"The Happiness of Pursuit" ... released today!

"Finding the quest that will bring purpose to your life."

Wow! A quest that will bring purpose to my life? Sounds great, doesn't it? The sentence above is the by-line from author and travel guru Chris Guillebeau's latest book, released today: The Happiness of Pursuit. 
I received an advance copy of this book, for review purposes, under the sole obligation to provide my honest opinion. I was not required to give a favorable review.

Well, on the one hand, Happiness did not disappoint! In relating a series of interviews with "ordinary people completing extraordinary quests" (like the family of four who spent 33 months biking from Alaska to Argentina!), Guillebeau extrapolates a series of lessons to stimulate all readers to find and follow the dream of their lifetime. Interestingly, the stories themselves are so inspirational that the lessons were almost superfluous. (I mean, really, could dating get any more fun than 50 dates in 50 states?! Twelve years ago, I wouldn't have needed a list of lessons to make that happen; just the idea itself!)

And so there is that side of the book: the side that makes you want to just get out there and do something fun and adventurous. Off the couch. Into the big wide world. Prove something to yourself. Or to others. Or find yourself. Or shock your friends. Or simply break up the routine. Whatever you've been needing, or wanting, or dreaming of. That side of the book makes it a terribly enjoyable read, such that you might even be tempted to complete the book in one sitting (although, at 263 pages, it would, admittedly, be a very long sit).

And then there is the other side of the book: the side that saddens. Yes, Happiness follows along on some very exciting and inspiring quests. But in it, we also are shown the emptiness of the quest. We meet several seemingly misguided souls whose quests evolved out of avoidance of pain, or fear, or even immaturity. Dealing with a terminal diagnosis? Avoid the emotional trauma by distracting yourself with a quest, even to the extent that your children feel ignored. Carrying the teenage need to "fight the man" into adulthood? Don't explore the underlying reason for your pre-teen attitude; simply "show them all" by questing to live in silence, speaking to no one (including family!) for almost two decades. (Be assured that this particular quester himself admits to using his silence to "fight the man." -pg231- I did not arbitrarily designate that as the reason for his silence. Imagine refusing to speak to your loved ones for 17 years, just to assert your independence... not as a 12-year old boy, but as an adult man. Very sad.)

Nonetheless, despite the few stories that emoted a hopeless disengagement from reality, taking into consideration the entirety of The Happiness of Pursuit, I can't help but say I found it an engaging and entertaining read. Happiness has inspired me, not to create a quest to give my life purpose as its by-line suggested, but to make a few fun changes in my every day life. I am grateful for the several questers who have stirred me to explore and develop dreams that have been latent in recent years. And grateful to Guillebeau whose book brought those inspiring stories to me!

Now off to learn photography and improve my Spanish...

"Read Around the World" with Multicultural Kid Blogs

This summer, the bloggers of Multicultural Kid Blogs invite you to "Read Around the World!" Throughout the summer, member bloggers (and friends) are sharing favorite multicultural books, covering age ranges for the entire family.

Here's my pick for a new favorite: a bilingual book entitled My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aquí hasta allá, by Amanda Irma Pérez.

You can see the author read her book aloud (albeit to a less than attentive audience -- probably the age group) here.


To browse through all the MKB bloggers' book choices, check out our newest Pinterst board, dedicated to this great summer series. Happy Reading!

Je vous présente: "Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker"

Way back somewhere in, oh, say, high school French class, it might have been, I once did a report on Josephine Baker. So I have been peripherally aware of her existence for some time. But how much one forgets in the decade (okay, 2 decades!) since high school.

Disclosure: I am an amazon affiliate. This post contains an affiliate link.

And so I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of Chronicle Books' Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker, by Patricia Hruby Powell, to review for Multicultural Children's Book Day.

The publisher sums up Josephine thus:

In exuberant verse and stirring pictures, Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson create an extraordinary portrait of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate Josephine Baker, the woman who worked her way from the slums of St. Louis to the grandest stages in the world. 

