Favorite Characters Return for Christmas!

Berenstain, Jan and Mike.
The Berenstain Bears' Old-fashioned Christmas.
September 2012.
Harper Collins Publishers.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

 The Berenstain Bears' return in this holiday tale which will provide both parents and children with much enjoyment.  Throughout the story, many activities are incorporated in the Bears' holiday celebration and suggested for readers and their families to try, as a way to bring old-fashioned ideas into today's modern world.  I loved the ideas suggested, many of are still done to this day by my family and will continue to be done in the future!  A new must-have family read this holiday season!

Drummond, Ree.
Charlie and the Christmas Kitty.
September 2012.
Harper Collins Publishers.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When a Christmas present turns out to be a new kitty at the ranch, poor Charlie is in for an awakening he never expected.  However, Charlie took the new kitty in stride and learned to find a way to like the kitty that arrived at the ranch for Christmas.  Children are likely to enjoy this new holiday title if they're into animals or are a fan of the new "Charlie" series by the "Pioneer Woman", Ree Drummond!

Litwin, Eric.
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas.
September 2012.
Harper Collins Publishers.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Although slightly different than the "Pete the Cat" fashion most children will be used to, children are sure to love this lastest Pete the Cat title by Eric Litwin!  When Santa becomes ill, Pete steps in to fill his shoes, determined to "give it his all," so as not to ruin the Christmas holiday.  Children are likely to pick up on the rhyming phrases and may even catch on to the tidbits of "T'was the Night Before Christmas" that are subtly infused into the story... overall, I'd say this one will be a big hit!

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 If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Desk to Easel Art Cart Winner

Congratulations to Lindsey, the winner of Guidecraft Educators' December Giveaway - the Desk to Easel Art Cart.

Lindsey, please contact me with you shipping address by Friday, December 21 so that I can pass this along and get the Desk to Easel Art Cart on it's way to you! 

And... if you weren't the winner this time around, the Desk to Easel Art Cart can still be purchased from the following websites,

Guidecraft.com or Amazon.com

 

 

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If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

The Christmas Quiet Book

Underwood, Deborah.
The Christmas Quiet Book.
October 2012.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Christmas and the entire holiday season can become an overwhelming time for little ones... especially if they're fully engaged in the hustle and bustle of the season.  However, there's always appropriate times to settle back and enjoy some "quiet" time!

The Christmas Quiet Book quietly and simply shares many types of quiet time that can be enjoyed throughout this busy time of year.

Snow angel quiet
Knocking with mittens quiet 
Cocoa quiet 
Nutcracker quiet

Pair this book with a new mug, some hot cocoa and take a few minutes to enjoy the "quiet" around you while sitting in front of the Christmas tree with the lights on or while watching "The Nutcracker."

Personalized Christmas Hot Cocoa Mugs for Kids

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If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

December Guidecraft Educators Review/Giveaway: Desk to Easel Art Cart

Each month, the Guidecraft Educators will share our honest feelings
about a Guidecraft product(s) and how these products would fare in an
early childhood classroom. This month's selection comes from Guidecraft's Art Equipment line - Desk to Easel Art Cart.

I was very excited to see the Desk to Easel Art Cart when I arrived home from work in early November!  My classroom art center needed some sprucing up and this seemed to do just the trick!

This versatile unit can be positioned as an upright, angled easel or a folded-down, flat workspace. Features easy-to-clean laminate surfaces, with a write-on/wipe-off surface and paper roll on one side and a chalkboard on the opposite side. Plenty of storage space including four fabric bins, paper cubbies, and a paint/glue bottle area allows young artists to stay organized while working. Includes an 18" x 100' paper roll, five paint cups, and side clips for displaying artwork. Adult assembly required. Each fabric bin measures 9"W x 9"D x 5"H. Ages 3+. 22.5"W x 26"D x 42"H with easel fully assembled. 24" flat desk height. 

While the assembled unit is very sturdy, I, personally, found the it very difficult and clumsy to put together.  At times it required three sets of hands to maneuver the pieces into the correct position.  I also found it necessary to "lock" the cart into the easel workspace, as I feared that the curious little fingers in my room would be too inquiring and get pinched.  However, the lock can easily be undone and will make for a great crafting table for other projects at different points throughout the year (it will make for an awesome beading table)!

However, none of these factors has limited the children's interest in the art cart - it quickly became the favorite area in the room (despite the fact that we have had an easel/painting area ALL year long, I can count on one hand the number of children that showed an interest until last week)!  We had to have a waiting list of children waiting to use the "new paint area" and could not help the children clear up their artwork fast enough for the next!  No one has had much of an interest yet in the chalkboard side of the art cart, but I'm sure that time is coming - the children love their chalkboard table in the house area and it's only a matter of time until they really discover that there's now a second chalkboard for their use! 

As you can see, we've moved added an extra set of portable tabletop easels to the table so that extra painters can be at work!

The storage bins on the bottom will come in handy for storing an assortment of paint-related supplies and materials that will help them be easily accessible to the children.  Overall, I think the art cart is a great piece of equipment, once you get past the minor frustration of putting it together!

So... what do other 'Guidecraft Educators' have to say about the Desk to Easel Art Cart???

Maureen at Simply Stacie
Andrea at MommyPR
Deborah at Teach Preschool
Carrie from Huppie Mama
Jody from Mommy Moment
Candace at Mamanista!
Lisa from Planet Weidknecht
Vanessa from Pre-K Pages

The Giveaway

Guidecraft is generously offering ONE lucky reader of the Guidecraft Educators a chance to win one of these Desk to Easel Art Carts!!! To enter, comment on this post, sharing one of your favorite paint-related projects to explore with preschool aged children!

You have until Wednesday, December 12 @ 11:59PM eastern time to enter.  Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you are the winner!

Or... if you just can't wait to win one and NEED them now, they can be purchased online at: 

Guidecraft.com or Amazon.com

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If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!