Storytime ♥ Cooking With Children

Here's another wonderful post by guest blogger Heidi Rosenberg

I have always been interested in giving my family the best healthiest food possible. I strongly belief in making as much as my own food as possible. I want to avoid as many processed foods as I can especially ingredients inside processed foods such as high fructose corn syrup. I believe introducing them to cooking makes them more interested in foods that perhaps they would normally turn their noses up to. My daughter is 4 now and I try to encourage her to help me cook when ever possible. Cooking with a young child does take more time and patience. It almost always involves extra cleanup, especially in our case when flour in involved. Healthy eating means eating more whole grains, fruit and vegetables and beans. If meat is eaten try and eat the leaner types. With this is mind this month I have decided to review what Barefoot Books has in the line of healthy food books.

Herb the Vegetarian Dragon by Jules Bass

The message in this book is simple yet brilliant. Some people (and indeed Dragons) like meat where as others prefer to eat vegetables. It's not trying to make out that one way of eating is better than another it justs a great way of explaining that people eat different things. As always with Barefoot Books the art is beautiful, just as on the cover its colorful and vivid throughout the book.

This book will also teach children to never give up on their own beliefs. I have read the book countless times. There is quite a lot of text, so I would recommend it as a book to read to younger children and for older children to read to themselves. Barefoot recommends this book for 4-10 years old. This is a great book to give to a meat eating child with a vegetarian friend or vice-versa. Its available in paper back $7.99 or hard back.

New this season is Kid's Kitchen to accompany Herb. The cards have 40 fun and healthy recipes to make and share. What a great deck of cards to help learn about cooking. They are based around the five main food groups. All the recipes are vegetarian. The cards are sturdy and can be wiped clean. Each card is organized by type of dish and contains step by step directions and nutritional information. The package also includes kitchen safety information. The card deck is recommended for ages 8 up and would be great to get the kids helping more in the kitchen.

Did you know that we also sell music CD's? Picnic Playground CD is a wonderful collection of delicious songs.It also includes a child-friendly overview of the foods mentioned in the songs, as well as two recipes showing how to “Eat Like A Rainbow”. The CD contains 12 multilingual songs all aimed to help teach the child to eat healthy. Other books with food include Gigantic Turnip, Mama Panya's Pancakes, Earth Tales, Little Red Hen (whole wheat bread recipe in the back).

For more information please visit my website. http://heidirosenberg.barefootbooks.com/ or email me to be included in my newsletters. barefootbooksus@yahoo.com

Thank you Heidi!! Great post...and Heidi has also offered a
SPECIAL 20% DISCOUNT FOR MY READERS!!!
Just enter TWENTY (all caps) at check out! Offer good until August 31.

How to Help a Beginner Reader

Guest Blogger Heidi Rosenberg from Barefoot Books

The number one thing I tell parents who have children who are just beginning to read is, its so important to continue reading to them. Why? What a beginner reader can actually read is usually well below their interest level and comprehension. In other words the books you give to your beginner reader are perfect to practice reading but probably doesn't feed their imagination.

Books with repetition and rhymes are good for beginner readers. (Many of my previous preschool recommendations are great, Animal boogie, The House that Jack built etc).
Its now more important than ever to let your child choose a book. Everyone prefers to read about things that they are interested in. If your child likes a particularly topic (animals, transportation, fairies etc) that is probably the type of books they will pick..

Point to words as you read to your child/follow the words as your child reads to you. Let the child sound out the words but if the word does not sound the way it is spelled or the child has problems then help the child. Offer clues if needed, for example ask what sound does the letter "s" make.

Look at the pictures and talk about them. The pictures in the books are clues to the story.

If your child is getting frustrated, ease off with corrections, maybe alternate reading a small section with your child. Telling your child to point to the words on the page can often help the child read all the words.

Talk about the book you have just read. Ask questions. Does she like the character? What do you think will happen next? This book is exciting, isn't it?

Reading is everywhere, so make it part of everyday life for the child. Ask her to help read road signs to you, menus, the aisles in the supermarkets

Most importantly, reading should be fun not a chore. Give your child lots of positive encouragement. Children love to mimic their parents. So why not pull out your bedtime novel and start reading it in front of your child.

