The idea behind these cards is to help kids learn the pleasures of positive actions. I am not a baby flashcard kind of person, but since my 6 year-old daughter is so into the Sweet Dreams Cards, I thought she might like these. She does! We do a Sweet Dreams Card before bed, and a Karma Card in the morning.
The idea is that a child chooses a card and does what the card says. Some examples are: “Choose one of your toys to donate to a charity,” and “find a penny dated the year of your birth and give it away to someone special.”
Most of the cards spread kindness to others, or help you feel better about yourself. Several are merely useful in a more practical sense, such as practicing a family fire drill, or learning the words to your national anthem.
If you are interested, there are also adult Karma Cards with different themes. I have not looked at any of these others, but please check the Karma Coaching Cards website if you want to see what else they offer.
Book Recommendations, Toy Recommendations, cards (literary), cards/card games, children's books, educational, older children
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Book Recommendations, cards (literary), educational, educational toys, Karma Cards, Karma Coaching Cards, Toy Recommendations
What exhausted parent hasn’t had a sinking heart when their wide-awake little darling’s bedtime request is a story whose length rivals that of War and Peace! Who hasn’t skipped a few words here and there, or had a few pages “accidently” stick together? If you recognize this scenario, then this is the bedtime book for you.
Classic fairy tales and stories are amusingly trimmed to the bare minimum and end somehow with a “sleep” theme. The extremely short stories are embedded within a familiar narrative of a tired Dad trying to get his child to sleep. You can either read this whole book, or if you really want to keep it brief, just pick out one or two of the individual stories.
The kids really get the humor here, and grownups laugh too. By the way, the illustrations are just as entertaining as the text. Thanks again to my friend Wishy for another stellar book recommendation!
Book Recommendations, children's books, funny, older children, picture books, young children
| Barry Blitt, Book Recommendations, Book Recommendations, children's books, Geoffrey Kloske, Once Upon a Time the End
This is a book that can be read on many different levels.
You could take the tale literally and say that it is about the life-cycle of an acorn. Or you could take a more metaphysical view and say that the book teaches how we are all part of one another, all made up of the same “stuff”…we are all one with nature and each other. Maybe this is a tale of letting go of fears and realizing how far you can go. You could even say the story is a life and death metaphor.
Whatever you choose to see in this lovely book, your kids will see a beautiful, comforting story, vividly illustrated, of a single little acorn and all it becomes…even after death.
Book Recommendations, children's books, educational, exceptional illustrations, nature, older children, picture books, young children
| acorns, Book Recommendations, Book Recommendations, children's books, In a Nutshell, Joseph Anthony, life cycles, nature books, oak trees, Waldorf books
The Look-Alikes series is wonderfully clever! Almost everything in the picture is actually something else, for example a tree might be broccoli, or a fence post might be a crayon. I can’t imagine how long these photos took to set up.
There is a list of all objects in each photo at the end of the book, so you can see how you did (if you want to). Personally, I prefer to just be happy discovering new objects each time I open the book. Unlike many other find-it books where you quickly learn what’s there, you can look at this book a hundred times and still see something new.
There is also a Look-Alikes Jr.: The More You Look, the More You See! with less detailed photos that are easier for younger kids to search.
The books are great for travel since they seem to keep kids happy for quite some time. This is entertaining searching for children as well as adults. Our favorite traveling-on-the-airplane game is when the adult says: “I see a penny” or “I see a comb” for example, and the kids have to try and find it.
Also check out Look-Alikes Christmas: The More You Look, the More You See!. I have not personally seen that one, but it sounds fun. If anyone can comment on the Christmas book, I’d love to hear from you!
Book Recommendations, children's books, find-it book, older children, photos, picture books, travel activity, young children
| Book Recommendations, Book Recommendations, children's books, find-it books, hidden objects, Joan Steiner, Look-Alikes, travel activities, travel toys
A lovely lesson in “what goes around, comes around.” How one thoughtful act can ripple forward and positively affect the lives of many. My 5 and 6 year-olds both love this book and ask for it a lot.
What amazes me is how well they get the meaning. Sometimes when they hug me, they say “It’s just like Because Brian Hugged his Mother!” And I say “Yes, now we’ll all have a happy day!” My heart melts…
A nice, happy read about the wonder of spreading good feelings! Please, please, please read this book to your children!!!!!
Book Recommendations, children's books, exceptional illustrations, older children, picture books, young children
| Because Brian Hugged His Mother, Book Recommendations, Book Recommendations, children's books, David L. Rice, karma
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