Summer Art Show Contest for Kids

Quick...take a look at this:

Fancy Frilly Foxy's Kids Summer Art Show

Robin Falls Kids is the hosting this 2-day contest for

 kids. 

Children's art work and stories can be entered.

What a fun way to start the summer!

Holly has already started

 her summer fun with a splash in the pool. What other adventures will Holly have this summer? Check back to find out...or write your own Holly adventures. I'd love to read your stories about my favorite canine.

Spanish Summer Language Fun

May is speeding by. Soon summer will be here and school vacation. 

What a perfect time to relax in the shade and read some new stories.

Or try a new language.

Look at the photo of Holly my dog enjoying Cinco de Mayo earlier this month.

What fun it would be to write a story about Holly dancing the day away! You could include some Spanish words into your story.

Do you know the Spanish word for dog?

perro

day=dia

danced=baila

The dog danced the day away = Baila el perro el dia fuera.

The sentence is arranged a little differently in Spanish with "danced" (baila) coming in front of "the dog" (el perro).

Can you find the words for "the day"?

Right! el dia

And that means fuera is the word for "away."

Try this free online English to Spanish translation site.

Type in a word or a sentence. The translator will transform your sentence for you.

Can you translate this sentence yourself?

El perro es blanco.

You already know what el perro means from above.

Change the "e" to an "i" in es and you'll have the translation for this word.

And your final clue: blanco is the Spanish word for the color of Holly's fur.

Hasta la vista!

Children's Book Week

Sorry it's halfway through the week already before I had the chance to remind you about CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK. Click on the link and you'll find a great bookmark you can print. 

Since 1919, Children's Book Week has been celebrated in the United States. Schools, libraries, publishers, bookstores and of course, children enjoy this special week, highlighting books and reading.

Click here if you want to help choose the next Children's Choice Book Awards

or here to see the 2008 winners' list.

What great children's books have I been reading this week?

IMMERSED IN VERSE: an Informative, Slightly Irreverent & Totally Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet's Life by Allan Wolf

The title says it all for this poetry how-to book. Discover your inner poet when you take this book out for a spin.

AND THEN THERE WERE EIGHT: Poems about Space by Laura Purdie Salas

These poems are totally out-of-sight! The author shares some star-worthy poems and gives insight into poetry lingo.

A POKE IN THE I: a Collection of Concrete Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko

When is a poem also a picture? If you don't know, you'll want to dive into this whirl of words.

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR DOG by Jean Craighead George

The author explains dog walk, talk, and body language. You'll decipher your dog's messages in a flash. Fun and informative.

HERO CAT by Eileen Spinelli

Don't miss this sweet picture book highlighting a mother cat's heroic efforts to save her young kittens from a fire. This book is based on a true story. Both the artwork and writing are wonderful.

OK. Now it's YOUR turn. What incredible children's books have you been reading???

Best of Stories For Children Magazine

It's been a rainy day here today--lots of clouds, lightning, thunder and RAIN! But it finally seems to be stopping and a bit of sun is peeking through. Hopefully, it will dry out  for the weekend. 

My poor dog Holly hates thunderstorms. They scare her something awful. So this seems to be a good time for a happy announcement.

I have been notified by publisher, Virginia Grenier, that my short story, "BF's & Butterflies," has been chosen from the 2008 STORIES FOR CHILDREN MAGAZINE to be included in their Best of Stories for Children Magazine Volume 2! 

Woo-hoo! News like that is sure to make the sun keep shining. I'll keep you posted when I find out more about the projected publication date. In the meantime, visit their site for the latest in great stories, articles, crafts and more for children. And here's the link for Volume 1.

Children's Illustrated Art Museum and iKids

Exciting News

A new Children's Illustrated Art Museum opened right here in St. Louis, Missouri this past weekend.

And it features Guardian Angel Publishing artists. Click on the link to see some photos.

More excitement for GAP--

Lynda Burch, publisher of GAP, recently released the company's first picture book to iKids Play for iPhone applications.

Maybe We Are Flamingoes by Safari Sue Thurman and illustrated by Kevin Scott Collier is now available for use through Apple iTunes. Kids can color, paint, and read along with the story using the touch screen technology. This new application provides an alternative to gaming for children. The users can also order print copies of the book through their iPhones.

More GAP books will be launched soon for iPhones and iPods in the iKids Read and iKids Story

applications.

Wow! Even more opportunities for children to explore the world of words and art.