About Anorak: 

Anorak is a kids magazine for boys and girls between the ages of 5-12 years old. Anorak is packed with stories, games, things to make and places to visit.

My take on the magazine:

As a kid one of my favorite things was receiving mail and I had a few magazines that come to me as a kid (Highlights and Ranger Rick are just two I distinctly remember). Even my daughter (approaching her 3rd birthday in April) loves getting mail from her grandmother and her own little Baby Animals magazine.

If Anorak was around when I was a kid, I would love getting a magazine like this in the mail. Anorak is full of brightly colored, cartoon-like illustrations, comics, stories and games. There are also some articles parents can read with their kids. For the edition I had, the theme of the issue was toys so there was cool article about toys people have enjoyed over many generations (doll houses, Legos, etc…).

I thought the magazine was really creative and entertaining. There were a few things I think parents will also really enjoy. One, there’s no advertisements or ads. As a result, this magazine is packed with over 60 pages of fun for young readers.

The second and my favorite thing though were the book reviews written by kids. This issue had 8 book reviews written by kids from age 6 to 12.

I highly recommend Anorak, which is now available in the United States. Visit any of the sites below to see where you can purchase copies:

Website: http://www.anorak-magazine.co.uk/
Online shop: http://shop.anorak-magazine.co.uk/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/anorakmagazine

Up, Up and Away by Scot Ritchie

Review by Chris Singer

About the author:

Scot Ritchie is an award-winning illustrator of more than 30 books for children including Why? by Catherine Ripley and Let’s Go! by Lizann Flatt. He loves to travel and his work has taken him to London, Berlin, and Hawaii. He lives in Vancouver.

About the book:

Six lucky children have won first prize in a geography competition: an amazing trip around the world by hot-air balloon. Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, a huge shopping mall in the United States, a bustling Beijing market, a Bollywood film set — each stop is an adventure. The reader’s challenge is to find all six children at each of the 12 destinations. Young readers get a captivating snapshot of many different parts of the world as they use their detective skills to round up the travelers for the next leg of their journey. Scot Ritchie’s wonderfully detailed illustrations make each vibrantly colored spread a treat to delve into over and over again.

My take on the book:

Up, Up and Away reminded me of the Where’s Waldo? books except here you’re tasked with looking for seven characters (6 students and 1 of their teachers) instead of one. There are 12 puzzles (destinations) in all: Bolivia, United States, Canada, England, Denmark, Italy, France, Egypt, China, Thailand, India and Australia. The puzzles are definitely challenging enough for kids ages 6  up to 11.

This is a fun book and would please any young reader interested in world geography and travel. The back of the book has additional information about the pictures depicting real travel destinations. For example, readers will learn about the Incas, who believed they came from Lake Titikaka, or “Womb of Mankind” as they called it. They’ll also learn how the king of Denmark gave permission to Georg Carstensen to build an amusement park in the center of Copenhagen and is the oldest operating parks of its kind in the world.

The back of the book also has solutions to each of the puzzles. You’re definitely going to need to check your answers because the children are really well hidden and there’s lots of phony look-alikes.

My daughter enjoyed looking at the pictures but she was a bit young to really be able to find the solutions. All the same, if you have elementary-age children, this is a great book to take on a trip with you or to take to the doctor’s office.

Before we dig into the interview, let’s take a quick look at what Taye’s new book is all about:

Chocolate Me! is a children’s book based on Taye Diggs’ experiences of feeling different and trying to fit in as a kid. Originally written in college as a poem about his difficulties understanding his looks and differences as a child, Chocolate Me! was transformed into a children’s book after teaming up with longtime friend, illustrator, Shane Evans.  According to Taye Diggs, Chocolate Me! is a book about “Self-esteem, self awareness and self-love.” 

Here are some highlights from the interview:

* Taye on his struggles as a child to understand race and how he fit in:

“There was that bout , my bout with my struggle at that time as a 5 year old, just understanding the nature of race as far as white people and black people are concerned or black people and black people are concerned. Right about that time when I was 5, after that conversation I had with my mother, that kind of sustained me because things remained fairly simple until, it was around 5^th grade, because we moved a bunch of different places. And then later, we moved back into another suburb where the neighborhood was very diverse, but my grade was not. It was an interesting kind of contradiction, where the suburb we moved to was when I was first introduced to upper-middle class black people, but I was the only black person in my class. So there were still issues. I remember there was one black girl and me and whenever people would pair off, they would immediately just assume that we would partner. They weren’t very liberal with their thinking, the teacher included. When I got into high school I started to hear, just from the black community, “oh everybody is more attracted to the light skin girls and the light skin dudes and the light eyes.” And from within the race the light skin black people and more lighter brown people would make fun of the darker people. So then it was a completely different kind of struggle. And then funnily enough it was when dark skinned men, and this was just from my perspective, there seemed to be a shift where all of a sudden we saw Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, Tyson Beckford. For me personally, when I saw Tyson Beckford kind of haled as this beautiful man by all people, that caused a shift in my being. And I remember literally waking up and walking the streets feeling a little bit more proud.”

