this book and think it would make an excellent addition to any family's library. But don't just take my word for it. Here's what other reviewers are saying...

If I Could Keep You Little...

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading.

Kristin :)

* If I Could Keep You Little... by Marianne Richmond was published in November, 2010 by Sourcebooks. This copy was given to me by a publicist to be considered for review. No payments or promises of positive reviews were exchanged. My review is my own opinion of the book.

Writer Wednesday: Danielle Novack

~*~ Winter Holiday Edition ~*~

I am Jewish, my husband is Catholic, and we celebrate holidays from both faiths with our two daughters. A couple of years ago, I noticed that my daughter’s book collection included books about Hanukkah and books about Christmas, but nothing that talked about both together. I started looking for a good children’s book about celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. To my surprise, there was very little out there.

So, I decided to write my own. I have been writing stories and poetry my whole life, but this was my first try at a children’s book. Writing the original version in verse was both challenging and lots of fun. I printed it out, added some stick-figure illustrations, and read it to my daughter. This opened up a conversation about how and why we celebrate both holidays in our family.

My training and experience as a clinical psychologist helped me capture Sam’s emotional journey as he struggles with embarrassment and confusion during a discussion about holidays at school. His mother provides the comfort and explanations that ultimately allow him to embrace who he is and how his family celebrates.

I toyed with the idea of trying to get it published, but I didn’t know how to go about it. I also didn’t have much confidence that such a dream would actually come to fruition. For a while, I put it aside and focused on other things. My two young girls keep me endlessly busy, and I am in private practice three days a week. Common sense told me to focus on my practice and to write for my girls and myself. However, I kept thinking about the fact that my book was something different and new, and much-needed in a world where many families blend cultures and traditions.

I was incredibly lucky that the first publisher I sent it to showed interest. It just so happened that they had been in the market for a new dual-celebration story, and mine fit the bill. Then the editing process began. The first thing they had me do was rewrite the entire story in prose. Then there were other tweaks and changes. I learned that there is a right amount of text for each page in a picture book. I also learned that not everything needs to be spelled out in words, because the illustrations will help tell the story.

The final version of MY TWO HOLIDAYS is something I continue to enjoy with my children. I have been busy sharing the book with local schools and organizations, and I hope that lots of parents and kids out there will love it too. In the meantime, I have been working on other children’s books that are quite different, experimenting with different genres and styles. I am looking forward to the next chapter of my new career as a writer for children.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

For more information about Danielle and MY TWO HOLIDAYS: A HANUKKAH AND CHRISTMAS STORY (Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, September 2010), please see her website, www.daniellenovackauthor.com.

Thank you Danielle for sharing your book and what went into writing it with us. I know many families that celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. I'm sure they will be very happy to have your book in their personal libraries. The first day of Hanukka is December 1st and it lasts until December 9th. To all of you celebrating I wish you a Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Holidays!

Kristin *<( :)

Review: Hailey Twitch is Not a Snitch by Lauren Barnholdt

Hailey Twitch is the typical second grader. She likes the friends she has and doesn't want any more. So when her teacher pairs her up with Addie Jokobeck she is not happy. For one thing, she wanted to be partners with Antonio or Russ. For another, Addie Jokobeck was a lover of rules and Hailey didn't think that loving and following all rules sounded very fun. To make her day even worse, Antonio was paired up with Natalie, the meanest girl in school. She was going to loose her friend to Natalie and be stuck making boring old french fries and following all the rules with Addie. Hailey was having a bad day.

Sitting in her room, trying hard not to stomp or yell about her bad day, Hailey hears something in her toy castle. What could it be? It's a tiny sprite named Maybelle. She was banished to live in Hailey's castle until someone made a wish for fun, which Hailey did. The problem is, Maybelle was banished because she didn't know how to be fun. She would be stuck living in the toy castle forever if she didn't find a way to help Hailey have fun.

This is a cute story about how children can be short sighted when it comes to friends sometimes. She thinks that the only way to be a friend is to boss them around. She quickly finds out that doesn't work. She also thinks friends don't tell on each other, so when Maybelle starts causing trouble, thinking it will be fun, Hailey takes the blame. Hailey has a lot to learn and gets in a lot of trouble before she learns it.

What I liked:

Hailey is spunky and makes mistakes, like most 2nd graders, but she also learns important lessons about friendship, sharing, and doing things for others.

What I disliked:

The ending was abrupt. It left us wondering what happened with Maybelle. Maybe we will need to get the sequel to find out? My daughter has already said yes to that possibility.

A few other reviews of Hailey Twitch is Not a Twitch:

Keep Reading to Your Child

Cindy's Love of Books

Hailey Twitch is Not a Snitch by Lauren Barnholdt and illustrated by Suzanne Beaky was published on May 1, 2010 by Sourcebooks. It is listed as chapter book for children 9 - 12 years old. I think some younger readers would love this story too.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kristin : )

Blog Tour: The Tighty Whitey Spider

The Tighty Whitey Spider is perfect to review for National Poetry Month. It's a book of silly animal poems written by Kenn Nesbitt and illustrated by Ethan Long.

First of all, the main little critter is sporting nothing but his tighty whitey underwear. This alone had my kids giggling. Then there is a dog that doesn't bark, a cat that can fly, sky diving elephants, and flying pigs! That's just some of the silliness Nesbitt has packed into this 97 page book and CD.

Kenn Nesbitt is celebrating his newest release along with National Poetry Month by doing a blog tour. As an added gift he is offering everyone a look at his first book, My Hippo Has the Hiccups. So follow the link and check it out. The offer ends on April 30th.

In addition to his hilarious books, Nesbitt is also the founder of one of the most popular kid's poetry websites, Poetry for Kids.

I'd love to hear what you and the children in your life think of Kenn Nesbitt and his silly poems.

Thanks for stopping by.

Kristin : )