 Well said, Chronicle Books. And here's my take:

What I loved:

The Artwork of Christian Robinson
A fascinating life story is always a good start in a biography, but in the case of Josephine, it is the artwork that sets this book apart. Billed as a book for ages 7-10, and certainly appropriate for that range, the artwork actually gives Josephine the feel of an eclectic and quirky coffee table book, the likes of which one finds in the gift shops of the great art museums around the world. Josephine is just as easily a book for adults as it is for children!

Click image to see more on Scribd.

Multicultural Mentions
How fabulous that Josephine mentions more than a dozen countries (lending itself to some fun map exploration!), encourages the bridging of racial boundaries, and promotes world religions as being worthy of respect. What more could a world-focused family ask for in a book?!

The Inclusion of French
As the title of this post might attest, I am a huge fan of code mixing. I love seeing, or writing, a few contextually obvious words of another language amidst the text of the primary language. Although fewer than 10 French expressions are included, they are fun ones, easily assimilated by language savvy kids. C'est magnifique!

A caveat:

Mature Themes
As I mentioned, the artwork in Josephine allows this book to be enjoyed long past the 10-year old top margin it is billed for. On the other end of the spectrum, however, some 7 year old children may not be ready for the depth and breadth of issues mentioned in Josephine. You might want to wait on Josephine for a year or two if your 7 year old has had minimal exposure to concepts and vocabulary such as: nickel whisky shots, race riots, the term "out of wedlock", multiple marriages/divorces, the description of men in white hoods (whose name I won't mention, to avoid coming up in web searches), etc. Children will certainly face all these topics eventually, but it could be a lot all at once for some 7 year olds, so judge your audience wisely.

Thank you!

From beginning to end, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker. Many thanks to Chronicle Books for sending it, and a heartfelt congratulations to author Patricia Hruby Powell and artist Christian Robinson on their job well done! I wish you many successes with Josephine, and your future endeavors!

Want more Josephine?

Just in time for the the release of Josephine, Chronicle Books is offering some fun FREE materials for children.

Print a beautiful poster by book illustrator Christian Robinson, 

try your hand at this fun animal drawing activity, 

and make a cute little banana bracelet inspired by -ahem- "the" skirt!


How about more multicultural children's book reviews? 
Check out these bloggers:
2GirlsLostInaBook · 365 Days of Motherhood · A Bilingual Baby · A Simple Life, Really? · Africa to America · After School Smarty Pants · All Done Monkey · Andi’s Kids Books · Anita Brown Bag  · Austin Gilkeson · Barbara Ann Mojica ·  Books My Kids Read · Bottom Shelf Books · Cats Eat Dogs · Chasing The Donkey · Children's Book-a-Day Almanac · Children's Books Heal · Church o Books · CitizenBeta · Crafty Moms Share · Discovering The World Through My Son's Eyes · Early Words · Flowering Minds · Franticmommy · Gathering Books · GEO Librarian · Gladys Barbieri · Going in Circles · Growing Book by Book · iGame Mom · I’m Not The Nanny · InCulture Parent · Itsy Bitsy Mom ·Just Children’s Books- Kid World Citizen · Kristi’s Book Nook · Mama Lady Books · Mama Smiles · Mission Read · Mother Daughter Book Reviews · Mrs AOk · MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter · Ms. Yingling Reads · Multicultural Kids Blog · One Sweet World · Open Wide The World · P is for Preschooler · Rapenzel Dreams · School4Boys · Sharon the Librarian · Spanish Playground · Sprout's Bookshelf · Squishable Baby · Stanley and Katrina · Teach Mama · The Art of Home Education · The Brain Lair · The Educators' Spin On It · The Family-Ship Experience · The Yellow Door Paperie · This Kid Reviews Books  · Trishap’s Books · Unconventional Librarian · Vicki Arnold · We3Three · World for Learning · Wrapped in Foil 

And of course,

Many thanks to the generous sponsors of Multicultural Children's Book Day!

Chronicle Books

Wisdom Tales Press

Lee & Low Books

Author Susan Fayad

Multicultural Children's Book Day: Sponsor Give-Away!

