If you are a fan of Camelot, check out Arthur of Albion

The ultimate book on King Arthur! Combining the best-known stories about Arthur and his court with fascinating research on who Arthur really was and where Camelot was built, and the relationships between the main characters in the legends, this magnificent edition has been designed and illustrated to the highest standards. This is a great gift for any age with it's classic storytelling and beautiful artwork. You can purchase hit in hardcover at Barefoot Books.

All possessed great magic, which some used to help the king, and others to hinder him, each according to her will.


National Parenting Publications Gold Award Winner

Is that a CAMEL Puppet?

YES! That is a camel puppet! Barefoot Books also has llama, zebra and dragon puppets.

My dad has always been a fanatic for anything from Ancient Egypt, and when I was 16, we were lucky enough to go to Egypt for a family vacation. But I really didn't know anything about Egyptian culture until I was actually there. I knew about the pyramids and everything, but I was really surprised by all the people who live in Cairo. Here's "We're Sailing Down the Nile", which is a great introduction to Egypt for kids ages 10 and under. And seriously, when do you ever see a camel puppet? And I can assure you from personal experience... they aren't the most comfortable to ride, they drool like crazy, but I'm usually the only person in the room who has ridden a camel.

There is so much in store on this incredible journey - enormous statues and temples, the legendary Sphinx, tombs and mummies, and of course the Great Pyramids. With seven exciting destinations, a god or goddess on each page, and informative notes at the end, you will be an Egypt expert in no time!

"Six smiling Egyptian children invite readers to accompany them on a sight-seeing jaunt down the Nile River" - Publishers Weekly

Climb aboard the river boat! We're sailing down the Nile. We'll visit Abu Simbel in just a little while.

"As in Off We Go to Mexico and her other travelogues for youngsters, Krebs keeps the rhyming couplets simple and concise as she introduces a sampling of attractions... The artists presents a variety of settings, from farmers toiling along the shores to Cairo's colorful skyline, and reinforces the role of the Nile as central to Egyptian life, past and present." - Publishers Weekly

For the vegetarian in your life...

I'm a meat-eater. This isn't going to change. But I have friend named Melinda Jane who eats what I call "Rabbit Food". Whenever I see this book, I always think of her. This is Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon available in paperback for $7.99. You can even wrap it as a gift with Herb wrapping paper for $4.99.

All the dragons in the forest of Nogard like nothing better than raiding Castle Dark and carrying off princesses to eat - all the dragons, that is, except one. Herb is at his happiest tending his vegetable patch, for Herb is a vegetarian. So it is unfortunate that he is the one captured by the castle's knights in armor. Treacherous Meathook and his dragon cronies will only help Herb if he agrees to eat meat - will he give in to their blackmail? Jules Bass's lighthearted story combines with Debbie Harter's jaunty illustrations to make this a hilarious picture book that also offers young readers plenty of food for thought.



As this was happening, Herb was cooking a new soup made of butter, leeks, onions and potatoes. "Mmmm," he smiled, licking his lips. "Very tasty. I must give it a new name - 'Herb's Famous Lakewater Veggie Slurp'."




"Can frightened citizens, unrepentant carnivores and a peaceful herbivore find a way to coexist? Jules Bass, author of Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon, is the weaver of this whimsical tale of learning to live together in harmony. Accompanied by vibrant and often hilarious illustrations, Herb's story amuses readers while encouraging tolerance for personal choice." - Delicious! Magazine

"Lush with growing plants and green grass, the artwork is filled with details that readers will pore over." - School Library Journal




"The book's case for vegetarianism and understanding of differences is further enhanced when accompanied by the author's Cooking With Herb: A Cookbook for Kids.... Amusing illustrations characterize both works; the recipes and safety tips in the cookbook will help kids enjoy cooking while learning good kitchen habits." - NAPRA Review

"A magical read for all new readers, young and old; Herb's story tells the tale of the future." - Sir Paul McCartney

Awards Won: IRA-CBS Children's Choice, 2000Parents' Choice Award, Approved Winner, 2000

Everyone seems to love Leonardo DaVinci...

... but it's rare to see him illustrated in children's books. This is from The Genius of Leonardo, which can really be appreciated by both children and adults. It was awarded as the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Book of the Year, Recommended Winner in 2000.

Bimba Landmann's richly colored iconographic illustrations both illuminate this stunning life of Leonardo and create an air of mystery around this far-reaching genius. At once instructive and entertaining, the story is told by ten-year-old Giacomo, who comes to respect, love, and learn from Leonardo, his wise and eccentric master. The many facets of this towering genius of Renaissance Italy are explored in a book that will inspire everyone to search for their own greatness within.



