Books Make Me Happy: My First Reading Log by Judy Pelakin
Ages 4-8
Workman Publishing Company (November 26, 2009)
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
The cover is a definite attention grabber with cover art and interior illustrations by little-known artists (Judy Pelikan embroidered drawings by real kids about their love of books - charming!). If any other parents have had this experience, recording the books your child reads seems to inspire a fire of reading more and more so the child can see the list grow. And, this book adds another dimension for kids and parents to start a dialogue about the best parts of the book and their critique (I had better watch my back - these kids may be after my job :). If you have an avid or reluctant reader in early elementary school, this book is useful and fun.

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The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Eastern and Central North America By Donald Kroodsma
A Cornell Lab of Ornithology Audio Field Guide A Guide to Listening By Donald Kroodsma
Chronicle Books - April, 2008
Ages: It’s for adults, but kids LOVE it
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
I received this book as a birthday gift and I can not pry it out of my kindergartner’s hands. Although we have dozens of guides to flora and fauna in our area, this is the first book that plays each bird’s song or songs and helps us really identify what’s flying, nesting and feeding nearby. At night, when we can hear the birds, but not see them, we could tell for sure we had a female Great Horned Owl on the prowl. This book goes with us everywhere we travel now in our quest to know with who-o-o-m we’re sharing our piece of the planet. I can’t wait to share it with my girl scout troop!

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How To Play The Games Of Yesterday by Scholastic
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Nonfiction (August 1, 2009)
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Forget about the kids! This book sent me catapulting back to my childhood when Freeze Tag and Capture the Flag defined your after-school playtime. I didn’t see my old favorite “Kick the Can” but now I think that one may have been created by that know-it-all John Cunningham who lived on my block (he’s most likely still trying to patent it now!). This book is a great gift to reignite the tried-and-true games of times past.

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Wildlife Gardening by Martyn Cox
30 Mar 2009 - Dorling Kindersley
Ages 6 - 9 years
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
There are some great projects and planting ideas to bring some beautiful insects and wildlife into your own backyard. There are simple plant guides as well as a visual guide to identify animal tracks. And, as always, DK uses gorgeous photography to illustrate the great earth-friendly ideas.

Book Description:
Great for kids who think green! Wildlife Garden is a fun and informative introduction to gardening and garden wildlife. It’s full of simple, step-by-step gardening activities that can be explored anywhere, from the city to the suburbs. It’s ideal for any family or school that wants to help our environment from the ground up. With the right plants and some dirt and some light, kids can create a habitat for bugs, birds, bees, butterflies, and even bats-and this exciting hands-on guidebook shows them how!

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What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe?: A Green Activity Book About Reuse by Anna Alter
Henry Holt and Co. - March 31, 2009
Age Range: 4 to 7
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
From donating toys to melting down crayons to make new ones, this book will inspire your little recycler to get creative with things around the house which can be recreated into something new. Just keep an eye on them before they go shopping for materials in your clothes closet!

Book Description:
What can Ruby do with her old red shoe? Use it as a planter for pansies! In this “green” craft book, children can appreciate that recycling is a part of everyday life, and with a little creativity, exciting projects are only a few steps away. Turn a worn flip-flop into an art stamp, a ripped shower curtain into an apron, and an old T-shirt into a pillow. These activities are just a few of the many crafts to be explored.

With easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, this interactive book will challenge kids to come up with clever recycling ideas of their own.
Visit www.OldRedShoe.com to download activity sheets, curriculum guides, classroom tips, and desktop wallpapers.

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1 2 3 I Can Collage by Irene Luxbacher
Grades: Pre-K to 2
Ages: 4 to 7
Cautions: None

Kids Can Press, 2009

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Budding Eric Carles will embrace this book where recycling is king and artistic creation is queen. The project ideas are original, creative and, well, a little messy and appeal to any kid. Collage and cut paper are very hot in the illustration world, so now is the time to get your little Picasso in training. Or, just have fun getting messy with paper.

This book in the Starting Art series provides an introduction to all the materials kids need to collage. They’ll learn collage techniques, such as cut-paper and torn-paper, decoupages, found objects, patterns and weaving. The seven dazzling sea-creature projects include a flying fish, an octopus and a starfish family. Budding artists will proudly say, “I can collage!”

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All New Crafts for Kwanzaa by Kathy Ross, Sharon Lane Holm (Illustrator)

Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group, 2006

Age Range: 4 to 8

Cautions: none

Description from publisher:

Provides instructions for how to create more than twenty-two crafts related to Kwanzaa including a woven mat no-fire Kwanzaa candles and beaded jewelry.

Kiwi Magazine Review

There are 22 fun and simple crafts which celebrate Kwanzaa.  The book relates each craft to the aspects of the holiday so kids can learn about the significance of the lighting of the Kwanzaa candles or the mkeka mat.

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