Tip of the Week: A Fantastic Tale of a Tail!

I am so thankful that my mother saved my favorite childhood books for me to share with my daughter, as now she and I enjoy them together. They are stories that have withstood the test of time, and I hope someday she will share them with her children.

One of my all-time favorites is “The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock” by Bill Peet. It is the story of a peacock whose tail is so scraggly, that it appears as if it is a large, green-eyed monster. Although not as beautiful as the other peacock’s tails, it serves to scare away a hungry tiger who lurks in the nearby woods, and Prewitt becomes a hero when he protects the other peacocks. This is a wonderful book appropriate for ages 2 and up!

Tip of the Week: Words to Inspire!

As a parent and someone who works with children, I am always looking for
ways to build a child's self-confidence. It's one of the hardest things to
teach, and one of the most important life lessons to learn.

“The Dot” and “Ish” by Peter H. Reynolds<http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_m?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Peter+H.+Reynolds&x=0&y=0>are
two short books that teach this lesson in a simple and touching way.
The author received the Irma S. and James H. Black Award for Excellence in
Children's Literature, and it is well deserved.

"The Dot" is about a girl who is frustrated because she thinks she can’t
draw. All she can put on paper is a single dot. Even so, her art teacher
encourages her to sign her name and hand it in. When she comes to class the
next day, her dot is framed and hanging above her teacher’s desk.

In “Ish,” a little boy is devastated when his older brother makes fun of his
artwork. He is so ashamed that he crumples up his latest piece, and his
younger sister grabs the discarded work and runs to her room. As he opens
her door to confront her, he sees that all of his art has been hung on her
bedroom walls!

Both of these books illustrate the unlimited potential of children and
encourage them to reach it!

A Tip from 2008: My Favorite Children's Author

Hello Triple B Members,

If you have not come across Mo Willems and his wonderful line of
children's books, than take a trip to your nearest book store and purchase
them. The pictures are simple and easy on children's eyes, yet they have
the perfect mix of child and adult humor. Mo Willems has such a handle on
the mind of a child, and yet he definitely seeks out the humor that all
parents seem to appreciate when it comes to parenting.

His latest book is "The Pigeon Finds A Puppy". I don't have this one yet,
but I have all of the rest including "Leonardo the Terrible". I can't
wait to buy this for my daughter, who has enjoyed his books since she was
two, yet she always returns to them on her book shelf even at age six!

Enjoy!

Check out Mo Willems' work and blog at www.mowillems.com