Chronicles of Narnia CD Magic

"Look sharp!" shouted Edmund. "all catch hands and keep together. This is magic - I can tell by the feeling. Quick!" ...

"Next moment the luggage, the seat, the platform, and the station had completely vanished. The four children, holding hands and panting, found themselves standing in a woody place."

       - excerpt from Prince Caspian, The Chronicles of Narnia

On a recent drive to Stone Zoo we felt ourselves pulled into the world of Narnian magic almost as forcefully and Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.

The Focus on the Family Radio Theatre actors and sound effects crew did a masterful job of creating Narnia in your imagination. You feel the excitement of the children at being back in Narnia. You smell the salt water as they wade out to catch a drifting boat. And you taste the apples that eat for lunch, supper, and breakfast when they first return.

The Chronicles of Narnia Focus on the Family Radio Theatre Series is so well done that we almost didn't want to leave our van and tour the zoo. Almost.

This was not the first time we listened to the series. The Narnia CD series is one of our a favorite road trip activities! We listened to all of the CDs as we drove to Arkansas and Washington, DC. I'm sure we'll listen again on future vacations!

If you have any road trips planned this summer I highly recommend you add to your CD collection with this series! The magic of Narnia makes time fly as miles of countryside whiz by outside your car window.


Which Narnia book is your favorite?


Special thanks goes to Carrie from Reading to Know for hosting the Chronicles of Narnia Reading Challenge every July!

You give me a reason (as if I needed one) to indulge in the wonder of Narnia every year.

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A Winning Olympics Children's Book

Olympics Kid's Book

My children are finally big enough to understand and enjoy the Olympic Games so we are a tad Olympics-crazy at our house, as you'll see from posts over the next few weeks.

As with all our family activities, I first searched for an Olympics children's book to read with my children and learn about the Games.

Truth be told, I emailed Sleeping Bear Press and begged politely requested to review any Olympics related books they've published.

A week later G is for Gold Medal: An Olympic Alphabet arrived at my door. And boy, are we glad it did!!

G is for Gold Medal is formatted in classic Sleeping Bear Press alphabet book style: all of the letters are represented in rhyming couplet, each page has a side bar with further information related to the poem, while the illustrations contain bright colors and active scenes.

"U" is one of my favorite pages. The text says,

"U is for an underdog,
so unbelievably bold,
and an unexpected upset
to win Olympic gold."

The sidebar tells the miracle story of 1980 when a group of college-aged amateurs went up against the Soviet team, who had beaten National Hockey League all-stars the year before. Amazingly the American underdogs won the gold medal!

One of the things I love about the Olympics is that you never know what will happen! You never know which athlete's story of hard work and perseverance will shine as bright as the the gold medal he or she wins. 

G is for Gold Medal does an outstanding job of highlighting those personal stories and teaching kids (and parents, too!) Olympic history.

Another of my favorite pages is "L." The poem states,

"A long run starts letter L, 

then a launch, a leap, a landing.

A little gymnast with a large heart.

A gold medal! Outstanding!"

The sidebar tells of Mary Lou Retton who scored a perfect 10 in the 1984 Olympics. In 1984, a 9 year old little girl watched Mary Lou cartwheel her way into the history books. To me, that grow-up little girl, her name is synonymous with the Olympics!

So when I turned the page to "L" and saw Mary Lou on the balance beam wearing the quintessential American leotard I couldn't help smiling. And something deep in my heart longed to join my 5 year old daughter in the gym doing cartwheels and balance beam routines.

Ellie works with Coach Hanna (an Olympic gymnast!) at RISE gymnastics.

I'm sure we will read G is for Gold Medal several times between now and the Olympic closing ceremonies in August. I HIGHLY recommend you read the book also!

What is your favorite Olympic event? Did you dream of going to the Olympics as an athlete?

Disclosure: Thanks to Sleeping Bear Press for providing a copy of G is for Gold Medal for my review! All opinions regarding the book are my own and were not influenced by receiving a review copy.

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What is America's Most Beloved Ballpark?

Pop Quiz time!

