Picks of the Week: Latest from Denise Fleming & Lois Ehlert

I couldn't choose between these two new picture books by veteran children's author/illustrators Denise Fleming and Lois Ehlert. I shared Shout, Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming recently in storytime. This is a lively book - the colors pop, the bold illustrations are inviting and perfect for sharing in a group setting, and the text just begs to be read with enthusiasm, participation, and volume! :) The audience joins in with calling out the letters of the alphabet, numbers, colors, and animals they see. Don't forget to look for the mouse on each page - he has a special job at the end of the book!

Shout! Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming (Henry Holt, 2011)

Lois Ehlert's new book features her trademark collage artwork and features a talking pet dog. You don't believe me? Well, you'll just have to check out Rrralph to find out what I mean. This book is such a great audience participation story, too. It also works so well to promote early literacy skills. This one will be featured at a storytime soon.

 

Rrralph by Lois Ehlert (Beach Lane Books, 2011)

New Picture Books!

New picture books have arrived at the library recently. Here is just a small sampling of some of the new additions to enjoy. Click on a cover to see if the title is checked in or to put it on hold.

New Parenting Books

Whether you are in search of advice for dealing with temper tantrums or just a much needed humor break, there are new parenting titles at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library that just might hit the spot for you.

Ain't Misbehavin': Tactics for Tantrums, Meltdowns, Bedtime Blues, and Other Perfectly Normal Kid Behaviors by Alyson Schafer

Love your kids but not always their behavior? Alyson's democratic parenting approach is based on psychotherapeutic principles, but it isn't parenting theory-- it's parenting action. Here are quick-and-dirty solutions when you need them.

Baby Codes: 101 Winning Combinations to Help Your Baby Sleep by Kevin Mills

 Research shows parents lose almost 350 hours of sleep during baby's first year. The problem is clear : parents need effective ways to help their babies sleep so they can get the sleep they need! Baby Codes is the solution. Baby Codes emphasizes that each child is unique. What works for one child won't necessarily work for another. Today's parents simply don't have the time or energy to read every baby sleep book as they desperately try to find what works. Baby Codes provides parents with 101 easy-to-use tips and combinations to help babies fall fast asleep. Every suggestion can be read in a minute and easily applied. But the best part? The majority of the ideas are not only quick and easy, they're absolutely free. Today's parents desperately need more sleep. Baby Codes is the solution they've been dreaming of. --Cover

Baby Massage and Yoga by Anita Epple

 Teach yourself massage techniques to calm your baby and strengthen the bond you two share!

The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett

"130 easy, nutritious recipes that will help your baby learn to eat (and love!) a variety of solid foods--and that the whole family will enjoy"--Cover.

BabyCare: Everything You Need to Know by Ann Peters

A guide to caring for a baby covers such topics as feeding, sleep habits, baths, health care, and play.

Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak: An Indispensable Guide to Surviving Working Motherhood by Amy Eschliman and Leigh Oshirak

 Whether you've just found out that you're pregnant, you're on maternity leave, or you're already back in the office and yet another stressed-out working mom, Amy Eschliman and Leigh Oshirak have written the ultimate guide to what to expect when you're expected back at work.

The Happiest Mom by Megan Francis

In The Happiest Mom, author Meagan Francis shows us that motherhood is not an obstacle to joy. Drawing on recent happiness research, conversations with hundreds of other moms, and her own experience as a mother of five, Francis shares her ten secrets to happy motherhood in this down-to-earth, funny, and accessible book.

The Toddler Bistro by Christina Schmidt

 Based on the most current nutritional information available, this accessible reference offers new mothers a fresh approach to feeding a toddler. More than a how-to guide, this unique handbook offers innovative elements—from whimsical illustrations to clever recipe names. Colorful devices and asides—“foolish fats,” “funky fruits,” and “meat monsters”—call attention to special topics, making them easy to remember. Assisting parents in developing an approach to food that is easy, organized, and fun, this study offers helpful tips through entertaining features such as “Bistro Basics” and “Chef’s Secrets.” Focusing on the age range of one to three years—when new foods and tastes are typically introduced—this survey also includes tips and tricks for quick shopping, easy recipes, and nutrient and supplement needs. Blending the basics of good nutrition with expert advice and guidance, this comprehensive manual is ideal for both the working and stay-at-home mom.

The Wonder Weeks: How to Stimulate Your Baby's Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy, Phases into Magical Leaps Forward by Hetty van de Rijt and Frans Plooij

The Wonder Weeks. How to stimulate your baby's mental development and help him turn his 10 predictable, great, fussy phases into magical leaps forward describes in easy-to-understand terms the incredible developmental changes that all babies go through during the first 20 months of their lives. This is the extended, "fat" edition with 2 more chapters covering 2 more leaps in the mental development of your baby up to the end of the sensorimotor period. The book is based on the discovery of a little known phenomenon: all normal, healthy babies appear to be more tearful, troublesome, demanding and clingy at very nearly the same ages. These age-related fluctuations in need for body contact and attention are related to major and quite dramatic changes in the brains of the children. These changes enable a baby to enter a whole new perceptual world and, as a consequence, to learn many new skills. This should be a reason for celebration, but as far as the baby is concerned these changes are bewildering. He's taken aback -- everything has changed overnight. It is as if he has woken up on a strange planet. --publisher.


Summaries courtesy of Syndetics, Inc.

My First Book Club

Did you know that the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library offers a book club for children beginning to read on their own? If your child is looking for encouragement in his or her beginning reading skills, wants a chance to talk about books with other children, and take part in fun activities, check out this book club! Titles for this book club are selected from the Early Reader (E-R) collection at the library. Parents are welcome to all meetings!

This month My First Book Club is reading Sammy the Seal by Syd Hoff. The next meeting is Wednesday, June 1st, 2011 from 3:30 - 4:15 p.m. 

The book club meets in the library's Youth Activity Room. A limited number of copies of this month's title are available at the Youth Reference Desk. For more information, please contact Youth Services at 541-766-6794 or email dana.campbell@ci.corvallis.or.us.

Anxious to see what life is like outside the zoo, Sammy the seal explores the city, goes to school, and plays with the children but decides that there really is no place like home.