If you would like any help in finding the perfect book for your child or would like to be included on my monthly sale list please email me, Heidi, at barefootbooksus@yahoo.com

An amazing offer from Barefoot Books until end July. Download Happy and you know it, free of charge. They do not require your contact details. Click HERE for your free copy.

New discount code SCSHFT - 15% The discount codes can only be used one time per customer and will expire at the end of the year. Visit Heidi's Website here!

http://www.BarefootBooksUS.com (Heidi's private Barefoot website)
Barefoot Website (official Barefoot website)

Thank you Heidi for another great post and a great offer!!!

Storytime ♥ For 2-5 Year Olds

Guest Blogger Heidi Rosenberg from Barefoot Books

Now the fun is really starting to happen. Children still love old favorites but now you can start reading stories with more words. Classic stories will start to kick in. You know the ones you remember as a child. The 3 billy goats, Jack and the beanstalk, The House that Jack built.

You'll probably still need to keep reading time to less than 20 minutes at a time or your child will get bored. You need to vary what you are doing. Sing songs, pick one or two short books. Books to go along with songs is a great way to reinforce the concepts. Important concepts with songs are numbers. I bet you could name quite a few songs with numbers. Barefoot Books has a variety of books with music CDs (many on sale throughout July) and numbers such as Knick Knack Paddywack(on sale in July), Farmyard Jamboree is a great book combining counting in twos with learning about baby animals.

By this age 2 or 3 you may want to introduce paperback books to your child, depending on your child. Remember each child is an individual some will have longer attention spans then others.

Think of a typical library story time. They usually start by having familiar short songs, read a
story, another short song with actions, another story maybe using a felt board and more action songs. The more fun you can make reading now, the more they will appreciate books as they grow.

Another way to make books more enjoyable for young children is to introduce an activity to go along with it. Maybe you have appropriate puppets or stuffed toys so you can bring the story live using them. Alternatively you could invent an activity to go along with the stories. This could be some kind of related craft or if its a color story maybe have different colored objects that they need to group. The possibilities are endless. Some books you can actually buy matching jigsaw
puzzles too. If you have a book about the world perhaps you could bring out a map or a globe.

If you would like to buy any Barefoot Books please visit my online store http://heidirosenberg.barefootbooks.com/ and use special offer code SCSHTE for an additional 10% discount.
July is an exciting month for offers on our books with music.

Thank you Heidi for another great post! If you have any questions or would like to contact Heidi about making a purchase you can email her at barefootbooksus@yahoo.com.

My Daddy is a Pretzel....

With Father's Day just around the corner, my friend Heidi from Barefoot Books has some great book suggestions for kids and their dads.

One of my favorites.... My Daddy is a Pretzel

Just picturing my hubby doing this makes me laugh SERIOUSLY out loud!!! This would bring lots of laughter into our home!

Limber up with this unique, child-friendly yoga book! Created for parents and children to share together, but also suitable for adults and older children to use alone, My Daddy is a Pretzel not only introduces a range of postures, it also connects the practices to everyday life, showing how families can integrate their yoga with their activities in the world. A light-hearted look at yoga, yet one with a lasting message, My Daddy is a Pretzel is a wonderful introduction to yoga for readers of all shapes and sizes.

I love this one... Shopping With Dad

Disaster strikes on a Saturday shopping trip! How can Dad and daughter set things right?
It’s Saturday, and one small girl and her Dad are heading for the supermarket while Mom is working. It’s so exciting! How can she contain herself? She tries —but she can’t! An enormous sneeze sets in motion a small calamity, and Dad gets the blame. But when his daughter speaks up and takes responsibility for her actions, the mood changes... Fast-paced, funny with a simple, uplifting message, this playful rhyming read-aloud is guaranteed to have you laughing out loud!

And don't forget Grandpa's with this adorable book... Journey Home from Grandpa's

Young travelers will delight in this colorful journey. Along the way from country to city, they'll learn about different colors and modes of transportation, and sing along with Fred Penner to the catchy road-trip song.

Visit Heidi Here to get these great specials in JUNE!

Shopping with Dad $13.99 HC
My Daddy is a Pretzel $12.99 HC
Journey Home from Grandpa's $3.99 PB

Storytime ♥ Guest Blogger - Heidi Rosenburg

Welcome again, Heidi Rosenburg with
Barefoot Books.

Too Many Books?