1. What is America's Most Beloved Ballpark?
2. Where do you go to see the 'Green Monster'?
3. Which major league baseball park boasts of 713+ consecutive sellout games?

Know the answer?

Fenway Park, of course! Home of the Red Soxs! The oldest major league baseball park still in use today.

If you are a Red Sox fan you need to buy a copy of F is for Fenway!! Yes, NEED.

F is for Fenway is an alphabet book for kids, grown-ups, and baseball lovers everywhere. Each letter of the alphabet begins a short rhyme about a special Fenway feature.

Also included on each page is a sidebar with additional facts related to the rhyme and colorful, engaging illustrations.

Here's one of my favorite pages:

Just above this image the text says,

G is for Green Monster

The Monster challenges right-handed hitters,

and gives the pitching staff the jitters.

You never know where the ball may fall

when you are up against the wall.

We received this book several weeks ago and my oldest son (9 yrs) POURED over it. He read all of the side bar facts. He studied the pictures. He basically memorized the book.

And then last Thursday, Will and my husband went to Fenway Park.

Will with the Green Monster. ***

Does that look familiar?!

I LOVE it when books come to life. LOVE. IT.

My husband said Will peppered him with Fenway Facts all night. Like spotting the red seat in a sea of green seats where Ted Williams hit the longest home run in Fenway history. Or how they got off the Green Line at Kenmore Square, just like in the book.



If you have a Red Sox fan in your life, F is for Fenway would make a great birthday, Christmas, anniversary, Father's Day, or 'just because' present. I HIGHLY recommend you pick one up today!


Are you a Red Sox fan? Have you visited Fenway Park?


*** You can see more pictures of Will and Joel at Fenway on my Stephanie Kay (Stephanie's Mommy Brain) Facebook page.


Disclosure: I received a free copy of F is for Fenway to aid my review. The opinions and statements are all mine.


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NYC's Museum Mile with Chet the Architect

Chet McGraw is a fictional architect who takes children on a journey down New York City's Museum Mile. Featured in two books, Chet the Architect teaches about the diverse architecture of the 9 museums and the simple shapes kids can use to draw pictures of the museums.

Chet the Architect: How to Draw by Kathryn Koller teaches children to draw the outside of each of the 9 museums on NYC's Museum Mile. By using color photographs of the museum and line drawings children learn about simple shapes and how to combine those shapes to draw their own version of the each museum.

I love that my kids can learn simple architecture terms while having fun drawing on the pages provided in this book.

Chet the Architect: Museum Mile Pocket Edition is an accordion style book that provides a few facts about each museum along with a drawing of the building. Among the facts listed are architect, date built, architecture style, and the museum's purpose.


I can see families using these books in a variety of ways:

• to prepare for a visit to NYC's Museum Mile.
• to learn how to combine simple shapes to create complex drawings.
• to introduce architecture styles to children.

I like both books and heartily recommend them. The publisher, Butterfly Artistic Media, recommends Chet the Architect books for ages 4 and up, but (as the mom of 3, 5, 7, 9 yr olds) I recommend these books for ages 7 and up. I'm just not sure that children under 7 would be interested in the architecture aspect of these books.


Have you visited any of the New York Museums listed in these books?


Disclosure: A copy of each book was provided to me in order to facilitate my review. The opinions stated are completely mine.

Hugs & Kisses, God {Giveaway}

Hugs & Kisses, God by Allia Zobel Nolan is a cute lift-the-flap picture book published by Zonderkids.

When the email came asking if I wanted to review Hugs & Kisses, God I thought it looked like a good book to read during the Valentine season when we're talking are reading about love. Turns out, I was right.

The book is a quick read and the flaps are very simple for little hands to open. Odd numbered pages fold over, creating one large flap that you lift to reveal different ways children can express their love to God.

The author uses rhyming text to teach children various ways they can express their love to God, as well as ways God expresses his love to us through creation. The book is intended for young children, maybe ages 2-5.

I like that Hugs & Kisses, God teaches children that they can talk to God about anything and everything and to find him throughout their day.

