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.

Amy Tan narrates Motherbridge of Love

Author Amy Tan has narrated Motherbridge of Love, Barefoot Books’ new book about Adoption. Click below to view. Please feel free to share it.

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

I can’t see!

We’re very fortunate to live not to far from the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. It is a beautiful museum with a gorgeous art room. My son often plays while I do the art projects. It is very relaxing to make something as complex as a tissue paper collage.

The museum also has a library filled with picture books, of course. When we can, we try to go to the storytime there, which is really one of the best around. Megan Lambert, who runs the library uses the Whole Book Approach, which treats the picture book as a piece of art and that books are meant to be read with children not at them. I tried to absorb as much as I could from Megan before I went to do my first Storytime.

At my first storytime, I had a small group of kids and they were interested in the books I had chosen. Pretty early into the reading, though, a boy sitting right in front of me said, “I can’t see, I can’t see”. I thought I’d invite him to help me hold the book but that didn’t work because he stood right in front of the book and none of his friends could see.

A few weeks ago, I took a workshop with Megan about the Whole Book Method, focusing on Jewish Literature. During a discussion about children’s learning she stated that kids’ minds look at the pictures and then need to catch up with what it being read to them. She stated that when a child says I can’t see, what they are really saying is “Slow Down”. She explained that this is why kids often ask to read a book again. They need to hear it one more time to get it.

I had an Aha!! moment in the workshop. Slowing Down is something I need to work on everyday. For those who don’t know me I am a fast talker. Many times my brain and mouth have different plans. My son now corrects me when I use the wrong word for something. I also find myself walking too fast. Why do I need to have a brisk pace to the grocery store with my son following behind? Why don’t I just enjoy the walk with him? In terms of storytime, I need…to…speak..slower. The kids have come to storytime because they want to hear me speak. They want to enjoy the story and I need to share it with them.

Any storytelling tips are greatly appreciated.

Animal Boogie

Animal Boogie is one of Barefoot’s most popular titles. I’ve been told it is an international bestseller. I found this great video of a storytime in Seoul, Korea.

Free Tanglewood

Today my kids and I met another Barefoot Stallholder (we’re such a friendly group) at Tanglewood. On Thursdays and Fridays the grounds are open to the public while the BSO rehearses. The grounds are beautiful and there was hardly anyone there, maybe 50-75 people. This left a lot of green open space for the kids to run, play frisbee, climb trees and discover a secret garden.  The orchestra was rehearsing an operatic piece as well as Beethoven’s 9th. I find it to be such a relaxing place. And the kids really got along well together. Three boys 5, 4, 3. It was nice not to raise your voice or have to separate anyone. Maybe they felt what a relaxing place it was as well (or maybe because mom was so relaxed).  My son announced at one point, “I’m enjoying my visit to Tanglewood”. That is a five star review in my book.

Check out The Barefoot Book of Stories From The Opera

Farming Conference

A fellow Stallholder and I just shared a booth at the NOFA Conference held at Hampshire College. It was a fun event with lots of interesting exhibitors and lots of compost for sale. My kids were great staying with me in the pouring rain on Friday and joining me today on a beautiful summer day. My son spent the day climbing trees, eating apples off said trees, playing frisbee, making friends and reading books. Popular titles were Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon and The Giant Turnip.

I also got to have my first storytime. How did it go? I’d like to say practice makes progress. I had a little stage fright, 1 heckler, a clingy son and good books. I read Shrinking Sam and The Summer Queen and Winter King.