* Taye on why he wrote Chocolate Me!:

“The idea to write this book came far before I was a father. I knew that I wanted to be a father, but that had no influence on the actual writing of the book. The inspiration came straight from more of an experience of being a son… my mother’s son. That being said, once we got pregnant, my perspective completely transformed and though the words didn’t change, though the message didn’t change, how I felt about what I was writing changed and I just started to get really excited for the day that I could read my book to my son. That really became a moment that I was very much looking forward to. And every time I continue to read the book to my son, now he can say the words along with me. Words cant explain how it makes me feel. So it was more my intentions changed once we found out we were pregnant, but that didn’t have any affect on the words that were written.”

* Taye on how his book can help discuss all types of diversity:

Me and my wife, we discuss this and we’re still trying to figure some of this out just with Walker and what he should call himself and how he views himself. When I was growing up if you were half a shade darker than white, the white people would not accept you. You weren’t white. There were white people that didn’t necessarily look white and they had issues too. These days, thank god, people are a little bit more accepting and people’s views are broadening and it’s not as accepted to just choose one, how you might have been forced to in the past. I think it depends on the parents perspective and how they feel about those issues and how they kind of want to pass that down to their child. As proud as I am of my blackness, I think it’s important to show Walker that he should be just as proud of his Jewish mother and all of the culture that that includes as well. I’m sure at some point its going to come down to a choice that our children make and unfortunately where they go to school and the influence of their friends plays a large part in that decision. So to answer your question, going back to the book I think once again I think it goes back to the strength that we need to have as a family unit at home and to just provide as much of a positive perspective, including all of the races and cultures that your child possesses so that when it comes to that point  when he or she is  kind of forced to make a decision, the child either doesn’t and just says I’m including all of this, or depending on however he’s been guided, can make a choice. The older were getting, the more complicated it can get. But then again it doesn’t have to be.

This was a fantastic opportunity and I was really proud to be a part of this. Taye was incredibly gracious and really easy to talk to. I appreciated his open and honest responses to our questions and his willingness to really share a lot about his difficult experiences as a child. My favorite part of the interview was when he talked about how excited he was to read and share his book with his son. That left no doubt in my mind that Taye is a true Book Dad! I’ll have more next week about the Taye Diggs interview as well as a review of Chocolate Me!

In the meantime, check out the following links for more information on the book.

Website: www.ChocolateMeToo.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ChocolateMeToo

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChocolateMe

Taye’s Twitter: @TayeDiggs

Taye’s FB: www.facebook.com/TayeDiggs

MrsP.com announced today the names of the two Grand Prize winners in its third annual “Be a Famous Writer” contest, a nationwide creative-writing competition for children held every September.

Sara Smale

Sarah Smale, age 8, from Washington State, won top honors in the 4-to-8 year-old category for The Treasure Decision, an adventure story featuring a mysterious treasure, pirates and an unusual bookstore.  Emma Stowe, age 12, from Alabama, won in the 9-13 age group for Thinking Cap, a compelling and amusing detective story, set in a grade school, following the search for a lost gerbil.

“Every year I look forward to sitting by the fire with a cup of tea and reading what the kids have written.  I was thrilled that the number of stories submitted continues to grow every year, and the quality remains so high,” said TV star Kathy Kinney, who portrays Mrs. P and is one of the creators of the website.  “I feel very good about this generation of kids and the great jobs their parents and teachers are doing educating them.”

The Grand Prize winners will have their stories produced as videos featuring Mrs. P, which will be presented on her popular, free critically-acclaimed website.  Original artwork by award-winning Portland, Oregon-based illustrator Robin E. Kaplan will help bring the stories to life. The videos will be posted on the website (www.MrsP.com) beginning in March.  Each winner will also receive an actual bound copy of the story and illustrations.

Emma Stowe

MrsP.com announced that it will also produce two Honorable Mention stories from the contest as videos: Sally’s Poor Brain, written by 8-year-old Andrea E. Langholff from Wisconsin, because of its witty lesson about a brain that literally walks away in search of intellectual stimulation; and Eugene Fitz and the Impish Sly Mischievous Garden Gnome, by 13-year-old Jared Spry of Arizona, for its funny and clever depiction of a boy who suspects the family garden gnome has committed a crime.