One sentence that drives me mad is when some one comes to my book stall and says "they have too many books". I don't mind if they don't want to buy books. I am a big believer in libraries and visit them often with my two little one (yes I sell books that we absolutely love, but I will not deprive them of a even broader spectrum of books to love). I do mind when they say "they have too many books as their children don't read the ones they have."

Shouldn't they ask themselves why their children don't read the books they have. Thinking of a lot of my friends houses, many of their books are no longer age appropriate for their children. These books should be removed (stored, sold, given away, what ever they want to do with them). This probably gets rid of the majority of the books. Next they should take a critical look at the books they have left. Are they on a topic the child actually enjoys?

For example, if a child likes princesses, feed their imagination with good old fashioned princess stories. Steer clear of the new modern day commercialism. Every child, every age has a passion, whether its animals, dinosaurs , princesses, pirates, insects, cars, planes, I could go on. What ever subject it is, if they like the subject they will be interested in reading and looking at pictures about that subject.

Research has actually shown that children improve their reading ability by reading a lot. Independent reading increases both vocabulary and reading fluency.

Children who choose their own books usually reads more books and spends more time reading. If they start reading young (or have books read to them from an early age) they are more motivated to continue reading as they advance though the grade levels.

So can a child have too many books? The answer is they can have too many wrong books but if if they only have books that are appropriate for them they can never have too many books! So the next time you are walking pass a book stall with your child, have them browse and see what interests them or talk to your child find out what type of book they would like to own. The better books they will want to read again and again,

To help you purchase the right books for your children, Barefoot Books are running a free shipping campaign until Mother's day May 10th. Please feel free to combine this with my 10% off coupon.

May is an exciting month, I recommend "off we go to Mexico" for Cinco de Mayo, Motherbridge of Love for Mothers day and for anyone planning a long car journey I recommend our books with CDs such as "we all go traveling by, Creepy Crawly Calypso or Portside Pirates, Jack and The Beanstalk, House that Jack Built".

Thank you Heidi!! Great recommendations for books! We have a few of those she mentioned and my kids LOVE THEM!!!

Storytime ♥ Guest Blogger - Heidi Rosenburg

Welcome again, Heidi Rosenburg with Barefoot Books.

Today she highlights a great book and CD!!

The first Barefoot Book I ever read was the Animal Boogie and music CD, this is still my favorite and my best selling book. I play this book in every public story time I ever do, all the kids love it and its easy to see why. My last public story time was on a huge stage with a microphone, the kids absolutely loved dancing round and making all the animal noises.

The tune is wonderful, its has a great beat. There is a lot of repeats and rhymes in the words so the children quickly learns the words. The best thing about the tune is there are obvious actions the children have to do. Each animal has its own version of the boogie woogie song, such as shake like the bear, swing like money, stomp like the elephant, flap like the bird, leap like the leopard and slither like the snake. Finally you have to sway.

The illustrations in the book are bold and colorful. There are children in the book hiding and dancing with the jungle animals. The children represent different cultures which encourages children to be friends with everyone.

This is my number one recommendation when ever a preschool or kindergarten teachers visits my stall. If you know a little one who likes dancing this is the book for them. Every time I have playgroup for my 3 going on 4 year old all her friends ask for the music.

The book and CD is just $9.99 in paperback (also available in hardback). There is an accompanying jigsaw puzzle also available. The book is also available in Spanish Cha-cha-cha en la selva. Please look at the product page of the animal boogie, there are 3 free down loadable
activities associated with the book including masks to make and party ideas.

Storytime ♥ Barefoot Book of Earth Tales

Today's post by Guest Blogger, Heidi Rosenberg highlights a beautiful book about nature and cultures with a folktale twist to honor Earth Day.

I thought there was nothing that my 4 year old likes to do more than read. Last week we received the brand new Barefoot book of Earth Tales which includes suggestions for fun activities. Now I know that my daughters favorite thing is to read followed by a fun related activity.

The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales is a beautiful anthology of folktales, where young readers learn how different cultures around the world live in harmony with the rhythms and patterns of nature. This book is recommended for 4 to 10 year old.

