Elizabeth Yetter's Blog
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
Looking for the perfect “I love you” book for your little girl? Whether you want to tell your daughter you love her on Valentine’s Day or you want her to know that she’s special everyday, check out the latest book by Jane Yolen called Mama’s Kiss (Chronicle Kids, ISBN 978-0-8118-6683-5).
Mama’s Kiss begins with a kiss. Mom throws a smooch through the air towards her daughter, but the kiss misses and goes straight towards the baby. Baby burps and sends the kiss flying out the open window where the wayward kiss gets passed around from a dog, a cat, a bee, a bear, and then back to a person. Eventually, the kiss finds its way back to the daughter.
Mama’s Kiss is one of the happiest children’s books I’ve read in a while. It’s sweet, easy to read, and makes a special gift to the girl you love most.
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Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
With exciting facts and gorgeous pictures of cats, Why Do Cats Have Whiskers? by Elizabeth Macleod (Kids Can Press, ISBN: 978-1-55453-196-7) is packed full of ohs and ahs. Kids, ages 8 to 12, will love to read to read and share this book with their friends and family.
Questions and Facts
So, why do cats have whiskers? Why do they meow and purr? There are so many questions children ask about cats that adults have to stop and wonder what the answers truly are. Why Do Cats Have Whiskers? answers all the common and not so common questions kids can come up with about cats.
Kids will learn how cats seem to see in the dark and how cats became pets in the first place. They’ll learn fascinating tidbits to wow their friends, such as the name of Isaac Newton’s cat (Spithead).
Speak Cat
Besides facts, kids will learn to understand cat body language. They’ll learn how to read cat whiskers, ears positions, and tail twitches.
When kids learn to read cat language, they’ll also be able to let their favorite cat know how much its loved by practicing a blinking exercise.
Gorgeous Photos
The photos of cats are beautiful. Kids will get to see many types of cats, from common tabbies to the ocicats. There are also photos of Persians, Siamese, Abyssinians, and other pedigree cats.
Oodles of Fun
Kids love to learn about their pets. Why Do Cats Have Whiskers? teaches kids how exciting their kitty cat is and why cats are such a fascinating and popular pet.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
Feeling like you don’t belong is a common theme in many children’s stories, but it’s never been more adeptly written about than in The Uglified Ducky by Willy Claflin (August House, ISBN 0-87483-858-4).
The story begins with a young moose that’s wandered off from his little moose nest. He finds a snug place to rest by a pond, right next to a duck nest, and, upon waking, discovers that he is now a duck.
The mother duck is not pleased with having an “uglified ducky” in her brood but settles to teaching the moose and her offspring how to be all ducky.
First, mother duck teaches moose and his five new siblings how to waddle, but all moose can do is stumble and trip. Things get worse when mother duck attempts to teach him how to quack and swim.
Both the mother duck and the young moose are fed up. Mother duck can’t figure out why the uglified duckling can’t do ducky things and the moose feels as though he doesn’t belong to this family.
The Uglified Ducky is an adorable story that will be loved by children as well as adults. The story is told in “Moose Speech” (a glossary is at the front of the book) which adds to the charm of the tale.
The is a great book for reading out loud to groups and for discussion.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
Wild Cards: Who's Hiding? is a deck of 48 animal cards put out by Birdcage Press (ISBN 978-1559960039-0). Each card features a critter that is camouflaged in its natural environment. Some of the animals are easy to spot in the picture, such as the saw whet owl, but other critters are more difficult to find, like the yellow pygmy seahorse that looks just like the coral.
The animals are divided into goups. In the birds group there are black skimmers, ostriches, saw whet owls, and willow ptarmigans. For sea creatures there's the clownfish, moray eel, pygmy seahorse, and scorpionfish. Insects include the false leaf katydid, leaf insect, one-eyed sphinx, and orchid mantis. For amphibians there's the eyelash leaf frog, fowler's toad, Panamanian golden frog, and red spotted newt. The reptiles are Elliot's chameleons, green snakes, spectacled caimans, and thorny devils. Finally, for mammals there are cheetahs, ermines, night monkeys, and zebras.
Aside from spotting each animal on its card, Wild Cards: Who's Hiding? can also be used to play three different card games: Old Toad (played like Old Maid), Memory, and Go Fish.