For example, on one page we read:

"Daddy walks me to my day school. On the way, we get a thrill. 'Hugs and kisses, God,' I whisper, 'for those daisies on the hill." 

What a sweet way to remind us that God created the daises and that we should enjoy them.

I read this book aloud with my children and their response was favorable. I think my too big guys are too old but my girlie (5 yrs.) liked the verses and illustrations. My 3 year old son liked lifting the flaps.

Here's the best part! Zonderkids has kindly offered an additional copy to give to one Stephanie's Mommy Brain reader!

To enter leave a comment on this blog post. Be sure to include your email address so I can notify you when you win. For additional entries subscribe to Stephanie's Mommy Brain and like my Facebook page. Entries must be received by February 15, 2012.


Disclaimer: All book title links are affiliate links. I appreciate your support for Stephanie's Mommy Brain.

Valentine's Day Children's Books

Valentine's Day is just around the corner so I picked up a few Valentine themed books from our library. We've enjoyed reading them aloud and I recommend you read them, too!


Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz is basically the old Charlie Brown Valentine's Day video in book form.

Charlie Brown is confident that this will be the year he receives a Valentine's Day card. As the story goes along his confidence wans and eventually he realizes no one sent him a Valentine. Poor Charlie Brown!

I really like the way that old Charlie Brown movies are also made into books. The entire movie is included so you don't miss your favorite parts. Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown is laid out like a comic strip so it's visually attractive to young readers.

I loved introducing my kids to Charlie Brown and his friends. Hopefully I'll find this book at a used book sale this year.

The Valentine Box

The Valentine Box by Maud Hart Lovelace is a sweet story about a little girl, Janice, who is new in town. She dreads her class Valentine's Day party because she's afraid no one gave her any valentines. I won't spoil the story but I will say the ending is happy and cheerful.

This is the first book I've read by Maud Hart Lovelace. When I opened the book to read it I recognized her name as the author of Betsy-Tacy, which I've seen mentioned on other blogs but have never read.

So, I know almost nothing about Maud Hart Lovelace. I don't know if this is a typical story for her or different from her norm.

The thing I find most interesting about this book is the illustrations. While the storyline is your typical new girl story, the illustrations show Janice as an African American child in a class of all Caucasians. The words of the story in no way address the difference. The black and white illustrations make the difference very subtle and I doubt my children even noticed.

The Valentine Box was published in 1966 during a racially turbulent time for our country. I wonder if the illustrator, Ingrid Fetz, was trying to make a point through her drawings or if the story as a whole was intended to make a statement. If you know the history behind this book, I'd love for you to share in the comments.

Cranberry Valentine

Cranberry Valentine by Wende and Harry Devlin is a cute story about a confirmed bachelor, Mr. Whiskers, who begins receiving unsigned valentines. Being a confirmed bachelor he is very concerned that someone has set her cap to catch Mr. Whiskers!

I'll not give away who has sent the valentines but in the end Mr. Whiskers is relieved to learn that he was never in any matrimonial danger.

You may recall we read Cranberry Thanksgiving last fall. Cranberry Valentine is part of the same series and centers around the same three characters. Like the other book, a cranberry cake recipe is included at the end of the story.

I'll definitely keep my eye open for the Cranberryport series when I visit a used book sale! And recommend you do the same!



What books have your been reading? Any good Valentine's Day books?


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L.M. Montgomery Challenge 2012 Wrap-Up

January has flown by! And now it's time to wrap-up the L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge at Reading to Know.

I'm sure you, and my friend Carrie, are all glad that I'm finished reading Montgomery books.

The Montgomery Books I Read

I accomplished most of my goals for the Montgomery Reading Challenge.

I read and reviewed: Mistress Pat, Magic for Marigold, and The Story Girl. But I didn't get to the illustrated Anne book that I wanted to read with my kids. I'll put it back on the shelf and pull it out again next January.

I also wanted to watch Anne of Green Gables with my children. We did that as a Family Night and you can read about it on my new blog, Everyday Family Living.

