As a young boy of sixteen, he was able to get a job on television doing puppets (marionettes).  This was a precursor to his evolution of creating/making his own puppets which he and his partner, Jane Nebel,  from a puppetry class created something called Muppets (a name blending puppets and marionettes).  Jane Nebel eventually became his wife and Muppets have taken a hold in the hearts of children and their families ever since.  Today, there is a whole industry of toys, movies, puppets, novelty items, clothing lines bearing the likeness of Muppets and so on.  In fact, there is a website called Muppet Central.

What I find fascinating is the perception held by both Jim Henson and most people of the pre-televised program of Sesame Street era is that puppets were merely for children.  Puppetry has the ability to entertain, teach, inspire both children and adults.  It took a trip to Europe to develop a respect for puppetry beyond its ability to entertain children.  In Europe he met people who loved puppetry and used it in a wide field to create awareness, to open dialogue and debates and used it in public ceremonies.  He threw himself into his art and created a whole new industry just by using his skills and talents and combined those with other like minded people.

Jim Henson’s puppets had personality and they influenced generations of learning and fun through characters like Big Bird, Oscar the grouch, Bert and Ernie, the Count, Miss Piggy and of course, Kermit the Frog.  Interesting fact, Jim had a real life friend with the name of Kermit.    Public television was now being used in a way similar to teaching techniques in pre-school programs around the nation.   These puppets have become dear friends to generations that have grown up with Muppets as companions to their childhood…and Jim Henson & his co-workers are to be appreciated; this book helps us to do that.

The pictures in this book are fun and colorful.  It is an interesting read for both parent and child.  Written by Kathleen Krull and the paintings in the book were done by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher; the book was published by Random House and copyrighted in 2011. 

This desire to honor Jesus with a gift starts a whole chain reaction of gifts that Ronnie bestows on others simply by taking action.  I love the fact that Francis Chan has written a book illustrating the fact that God can use each of us to achieve powerful, and helpful things; no matter our age.  This is not a lesson that the world teaches our children.  The world says take all that you can get and whine for more, Christian teachings says give, bless others and communicate the love of God.

Francis Chan is a pastor and a speaker who is known nationally and internationally.  He lives what he preaches by serving those that God calls us to serve…those who are hurting, those who are poor and those who do have not learned of Jesus and his sacrifice.  By writing this book, Francis Chan has brought that message to the children of the world.  He has done that in a way that speaks to their hearts and their minds and encourages them to think of ways to serve others that they find in need.  This opens their eyes to those people with hurts and needs in their everyday life…people they know and the random people that God puts in their path.

This particular children’s book was illustrated by Jim Madsen.  His illustrated drawings are colorful and help to evoke a perfect emotional response to the words telling the story.   The colors are beautiful and the character’s body language and facial expressions add layers of meaning to the story of giving and receiving.  Combining the artistic visuals that Jim Madsen provides, along with the teaching that Francis Chan instills with the story of Ronnie Wilson’s Gift was a perfect pairing of talents.

Both children and their parents will enjoy this book.  The values that it encourages, the teaching of the foundational idea of us being the hands and feet of Jesus here on Earth and the realistic character of Ronnie is a good way to open dialogue between children and their caregivers about how best to serve the Lord in their daily life.

It is easy to recommend this book to my readers.  I think that this book would make a wonderful gift for those children in your life that you have the privilege of teaching and inspiring to acts of giving and helping others to understand the love of God.

I have to say that I won this particular book as one of 5 winners on a giveaway here:  Parent Life Online thanks to the publisher David C. Cook .   I was not obligated to give a review or to say that the book was great…EVEN though it IS great.  Thank you to Parent Life Online and to David C.  Cook for the opportunity to win this book and read a book that shines a light on such a wonderful book of faith building, for children and their families.

This book review of, Where Did My Good Mood Go is about an educational children’s picture book on emotion written by Ava Parnass and illustrated by Kate Kaminski.  The illustrations are colorful and uplifting.  This helpful as the subject matter is all about a child trying to find a positive mood. 

Ava writes for young children who are struggling with their emotions and their behaviors.  She has created a character in this story called Mushy.   Mushy is a magical book online who helps kids understand their feelings.   The illustration of Mushy is open and friendly.  The idea behind Mushy is to have a trusted friend who helps a child understand their emotions and behaviors and to adjust them accordingly by opening the door to processing why they are feeling the way they do.  Many times children feel alone…as if they are the only ones to ever feel the way that they do.  After reading this book, I think that they will come to see that emotions can come and go without getting stuck in a destructive mode.