Multicultural Children's Book Day is fast approaching! In honor of the event, one of the wonderful sponsors, Wisdom Tales, is hosting a give-away... of their entire set of children's books!!! Yowzers! Click the image to check it out!

And for more about Multicultural Children's Book Day, head here:

It's Here! "Josephine" arrived for Multicultural Children's Book Day

With Multicultural Children's Book Day coming up, can you guess what I received in the mail today? My review copy of a looks-to-be fabulous new release called "Josephine."

I'll say no more until my full review. Until then, I'll leave you with this fun little teaser.

Watch for more coming soon as we approach:

Coming Soon: Multicultural Children's Book Day!

Being part of a multicultural family full of book lovers, I was very interested by the following data shared by Mia of Pragmatic Mom and Valarie of Jump into a Book.

Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content.

As self-proclaimed children's reading and play advocates, Mia and Valarie are on a mission to change that. Through "Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Celebrating Diversity in Children's Literature," Mia and Valarie are working to raise awareness for kids books that celebrate diversity, and to get more of these books into classrooms and libraries.

Watch for books, links, info, and fun coming your way, on January 27th, right here on Open Wide the World!

Thanks to the fabulous sponsors:

Wisdom Tales Press

Lee and Low Books

Chronicle Books

Susan Daniel Fayad

Día de los Muertos, chez nous

"Day of the Dead, at our place" 

(affiliate links included, for convenience)

We always enjoy learning about different traditions and holidays from around the world (like this one). So, given that we spent years living just a stone's throw distance from Mexico, and that Kam's culture shares the same holiday, I don't know how Día de los Muertos, or "Day of the Dead," hasn't made our radar screen until now.


This year, thanks to a quirky looking book on prominent display at the local library, Día de los Muertos has made it to our house. Mag inherited Kam's inclination toward the cutsied-up macabre (think Jack Skellington and the like), and thus was captivated by The Dead Family Diaz, by P.J. Bracegirdle. This book instantly rocketed to the top of our short list of family faves, primarily for the visuals, but the story is equally amusing.

The Dead Family Diaz inspired us to delve deeper into the traditions of the día. We spent some time learning the vocabulary of the holiday, and even created and completed a few related worksheets, incorporating the fun theme into math and early literacy practice for Mag's dual language endeavor. (This kindergarten-level Spanish packet is available at my TpT store, here.)

Once familiar with the new vocab, Mag was also enthralled by Calavera Abecedario, by Jeanette Winter, although The Diaz storybook still tops my list.

Of course, the highlight of any event is the food, right? When frosting cookies for Halloween, we kept a few "calavera" (skull) cookies aside, which we frosted, Muertos-style, tonight, getting ready for the big day. We'll also head to a nearby Mexican grocer to pick up some "pan de muerto" (which we will eat, rather than leave at a cemetery), as well as indulging in horchata - recipe. Okay, I have no reason to believe horchata is part of the tradition of the day... or that it isn't, for that matter. We just like to include it in any Mexican-related event at our house. (We also love agua fresca -recipe-, but the MidWest fall weather puts one in more of an horchata mood.)

For a first Día de los Muertos celebration, I could almost leave it at books, food, and worksheets... but somehow crafts just seem to be calling out to be included.

I love the calavera sun catcher from Mari (remember her fab tooth fairy certificates from this post), and of course we'll be making some papel picado (seen at right). Photo released by Guillerminargp

el Próximo Año

We're having such a good time with Día de los Muertos this week that I can't fit it all in... so here's what I've already got in the line-up for next year:

• this pan de muerto recipe from Gabriela's Kitchen, found at Spanglish Baby
• this recipe for strawberry almond horchata, thanks to Sasha at Global Table Adventures
• Rostia y Conchito, the cutest looking storybook app ever
• and finally these super fab-o calavera cookie cutters that I can't spend another November One without!!!

I guess it's time to get a 2014 calendar, because I see a party taking shape already, 367 days in advance!

The Global Travels of the Tooth Fairy

Tooth Fairy clip art by Lita Lita

Yowzers! My little Mag just lost her first tooth! Somehow I felt more prepared for her to go off to school than I felt for her to lose her first tooth.

