Tangled – the app

Tangled: Storybook Deluxe is available for iPad or iPhone via iTunes for $7.49.

Decor tip: How to store your kids story books in style

Event:That Al Salasil Storytelling

Following the huge success of their first storytelling event That AlSalasil are hosting another one this weekend. Story telling is such a great way to get children interested in book as well as the perfect bonding experience.

That AlSalasil is located in the Avenues Mall, Phase 2.

Follow them on twitter for their latest arrivals and events  @THATALSALASIL

 

Dear Jawaher, From a mother to her daughter

Dear Jawaher is a unique book written by Mona Al-Hajjaj an American born Middle Eastern speaking mother who lives in Kuwait. She addresses the book  to her 3 year old daughter were she shares her  experiences and the various topics that she has to face in the journey of her life like school, friends,marriage death and much more.The is essentially a self development book that is targeted at teenagers and young adults with some great advice on how to cope with all the challenges life throws at us.

Mona recently had an interview about her book with Alwatan Daily. To read her interview click here. 

She  will be launching her book in Kuwait tonight so if you would like to get your hands on a copy please pass by and support our local talents.

Location:  Jabriya – Block 6 – Street 1 – Villa 12. Check out her Facebook page for more information about the book launch.

If you can’t make it to her book launch then order the book from Amazon.

Where Children Sleep

Where Children Sleep presents English-born photographer James Mollison’s photographs of children’s bedrooms around the world–from the U.S.A., Mexico, Brazil, England, Italy, Kenya, Senegal, Lesotho, Nepal, China and India. The differences between the sleeping spaces of children from different regions is striking.  “I hope this book will help children think about inequality, within and between societies around the world,” says Mollison in his introduction, “and perhaps start to figure out how, in their own lives, they may respond.”

Indira, seven, lives with her parents, brother and sister near Kathmandu in Nepal. Her house has only one room, with one bed and one mattress. At bedtime, the children share the mattress on the floor. Indira has worked at the local granite quarry since she was three. The family is very poor so everyone has to work. There are 150 other children working at the quarry. Indira works six hours a day and then helps her mother with household chores. She also attends school, 30 minutes’ walk away. Her favourite food is noodles. She would like to be a dancer when she grows up.

Home for this boy and his family is a mattress in a field on the outskirts of Rome, Italy. The family came from Romania by bus, after begging for money to pay for their tickets. When they arrived in Rome, they camped on private land, but the police threw them off. They have no identity papers, so cannot obtain legal work. The boy’s parents clean car windscreens at traffic lights. No one from his family has ever been to school.

Kaya, four, lives with her parents in a small apartment in Tokyo, Japan. Her bedroom is lined from floor to ceiling with clothes and dolls. Kaya’s mother makes all her dresses – Kaya has 30 dresses and coats, 30 pairs of shoes and numerous wigs. When she goes to school, she has to wear a school uniform. Her favourite foods are meat, potatoes, strawberries and peaches. She wants to be a cartoonist when she grows up.

Douha, 10, lives with her parents and 11 siblings in a Palestinian refugee camp in Hebron, in the West Bank. She shares a room with her five sisters. Douha attends a school 10 minutes’ walk away and wants to be a paediatrician. Her brother, Mohammed, killed himself and 23 civilians in a suicide attack against the Israelis in 1996. Afterwards the Israeli military destroyed the family home. Douha has a poster of Mohammed on her wall.

Looking through the book you cannot help but get emotional. We forget sometimes to be thankful for what we have and not complain about the little things. Where children sleep is a great book for both children and parents to go through together.

Here is James Mollison talking about his book at the TEDx conference.

You can purchase it from Amazon.

Reading nooks

We all know how important it is to teach our kids to love reading. Devoting a little time each day to read with your children and having a little library for them to choose their own books will help grow the love of reading in them. Check out these adorable reading nooks which will surly get kids excited about reading.

Do you have a reading corner in your house ? Please share your pictures and help inspire other parents.

A bedtime story for high tech families

One of our favorite bedtime storybooks is “Goodnight Moon”.  It was one of the first books I ever bought Nodi and he still reads it today.

A couple of years have passed and it seems like technology and gadgets have invaded our homes and storybooks!  Check out this parody of “Goodnight Moon,” called “Goodnight iPad,” Written by David Milgrim under the pen of Ann Droyd. “Goodnight iPad” is updated for a new generation of gadget lovin’ families, with goodnights to “the bings, bongs, and beep of e-mails and tweets.”  It’s a fun read that holds a great message: Sometimes we do need to take a step back and unplug everything.

