Parenting Party

Kane/Miller is one of several co-sponsors of the upcoming Parenting Party happening May 22nd at The Airport Lounge in San Diego.

Travel and commUNITY are themes for the first annual Happy Healthy Hip Parenting Party.

Tickets are $10 per person ($15 at the door). Each guest will receive two drink tickets and a chance to win some FABULOUS prizes throughout the night. Appetizers will be served until 9:30pm and there will be music and fun to help keep the party going.

We hope to see you there!

The Blogabilities are Endless

Every time I blink, another blog is created. I continue to discover noteworthy blogs dedicated to children's literature or reading, in general. Each one is just as creative as the next since its the personality of the writers that make them each what they are.

Here are just a few blogs that I discovered in the last few days:

BITCHING ABOUT BAD BOOKS

This is quite fun. It's one reader's thoughts as she dissects the words she reads and what occurs in her mind as she reads them. Her site does come with a few warnings:

Some Warnings
Bad books and bitching combined can get mean. If you can’t stand it, don’t read it. Nobody forces you to. I do respect the determination and efforts of the authors who manage to finish and publish a book. But that doesn’t mean that the book is good. Nobody’s perfect and some people just can’t write.

I speak and write English pretty well but I’m no native. Errors and faulty grammar will occur.

I also got sidetracked on her other site (equally amusing).

On a completely separate subject, I also found READ TO ME, DAD, A Blog for that New Dad in all of Us to be quite entertaining. Check out this recent post about this dad's first full day with his daughter, Eva.

Don't you wish all dads were like this? My dad has never changed a diaper in his life. Seriously.

May is...

Get Caught Reading Month

Healthy Vision Month

Paul Needs Specs

National Bike Month

A Bicycle for Rosaura

Marta and the Bicycle

Marta y la bicicleta

Be Kind to Animals Week (May 4 - 10)

The Deliverance of Dancing Bears

Reading is Fun Week (May 4 - 10)

Tibili, the Little Boy Who Didn't Want to Go to School

Mother's Day (May 11)

When Mum Was Little

Selma

National Transportation Week (May 11 - 17)

Crazy Cars

On the Road

CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK (May 12 - 18)

National Backyard Games Week (May 19 - 25)

Playing with Stuff

Slugs Return from Capistrano Day (May 28)

Sally and Dave, A Slug Story

Arbor Day

This is the Tree Author: Moss, Miriam Illustrator: Kennaway, Adrienne Country of Origin: England Ages: 5 - 9

Awards: Outstanding Science Trade Books "What a lovely book! Both the language and the illustrations are exceptional. Since the baobab tree is basically unfamiliar to the most of us, the snippets of factual information are fascinating." - Children's Book Review Service "Lush illustrations and lyrical prose convey the respect that this tree deserves." - Green Teacher "This book is perfect for use by teachers or homeschoolers who are studying the habitat of the African savannah or about the animals of Africa." - The Thinking Mother "The illustrations by Adrienne Kennaway...are colorful, soft, and full of details that small children will love discovering...it’s the magical poetry and inviting pictures of the African plains that children and parents will remember." - Curled Up Kids

Interesting Articles of the Week

I hesitate to comment on these thought-provoking articles and yet...

Who Shares the Biggest Responsibility For Reading to your Children?

I'm all for equality when it comes to parenting, but if one parent is not setting a positive example in an area that the other parent feels important, this certainly has an effect on the other parent's "responsibilities," does it not?

Million Dollar Babies

I just have one word to say - Momcierge!

Diversity in the Classroom

Very disturbing that this type of racism is still being "taught" in our schools.

What are your thoughts?

Blogger's Tea at the Adolphus

Kane/Miller was one of five sponsoring publishers at the Dallas Blogger's Tea at the Adolphus put together by author, consultant and teacher, Anastasia Suen.

Along with representatives from August House, Lee & Low, Peachtree, and Charlesbridge, we were surrounded by great librarians, consultants, authors, and of course kidlit bloggers.

Each and every person in attendance walked away with a book (or two) and several authors and illustrators were on hand to sign books as well.

Anastasia put together a wonderful event and we look forward to seeing what's in store for next year.

Books for New Babies

As of 2007, the average birth rate for the whole world is 20.3 per year per 1000 total population, which for a world population of 6.6 billion comes to 134 million babies per year.

This has never been more apparent than this weekend where we attended Baby Celebration L.A. Held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center, this event included maternity & baby/toddler fashion shows as well as a play area and diaper changing station for the hundreds of families that were in attendance.

Our books were a hit and we were especially pleased to present our Toddler Tales series and our books for babies (and new siblings):

From Spain
What's Going On?

From Australia
Let's Play!
Little Brothers Are...
Little Sisters Are...
Sophie's Big Bed
When I Was a Baby

From Belgium
And After That...

From England
I Don't Want to Go to Bed!
I Want My Pacifier
I Want My Potty
I Want Tooth
Say Please!
Wash Your Hands!

From the Netherlands
Will You Carry Me?

This Day in History - April 10

April 10, 1866: ASPCA is founded

Kane/Miller has two titles honored by the Henry Bergh Children's Book Award:

From Australia

The Deliverance of Dancing Bears
by Elizabeth Stanley
*ASPCA Henry Bergh Children's Book Award
*ASPCA Henry Bergh Illustration Award

From England

Lucky:
A Dog's Best Friend
by Gus Clarke
*ASPCA Henry Bergh Children's Book Award Finalist

Happy Birthday Anji!

Today is Anji Yamamura's birthday! She is the author and illustrator of Hannah Duck, a new picture book from Japan.

After beginning work as an illustrator, Anji Yamamura moved to Tokyo where she taught herself the art of wood engraving. Her work takes a variety of forms, including picture books, and has won numerous awards.