Write a Review Wednesday: Chicken, Pig, Cow On the Move September 30, 2009

Welcome to another Write a Review Wednesday, a meme started by Tara Lazar as a way to show support to authors of kids literature. Last week I wrote a review on Thing-Thing, a beautiful story about love and friendship and a 2009 Canadian Children’s Book Center award finalist written by Carey Fagan and published by Tundra Press. This past weekend I attended The Word on the Street festival and had the privilage of hearing Ruth Ohi read from her latest book Chicken, Pig, Cow On the Move (age 2-5). This week, thanks to Joanna at Annick Press, I have a copy of the book to review.

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Chicken, Pig, and Cow love their popsicle barn. They love their new friend Dog. But now they’re feeling a little crowded. The three friends strike out on their own to find a new home. At first Chicken, Pig and Cow love their new space but soon they realize something is missing. Thankfully their friend Dog is able to fix things.

My children enjoyed Chicken, Pig and Cow’s first story so they were thrilled to follow them on another adventure. My daughter loved Chicken’s choice for a home and what each of the three friends loved about the home.

The illustrations are warm and fun. I especially love the images of Cow enjoying her new bed, on her side, on her back, on her head. This is a wonderful tale of the grass is always greener. The three friends think they need more room, a little more space between each other. But when they finally get it they find out it’s not actually what they want. I think this is a story both children and their parents can relate to, which will make it a story the whole family will enjoy, many times.

Chicken, Pig and Cow loved their barn but they were feeling a little crowded

If you want to add Chicken, Pig, Cow On the Move to your personal library, visit Amazon.ca. For other great book ideas, read the previous Write a Review Wednesday posts.

Brownie anyone? September 29, 2009

Wasn’t it just last week I was talking about my son and his long anticipated jump into Beavers? Now it’s my daughter, my oldest daughter. She’s been a Spark for the last two years. I guess it was bound to happen. But my daughter is getting older. And with getting older means transitions, moving on, moving up. My girl is now a Brownie, the step after a Spark and before a Girl Guide.

My son and younger daughter enjoyed staying up late and celebrating.

Seeing my daughter getting her Brownie pin reminded me of my Brownie days. Like my daughter, I loved being part of Girl Guides. I loved hanging out with my friends and camping and learning new things and earning badges (even though I burned a batch of rice krispie squares). Of course my daughter wasn’t as lucky as I was. We got to wear those lovely brown bag dresses as uniforms.

Myself (left) and sister (right) proudly displaying our Brownieness

My word! All full day of Word on the Street. September 28, 2009

yesterday was the Word on the Street Book and Magazine festival in Toronto. It’s been in my calendar for weeks now. I even compiled a list of things I wanted to cover at the event. I’m fortunate enough to live just a streetcar away so I didn’t have to worry about traffic or construction or parking or protests.

Protest? Parade?

Actually I don’t think this was a protest but a parade. But it did seem a little odd to host a parade just blocks away.

I brought my oldest daughter with me while my husband watched the other two. Yes, I’m sure all my kids would have liked going but there’s only so much distraction I can handle. We hit Kid Street first. I could say it was because I brought my daughter, and that’s partly why, but since I have an interest in children’s books also, that’s the real reason we started at Kid Street first.

I was able to finally meet Joanna from Annick Press and what a wonderful lady. And super cheerful. While we waited for Ruth Ohi to read her newest book CHICKEN PIG COW ON THE MOVE (which I’ll be reviewing this Wednesday as part of Write a Review Wednesday), my daughter wanted to try her luck at the Annick Press String Pull Booth. For a loonie donation (that’s a dollar for those non-canadians) she pulled a string to see what prize she would win. You could win a small Annick book, a paperback, a hardcover or the big prize, a collection of books. Well third times the charm.

Persistance pays off

We then headed over to the Children’s Reading Tent to catch Ruth Ohi. I was looking forward to hearing her read because I enjoy her books but I never expected to be so entertained. Ruth Ohi was energetic and enthusiastic and was right into the kids. Beyond just reading from her book, she shared how she created it, the process and even showed some early sketches. She also offered the kids a chance to experiment with their own illustrations by giving them printouts of Chicken, Pig, Cow with space to include their own background. I think my daughter will be busy drawing.

Ruth Ohi reading from her book CHICKEN PIG COW ON THE MOVE

Doughnuts and jellybeans, how to draw by Ruth Ohi

After the entertaining reading we were able to catch Ruth Ohi at the Annick Press booth and get her to autograph our copies. She personalized my daughter’s book with a wonderful sketch of my daughter. My daughter was delighted.

Ruth Ohi personalized my daughter's book..

...with a wonderful sketch.

And before we had a chance to catch our breath my daughter and I were back at the Children’s Reading Tent to catch Patricia Storm read from her new book PIRATE AND THE PENGUIN. Actually, read isn’t quite right. Instead she performed her book in a wonderful play. I’m just sorry I didn’t film it. Of course I had to pick up a copy of her book also. Can’t wait to share it with my kids.