The winners for this year’s contest were selected by a panel of celebrity judges: Bonny Becker, best-selling author of the Mouse and Bear picture books; David L. Ulin, literary editor of the Los Angeles Times; and Renèe Watson, author of the acclaimed novel A Place Where Hurricanes Happen; and Mrs. P herself.

MrsP.com was launched in 2008 to encourage a love of reading. The website is the recipient of the American Library Association’s “Great Website for Kids.”

793 million adults worldwide lack basic reading and writing skills. This World Read Aloud Day, the globe will connect like never before. Let us together read and share to advocate for the power of words and stories.

Be sure to register at litworld.org and check out our Activity Page where you can download our WRAD badge, flyers, worksheets, recommendations, certificates, and more to help spark your World Read Aloud Day preparations and celebrations!

Upcoming events:
* LitWorld Presents: WRADvocate Ambassadors - Read about the people who will publicize WRAD locally in their area, and act as liaisons for citizens in the community. Detailed profiles will be posted on the World Read Aloud Day blog as we count down toward March 7.

* LitWorld’s Live Orange Broadcast Series: “The Raw Power of Words: The Art of Spoken Word in the Classroom.” January 17, 7:00PM EST: In what will be a fantastic episode to kick-off this year’s Live Orange Series and the countdown to WRAD 2012, Pam Allyn will host two acclaimed guests: internationally renowned spoken word performance artist and HBO Def Poetry Jam veteran Kelly Tsai; and New York City’s Youth Poet Laureate of 2012, Ishmael Islam. More information on our special guests can be found on the Facebook page, where you can also RSVP for the event. See you then!

* Books of Wonder in New York City!: We are excited to announce that Books of Wonder will host LitWorld’s signature World Read Aloud Day event. Stay tuned for the official schedule with details about our special guest authors and exciting workshops all day long.

* Join a LitWorld Video Chat: If you would like to take part in a video chat on World Read Aloud Day as a LitWorld classroom or special guest reader, please sign up at litworld.org.

Let’s rally for Global Literacy, together.
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[Twitter Hashtag: #readaloud]

Join the WRAD Facebook event.

A Dad’s Point of View by Bruce Sallan

Review by James Rohl

About the author:

About the book (adapted from Amazon.com):

With A Dad’s Point-of-View, you’ll get the man’s perspective on issues such as: being the best parent, man, and husband you can be; dealing with a second marriage, blending family traditions, and raising strong families; surviving the teenage years; and being a single and SAHD (Stay-at-home-dad). The author offers advice, insight, and a reality check on family-related subjects as well as the bigger issues of life, morals, and faith.

My take on the book:

A Dad’s Point Of View is collection of columns by Bruce Sallan written over a number of years and compiled into a book. Bruce is a National columnists who has written from the Dad’s Point of View for a number of years now. He has been a Stay At Home Dad long before the trend caught national notice and has been a strong voice for fathers on the radio, in print, and on twitter where you can follow him and his weekly DadChat twitter parties. He has two teenage boys and lives with his family in Southern California.

The book is broken up into sections like Marriage, Holidays, Faith and Religion, Family Life, and Big Ideas and each of the pieces in those sections tie in with the chapter title. That makes this book great to pick up and read at any point without worrying about continuity or context.

I enjoyed reading the pieces on parenting and marriage more than those on Religion and Big Ideas but I think that says more about me then it does about the writing. As a columnist Sallan is paid to have a strong opinion and to clearly communicate that opinion in a way that people can resonate or respond to. There a number of times when I do not share that columnist point of view but I do enjoy reading his thoughts and helping me articulate my own.

All of that serving as an introduction can finally lead me to share with you some of the changes here at Book Dads and how you can be involved, if you so choose…

1.)  Making Book Dads more of a community

Remember Ning? Ning was a platform used to create a community-driven website centered around a particular theme or issue. Ning used to be free, but is no longer. I wanted to do the same thing with Book Dads so I am using BuddyPress (basically as they call it: Social networking in a box. Everything you need to run your own self-hosted, WordPress-driven social network). BuddyPress is built to bring people together. It works well to enable people with similar interests to connect and communicate.

2.) Who can join?

The simple answer is anybody can join. But who might want too? That’s the better question. I’m hoping dads will join and might consider reviewing a book from time to time, especially if it’s one they really enjoyed sharing with their kids and think others might enjoy it as well. By signing up and requesting to be a reviewer, I can give them the ability to post their review right here on Book Dads. I will also be posting review requests so any member dad can choose to review that book. I’m hoping this will result in more reviews on the site and will make Book Dads an even greater resource for parents and others.

