Our New Favorite – Arthur of Albion

My son and I sat down last weekend and opened Arthur Of Albion, one of Barefoot’s newest titles. It is a comprehensive volume of the stories about King Arthur, The Knights of the Round Table, Lancelot, etc. I forgot how much I enjoyed these tales until I revisited them with my son. One of my favorite summer reads in elementary school was the Once and Future King and I must admit that I grew-up in a Disney house (my parents went to Disney World on their honeymoon) and loved Sword in the Stone.

You know my son really loves a book when he asks me not to sell it and keep it as our home copy. I happened to order two and was so happy to sell it at the Northampton Montessori Fall Festival last weekend. I had been meaning for a a few years to go to this event but feel privileged to have been invited to have a booth. If you’d like your order to benefit the school please enter EV 27 at check out.

Conferences Galore

The last two weeks have been quite busy. My lovely brother got married, we had a family vacation, I attended the Barefoot Books International Conference and this weekend I had a booth at the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Conference, a wonderful gathering of concerned citizens.

I sold Happy Sacks at my booth and they were a big hit. It was great to introduce people to them. We sold some books too Some of our most popular were The Beeman and The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories

This is one of my new favorites. (My son’s, too)

Recent praise:

“This charming book is visually enticing and just plain fun to read… The text conveys facts, but at the same time captures a larger understanding of and appreciation for nature.”-School Library Journal

“This cozy intergenerational story will delight young readers as it educates them on these industrious insects.”-ForeWord Magazine

Recent praise:“The illustrations are quite remarkable, and the renditions are nicely written, making this a nice gift book as well. Barefoot Books continues to publish books worth keeping and giving. Those who have any interest in ballet and princess stories will fall in love with this one.”-The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

“Prepare for this year’s performance of ‘Nutcracker’ with this elegant collection.” −San Francisco Chronicle

The Barefoot Books Story

Enjoy!

Ethiopian Culture Camp

I had the pleasure of participating in a recent Ethiopian Culture Camp at Franklin Pierce College. The Camp is a time for children adopted from Ethiopia and their families to spend time together as a community. The kids were obviously ecstatic to be together. It is amazing to see these families. One man I met was 17 and just adopted 9 months or so ago. As I was leaving the event, the families were meeting to take a group picture. They were all dressed in traditional Ethiopian garb, scarves and long flowing skirts. This is a completely family-run event.

The most popular title was African Animals ABC. As with many Barefoot Books, there are great end notes that describe the illustrated animals.

A portion of the sales I made will go towards a donation for the Culture Camp. If you’d like your purchase to benefit the camp, Please enter event code EV28 at checkout

Barefoot Books in PJ Library

My family is a proud member of the PJ Library, a wonderful program started by the Grinspoon Foundation. The PJ Library sends books that relay Jewish values and content monthly to kids 0-7. My kids get so excited when their books come in the mail. I feel very lucky that The Grinspoon Foundation is based in Western Mass and we get to benefit from such wonderful programs. This program is now national so you can check their site and see if it is available in your area.

I am excited to say that Barefoot Books is now part of the PJ Library. One City, Two Brothers, a Silver Winner in the 2008 Nautilus Book Awards, tells the ancient folktale of the creation of Jerusalem.

Barefoot Books in ForeWard Magazine

I was featured in the ForeWard Magazine E-Newsletter in January after the Twentieh Annual Indy And Small Press Book Fair and forgot to share it. How selfish of me. Thanks Eugene!

Barefoot Books. Dawn Cordeiro and Laurie Mattaliano are work-at-home mothers who came down from Massachusetts to present this children’s line “that celebrate art and story,” with a learning experience about themselves and the world. As “stallholders” they are among hundreds of parents who attend book fairs and special events to build their own business and promote the value of the book.