Patrica Storm as the pirate

Patrica also gave the audience tips on how to draw their own penguin and pirate

With the readings out of the way (though I was disappointed I missed Carey Fagen and meeting Sylvia from Tundra Books), it was time for a late lunch. The nice thing about the Word on the Street festival this year, they had more than just exhaust dogs. There’s nothing like a sweet corn roast and lemonade.

More than just hotdogs

The corn was perfect

We did another round of the festival. Cheerios had a tent giving people a chance to send CHEER postcards to the Canadian Olympic Athletes. My daughter couldn’t pass that up. Plus there gave out little sample bowls which was perfect since I didn’t pack any snacks (I guess I didn’t expect to be at the show for as long as we were).

Sending a little Cheer to the Olympic athletes

And just before leaving, we ran into an old friend, Chirp. I say old friend because Chirp magazine has been coming to our house for over four years now. My daughter couldn’t resist a hug.

An old friend, Chirp

There was music and dancing and performances too.  All and all a full and entertaining day. Luckily neither my daughter nor myself fell asleep on the streetcar ride home. But maybe our heavy bag of children’s books kept us away (perhaps some future Write a Review Wednesday books in there too). Until next year.

A book festival isn't complete without books

Lego: More than just a Toy September 25, 2009

What do I do next?

Lego is big in our home. We own a number of construction sets and buckets of free-form pieces and still we keep adding to it. Lego is a great toy that all three of my kids can play with, usually without fighting too. But my son is the real Lego king in our house.

I’m always amazed when I watch my son play with, no immerse himself in his Lego. My son is no different from most boys. He is a bundle of energy that never seems to fizzle out. It’s hard to get him to sit still, even to eat dinner. But put a Lego construction set in front of him and I have a hard time pulling him away. He can sit for hours with such concentration and follow instructions and build a complete Lego set (the record has been 3 hours so far). I’m talking a set for kids 8 and older with over 1000 pieces. He can sit on his own and follow the steps from start to finish.

And if there’s no set to build he’s full of his own creative ideas. I think it’s his love of Lego and the creative flexibility it offers that has led to his new career desire: car designer.

So yes, Lego is a great toy, but with my son it’s more than that. It’s a tool. It teaches him to focus, to follow instructions, to explore his creativity. Nothing else seems to do that, not school, no even me. So anything that helps can’t be all that bad.

Have you heard The Word on the Street? September 24, 2009

I’ll let you in on a little secret, I love books. Okay, probably not much of a secret. I love to write for kids and review great children’s books through my weekly Write a Review Wednesday post. So my excitement about this Sunday’s Word on the Street book and magazine festival should come as no surprise. My husband and I use to go religiously every year before we had kids, though it’s hard to remember those moments. I’m looking forward to getting back into going again.

Hearing author’s read, checking out some of the new children’s books, meeting some of the publishers I’ve had a chance to work with. Perhaps I’ll even pick up a tip or two on progressing my children’s book writing. The day promises to be full, but some of the key things scheduled that I want to visit are:

• It’s All About Kids, Carey Fagan, CBC Stage (1:30-2:30). You may remember I wrote a review on Carey Fagan’s book Thing-Thing.
• 5 Things That WON”T Help You Get Your Children’s Book Published (and 3 That Just Might), Stephanie Simpson McLellan, Canadian Magazine Tent (11:15-11:45)
• Chicken, Pig, Cow on the Move, Ruth Ohi, Children’s Reading Tent (1:00-1:30). You may remember I wrote a review on Chicken, Pig, Cow. I plan to have a review on Chicken, Pig, Cow on the Move next Wednesday.
• The Pirate & The Penguin, Patricia Storms, Children’s Reading Tent (2:00-2:30)

I’m bring my seven year old daughter with me so I think we’ll be spending a lot of time on Kids Street.

So if you’re in or around Toronto and you love books, be sure to stop by The Word on the Street book and magazine festival this Sunday, September 27, from 11:00-6:00pm. And if you see me wandering around starry-eyed and loaded with books, but sure to say Hi (though you might have to wave your hand in front of my face to get my attention).

It’s a slow process September 23, 2009

You may remember an earlier post I made about participating in Gallysmith’s Harry Potter Reading Challenge. I don’t actually own any of the books so I was fortunate enough to borrow the first two books from my mom. What’s that say when my mom owns and has read the books before me.

Since I enjoy the movies so much, I thought reading the books would be enjoyable. But the main reason I joined the challenge was to share the stories with my kids (who also enjoy the movies). We’ve been reading a few pages each night as part of the kids bedtime routine. The only problem with reading to the kids, I only get to read the book at bedtime , to the kids. This makes for a long read.

Some nights I would read ahead, thinking the kids wouldn’t know any better. The next night I’d get caught and have to read the chapter again. It’s been a slow process but we have finally finished the first book. It’s a good thing we have until next August to finish the challenge.