Goodnight remotes and netflix streams,

Goodnight android apps and glowing screens.

Goodnight Macbook Air,

Goodnight gadgets everywhere.

For more information click here

Top 5 benefits of reading to your child

1.  A stronger relationship with you. As your child grows older, he’ll be on the move—playing, running, and constantly exploring his environment. Snuggling up with a book lets the two of you slow down and recaptures that sweet, cuddly time you enjoyed when he was a baby. Instead of being seen as a chore or a task, reading will become a nurturing activity that will bring the two of you closer together.

2. Academic excellence. One of the primary benefits of reading to toddlers and preschoolers is a higher aptitude for learning in general. Numerous studies have shown that students who are exposed to reading before preschool are more likely to do well in all facets of formal education. After all, if a student struggles to put together words and sentences, how can he be expected to grasp the math, science, and social concepts he’ll be presented with when he begins elementary school?

3. Basic speech skills. Throughout toddlerhood and preschool, your child is learning critical language and enunciation skills. By listening to you read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, your child is reinforcing the basic sounds that form language. “Pretend reading”—when a toddler pages through a book with squeals and jabbers of delight—is a very important pre-literacy activity. As a preschooler, your child will likely begin sounding out words on his own.

4. The basics of how to read a book. Children aren’t born with an innate knowledge that text is read from left to right, or that the words on a page are separate from the images. Essential pre-reading skills like these are among the major benefits of early reading.

5. Better communication skills. When you spend time reading to toddlers, they’ll be much more likely to express themselves and relate to others in a healthy, constructive way. By witnessing the interactions between the characters in the books you read, as well as the contact with you during story time, your child is gaining valuable communication skills.

Source: Early Moments 

The importance of reading to your baby

Reading books aloud is a wonderful way to spend time with your baby, even before the little one is born!  Hearing adult voices teaches children valuable language skills that are carried through their development.  Intonation, emotions, and expressions can all be taught through story and picked up by babies from their earliest months.  Start building your baby’s library at your baby shower – you could even include a few books in another language!  Remember, babies will be grabby and aiming to put these books into their mouths, so make sure to pick books that are sturdy enough to last through the abuse.  Even if the baby seems distracted, this time sharing a book will really will make a difference!  At this stage, it’s not about the story, it’s about spending time with a book, familiarizing the baby with the activity, and making it part of his or her routine.  Point out images, say simple words and colors, count up details ~ it may not seem like the child cares about what you are saying – but believe me, they are listening! Also, look for bright, vibrant illustrations. Imagery can chapter children from a very young age and children appreciate art more than we give them credit for.

Once you instill a love of reading in your baby, you can look forward to their continued excitement and enthusiasm for reading into their toddler years.  As your baby gets older, try focusing on themes that can open into question and answer time, performance, art sessions, dance routines and a more. Books should to act as springboards for children’s hearts and minds, helping them to express themselves with confidence and integrity, and to explore the world in new ways. These are essential attributes in today’s fragile and fast-changing world. We need creative people in business, in the arts, in medicine and science, and in government. So look for books, CDs and other gifts that offer high educational value and are lots of fun. Also, it helps to find books that creatively honor different traditions, to start inspiring an interest in cultural diversity at a young age.

Creativity doesn’t just happen: the seeds may be in all of us, but the way we raise our children, and the emphasis we place on their imaginative development, is what helps those seeds to grow.

Article provided by Jeanne Nicholson at Barefoot Books. Visit us online at Barefoot Books

 

 

 

Lady bird classics – bringing back childhood memories

“Ladybird Classic Me Books is an app of pure nostalgic joy, offering a treasure trove of golden childhood memories.” I couldn’t have said it better. Some of my favorite childhood stories are available on this application and while playing around with it I couldn’t help but smile. My kids are very familiar with some of the classics but having them on the iPad were we can record our own narration, sound and characters voices is just brilliant!

When you purchase the application you automatically get The Zoo book. You then have the option of  purchasing more lady bird classic at a reasonable price.

Read.

Me Books brings the picture book app experience back to reading and telling stories. We’ve added nothing to the books themselves, just a new way to bottle the creativity and imagination they inspire.

Listen.

Classic stories are brought to life with charming narration from well known voices along with enchanting sound effects. Simply touch the words and pictures to hear them.

Record.

We all know you tell the best stories and do the best voices so Me Books lets you do just that. Add narration, record individual words to help new readers or use the pictures to craft your own tale.

Play!

Playing with books is a brilliant way for children to develop their creativity, language and literacy. Me Books allows them to express themselves which isn’t just important, it’s a downright hoot.

Purchase the application here

Source: Me Books