The two illustrated books I bought for my granddaughters (with audio CDs bound in) are Magic Hoofbeats: Fantastic Horse Tales (978-1-84686-129-1) and Winter King, Summer Queen (978-1-84686-009-6). The first one, for middle schoolers, tells the story through words and illustrations of eight horses from countries around the world. The second one is for younger children, and beautifully describes how the seasons of winter and summer are born. Barefoot Books are beautifully designed and printed and can be viewed in their printed catalog or on-line at www.discoverbarefootbooks.com.

http://www.forewordmagazine.com/ftw/ftwarchives.aspx?id=20080109.htm#1

New Barefoot Favorites

I love discovering New Barefoot Favorites with my son. We have two new ones that I really wanted to share.

Every month, Barefoot runs an order special where you’ll get a free items if you place an order over a certain amount, usually around the $300 range. One month, I received the double CD of Giants, Ghosts and Goblins. I kept it in its packaging and displayed it at several events. My son saw it one day and asked to listen to it. Finally after the fourth time I said we could open it. I am so glad we did. We listened to it in my kitchen and ended up making cozy spot for ourselves on the kitchen floor. It stopped us both in our tracks. My son has listened to many of the Barefoot Storytime CDs but I had always read the books before. It was great to have the opportunity to hear it first. The stories are narrated by Jerry Nelson, the voice of The Count from Sesame Street.

I’ll share our other favs soon.

Holiday Giveaways

Some of my Favorite Blogs are doing Barefoot Books giveaways this month. Please visit and maybe you’ll win.

At Hilltown Families, you can win a wonderful Holiday package including, Divaali (this is a new family favorite), Babushka and One City, Two Brothers.

At Mom in the City, enter to win two new titles Listen. Listen and One City, Two Brothers.

Motherbridge of Love #3 on TIME’s Best Children’s Books of 07

I know most of my posts recently have been about Motherbridge, but I just love this book and now so does TIME Magazine.

#3. Motherbridge of Love
Illustrated by Josee Masse

Got a girlfriend who just adopted a kid? You’re going to want to get them this book, although the illustration is so gorgeous, you could give it to anyone. The text was submitted anonymously to the charity Mother Bridge of Love, which seeks to connect kids adopted from China with their homeland…. it does explain quite lyrically how two mothers can each have a part in making one whole child.

Barefoot Book Titles receive Starred Review

Booklist (the American Library Association’s magazine) has given starred reviews to two Barefoot Books, Listen, Listen and One City, Two Brothers.

For Listen, Listen – “Jay’s stylized pictures, with the texture of ancient frescos, are a window into a world in which the buzz of an insect and the whoosh of the wind lend surprising emotion. Illustrations filled with snowmen, anthropomorphized animals, and people running through a leaf-swept field will make children long to discover what is just over a hill or around the next bend. Capturing a summer idyll reading in a hammock with the same care as a warm evening by the fireplace, Jay invests each image with both joy and melancholy. This jewel of a book will draw children back again and again”-Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

**I have to add that I brought this book to the Reading Recovery Conference and a teacher said this book has wonderful example of Onomatopoeia. Once the other teachers heard this, it was quickly snatched up!

For One City, Two Brothers – “Framed by a story of King Solomon dealing with two squabbling brothers, this tale tells of two other, quite different brothers. They live in two villages, sharing the land between them. For years, they have divided their harvest. One abundant year, the elder brother, who has a wife and children, worries that his unmarried brother needs to save for his old age. Secretly he brings extra grain to his brother’s storehouse. Yet the next morning, the elder brother seems to have the same amount of grain as before. Meanwhile, the younger brother has been worrying, too; his elder brother has a family to be fed. He is also secretly bringing grain to his sibling, then finding his own storehouse still full. The mystery is solved when the brothers meet on the hilltop, each with a donkey laden with grain. The blessed spot where they meet becomes Jerusalem. Based on a folktale told by both Jews and Arabs, this picture book beautifully captures the spirit of brotherhood and gives both readers and listeners hope for what could be if people thought more about one another than about themselves. The accomplished folk-style artwork, in shades of verdant green, heavenly blue, and harvest orange and yellow, does more than illustrate the story; it adds an air of peace and hope to which children will respond.” -Booklist, STARRED REVIEW