Tuesday, May 12, 2009

A Perfect Walk and Perfectly Charming Children's Board Books

What a wonderful weekend! After weeks of torrential downpours, we had a gloriously sunny day ... perfect for a walk!

What better way to start out Mother's Day weekend, than with the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. This was our 8th year making the trek in honor of my mom (a survivor); in memory of my grandmother; and in honor of a dear friend of mine who just finished a year of grueling treatment. We had a great time breathing in the fresh, cool air ... and watching our son not only walk the 2.5 mile route ... but hop, skip, and jump through most of it!

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I've written previously about children's book author, Karma Wilson. I hope to someday have a collection of entertaining published books to my name like the collection she has ... she truly is amazing! Her "Bear..." books, in particular, have been a consistent hit in our house ... always on our list of 'go-to' books.

Recently, I was lucky enough to win three of her children's board books. I was ecstatic! And, they came signed to my kiddos ... so cool!

The first two - "Hello, Calico" and "Uh-oh, Calico!" are absolutely adorable and charming. My 3-year old loves them, and the stories - told in very catchy rhymes - are fun for my 6-year old to read to his little sister. The illustrations (by Buket Erdogan) are a perfect combination of vivid color and sweetness.

The third book, "Beautiful Babies", is a touch-and-feel book that is beyond cute. Being a photography buff, I was excited to learn that Karma 'illustrated' the book herself, using pictures she had taken. What a thrill ... to write a book and illustrate it with your own photos! This book is perfect for babies, toddlers, and animal-loving preschoolers. My daughter flips through it, feeling the little animal noses, feathers, and fur, as she falls asleep at night.

If you have little ones or are looking for the perfect gift to give a preschooler, toddler, or baby ... you might want to check these out! They are sure to bring lots of smiles!

17 comments:

Keri Mikulski said...

I'll check the books out for my three year old! ;) She loves catchy rhymes.

Danyelle L. said...

Great recommendations! Thanks. :D

PurpleClover said...

Aww! I'll have to check them out for my little ones! Lord knows I need to replenish their book shelves with books that are no longer tattered and torn. :)

PJ Hoover said...

So glad you had such a nice weekend! Those are the best. They leave you happy all week!

Lynnette Labelle said...

Such cute illustrations. I have young twins (almost 4) who'd love those books. Thanks.

Since you're a writer, I wanted to invite you to join our writers' support group. This isn't a critique group. Instead, we share info about the industry/craft, give cyber hugs when someone's down, and vent after receiving a rejection letter. If you want to know more, I wrote a post about the group (Writers_on_Writing) on my blog a week or two ago. Otherwise, you can contact me at: lynnette_labelle@hotmail.com Please put "invitation request" in the subject line so I know it's not spam. Also, if you know other writers who may be interested, please spread the word. The only requirement is that the writer must be 18 years old or older.

Lynnette Labelle
http://lynnettelabelle.blogspot.com

CC said...

Never heard of these. Thanks!

Rebecca Ramsey said...

I love watching babies learn to love books--the way they gum them, lick them, play with the pages, and learn the stories. Thanks for the new ones to watch for!

lotusgirl said...

What a great thing to be involved with. Yea for service!

Jeff B said...

Hold onto your hat, because they're talking about temps in the mid 80's for the weekend. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Kelly Polark said...

Great book recommendations!
How wonderful to be part of the Breast Cancer Walk. I did that a few times with my mom and sister. And now a family member was just diagnosed. So glad to hear your mother is a survivor.

Anonymous said...

I always love a good book recommend.

Kelly H-Y said...

Great to hear from everyone!!!

Suzanne Casamento said...

My girlfriends and I usually do a Breast Cancer Walk in LA every year on Mother's Day weekend. This year was the first that we couldn't. It's always a very special event. Good for you!

Corey Schwartz said...

Oh, Karma Wilson is totally my idol!

Kelly H-Y said...

Suzanne ... that's so cool!

Me too, Corey!!!

Phyllis Harris said...

Thank you for the recent comment on my blog! I came to check yours out and was so thrilled to see this post as well as the previous post on Amy Grant's new song! I'm also a big fan of hers; I have been since the 80's!

Anyway, I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer on March 3rd. I am 47 and I can happily say I am a cancer survivor! After a mastectomy, my prognosis is very good, praise God! :o)

Kelly H-Y said...

Phyllis! Thank you so much for visiting ... and congratulations on being a survivor!!! My goodness ... you've had the diagnosis and mastectomy recently then ... just in the past couple months?! You are amazing!