Wild Cards: Who's Hiding? is a fun, educational, and versatile deck of cards that children will love to look at, play with, and collect.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
The Ghost Catcher by Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss (August House, ISBN: 0-87483-835-5) is a charming folktale from India. Written for young children, ages 4 to 8, The Ghost Catcher entertains and fires up the imagination.
A barber in Bengal loves to cut hair and trim beards, and for each story a customer tells, he gives a free haircut. But while the barber’s heart is filled with goodness, his home hasn’t enough food to feed his family.
One day his wife tells him that she can no longer live so poorly. The barber must leave and not return home until he has food and money to feed their family. So off the barber goes.
The barber decides to travel to the next town because he believes he would feel more comfortable taking the money for haircuts from strangers instead of his regular customers.
When night falls, the barber stretches out under a banyan to rest until morning. As he starts to drift off to sleep, a ghost appears and decides the barber would make a tasty meal.
Quickly, the barber gets to his feet and tells the ghost that he is a ghost catcher. He shows the ghost its reflection in the mirror as proof that he has already caught an ugly ghost.
Terrified, the not-so-smart ghost promises to do whatever the barber asks of it.
As a story of wit and charm, The Ghost Hunter is a favorite folktale that children will want to hear over and over again. The simplicity of the folk tale, as well as the cunning barber who quickly outthinks his predicament, plays itself over and over again in the imagination.
This is a great book for reading out loud to groups and for class discussion.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear (Kids Can Press, ISBN: 1-55337-828-8) tells a story about an owl and pussycat who wish to marry. They sail off together and, after a year and a day, come to a place where they buy a ring from a pig and are wedded by a turkey.
The Owl and the Pussycat has long been taught as a nonsense poem, but illustrator Stephane Jorisch brings new life and meaning to this well-loved poem. In the new interpretation, the owl is portrayed as a wealthy gentleman and the pussycat is shown as being from the "other side of the tracks." They fall in love and are forced to escape the prying, unapproving eyes of their rigid society so that they can be wed in a place that accepts them for who they are, without judgement.
Part of the Visions in Poetry series, The Owl and the Pussycat is a beautiful addition to a child's or adult's poetry collection. The hardbound book is illustrated throughout, letting Stephane Jorisch retell the story with his fascinating artwork.
The poem's new interpretation also lends itself well in classroom settings and can be used to open the door to discussing social norms, differences, and acceptance.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
To children, rain forests are fantastical, faraway places where Nature’s imagination has run wild. Strange and delightful animals hang from the trees, and there’s danger around every corner.
Who Lives Here? Rain Forest Animals by Deborah Hodge (Kids Can Press, ISBN 978-1-55453-041-0) gives young children, ages 4 to 7, an introduction to rain forest animals.
Kids will get to learn about some of the interesting creatures that live in the rain forest, such as the orangutan that swings through the trees with its powerful arms and the sloth that slowly travels from tree to tree in search of food.
There are also dangerous animals, such as the jaguar that hunts on ground, in trees, and in the water. Another predator is the emerald tree boa that hangs by its tail so that its head can quickly move to catch its prey.
Who Lives Here? Rain Forest Animals is a great rain forest introduction book for kids. It can be used in school settings to enhance a unit on rain forests or animals. At home, Who Lives Here? Rain Forest Animals is an enjoyable book that will get kids thinking about what lives in the rain forests and how each animal is connected with its environment.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
Ever wonder what life is like for dolphins? Ever try to act like a dolphin? Face to Face with Dolphins by Flip and Linda Nicklin (National Geographic, ISBN: 978-1-4263-0141-4) brings readers into the exciting world of dolphins.
Dolphins
In Face to Face with Dolphins, kids ages 9 to 12 will get to learn about all sorts of different kinds of dolphins, from bottlenose dolphins to orcas. Each page has at least one photograph of a dolphin, introducing kids to the differences and similarities between different species of dolphins. They’ll learn about how smart dolphins really are.
Activities
Learn about dolphin behavior through play-acting. Dolphin activities include learning how to swim like a dolphin, how to speak dolphin, and mimic how dolphins play.
Get Involved
The lives of dolphins depend upon people: children and adults. At the end of the book, kids learn how they can act responsibly and help save dolphins from the hazards of pollution.