Each story has a fun creative activity to accompany it. The first story is called "The Sun Mother" and is a story from Australia. My daughter decided she wanted to do Aboriginal art activity. Since we didn't have any brown paper we decided to use a yellow piece of paper. We then selected some highly colored paints. Aboriginal pictures represent the journeys people take by showing the marks they create on the ground. She decided she wanted to use mainly her fingers. Here is a picture of her doing her artwork.

I am delighted to see a story from the American South West, we can't wait to follow the instructions to make a corn-husk doll. We must start eating lots of fresh corn to get the husks.

There are seven stories in this wonderful book from cultures near and far, each one unique in its relationship with the natural world. Like all Barefoot Books the paper in the book is ancient-forest friendly. This book is the perfect book for an Earth day gift.

Barefoot Books will be planting trees in partnership with Eco-Libris, for each copy of Earth Tales sold in the till the end of April in honor of Earth Day. If you would like to purchase a copy of the book please visit my website and 10% off your purchase! www.BarefootBooksUS.com

Thank you Heidi!! What a great book....beautiful book!!

Storytime ♥ Reading To Children Ages 1-2

Here's another great post by guest blogger, Heidi Rosenberg
And don't forget...if you'd like to add any Barefoot Books to your family's library
CLICK HERE
For 10% off your purchase and free shipping on all Barefoot books between March 28th and 31st!

Now your child is really beginning to understand. Pick books with a couple of sentences per page. Keep acting out your stories. The stiller you are the more the child will like it. If you are reading about animals make animal noises. Most likely your baby will think this is really funny and start laughing, eventually your baby will start making the noise back to you. Ask them questions about the pictures. Ask them what the animal says?

As your child approaches the age of 2, they will have a greater understanding of words and may even be able to answer questions about what they see on the page. Point to a picture, ask them what it is, if they get it right make a big deal about it this will make them want to try again the next time you ask them a question. If they don’t get it right the first time don’t get upset, say what it is and help them sound it out, congratulate them when they try. Tell them the color of the object and ask them to repeat it then perhaps move to the next page and ask them to find that color on that page.

Remember that it is perfectly normal for a toddler to want the same book over and over again, it is reassuring for them and it helps with memory skill. As time goes by if you start leaving gaps in your sentences, your child will probably complete the sentence.

Many of our books include music CDs, what better way to reinforce words than singing along with the words. You could even play the music while you drive and let the child hold the book. My daughters favorite is the Animal Boogie. All her friends love to dance to it at playgroup. My sons who is now 21 months likes Portside Pirates.

Storytime ♥ with Heidi Rosenberg

Here's what Heidi Rosenberg has to say about some adorable children's books and stories for St. Patrick's Day!

St. Paddy's Day or Paddy's Day, is an annual feast which celebrates Saint Patrick, one of the patron saints of Ireland. Celebrations are generally themed around all things Irish and, by association, the color green.

Share the classic tradition of Irish stories telling with Barefoot Books
(Many are on offer throughout the month of March)

The Story Tree Retold and Narrated by Hugh Lupton. This book offers 7 stories from around the world, ranging from the traditional three billy goats gruff to a less well known monkey see monkey do. This is a perfect gift for listeners under five.

Tales from Old Ireland Retold by Malachy Doyle. I loved this book, its a collection of seven Irish folk and fairy tales. This book is more appealing for older children between the ages of 8 and 11, younger children will also enjoy them.

Tales from Celtic Lands Retold by Caitlin Matthews. This is another anthology for the older child between the ages of 6-10. Celtic Tales is an ideal introduction to Celtic tradition, and the lavish illustrations make this a book to treasure for life before passing through the generations.

Did you know that fairies have been part of literature, art, and culture for more than fifteen hundred years? The Irish are proud to say that that Fairies were seen in Ireland before anywhere else in the world.

Barefoot Books have two books on offer this month

The Barefoot Books of Fairy Tales

This book is full of the old classical fairy tales such as Cinderella an Sleeping Beauty. Wonderful illustrations throughout the book.

Faeries Gift
Many children will love this enchanting tale, especially when read out aloud. The book has breathtaking illustrations, many of which are three dimensional. Read this book and you will be taken back to a magical world were faeries can grant wishes to good people. Combine this book with one of the beautiful finger puppets.

Click HERE to visit Heidi Rosenberg's site to receive 10% off!