What I Learned

I learned a few things about myself by reading these three books.

1. I learned that I do not enjoy long flowery descriptions. I'm not sure if this is the result of social media or if it's just my personality to want an author to get to the point. 


2. I am a grown up. Duh, right? What I mean is that Montgomery writes from the imaginative carefree perspectives of children. Adults in her books though not the enemy are seen as overbearing, too practical, and only concerned about their responsibilities. By her descriptions I am an adult. Which is probably why I find it difficult to enter into her imaginative worlds. 


3. I'd rather read my friend Carrie's reviews of Montgomery's books than the actual books. Reading Carrie's posts makes me want to read the books. They make me want to like Montgomery's books because Carrie enjoys them. She see so much delight and fun in them that I just don't see.


4. One Montgomery book a month is about my limit. I think part of my difficulty this year is that I read 3 Montgomery books in the span of 3 weeks. It was too much for me. I'm going to have to remember that next year.

I'm glad I participated in the L.M. Montgomery Challenge and I'll do so again next year if Carrie hosts it. But I'm also glad it's over.

Are you are "grown up" or do you enter into the magic of Montgomery's books!

Snow Children's Books

SNOW!

We finally had our first measurable snowfall last weekend! It couldn't have been more perfect - started Friday, continued through Saturday, and cleared off for sledding on Sunday.

Unfortunately warm temperatures and rain melted away our 8+ inches of snow on Monday. But that's OK. We had fun sledding and now we're having fun reading aloud books about snow.

Our Snow Book Read Alouds

Perfect Snow by Barbara Reid is about 2 boys who have to go to school on a snowy day. They are a little distracted during class just waiting for recess to play in the snow.

When finally released, one boy builds a fort while the other boy builds snowmen. During the second recess the boys join forces to build a fort made of snowmen.

The illustrations really make this book! A note in the book says "the color illustrations were made with Plasticine that is shaped and pressed onto illustration board. The drawings were done with ink and watercolor paint."

According to Wikipedia, Plasticine is a non-drying clay often used in clay animation. Hmm.. interesting.

The author of Perfect Snow did a great job of using Plasticine to give her illustrations a 3D feel. They make the book visually interesting and fun to read.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Snow Company by Marc Harshman is another fun book. A blizzard descends on a farming community and Teddy's family takes in 3 stranded neighbors for the night. 

Losing electricity just adds to Teddy's enjoyment of the evening as he listens to his retired neighbors tell stories of past snow storms. The end of the evening turns into a fun sleepover as Teddy's mom makes sleeping pallets for the neighbors close to their wood burning stove.

I love the simplicity of this story. Neighbors helping neighbors in a time of need. Older generations sharing oral history with younger generations. Snow Company is a sweet book to help children understand the value of community.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

White Snow Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt is a classic snow children's book.  We follow the postman, the farmer, and the policeman as a snow storm arrives in a small town and blankets everything white. Children happily build snow forts and have a snowball fight while our poor policeman ends up in bed with a cold.

First published in 1947 the story and illustrations have a mid-1900s feel to them. My copies (yes, I inadvertently bought 2 at a used book sale) were first published by Scholastic in 1988 so they are thin paperbacks.

I love reading classic books with my children. There's just something about the simple wording and illustrations that has stood the test of time.


In honor of our first Snow Day I am giving away one of my copies of White Snow Bright Snow. 

To enter, leave a comment with your email address on this post before February 2, 6 PM Eastern. I will randomly select a winner and notify her by email.   Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to #6 Reading to Know!

For additional entries subscribe to Stephanie's Mommy Brain and like the Stephanie's Mommy Brain Facebook page. Be sure to leave separate comments for each entry.

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The Story Girl by L.M. Montgomery

The Story Girl by L.M. Montgomery is about a group of children, all cousins, who are growing up together. One of the girls is called "The Story Girl" because of her knack for entertaining the other children with stories. The book follows the children through their adventures and many of "The Story Girl's," well.., stories.

Good grief! How many times can I write "The Story Girl" in one paragraph?!