Fun for Dolphin Lovers
Face to Face with Dolphins is a great picture book for kids who love to look at dolphins. However, I would recommend the book for younger children, ages 6 to 10, instead of the publisher recommended age group because the activities are too childish for some tweens. The text in this book is also of an introductory nature. If your child or student is looking for a more in-depth look at dolphins, Face to Face with Dolphins will not provide enough factual information for a research report.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
You can go through life without ever looking closely at the things that surround you. However, you'll be missing the beauty and wonder that surrounds you at every step. Looking Closely Through the Forest by Frank Serafini (Kids Can Press, ISBN: 1-55453-212-4) gets young children, ages 4 to 7, looking closely at the beauty of the forest.
At each step and turn, you might find colorful leaves, unusual mushrooms, or strange looking bugs. In Looking Closely Through the Forest, kids will first see each wonder as a closeup photo. They then take a guess at what the photo is showing. Turn the page, and the object of the closeup photograph is revealed along with facts about the item.
Children will get to learn about the sugar maple leaf, the sego lily, spotted toadstools, Aspen trees, the yellow-spotted millipede, turkey tail fungus, frost, pinecones, and green frogs.
The photographs by Frank Serafini are absolutely stunning and beckon the reader to venture out into the forest. The text that accompanies the photographs is equally interesting, with facts about the forest that even adults can enjoy.
Looking Closely Through the Forest makes a great book to read before or after a nature walk and it makes a good science book for young readers.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
When it comes to polar animals, such as polar bears and penguins, kids want to learn everything there is to know about them. There is just something so fascinating about these animals that rough it out in the cold that kids will actively seek to learn more about them and their environment.
Polar Animals
Who Lives Here? Polar Animals by Deborah Hodge (Kids Can Press, ISBN 978-1-55453-043-4) is an incredible learning experience for young children ages 4 to 7. Kids will learn about different kinds animals and how they live in their cold environment.
There’s the majestic emperor penguin with its waterproof feathers, the artic fox and its fur covered paw, and the lovable seal with its unique flippers. There’re also snowy owls, musk ox, beluga whales, polar bears, the walrus, and caribou.
Educational and Entertaining
For it’s targeted age group, Polar Animals has just the right amount of information about each animal. Kids get to see how each animals lives in its uniquely cold environment, whether it’s using its tail as a scarf or huddling for warmth. It’s easy to identify with each animal as it struggles to stay warm, care for its young, and hunts for green food under the snow, which is why this book is great for both teaching about animal habitats and reading for enjoyment.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
Filled with jokes, activities, and group games, Mother Goose Unplucked by Melanie Becker (Maple Tree Press, ISBN 1-897066-84-8) is perfect for home and school. Created for kids, ages 8 to 12, this book is a great way to beat those unbearable “I’m bored” days.
Games
Did you ever kiss a toad? Want to? While Mother Goose Unplucked is literally packed with indoor and outdoor games for groups of kids, my favorite game is "Kiss the Frog." There are two variations to the game, but my kids and I prefer to play it like Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Instead of pinning a tail, however, we plant a kiss on the frog. Each limb equals points. If you plant a kiss on the frog’s lips, you get a whopping 100 points.
Activities
Learn how to catch a dragon by making a thaumotrope, find your way through the Fairy Tale Forest by following the compass directions, and write a goofy fairy tale. The activities are fun and educational and are great for summer camps, outings, and school.
Perfect Activities Book
What I love most about Mother Goose Unplucked is that it’s perfect for when I have a large group of kids over at my house. The games are hilarious fun that both younger and older children can enjoy. It keeps everyone busy and laughing, as they chase the dragon’s tale or play "Down, Down, Down Under." You can’t get this much fun off a television screen!
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
Looking Closely Along the Shore by Frank Serafini (Kids Can Press, ISBN 978-1-55453-141-7) is a beautiful picture book that teaches young children to take a closer look at their surroundings.
Look and Learn
Author and photographer Frank Serafini invites young children, ages 4 to 7, to take a closer look at nature along the shore. The book features close-up pictures of things one might find along the shore and asks children to guess what it might be. Turn the page and the child discovers the answer. For each picture, children get to learn about what is in the photograph, how it lives, what it does, and how it got that way.