Sure, Mag was all excited at the prospect of the Tooth Fairy (which we didn't necessarily intend to introduce, but pop culture and school made that decision for us)... but me?

You probably guessed it: my first thought was, "Hmm, wouldn't it be fun to hear how this is handled in other countries." So I asked a few blogofriends.

British expat Amanda at Expat Life With a Double Buggy shares that she was able maximize the legend by convincing her son that the Tooth Fairy doesn't enter messy rooms. Genius! Now living in the Netherlands, Amanda notes that the "Tandenfee" does exist, but "is not a universally Dutch phenomenon. Some use it, some don't."

A Bilingual Baby's Marta notes that in Spain, as in many countries, "it's not a fairy, but a little mouse. It's called el ratoncito Pérez." Apparently, in Mexico this little magic mouse leaves extra money for a front tooth.

Ute of Expat Since Birth says that, "In German speaking countries we also know the Zahnfee, but she comes from the American/UK tooth fairy. In Italy the 'fatina dei denti' does the same as in USA/UK."

Spanglish-House's Cecy has combined traditions, so her kids think that Tooth Fairy and Ratón Pérez are associated. Her eldest has developed his own tradition: leaving a tip to encourage them to come early. Wonder how the tooth characters divide the spoils?

Would you prefer to avoid the Tooth Fairy tradition in your household? Never fear, there are parts of the world that are free of all tooth-taking characters. Olena (Bilingual Kids Rock), Olga (The European Mama), and Natalie (After School for Smarty Pants) report that there is no such legend in Ukraine, Poland, Russia, or Belarus.

But if you have, by choice or by force, embraced some version of a tooth character tradition in your household, and would enjoy the chance to make it a multicultural event, Mari has some super cute Tooth Fairy Receipt printables, in several languages - yay! These are available at Inspired By Familia. Thanks for sharing, Mari!


Want to read about more tooth-loss traditions from around the world?

Kid World Citizen's Becky recommended a book that is now a family fave around here: Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World.
This book is a must read for families who embrace the world. What a fun way to find out:

• What country has a Rolling Calf who will take you away with your tooth if you're not careful? 
• Which moms plate the tooth with silver and make it into a charm? 
• Who asks the moon, a mouse, or a saint to replace their tooth? 
• Which country has parents burying their children's teeth in university gardens?

Don't you just love how a single tooth can take you on a world tour?! Thanks, Global Moms, for all the info.

Any other great teeth legends out there?

Japan-themed Children's Books

Leading up to Kodomo no Hi, Japan's "Children's Day," our activities have been very Japan-centric this week. (See coloring sheets and koinobori.) But what good are activities without a few books, right?

We read many, many Japan-focused children's books this week. Here are our best finds from the local library:

The Boy from the Dragon Palace

The artwork alone makes this book! Influences of Sacramento-based, native Japanese illustrator, Sachiko Yoshikawa's dual-cultural background are evident in the bold and engaging images. More importantly, the story has an important lesson about gratitude and greed that will be appreciated even by young listeners in the target 4-7 year old range.

Please note: the little boy in the book is called "the snot-nosed boy" by the primary character. I revised that to be simply "the boy" in my reading and could get away with it having a pre-reader, but a child old enough to read will definitely notice the snot-nosed part. (The term "snot-nosed" was not thrown in for gratuitous giggles, which is sometimes the case in children's books. It did appropriately represent the attitude of the egocentric main character. Nevertheless, it is not vocabulary that I willingly introduce to my 5-year old.)

The Beckoning Cat

Have you ever noticed a little statue of a cat in an Asian restaurant or grocery, a cat with one paw lifted up by its head? That figurine has its basis in a Japanese folktale, retold in this storybook. What I love about this book is the opportunity for "text-to-self"-type connection (all the rage with elementary teachers, right?) that can occur after its reading. I am sure from this time forward, Mag will always notice the beckoning cat figurines. I see many future opportunities for her re-telling of this story!