Write a Review Wednesday: Thing-Thing September 23, 2009

Welcome to another Write a Review Wednesday, a meme started by Tara Lazar as a way to show support to authors of kids literature. Last week I wrote a review on Chicken, Pig, Cow, a delightful story and 2009 Canadian Children’s Book Center award finalist written by Ruth Ohi and published by Annick Press. This week I’m still looking at CCBC award finalists with Thing-Thing (age 4-7)  written by Cary Fagan and illustrated by Nicolas Debon and published by Tundra Books (@TundraBooks). Thanks to my friend Sylvia at Tundra Books I have a copy to review.

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It’s young Archibald Crimp’s birthday and his parents have given him an unusual stuffed animal as a gift. It’s not a bear or bunny or dog. It’s Thing-Thing. But like every gift Archibald received for his birthday, he’s not happy. He tosses Thing-Thing across the room and out the window.

This is bad, this is very bad.

Thing-Thing’s only hope was to have been given to a child who would sleep with it, play with it, love it. Instead it’s been discarded; flying fast toward the ground below. As Thing-Thing falls, it passes by the different floors and the people there – an injured girl, a boardroom meeting, an old woman eating lunch, a courting couple, a baby carriage. It gets a glimps into their lives and even makes an impression on them.

With three kids, we learned early about the importance of stuffies, a child’s special friend. The kids fell in love with Thing-Thing from the first time it was introduced. The looks on their faces when Thing-Thing was tossed out the window, by a child, was disbelief. And as the ground got closer and closer to Thing-Thing, my kids worried how the story would end.

Most stories are written based on one character’s point of view. Cary Fagan writes from Thing-Thing’s perspective as it’s falling, the thoughts going through it’s head. But he also writes from the perspective of the residents that Thing-Thing passes. They appear like mini stories within the bigger story, but still connected. Nicolas Debon uses the illustrations to add to the feeling of falling and Thing-Thing’s perspective.

Thing-Thing is a beautiful story about the desire to feel loved and wanted. Thing-Thing’s only dream is to be loved by a child and to love that child back. And when Thing-Thing does find what it’s looking for in the end you can’t help but be caught up in the happiness; I know I was. My oldest daughter finished the story wishing she had a Thing-Thing to love. Each time I’ve read this story to my kids, each time I read about Thing-Thing being discarded and finally finding the love it so craved, I found myself tearing up. I have read and enjoyed many picture books, but this is one of the very few that has made such an impact on me. At bedtime all three of my kids slept soundly, hugging their stuffies extra tight.

This is bad. This is very, very bad.

Thing-Thing is a finalist for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award as well as the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. The Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award honours excellence in the illustrated picture book format, for children aged 3 to 8. The TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award was established in 2005 to honour the most distinguished book of the year for children aged 1 to 12. The winners are expected to be announced on November 19, 2009.

If you want to add Thing-Thing to your personal library, visit Amazon.ca. You can also read previous Write a Review Wednesday posts about other great children’s books. You can also see Cary Fagan at this year’s Word on the Street festival in Toronto, Ontario September 27, 2009 (12:00-12:30pm at the Children’s Reading tent and 1:30-2:00pm at the CBC Stage).

Did you hear the news.. September 22, 2009

You may already know that I’m one of the Mom Influencers over at Everything Mom, an online social network. I also have a blog there called And another thought that deals with, well, just that, other thoughts that I haven’t covered on this blog.

But have you heard the most recent news? Michelle, the founder of Everything Mom, asked me if I would be interested in being the Review Blogger for the site. Try out new items aimed at moms and families and share my thoughts? How could I pass that up.

From popcorn to car seats to bath products and more, I’ll be sharing my honest opinion after I’ve had a chance to use the product; testing them so you don’t have to. Be sure to visit the review blog at Everything Mom. Tell me what you think.

Getting into routine September 21, 2009

Summer! Summer! Summer!

During the summer we able to sleep a little longer and get up a little later; we travelled more and ate out; we didn’t worry about homework. We all had a little more free time to do things we wanted to do. Then September came along which meant the end of summer vacation and the start of school. It also meant getting back into a regular routine: no more late nights, back to getting up with the birds; no more hanging out in our PJs or yesterday’s clothes, back to keeping on top of the laundry; no more eating when we want, back to making snacks and lunches ahead of time.

You can guess we’ve been having a hard time in our house getting back into routines. The kids aren’t the only ones. I’ve been late walking over to pick-up the kids almost 5 of the 10 school days (remember my encounter with the school secretary?) I’ve volunteered to handle the Scholastic’s orders for my son’s kindergarten class. My hope is this will keep me in his teacher’s good graces for all those late days.

But I don’t dread all routines. I’m actually excited to start my EA Sports Active workout routine again. I know at some point we’ll be back on track again. The big question is when. Hopefully before the kids are off on their Christmas break.

I’m pretty sure these aren’t my pictures September 19, 2009

I wanted to copy some images from my camera on to my computer but remembered I left my camera in my oldest daughter’s room. I asked her to grab it for me. And when I went to check the images, this is what I found:

I may not have the best memory, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t take these (the Barbie cook book is the giveaway). No wonder it took so long for my daughter to ‘find’ my camera in her room.