Children will learn about barnacles, crabs, palm trees, shells, and more.
Lots of Fun
Children love to play games and will love taking a guess at what each close-up photo looks like and discovering what it really is. The great part about this guessing game is that young kids are learning about nature and are encouraged to take a closer look at their surroundings.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
With words leaping off the page, Lickety-Split by Robert Heidbreder (Kids Can Press, ISBN 1-55337-710-9) is one book that will keep small children zooming with a newfound love for words. Kids, ages 3 to 7, will see the book’s character clinkity-clank a robot, go thumpity-thump with an elephant, and bouncity-boom in outer space.
All Action, All Words
The action and excitement of words leap off every page, making this a great book to read right before playtime or a trip to the playground. The book’s character is always up to something, whether it’s battling a Viking, wrestling a tornado, or walking a tightrope. The action is so intense that the reader wants to get up and zippity-zoom around the room.
Not a Bedtime Story
Lickety-Split is a must-have addition to any active child’s library. The fun with words will have a young child coming up with his own zany exclamations as he skips, zooms, and zips from one end of the yard to the next.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
Children, ages 4 to 7, will have their eyes glued to It’s Moving Day by Pamela Hickman (Kids Can Press, ISBN 978-1-55453-074-8). Illustrated with all sorts of energetic woodland animals, It’s Moving Day clearly gets kids excited about life inside, and outside, a little dirt burrow.
The Story
It’s springtime. A woodchuck climbs out of a burrow hidden beneath a tree. After a winter’s hibernation, the woodchuck leaves the burrow to find a new home closer to food.
A rabbit comes along and spots the empty burrow. It’s just the place she is looking for to raise her family. She makes a soft nest inside the burrow and raises five kits.
After the rabbits have grown and left home, the mother rabbit leaves the burrow to make a new home for the winter.
Along comes a salamander and crawls into the burrow. He is safe for the cold winter.
Spring comes again and the salamander moves on. A raccoon finds the burrow and makes a nest inside.
Over and over again, It’s Moving Day introduces new animals to the little burrow. Some animals use the burrow for hibernation and other animals use it for raising a family.
Charming and Energetic
It’s Moving Day is always on the go with one animal after another, moving into and out of the little burrow. Young children get to see how woodland animals live in their natural habitat as well as raise their young. This is the perfect book for reading to children before taking a walk in the woods to look for nests, burrows, and wildlife.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
Melanie Watt, author of Chester, has written and illustrated a new fun picture book. Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach (Kids Can Press, ISBN 978-1-55453-225-4) is written for small children, ages 4 to 8, and is perfect for group readings.
The story begins with Scaredy Squirrel who, as his name suggests, is scared of nearly everything. Since he is too scared to go to the real shore, he wants to make a safe beach to play in. He gathers together a blow up pool, a plastic pink flamingo, and a few other items to make his beach just the way he wants it.
Suddenly he realizes his homemade beach is missing something very important: the sound of the ocean. In a panic, Scaredy Squirrel makes a plan to sneak to the real ocean to capture the ocean’s sounds.
His plans for a quick sneak to the seashore are foiled when crowds of people show up at the beach. In a complete panic, Scaredy Squirrel plays dead, hoping that everyone will just go away. However, the people stay, and soon Scaredy Squirrel forgets all his fears and begins to play with the children.
Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach is a great book for parents and educators to read to children. The story’s moral is clear and it helps kids realize that some fears are silly and that the easiest way to work through a fear is to face it.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
Author Melanie Watt is trying to write a story about a mouse, but Chester, her cat, has other plans. Using a red marker, he changes Melanie’s story to tell another story about his own wonderful self.
Chester by Melanie Watt (Kids Can Press, ISBN: 1-55453-140-3) is hilarious fun for anyone who owns or knows a cat. In the story, Melanie battles it out with Chester. She begins by starting her story about a mouse that lives in a country home. Chester, with his red marker, quickly edits the story and sends the mouse packing. Then, he shows himself moving into his new country home in the story. Melanie, in a fit to show who’s running the show (or story, in this case), writes in a big snarling dog to chase Chester out of the story.
Melanie and Chester go back and forth throughout the story, with Chester naming himself as the most handsome and charming of all cats and Melanie counteracting the falsehoods with threats of drawing the line (which Chester draws for her) and a lovely pink tutu.