"With innovative illustration complementing the fascinating story, this truly beautiful book is appealing to all age groups." - National Gallery, London




"Thought-provoking and utterly fascinating, The Genius of Leonardo is also a stunningly beautiful book. Giacomo, da Vinci's young assistant, tells of his time with the artist, subtly drawing attention to the extent to which he was startlingly ahead of his time." - Guardian



Leonardo smiled, and he explained that a person's life is just a moment in infinity. During that moment, no one can do and know all that they would like.





The book is available for $16.99 at this site. You can also get unframed prints from the book for $14.99, as well as notecards for $12.99.

They wrote a children's book about that?

I'm quickly learning that authors are writing about some serious issues in children's literature. I have a young toddler, who still isn't asking questions yet. With my brother in the U.S. Army, I'm realizing that explaining why Uncle Eric isn't around much is going to get more complicated as she gets older. He recently returned from Barain and will likely be going back again soon. It is interesting to see how war and political turmoil are represented in children's books, since these issues affect young people too. Here are a couple of examples that I came across recently. These aren't Barefoot Books, but it is interesting to see what is out there in children's publishing.:

For Ages 4-8: The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter

In April 2003, the invasion of Iraq reaches Basra, a port city. Alia Muhammad Baker, the chief librarian of Basra's Central Library is worried the books will be destroyed. When she requests permission to move the books to a place where they will be safe, the governor denies her request. Frantic, Alia does want she can to save the books. Every night Alia secretly takes home as many of the library's books as she can fit in her car. When bombs hit the city, buildings are damaged and fires start. When everyone else abandons the library, Alia seeks help from friends and neighbors of the library to save the library's books. With the help of Anis Muhammad, who owns the restaurant next to the library, his brothers, and others, thousands of books are carried to the seven-foot wall that separates the library and the restaurant, passed over the wall and hidden in the restaurant. Although shortly thereafter, the library is destroyed by fire, 30,000 of the Basra Central Library's books have been saved by the heroic efforts of the librarian of Basra and her helpers.

For Ages 7-11: September Roses by Jeanette Winter

On September 11, 2001, two sisters from South Africa are flying to New York City with 2,400 roses to be displayed at a flower show. As their plane approaches the airport, a cloud of black smoke billows over the Manhattan skyline. When they land, they learn of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. All flights are canceled; the sisters cannot go home, and they are stranded with boxes and boxes of roses.In the days that followed September 11, Jeanette Winter was drawn to Union Square and saw, among the hundreds of memorial offerings, twin towers made of roses. In the pages of this small and vibrant book, she tells a moving story.

For Ages 9-12 and Young Adults: The Breadwinner and Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis

The Breadwinner brings to life an issue that has recently exploded in the international media — the reality of life under the Taliban. Young Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan. Because he has a foreign education, her father is arrested by the Taliban, the religious group that controls the country. Since women cannot appear in public unless covered head to toe, or go to school, or work outside the home, the family becomes increasingly desperate until Parvana conceives a plan. She cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy to earn money for her family. Parvana’s determination to survive is the force that drives this novel set against the backdrop of an intolerable situation brought about by war and religious fanaticism. Deborah Ellis spent several months talking with women and girls in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan and Russia. This suspenseful, timely novel is the result of those encounters. Royalties from the sale of The Breadwinner will go toward educating Afghan girls in Pakistani refugee camps. “...a potent portrait of life in contemporary Afghanistan, showing that powerful heroines can survive even in the most oppressive ... conditions.” — Booklist

In Parvana’s Journey, the sequal to Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis , the Taliban still control Afghanistan, but Kabul is in ruins. Parvana’s father has just died, and her mother, sister, and brother could be anywhere in the country. Parvana knows she must find them. Despite her youth, Parvana sets out alone, masquerading as a boy. She soon meets other children who are victims of war — an infant boy in a bombed-out village, a nine-year-old girl who thinks she has magic powers over landmines, and a boy with one leg. The children travel together, forging a kind of family out of sheer need. The strength of their bond makes it possible to survive the most desperate conditions. Royalties from this book will go toward an education fund for Afghan girls in Pakistani refugee camps.

The Boy Who Grew Flowers...

Rink's grandmother was raised by wolves, his Uncle Dud tames rattlesnakes, and Rink grows beautiful flowers all over his body when the moon is full. Townspeople just don't understand the Bowagons. But one day a new girl named Angelica arrives at Rink's school, and he soon discovers she has some unique qualities too. Using humor and metaphor to promote acceptance, this touching story shows us that what makes us different makes us beautiful.