The story itself is fairly simple, with no real moral or lesson, and the artwork is just average. Nonetheless, I recommend The Beckoning Cat for the exposure it offers to another culture, and for the opportunities to connect the book to a symbol that is often seen in one's dining and shopping milieus (assuming you eat and/or shop in Asian establishments from time to time).

So there you have it, our two new favorite Japanese-ish storybooks. 

How about you?

Any great books from or about Japan to recommend?

In Kürze (German = coming soon): Take Me Out to the Yakyu, our very favorite book about Japan!

von der Bibliothek: "Ollie and Moon," Plus a Craft

In between travels, one of our favorite ways to explore the world is through books. If the book is von der Bibliothek, all the better! A current house fave, from our local library, is Random House's Ollie and Moon, by Diane Kredensor and Sandra Kress.

When Kredensor and Kress team up their talents, quite a unique style ensues! Kredensor superimposes her adorable stylized characters atop Kress's photographs of Paris. They add some French words and landmarks, a cute and simple plot, et voilà! A lively romp around the City of Light, without even getting off the couch!

 

Make Your Own Ollie and Moon-esque Story-Telling Set

After reading the book trente-six fois, and watching the cute video a couple more times, we just had to make an activity out of Ollie and Moon. Thanks to Kredensor and Kress's inspiration, only a craft  would suffice for this project! Don't panic: it's an easy one.

Etes-vous prêtes? Okay. Grab these things:

• a few old magazines or calendars
• a couple of sheets of white paper
• some markers
• scissors and glue

Got 'em? Okay, now have students draw some fun characters, cut them out, and superimpose them onto pictures from the magazines and calendars. Have them tell a story as they present their chef-d'oeuvre to the class.

You can go as big or as simple with this as time and imagination allow. Around here... well, let's just say Mag wasn't feeling the cutting/drawing so much, but she knocked the story-telling out of the park.

Here are some of the scenes that our characters, Snowy der Scheeman and Kingy King, visited while we narrated.

Et vous? Any favorite "destination" children's books? Do share!

Glossary

von der Bibliothek (German) = from the library
trente-six fois (French) = literally "36 times," a French expression for "many times"
Etes-vous prêtes? (French) = Are you ready?
chef-d'oeuvre (French) = work of art
der Schneeman (German) = the snowman
Et vous? (French) = And you?

This post will be linked up to "Tell Me a Tale Tuesday" at Keeping Life Creative.

von der Bibliothek: "Aloha, Dolores" and a FREEBIE!

One of our favorite ways to explore the great wide world is through books about travel and destinations. Our favorite place for books? Die Bibliothek! We are at the library at least once a week.

A new library favorite: Scholastic's "Aloha, Dolores," by Barbara Samuels. In this fun and quirky story, young Dolores is convinced she will win a trip to Hawaii when she enters her cat, Duncan, in a contest sponsored by a brand of cat food he doesn't even like. When they don't win, Dolores creatively turns her disappointment into an imaginary voyage.

"Aloha, Dolores" was read 3 times in its first day at our house; I couldn't miss the chance to maximize the fun and turn it into a literacy event!  


So today's FREEBIE, inspired by Dolores, is a scrapbook drawing page of an imaginary vacation.

This activity targets "text to self connection," which supports Common Core Language Arts goals. It can also easily be extended to cover "text to text connection." Further, KWL (know, want to know, learned) planning can be incorporated pre- and post-activity.

 Mag thoroughly enjoyed imagining, drawing, and sharing her "vacation." She chose to go to China, where she saw the Great Wall, pet a panda bear, and ate noodles.

This was a big hit here. If you'd like to try this out for yourself, head to the library for "Dolores," then fire up your printer and swing by my store at Teachers Pay Teachers. (Want to know more about Teachers Pay Teachers? Read how much I love TpT here.)

EDITED 03/10/13: This file has been MOVED, and can now be downloaded from Google Docs. Click here.

If you give this a try, stop back in and let us know how it went.

Amusez-vous bien!

Glossary:

von der Bibliothek (German) = from the library
Amusez-vous bien! (French) = Have fun!