I’m hoping moms will also get involved and while they won’t be given the ability (at least right now) to write up a full review, they can certainly recommend books and interact with other members on the site.

I’m also hoping teachers, librarians, literacy non-profits, authors, book app developers, etc… will think about getting involved and becoming a member. For example, teachers can share ideas with other teachers about books they’ve enjoyed using in the classroom. Authors can post news about their latest children’s book they think is perfect for dads. The potential for a great community and resource is within anyone’s grasp because all members can get involved with the Book Dads community in their own way.

3.) How does it work?

* You can register on the Book Dads home page (look for the sign-up/log-in bar on the right sidebar) or visit this link.

* After you register, please make a profile and start connecting with other members. Join a group. Start a discussion in the forum. Have ideas or requests? Feel free to friend me and we can start talking about it.

If you have questions, please let me know. I’m still going to review books myself as well as editing reviews for publication by other users on the site. I’m looking forward to seeing where these new developments can take us.

Thanks for your time,

Chris Singer, Editor / BookDads.com

Kitt Pirate: Snaggletooth’s Treasure by Ben Oliver and illustrated Juan Garcia

Review by Chris Singer

About the author:

Ben Oliver is making up stories almost every day of the week. Thinking up exciting adventures and daring heroes, there is nothing more fulfilling for him than to put these stories into written words for others to read.

“Kitt Pirate” is a character that has been rattling around his brain for some time until he thought the story was ready to be released for others to enjoy.

About the book:

X marks the spot! Everyone knows that, but where’s the island to go with it? Kitt Pirate knows that his crew of salty seadogs expects him to find the fabled gold from the treasure map. He is the youngest buccaneer captain sailing the Caribbean and he has more wits than any grown man, but Caverock Island? Well, that’s a bit of a problem. The treasure beckons. Weeks tick by without a sign. Then an uncharted speck appears on the horizon. Land!

My take on the book:

Even as I approach the ripe age of forty, I still like to read a good pirate adventure! Kitt Pirate isn’t your average pirate. In fact, he isn’t like any other pirate I’ve come across before. Kitt doesn’t pillage or plunder ships on the high seas. While indeed, he and his crew are on the search for a hidden treasure, they mean to share it with those less fortunate than themselves. Reminds me of one of my favorite stories growing up (Robin Hood)!

Parents will definitely approve of this I imagine as well as knowing that the villains in the story aren’t other pirates, but several species of a rather gigantic size and stature (I don’t want to spoil the story for you!).

The story is action-packed and well-paced. Readers will enjoy how Kitt Pirate and his crew have to work as a team to solve several problems in their search for Snaggletooth’s Treasure. Kitt Pirate is written for middle readers but I think it makes an excellent read aloud as well for younger children. All in all, a good read for both kids and their parents.

Soccer World: Mexico (Explore the World Through Soccer) by Ethan Zohn & David Rosenburg

Review by Chris Singer

About the authors:

Ethan Zohn is a professional soccer player, a philanthropist, and a lecturer. He was the season winner on Survivor: Africa. He is a cofounder of the African AIDS/HIV project Grassroot Soccer, and he has hosted the environmental travel series Earthtripping. He lives in New York City.

David Rosenberg is an award-winning television and book author. He has written for the shows Rocket Power, Rugrats, and The Wild Thornberrys, and he has developed animated children’s programming for Walt Disney and Klasky Csupo. He was a contributor to the anthology Male and Female Under 18. He lives in Toluca Lake, California.

About the book:

Following professional soccer player Ethan Zohn on another global adventure, this entertaining and educational handbook explores the cultures and customs of Mexico. From a walking tour of Mexico City and visits to the ruins of the country’s ancient civilizations to a once-in-a-lifetime butterfly migration sanctuary and colorful Lucha Libre wrestling, this investigation explores the real Mexico, avoiding the commonplace tourist traps and border towns. Activities presented in each chapter include learning Spanish, science and math projects based on Mayan cultures, creative writing and art exercises inspired by Mexican folk art and celebrations, and even simple traditional recipes. Staying true to its series, this installation provides the opportunity to research a charitable project in Mexico and make a difference in this wonderful country.

My take on the book:

If you’re a parent of a young soccer player, Ethan Zohn and David Rosenberg’s Soccer World: Mexico is an excellent way to get him or her interested in reading and learning about Mexican culture.

In this book, the reader follows Ethan and his friend Gabriel in Mexico City through an exploration of Mexico’s culture and history. Throughout the book, there are also various projects: a recipe for avocado salsa, beeswax candles, composting, making your own currency system, and a water filter, as well as the opportunity to learn new Spanish vocabulary.