Chester, a picture book for children, can be easily enjoyed by anyone who loves cats. Kids will love the sense of humor and the battle over who gets to tell the story. Adults will instantly recognize the arrogance of Chester in their own walking, purring furballs.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
I remember my first childhood book of geometric illusions. I would sit in my room and stare at the plain, black and white images until my head was near to exploding. Since then, other books have entered my visual illusions book collection, including the Magic Eye series.
The Painted Circus (Kids Can Press, ISBN-10: 1-55337-720-6), written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards, is the latest book to enter my collection. Written for children of all ages, this picture book is filled with 22 illusions, and features P.T. Vermin, the mouse ringleader. Children enter a world of magic and the wonders of a circus of optical illusions. Using only their eyes, they get to make things move on the page, find hidden images, and puzzle over geometric trickery.
Wallace Edwards, author of The Extinct Files, knows how to wow an audience. Both of my children and I have spent hours staring at the pictures in The Painted Circus, seeing new things each time we examine the pages. This is a great book to use for teaching children about the wonders of optical illusions and it’s perfect for those “Mommy, I’m bored” moments when nothing else seems to interest the kids.Enter a world of visual trickery and geometric illusions with Wallace Edwards’ latest book.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
While working at my local hospital I am constantly washing my hands. I wash my hands as soon as I walk into a patient's room and I wash them again after coming in contact with a patient.
I've become so keenly aware of the importance of washing hands, that I've drilled the procedure and its importance into my kids. There are certain times when they know they must wash their hands, such as: before and after eating, after returning from the store, and after playing outside.
There are also books that help reinforce the importance of hand washing.
Wash Your Hands by Tony Ross. Kane/Miller Book Publishers. ISBN-10: 1933605030. Written for ages 4 to 8.
Germs Are Not for Sharing by Elizabeth Verdick. Free Spirit Publishing. ISBN-10: 1575421976. For ages 4 to 8.
Body Buddies Say "Wash Your Hands!" by Leeann Wenkman. Sunrise Publications. ISBN-10: 0967079004. Also for ages 4 to 8.
Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Book of Tiny Germs. Hyperion. ISBN-10: 0786805439. For grades 3 to 7.
The easiest way to get children to start washing their hands is to give them a list of when they should wash their hands. Constant reminders are also sometimes necessary, but at least your children will be healthier for your efforts.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
Whether it is painting sceneries, sketching butterflies, or sculpting dinosaurs, kids love art. To get your children to experience new art mediums and try out new techniques, check out these latest arts and crafts books.
123 I Can Paint by Irene Luxbacher teaches children, ages 4 to 7, different painting techniques. There are 8 great lessons in this book, from painting flowers to exploding fireworks, which are sure to capture the imagination of every child.
123 I Can Sculpt, also by Irene Luxbacher, teaches children the excitement of sculpting. Lessons include sculpting a dinosaur with modeling clay and sculpting a sea lion from a paper bag.
Fully Woolly by Ellen Warwick is a great knitting and crochet felting book for preteen and teen girls. Projects include a necklace, carrying bag, and scarves.
Stuff to Hold Your Stuff, also by Ellen Warwick, is another wonderful crafting book for preteens and teens. Girls get to sew and craft cool bags, purses, and wallets.
Stencil Art by the editors of Klutz is another great art book for kids. Created for children and preteens, ages 8 and up, this book set comes with inks and stencils to create everything from unique flowers to outer space sceneries.
Wind Chimes and Whirligigs by Renée Schwartz is a great book for kids who need to keep their hands busy. Each of the twelve projects art great crafts for summer camp as well as family get-togethers.
Posted by Elizabeth Yetter
It’s been a hectic holiday season for me. With visiting family and all the baking, it’s a wonder I’m still on my feet. All the hustle and bustle has left its mark on my kids, too. They’re played out and just want to kick back and do nothing.
This evening, while we kicked back and stared at the walls, we decided to grab a book off the shelf and do a group read. The book of choice was a volume of children’s poetry. We each took turns selecting the silliest poems we could find and reading them out in funny voices. It was just the pick-me-up we needed to get our heads out of the holiday spin and back on track.