Lovabye Dragon

Posted May 16th, 2013

Lovabye DragonLovabye Dragon
by Barbara Joosse
illustrated by Randy Cecil
Candlewick, 2012
ages 3 – 7, ISBN 978-0-763-65408-5

In her bed in her room in her castle,
a girl longs for a dragon.

In his nest in his cave in his mountain,
a dragon dreams of a girl.

When a lonely dragon follows a trail of princess tears, a beautiful friendship is born. They march and sing, roar and whisper, hide and seek, then settle into snug companionship at bedtime. Barbara Joosse’s fiercely protective and gently loving dragon cavorts across the pages, endearingly illustrated by Randy Cecil. At the end of the day, who can resist curling up in the embrace of a lovabye dragon?

The music in the video was performed by The Happy Racers, a Kindie Rock, Pop band with a passion for music that entertains and educates kids and families alike.

Lumpito and the Painter from Spain

Posted May 14th, 2013

Lumpito and the Painter from SpainLumpito and the Painter from Spain
by Monica Kulling
illustrated by Dean Griffiths
Pajama Press, 2013
ages 4 – 8, ISBN 978-1-927-48500-2

Lump the dachshund is content living with David in Italy. But he needs a vacation from Big Dog, who hounds him day and night. So when David announces that he’s off to the south of France to photograph a famous painter, Lump positively scrambles at the chance to ride along. At the villa, Pablo Picasso greets them and is enchanted with the little dog he calls Lumpito. The feeling is mutual; from that moment on, the two become soul mates. Lump loves David. But how can he show his master, and Picasso, that he is home at last?

Lumpito and the Painter from Spain is inspired by the true story of Picasso’s love affair with a dachshund named Lump who came for a visit, refused to leave and became immortalized in a number of the artist’s paintings and drawings.

Ruth the Sleuth and the Messy Room

Posted January 24th, 2013

Ruth the Sleuth and the Messy RoomRuth the Sleuth and the Messy Room
by Carol Gordon Ekster
illustrated by Kimberly Soderberg
Character Publishing, 2011

Did you ever lose something, because your room was so messy? That is exactly what happened to Ruth the Sleuth. As she searches her messy room for a potholder she borrowed from her mother, Ruth the Sleuth gets distracted again and again by the wonderful items she finds within her mess. But, will she find her mom’s potholder in time to have cookies with her friend, Zack? Ruth the Sleuth and the Messy Room nurtures the characteristics of organization, time-management, motivation, and focus in children between the ages of 4 and 9. Includes parental guide for motivating children to keep their rooms clean and a timed, checklist game to teach children how to clean up properly.