Storytime ♥ Reading To Babies

Here's another fantastic guest post from Heidi Rosenberg about

Reading To Babies

I started reading to my eldest child the day I brought her home from the hospital. There was nothing I enjoyed more than sitting down holding my new baby and reading to her, it’s a great way to bond with your child, and your child will get your full attention which of course they will love and in turn will develop a love of reading.

Reading to babies is a fantastic way to immerse them in the sounds of rhythm and speech, which is crucial for their language development.

For infants under 6 months old, reading is more about the tone of your voice and the cuddling into you for the bonding experience. It is not very important what you read, you could even read adult material at this age.

If you pick a children's book it would be best to pick a book with highly contrasting big pictures, because the child's vision is still developing at this stage. The text could have few words or even no words at all, you could even make up the words to the pictures, to develop a story just for the two of you. For this age group a board book, would be best as they tend to pull at the pages and could ruin them.

The Cleo the Cat series of Books, written by Stella Blackstone make a great introduction book and can be used throughout the first few years. They have simple rhymes and bright bold illustrations.

Babies aged 7 months to 1 year are beginning to understand the meaning of words, so reading reinforces what they have already learned. It is still best to keep to simple books with not too many different images or text on a page. Word books are great, while reading point to the picture, say what it is, act out what you read with your hands, face and voice, this will teach them the basics of language and how words are used to emphasize. Let the baby hold the book, turn the pages when he wants to and babble back. They will feel important and proud to be “reading” to you! Still keep to board books at this age, your baby is probably destructive, board books can even take limited amounts of chewing! Keep to simple words, animals, colors. Alphabet and number books are always good as they tend to be simple and truly are a great starting point.

What a great post Heidi! I have treasured the sweet moments of cuddling with my little ones while reading to them. Heidi has offered a 10% off coupon to use to purchase any Barefoot Books. Visit Heidi HERE or email her at HEIDIRosenberg@mybarefootbooks.com

Storytime ♥ with Heidi Rosenberg

It's Storytime again with our friend, Heidi Rosenberg. She's sharing an adorable book that's just in time for Valentine's Day...

Can you believe its February already? Time passes so quickly. With Valentines sneaking up on us I thought I would like to share with you one of my favorite story books about love. Although its a longer book my three year old loves it.

The Boy Who Grew Flowers
by Jen Wojtowicz and illustrated by Steve Adams

Rink is a quiet boy with a very unusual secret talent; he can sprout flowers all over his body when it is a full moon. At school he keeps himself to himself until one day a new girl appears in the classroom.

The girl is called Angelina and she has her own problems. Angelina has one leg shorter than the other. When the school dance is announced, Angelina is upset as she feels she canʼt go. Rink rushes home and designs a special pair of snakeskin shoes especially for her, with one sole thicker than the other.

Rink gives her the pair of slippers, with a bouquet of roses which were freshly picked from the top of his head. The pair fall in love and dance the night away. Near the end of the story Angelina reveals that the flower she wears each day behind her ear actually grows from her. The pair lives happily ever after, gardening with the seven children they eventually have.

This is a warm childrenʼs tale which teaches the importance of understanding differences. It shows us what makes us different also makes us beautiful. The book is skilfully illustrated done with acrylics on board. This book is available in hard cover for $16.99. (This book will be on sale throughout February.)

Another book of interest for Valentines is Motherbridge of Love, also on sale throughout February.

This book won #3 spot in Time Magazine's top ten children's books of 2007

Visit Heidi at her Barefoot Books Website

Barefoot Books

Storytime ♥ Guest Blogger - Heidi Rosenburg

I'm so excited to announce my newest guest blogger Heidi Rosenburg. She's going to sharing her thoughts, ideas, and expertise with us geared towards children's books and reading every other Thursday. Here's a little bit more about Heidi....

My name is Heidi Rosenberg. I am a proud wife and Mom of two very active and charming young children. I was born and raised in Liverpool , United Kingdom . I, with my husband and kids now live in Arizona . I earned both my degree and PhD in the United Kingdom before moving to the States. Just before having my first child I decided I wanted to stay home with my children during their early years. Since I love to read to my children I decided to sell Barefoot Children's books. I love sharing stories with little children, I love seeing the joy of delight on their faces as they discover new things through words and pictures.