The Boy Who Grew Flowers, written by Jen Wojtowicz and illustrated by Steve Adams, was a Book of the Year Award Finalist in 2005 by ForeWord Magazine.

Here are a few sneak peaks of the beautiful illustrations in the book:

The Bowagons were the only folks who lived on Lonesome Mountain. The townspeople argued as to whether it was because they were such strange folk that they lived there, or whether it was because they lived there that they were such strange folk.





You can purchase The Boy Who Grew Flowers here.

Learn more about Barefoot Books....

And purchase Barefoot Books here.

Why I Do What I Do...

A lot of people wonder why anyone would get a degree in Anthropology like I did. Let alone try to make a living at it. Well, this is Matt. He's a regular 31-year old guy... the same age as me. I remember sitting at home during my maternity leave and he showed up on the Today show. He somehow managed to take the most simple idea and made it a way of bringing people together all around the world, and proved we are not so different from each other after all. This is the new 2008 version of his video, which I highly recommend you view in HD here. YouTube doesn't give it justice.

This is why I believe in multiculturalism, and why I want to raise my daughter is world that understands that we have more in common than we have differences. The song in the video is Praan by Garry Schyman (sung by Palbasha Siddique), available as a 99 cent DRM-free MP3. It was adapted from Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore's poem Stream of Life:

"The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers. It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow. I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life. And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment."

Even the outtakes are amazing....

If you are a museum freak like me...

... you are always looking for a new and exciting museum to explore, regardless of where it is in the country or the world.

I've recently come across a museum while online located Amherst, Massachusetts that has me ready to hop in my car and head north. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has developed a collection of artwork that really should receive more recognition than it usually does. If you've heard Eric Carle's name before it's probably because of his classic (and a Sadiebug favorite) The Very Hungry Caterpillar, first published in 1969. Since then he has published over 40 children's books that are currently in pring. The 40,000 square foot museum opened in 2002 and includes a library, art studio, exhibition space and an auditorium. The museum is very family friendly and definitely a great place to stop while on vacation in the Northeast.

The museum has highlighted artists such as the Spiderwick Chronicle's Tony DiTerlizzi (seen below) as well as family favorites Dr. Seuss, Mo Willems of Knuffle Bunny fame, and illustrator Dorothy Kunhardt who illustrated Pat the Bunny in 1940:

And you can also purchase exhibition catalogs and posters, as well as a multitude of other books, classroom supplies, and gifts. This is a great site to explore with their virtual tour and information for professional illustrators as well as visitors who just appreciate children's book art.

A fantastic story about adoption...

I don't know about you, but I know several people in my life who either adopted a child, were adopted or are thinking about adoption. This book called Motherbridge of Love tells the story of having two mothers, each special in her own way. You can watch and hear the whole poetic story narrated by Amy Tan by clicking here.

Here's what Time Magazine had to say about this book: "Got a girlfriend who just adopted a kid? You're going to want to get them this book, although the illustration is so gorgeous, you could give it to anyone. The text was submitted anonymously to the charity Mother Bridge of Love, which seeks to connect kids adopted from China with their homeland...it does explain quite lyrically how two mothers can each have a part in making one whole child"—Time Magazine.

The magazine also listed it as #3 of their list of Top 10 Books for Children for 2007.

You can also feel great about purchasing this book because the royalties from the sale of this Barefoot book will be donated to Mother Bridge of Love, a charity that reaches out to Chinese children all over the world in order to develop a connection between China and the West, and between adoptive culture and birth culture.



To purchase click here.

Welcome to my new blog...

Many of you are followers of my daughter's blog, "This, That and the Other Thing" by Sadie Angelica. It started out as a way for friends and family to watch Sadie grow and understand her view of the world from Day 1. She's had commentary on everything from taking her first steps, to the agonizing experience of teething, and most emphatically, her disgust of peas.

Since then, I've decided to branch out to discussing the many toys, products, and most importantly, books that I come across in my day to day life. Like any parent, I really look at these products and their long term effects on how my daughter thinks about herself and her world.

As an anthropologist and a former employee at the National Museum of the American Indian, I'm very aware of cultural and gender stereotypes in children's literature. I finally found books that agree with my line of thinking when I found Barefoot Books. Now I've become one of their stallholders, which means everytime you purchase a book from Barefoot Books, Sadie's college fund gets bigger.

In this blog, I plan to not only look at Barefoot Books a little closer, but also review some of Sadie's favorite products and funny stuff I come across by just being a parent. I hope to update often, so check back!