Sunday, June 10, 2012

How Puzzling?: Puzzles and Reading are the Perfect Fit! African Dream by Alan Hicks Produced by Suns Out Puzzle Company

Some may find it rather puzzling that I am quite the puzzle aficionado. There is something special about opening up a puzzle knowing that the thousands of uneven, oddly-shaped pieces create a marvelous work of art which uses both the process of elimination and creativity to assemble.

The puzzle I recently completed happens to be quite appropriate for this book-based blog. It is titled African Dream and exhibits the ingenious artwork of Alan Hicks. I feel there is nothing more beautiful than the scene depicted within this puzzle.

The tenderness of a mother and child reading never fails to pull at my heart strings. The beautiful backdrop of an African fairytale theme absolutely took my breath away with its resilience and fantastical aura.

African fairytales will excite children of all ages with their use of imagery and wordplay. Below you will find some wonderful African fairytales that your children may enjoy.

Anansai Does the Impossible! : An Ashanti Tale by Verna Aardema
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears : A West African Tale by Verna Aardema
Pretty Salma : A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa by Niki Daly
Mabela the Clever Retold by Margaret Read MacDonald









Friday, June 8, 2012

The Bathroom Chronicles: Potty Training Resources for Busy Parents

June is National Potty Training Awareness Month. In order to signify the importance of potty training for both toddlers and preschooler I have written the post below. 


Potty training is a major milestone in a child's life. It is associated with greater self-care independence and acknowledgement of ones physical needs. While many parents find potty training more challenging then other developmental milestones, please understand that children are not being difficult if they do not wish to use the toilet at a particular time.


Many times children fear the unknown (even) when it comes down to something we perceive as simple as using the toilet on ones own. Other times, children diets can cause constipation and they associate pain with using the potty. In this case, a change in your child's diet may resolve this issue. Another cause of bathroom issues may be that your child is too preoccupied with a fascinating activity, such as playing with a favorite toy, and may ignore the urge to use the restroom. 


Some of the steps you can use to make potty training easier are simple songs which help children realize the necessities of using the restroom, potty training DVDs with cuddly cartoon characters or children that help establish the normalcy of going potty, creating potty training sticker charts as a form of positive reinforcement each time they successfully complete their potty training, and simple books that can be read numerous times to establish the routine. 


The following are wonderful resources that make potty training easier for both parents and children: 


Websites
http://www.pull-ups.com/na/activities.aspx?phase=0
Items in this section include an iGo Potty App for your iPhone, a wet or dry game, and a personality quiz which cues you in on you child’s potty training style. 
These pertinent and informative articles with topics such as overnight toilet training, make potty training a breeze. 
Parents TV host Juli Auclair and guests discuss innovative bathroom tips and gadgets which help your child achieve potty training success. 


Parent's Resources
Stress-free Potty Training : A Common Sense Guide to Finding the Right Approach For Your Child by Sara Au 
The Playskool Guide to Potty Training : the Best Strategies, Essential Information, and Practical Advice For Your Toddler's Potty Success by Karen Deerwester 
Potty Training Girls the Easy Way: A Stress-free Guide to Helping Your Daughter Learn Quickly by Caroline Fertlemann 
Potty Training Boys the Easy Way : Helping Your Son Learn Quickly -- Even If He's a Late Starter by Caroline Fertlemann 


DVDs



Go Potty Go! Potty Training for Tiny Toddlers. Produced by Mazzarella Media 
Potty Adventures Potty Training in Easy to Follow Steps for Boys and Girls Produced by Soaring Star Productions  
Sesame Street Elmo’s Potty Time 
Books
My Potty and I: A friend in Need by The Bernstains
Your New Potty by Joanna Cole 
P.J. and the Puppy by Cathryn Falwell 
No More Diapers for Ducky by Bernadette G. Ford 
Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel (Boys and Girls editions available)
Potty by Mylo Freeman 
The Princess and the Potty by Wendy Cheyette Lewison 
Sam’s Potty by Barbo Lindgren 
Uh Oh! Gotta Go: Potty Tales From Toddlers by Bob McGrath 
On Your Potty by Virginia Miller 
Going to the Potty by Fred Rogers 
Dinosaur vs. the Potty by Bob Shea 
Potty Time by Guido Van Genechten

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Happy Birthday Helen Oxenbury!

Helen Oxenbury was born on June 2, 1938. She is considered by many to be the essential baby storytime author and illustrator! 


The books which she has lovingly illustrated and authored are portraits of sentimentality and the quiet simplicity of infancy. The inspiration for her board books lay in the sleepless nights spent with her daughter who was suffering from infantile eczema. 


Below you will find an interview with the consummate illustrator/author who has made the beauty of pictures speak to even the youngest children.