My husband and I love to travel. Before having children we traveled to many countries, experiencing lots of different cultures. Nowadays with 2 children under the age of 4 we have been concentrating with great success on long road trips across America and exploring this great country. One thing that really attracts me to the Barefoot Book series is how they represent many different countries. I will be writing some articles about books and reading and reviewing some of the books in this blog.

Welcome Heidi! Read her first post How to Choose Books for Children right here!

Storytime ♥ How to Choose Books for Children

When purchasing books for the children in our lives the highest priority should be to seek out books with meaningful content. Try to avoid poor quality and commercialism.

Go back in time when my generation (children of the 70's) and older were growing up. Almost all the books were good quality books, with great content. I am sure you still remember some to this day. In the 80's two things happened, big publishing houses and mass retailers! Because of this profit margins became the driving force for the production of books. All of a sudden books became based on TV cartoons, video games and general commercialism.

So getting back to the question, how do you choose good quality books for children when there are so many books out there?

1. Seek out books that you remember from your childhood. (House that Jack built, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Hen, Three Billy Goats Gruff and many more)
2. Look for new books that will build on important values for your family.
3. Avoid books that will take the child back to the television or computer.
4. Give your child good quality books.
5. Read to your child and enjoy good quality time together. Books with music CDs are a great way to enjoy a story.

Barefoot Books, a small independent company that started in 1993 by two working mothers, Nancy Traversy and Tessa Strickland has the vision and goals to publish and share books, gifts and arts that promote childrenʼs love for learning, independence of the spirit, multiculturalism and protection of the environment. Barefoot Books products include award-winning books, music cds and colorful artworks that appeal to children and all children at heart.

By: Heidi Rosenberg

For Heidi's Website Click Here

Barefoot Books

Storytime ♥ Dirty Joe the Pirate

This book will be every little brother's favorite!
From what I hear...the tale of "Dirty Joe the Pirate" is a true story.....

Author and storyteller Bill Harley writes another amazing book and Jack E. Davis illustrates wonderful pictures that drifts the imagination off on a wild adventure. I've had the pleasure of meeting Bill Harley and listening to his memorizing storytelling on more than one occasion...and he's BRILLIANT!

"Out upon the briny deep where the wild and wet winds blow,

There sailed a cruel and evil man, the pirate Dirty Joe.

He sailed upon the scummiest craft that ever left the docks

He roamed the world and seven seas in search of dirty socks.

So begins the tale of Dirty Joe the pirate. But he is about to meet his match---

“It's Stinky Annie” someone said, “and her band of smelly varmints.

She captures every boat she can and takes their undergarments.”

The war for socks and underwear has now begun"

I just ♥ this book! The clever rhyming and brilliant story make this a great book for families and little brothers!!

Storytime ♥ All the Places to Love

In 1997, my mom gave my girls the book "All the Places to Love", by Patricia Maclachlan. At the time they were only 4 and 2 years old. I think I appreciated this book more at the time; however, as teens, they are now reading this same book to their siblings and I know they feel the beautiful words as the pictures touch their soul like it did for me...and still does every time I read it.

This book is a favorite among our children's books that have began filling our home for the past 15 years. I still get a little choked up when reading this story...it's just beautiful. The artwork (by Mike Wimmer) is breathtaking.

The summary of the story is as follows:

"Within the sanctuary of a loving family, baby Eli is born and, as he grows, "learns to cherish the people and places around him, eventually passing on what he has discovered to his new baby sister, Sylvie: 'All the places to love are here . . . no matter where you may live.' Eli describes the favorite places that he shares with his family on his grandparents' farm and in the nearby countryside. All the places to love are the ones surrounding young Eli. On the day he is born, his grandmother holds him up to the window so that what he hears first is the wind, and what he sees first are the valleys, river and hilltop where blueberries grow, as his grandfather carves his name in the rafter of the barn, next to those of his grandparents and his parents. He will be lovingly shown the beauty and simple pleasure in his world, and will grow up knowing that no matter where life takes him, he will always think this is the best place because those who showed it to him, love him and these places more than anything else."

This book is a beautiful reminder of how important it is for me to create a place of love, security and welcome for my own children. In the chaos of our world, teaching our children to find peace and security within the walls of their home, with those they love is one of the best gifts we can give them. Not to mention it makes we want to move to the country too...it's a story worth buying and sharing with your children. ♥