Pick of the Week: Heat Wave

Heat Wave by Eileen Spinelli with illustrations by Betsy Lewin (Harcourt, Inc., 2007)

For Abigail, Ralphie and the other residents of Lumberville, the weather is hot, hot, hot. Everyone is doing their best to keep cool. But when the sun keeps shining and the temperature keeps rising, the whole community heads to the river, where everyone dreams of cooling off.

Water Safety

When it's hot outside, many families turn to water play for relief. Here are a few resources online to help you create a safe environment for your children around water.

http://www.imsafe.com/site/water-safety - I'm Safe.com's Water Safety web page includes free lesson plans to share with families and children to develop water safety skills.

http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/watersafety.cfm - According to the American Academy of Pediatrics's Water Safety site, "Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children and adolescents. The AAP has information on how to keep children in all age groups safe in the water at home, in swimming pools, on boats, and in open bodies of water." The AAP's Water Safety site guides families, communities, and professionals to water safety resources and guidelines.

You'll also find several water safety books for children at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library under the call #J 797.2108. For example:

Near Water by Claire Llewellyn (Barron's Educational Series, 2006) Teaches children the different ways to keep safe when in or near the water.

Signs at the Pool by Mary Hill (Children's Press, 2003)

On a trip to the pool with her mother, Maria notices the various signs that help them, including one that lists the pool hours, two that state safety rules, and several that show the depth of the water.

Pick of the Week: Splash!

With the warm and sunny weather we're experiencing in Benton County right now, I thought I'd recommend one of my favorite books to share with babies and toddlers on a hot, sunny day:

Splash! by Flora McDonnell (Candlewick Press, 1999)

The jungle animals are all very hot. But leave it to the baby elephant to find a fun and refreshing way to cool off in the sun! This is a fun one to introduce dialogic reading into as well. As you read the story, pause and ask your child when he or she has felt really hot before. What did he or she do to try to cool off? Where is the baby elephant leading the animals?

Stay cool and protected in the heat...and have fun outside this week!

Learning for Life Video: Impact at Birth

July 20th, 2009 - Dr. Dimitri Christakis of Seattle Children's talks about how a baby's first year of learning impacts brain development for the rest of his or her life. Click below to watch the video and to see other early learning-related videos from King5.com in Seattle.

Learning for Life Video On Demand | Seattle News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | KING5.com

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Pick of the Week: Wee Little Lamb

Lambing season may be over in the Willamette Valley, but this story about an adorable, shy little lamb is sure to find young admirers. Share this title with toddlers and young preschoolers - especially those with a more timid or shy demeanor who may find comfort in this sweet, simple story.

Wee Little Lamb by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by John Butler (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009).

A little, newborn lamb, too shy to say hello to the rabbit or sing with the robin, is finally drawn out by a tiny fieldmouse.

Poetry in the Summertime: Days Like This

A poetry pick:

Days Like This: a collection of small poems by Simon James (Candlewick Press, c. 2000)

Days Like This contains a collection of 19 short poems by such authors as Eve Merriam, Ogden Nash, and Charlotte Zolotow. This is a celebration of childhood imagination and experience - from long summer days, exploring as adventurers, sleeping outdoors, to life in the city, and more. There's even a poem about the joy of bouncing! You'll find Days Like This in the picture book section of the library. Enjoy with a child you care about!

Picks of the Week: Love Your World

Love Your World: how to take care of the plants, the animals, and the planet by Dawn Sirett; illustrations by Rachael Parfitt; special photography by Howard Shooter and Dave King (DK Pub., c. 2009)

From recycling to conserving water to composting, this is a nice, bright, and simple introduction to caring for our planet's resources for preschoolers through early elementary-aged children.

And here's one for the adults:

Green Baby by Susannah Marriott (Dorling Kindersley, c. 2008)

Practical solutions for greener parenting, so you can give the very best to your baby. Helps you make planet-friendly lifestyle decisions.

Contents: Caring for your new baby: starting green living from day one -- Feeding your baby: the healthiest foods for you, your baby, and the planet -- The green, clean baby: gentler approaches to washing and cleaning -- Green nursery: a safer space to sleep and grow -- Play green: natural ways to learn and have fun -- Out and about: introducing your baby to a greener world.

(Summary information courtesy of Syndetics)