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

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.

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.