I think this works well in this book, Where Did My Good Mood Go.  I believe the book will empower young children (and the adults who care for them) to see that they are the only ones in charge of how they handle challenges, as they come along.  Mushy explains that everyone has bad days now and then.  Mushy also encourages communication between adult and child to help foster supportive words and actions.  I think young families will find this book helpful and enjoyable at the same time.

Ava has been a family psychotherapist for over 15 years.  She believes strongly in helping to develop healthy relationships through communication between parents and children.  Her books and her music are all about building up the healthy foundation of a child.   If you are interested in learning more about Ava and her books & products you should visit her website:  www.ListenToMePlease.com  Make sure to tell her that you learned about her through Book In Review.  I do need to tell you that I received a review copy; but that in no way guaranteed a positive review of her books or products.   I hope you enjoy getting to know more about Ava and her company…and that the children in your life are the recipients of her efforts to bring healthy and happy into their everyday experiences. 

It is a total pleasure to do a book review of this children’s book, Listen To Me Please, because it is a book that you can read with your child and reap the benefits of a deeper personal relationship with your child.  Ava Parnass co-wrote the book with Dr. Ron Taffel.  Kate Kaminski was in charge of the illustrations and the book production process.  The end result is a book filled with colorful graphics, heartwarming visuals and parenting tips that will help the reader to navigate many of the pitfalls that parents and children fall into when challenges arise.

Open ended conversation starters allow valuable communication to help both parent and child to understand each other’s words and actions better, which can only help to improve the relationship on both ends.  Starting out by focusing on the positive aspects of any given situation helps keeps the conversation proactive when it comes to problem solving.

I like the fact that the book gives the child permission to have a voice.  Too often children are told to be quiet, sit down, and keep out of the way by the adults in their life.  It is easy for a child to become overwhelmed when they do not feel valued or heard when they are upset, angry, or anxious about the things affecting them daily.  A child that feels heard and validated emotionally is a child that is more open to instruction and guidance. That alone should help to eliminate many of the negative behaviors that parents often feel powerless to stop or control.

Listen To Me Please would be great as a baby shower gift, a birthday gift, or just as a way to encourage parents and children to grow and learn together.  You can learn more about Listen To Me Please and the authors and discover where to purchase the book by going to their website here: www.ListenToMePlease.com .

As you can imagine that does not sit well with young Koi as he feels that the “wise man” of the village cheated him of his equal share.  He tells the village that they do not kn0w how to properly treat the son of a Chief.  He takes as many of the Kola nuts as he can carry and he leaves on a journey to find his place in the world.

Those Kola nuts are used to help people and in the end they save young Koi’s life.  I do have to warn you that the story refers often to Koi being cooked and eaten  by his enemies.  If you have a young sensitive reader or listener…then this book may not be for you.  If however you can reassure the young listeners that Koi will be fine then the book teaches a great lesson about sharing your blessings with people in your life.

This book was published by Rabbit Ears Books  in 1995.  The book was illustrated by Reynold Ruffins.  The book was written by Brian Gleeson.

In explaining these issues, in this way, she takes some of the fear of such procedures out of them; making it easy for an adult reading this story to their child to explain what may happen to them (if they are a pediatric cancer patient).  There isn’t an emotional script in the book about how a child should feel…this leaves the job of exploring the child’s emotional reactions to any given treatment or procedure open to discussion between the reader and the patient.  That is as it should be because it is hard to write the reality of treatments in a meaningful way without trivializing it or overwhelming a child with a pre-conceived idea of how it will feel.

Jenevieve Fisher herself was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 22.  She believes in helping to educate children honestly and has worked in radiology as an oncology therapist.  Her background of working in the medical field, as well as her own personal cancer diagnosis and treatment, has helped her to write and market a series of books designed to support and educate children who are going through a health crisis.  It is designed to empower a child to understand what is happening and how their treatment will impact them.

Fear is a powerful emotion and having some knowledge about what is happening inside their own bodies and in their surroundings during treatment can go a long way to help encourage a child who might otherwise feel completely powerless in their situation.

