Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Darwin!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you — You belong in a Zoo! Happy Birthday Charlie!

Err…if it weren’t for you, we probably wouldn’t have zoos so kids could marvel at the wonders of the animal kingdom! Or kids who excitedly want to grow up  to be botanists, biologists, earth scientists or veterinarians!

If you haven’t guessed already, today is the 200th worldwide celebration of Charles Darwin’s birth! And if you are still clueless — he is the renowned English naturalist who traveled the seas; exploring, cataloguing, & documenting with notes and illustrations, new species of plants and animals. Many folks around the world study his work at some time in their academic life, especially if they take biology class in high school. Much of the details of his work on animal life in the Galapagos Islands; still stands as reputable facts today.

And we have just the book to introduce young children to his scientific facts. Sailing to Galapagos , written by Laurie Krebs with vibrant illustrations of exotic wildlife and the islands that are home to his most renowned studies, done by Grazia Restelli. See facts about the most famous resident of all – the Galapagos Tortoise; and other species in the endnotes at the back of the book. Use this book to introduce science to your young children, provide them with a few props and then watch them sail away to dream about all the exotic new animals and flora in their imagination. ‘Sailing to Galapagos’ on their own little homemade boat. And don’t forget to pack them a snack; they will certainly be hungry during all that exploring!

You can find Sailing to Galalpagos at the Barefoot Books/Talula’s Wagon link in the blogroll on the right. >>>

Enjoy science again with your little ones! Love, Talula.

Barefoot Book Reviews for “Listen, Listen” & ” One City, Two Brothers” (Cybil Award nomination!)

HOORAY! One City, Two Brothers NOMINATED FOR CYBIL AWARD! (CHILDRENS & YA BLOGGERS LITERARY AWARD) with 100 nominations. Finalists announced on Jan. 1st, 2008. Winners announced Feb. 14th, 2008.  Can I do a little “happy” dance, now? (edit 12/04/07)

Barefoot Book Reviews 2007: Received from BookList  (American Library Association’s magazine) Starred Review.

Listen, Listen – “Jay’s stylized pictures, with the texture of ancient frescos, are a window into a world in which the buzz of an insect and the whoosh of the wind lend surprising emotion. Illustrations filled with snowmen, anthropomorphized animals, and people running through a leaf-swept field will make children long to discover what is just over a hill or around the next bend. Capturing a summer idyll reading in a hammock with the same care as a warm evening by the fireplace, Jay invests each image with both joy and melancholy. This jewel of a book will draw children back again and again.” -Booklist, STARRED REVIEW.  

One City, Two Brothers - Framed by a story of King Solomon dealing with two squabbling brothers, this tale tells of two other, quite different brothers. they live in a two villages, sharing the land between them. For years, they have divided their harvest. One abundant year, the elder brother, who has a wife and children, worries that his unmarried brother needs to save for his old age. Secretly he brings extra grain to his brother’s storehouse.  Yet the next morning, the elder brother seems to have the same amount of grain as before. Meanwhile the younger brother, has been worrying too; his elder brother has a family to be fed.  He is also secretly bringing grain to his sibling, then finding  his own storehouse still full. The mystery is solved when the brothers meet on the hilltop, each with a donkey laden with grain. The blessed spot where they meet becomes Jerusalem. Based on a folktale told by both Jews and Arabs, this picture book beautifully captures the spirit of brotherhood and gives both readers and listeners hope for what could be if people thought more about one another than about themselves.  The verdant green, heavenly blue, and harvest oprange and yellow, does more than illustrate the story; it adds an air of peace and hope to which children will respond.” – Booklist, STARRED REVIEW.   

Both of these titles can be found on my website at  ( Talula’s Wagon ) by clicking to see the Barefoot Banner in Talula’s Shops.