The book closes with a section called “Make A Difference.” Here, readers are encouraged to find a project in their community to give back too. Ethan even encourages readers to e-mail with news about their project.

Families will enjoy working together on the activities in this book. If parents and their young reader enjoy this book, there’s also several other books in the series: Soccer World South Africa and Soccer World Spain. Soccer World Mexico and Soccer World Spain are also available in Spanish.

I Can Draw People and I Can Draw Animals (Available from Usborne Books)

Review by Chris Singer

About Usborne Playtime:

Usborne Playtime is an exciting series of learning activity books, bursting with original, yet simple things for young children to do.

Other books in the series include: I Can Cut and Stick and I Can Crayon.

About the books:

I Can Draw People and I Can Draw Animals have very clear step-by-step picture instructions which show exactly what to do. Precise drawing is not required, so even young children will be able to achieve some delightful results using just crayons and felt-tip pens.

My take on the books:

I love Usborne Books and I couldn’t resist picking up these while at a book sale/fundraiser at my daughter’s school several weeks ago.

If you have a young child with any interest in drawing or who is constantly asking you to draw things (I can raise my hand for both of these), these books are just the kind of thing which can help you and your children out.

My daughter loves to draw and actually has blown us away with her ability as she can already draw circles for heads, complete with eyes and smiley faces and she’s not even three yet. She also is always asking me to draw animals and people.

Since I’m artistically inept, these books are perfect for me as well. The directions are easy to follow and you may be just as surprised as me when your finished drawing actually looks close to the one in the picture.

iPad Kids App Review by Renny Fong

Ladybird Classic Me Books by Penguin Books 

online link to Ladybird Classic Me Books Preview:
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/ladybird-classic-me-books/id453238220?mt=8

Me Books site: http://www.mebooks.co/

YouTube preview to the app:

With the holidays, we sometimes get a bit nostalgic, bringing back fond memories of our childhood.  If you enjoy vintage children’s books with classic illustrations (e.g., The Little Golden Books) and would like to share them with your child(ren), then you should definitely consider The Ladybird Classic Me Books app.  They are wonderfully narrated with British accents (as listening to The Three Little Pigs reminded me of the narrator from the Thomas the Train TV Series), and you are given to option of customizing stories with your own voice and sound effects.

Buying the app (99 cents) gives you access to one book, The Zoo, which is part of the Ladybird Learning to Read Book series.  This book introduces children to the lion, tiger, monkey, elephant, giraffe, camel, brown bear, polar bear, kangaroo, sea lion, penguin, hippopotamus, and panda.  The book is beautifully illustrated and will be enjoyed by young readers.  My son enjoyed the animal sound effects and eventually recorded some of his own.

What makes these books interactive is that each of the pages contains editable “hotspots.”  You activate the hotspots by touching the circle on the upper right hand side of the page.  When you touch the hotspots with text, the text is read aloud, and when you touch the illustration hotspots, you hear dialogue or sound effects.  Another great feature is that you could erase the default hotspots (double tap and swipe), create your own hotspots (draw and create), and then record yourself (hold down to record).  So, if you want your child to hear your narrated version of the story or read it together with added sound effects, then you could record away.  Children can also record themselves reading the text.  You always have the option of going back to the original recording.

Additional books cost $2.99 each.  I caught them on sale one day for 99 cents, so I bought a couple of extra books.  Currently, there are ten classics available:  Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Gingerbread Man, The Three Little Pigs, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Ugly Duckling, The Little Red Hen, Chicken Little, and Dinosaurs.  Spoiler Alert and Warning:  Because these books are from London, the story you may be used to might differ from what you are used to hearing.  For example, in this classic version of The Three Little Pigs, 2 out of the 3 pigs are eaten, so you might not want to share this with very young children.  Also, for The Gingerbread Man, this version doesn’t contain the rhyming pattern of “Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man,” but you could always create a hotspot and add on to the text.

Sometimes, you listen to a book recording, and you might be thinking, “I could read that story SO much better.”  Well, now you can.  Or, perhaps your child might want to show off their narrating skills, but doesn’t want the pressure of a live audience as they’re reading out loud or making sound effects.  With this app, your children could record themselves privately and demonstrate to you later how well they can read and how creative they can be.

Enjoy!

Renny Fong has been an educator for over 15 years, teaching pre-kindergarten through fifth grade; he currently teaches technology.  His wife and his five-year-old son are his biggest joy and inspiration.  He started his blog, TimeOutDad, in September 2009 and has been a contributor to Book Dads since 2010 KidZui’s blog since May 2011, and recently became a contributor to Prime Parents Club.