I’m a Kid Living With Cancer is beautifully illustrated throughout the book, as well as on the book cover.  The artist who illustrated the book is Casey Huie.  The pictures are bright, colorful and communicate hope and joy.  Casey was born with a dislocated hip and because of that she endured many hospital stays and surgeries.   She too understands how children with cancer feel when they are in and out of the hospital and doctors offices.  Together with Jenevieve the author, they have created this book to help children and their families have some kind of idea of what to expect.

You can find out more about this book and others in the series by clicking here.   This is an independent publishing company but the quality of this book is outstanding.  It is a book you will be proud to own and share with others.

Another thing I absolutely love about this book, is that the writer and illustrator dedicate a portion of the sale of each book to pediatric cancer research.  I like the statements that they make on their site about what they do and why they do it.  Not only that; but, they also work with a great non profit organization, by the name of Friends Like Us, that I have been volunteering for by sewing bags for the chemo bears that they give to children with cancer.  These are great people with heart for children with cancer and their families.  Please support their efforts by purchasing I’m A Kid Living With Cancer and by visiting both sites.  Who knows…you just might feel moved to donate time, awareness or money for their good works.

For an interested reader in history this book was very informative.  It talks about Eleanor’s family, her education, her life in the White House and her political and humanitarian works.  Eleanor lived a very full life.  She and FDR made a huge impact on the United States and we still are affected today by many of the changes that they were instrumental in setting into motion during their lives.

If you are interested in learning more about this book continue reading here: http://www.abdopublishing.com .

Abbie’s mother becomes ill and her father must leave the lighthouse to get help.  A storm is on the way and it is up to Abbie to keep the lights lit in the towers.  The storm takes on a horrific power and the family must climb to a higher level than the lower living space due to the storm washing upon the rock where the lighthouse was built.

It is exhausting and a tremendous responsibility to keep the lights burning and bright.  Abbie battles the storm and her own exhaustion performing the duties that her father normally was in charge of.  This book was wonderfully written and illustrated.   The pictures are rich in color and convey the urgency of the storm in the story.   The author is Marcia Vaughan and the illustrator is Bill Farnsworth.

As she processes the knowledge, she begins to be confused about who she really is and whether she is a good person or a good person who is infected with bad genes who will turn into a bad person because of the blood that runs through her veins.  This is the old story about the importance of what creates who we are to become as an individual; is environment or genetics more important.  She risks alienating her parents affects because of her behavior and her self esteem.

Verbena doesn’t know who she is but she thinks she knows who she will turn out to be.  She forges a new friendship with a summer resident and that helps her to figure out what is really important in life; but will she figure it out in time?

Sarah Weeks is the author of As Simple As It Seems and she does a great job of writing believable characters.  Before you know it you are swept up in the story that is Verbena’s life.  This book was published in 2010 and was published by Harper Collins.  You can view their site here:  http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com

Ms. Barton was a highly effective individual when it came to influencing people in positions of power…the very rich as well as those higher up in the government.  Equally influential with the poor and those who were injured or displaced because of war or natural disasters, Ms. Barton knew how to prepare and dispense supplies that helped people to survive and overcome whatever hardships that they were facing.  It was the very establishment of America’s first endeavor of organized humanitarian aid.

In a time when women were regulated to very defined roles in society either in the home or in very limited careers such as teachers; Clara Barton opened doors to women fulfilling their purpose in societies in ways that were previously closed to them.

Clara was either revered and respected or resented and resisted by most everyone she came into contact with.  Those who supported her efforts stood by her side and tried to aid the areas of impact that she felt called to contribute to.  Those who resented or resisted her goals often times were successful temporarily at standing in her way.  Clara suffered physically because of her dedication to her calling.  She had to restore her health for lengthy periods of time so that she could again, gain the strength to put her heart and soul into establishing guidelines for providing ethical and medical standards regarding those who fought in wars.

Compassion combined with a diligent effort to organizing and streamlining aid to those in need was what was needed.  She also helped to find and organize information regarding the loss of lives due to war; which was a great comfort to those family members who lost loved ones in war and had no idea of their burial places.

Clara Barton is a woman who has earned her place in history and is one whom both men and women can admire and pattern their own behavior after.   She was called the “Angel of the Battlefied” because of those who had gratitude in their hearts for her nursing skills.

This book was written by Susan E. Hamen and was published by ABDO Publishing Company in 2010.  It was printed on recycled paper and was nicely put together with wonderful pictures that go a long way towards keeping the interest of the reader.    If you are interested in the book or in more information about Clara Barton you can visit their website here:  http://www.abdopublishing.com