This is the latest book I read for The L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge at Reading to Know. After reading 2 other books for the challenge this month I've concluded that reading multiple Montgomery books back-to-back is not a good idea for me.

I know my friend, Carrie, loves Montgomery and I've honestly tried to love her, too. But The Story Girl nearly did me in. Honestly, I only made it half way through. I just couldn't finish. For me, that's huge! I always finish books and movies, no matter how bad they are.

Unfortunately, 3 books with flowery descriptions that go on-and-on were just too much for me. I guess I'm too practical, kinda like Marilla in Anne of Green Gables.

I'm not a huge fan of The Story Girl but I'll turn it over to my daughter one day. Though I WILL be sure to read along and discuss it with her because the theology in this book is a little warped. I don't want my daughter to be confused by the misinformed ideas that Montgomery presents.

Poor theology aside, if you enjoy Montgomery then you'll enjoy The Story Girl.

It's probably good that this is the last Montgomery book I read. Given this review and the ones I wrote of Mistress Pat and Magic for Marigold, I'm not sure Carrie would be friends with me after another less-than-favorable review.

Tell me, are you a Montgomery fan?

L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge 2012

Every January my friend Carrie hosts a L.M. Montgomery reading challenge at Reading to Know. Her goal is to influence everyone to read books by or related to L.M. Montgomery all month (that's my interpretation of her goals).

Not sure who L.M. Montgomery is? Think Anne of Green Gables. Ah.. now you know her!

Pretty much anything goes for the challenge, except the final 2 Anne movies. Carrie believes they are heresy so link to those at your own risk!

A quick search through my archives revealed that this is my 4th year to participate in the L.M. Montgomery Challenge. Here are some posts from my archives:

The Little Drummer Boy Book and DVD

The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats is the classic Christmas lyrics in book form. It tells the sweet story of a poor boy who has nothing tangible to give the infant king.

Instead he gives the only thing he has - the gift of playing a song on his drum.

Who can resist this story?! Especially children who love to "pa-rum-pum-pum-pum." I dare you not to sing the song as you read it!

The Little Drummer Boy version illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats is my favorite. The pictures are full of texture and draw the reader into the story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you know there is a classic The Little Drummer Boy movie? 

I didn't know about the movie until last Christmas when we bought a set of classic Christmas TV movies. My children watched it a couple of weeks ago and it's cute. 

The story line is a little different from the classic song. The boy is forced to become a drummer and is not happy with his profession until he plays for the Newborn King. 

I wouldn't buy the movie on it's own but as a part of a bundle, it's worth having.

Do you own any copies of The Little Drummer Boy?

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas Book and DVD

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!"

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss is one of my all time favorite Christmas children's books!!!

Our family reads the Grinch so often during December that we can all quote almost the entire book.

We love the book so much we even carried it on the airplane to read as we flew to Texas earlier this month. I'm not sure our fellow passengers appreciated our read aloud but we certainly had fun.

Why do we enjoy How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Well, it's fun to read the book with emphasis and change our voices. It's also a wonderful story of redemption. The Grinch's heart grows "3 sizes" as he learns Christmas isn't about all the trimmings and packages.

We also enjoy watching the movie. NOT the Jim Carrey version. {shudder.shudder.} We like the original animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas movie. I think the Carrey version adds grown-up and potty humor that doesn't have a place in this wonderful story.

If How the Grinch Stole Christmas! book and DVD aren't in your Christmas collection I highly recommend you add them today!

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Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart

I smiled today as I listened to my children sing Christmas songs while cleaning their rooms. Nothing is sweeter than hearing my 8 year old sing "Joy to the World" at the top of his lungs.

It's important to me that my children know the old Christmas carols. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to hear traditional Christmas songs. Even Christian radio stations and churches today choose contemporary arrangements instead of the traditional ones.

Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart by Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada helps me teach my children traditional Christmas music.

Christmas Carols includes 12 different songs in the book and on the enclosed CD. Each chapter contains a brief narrative describing the related scripture verses and the history of the song. The authors also wrote out all of the words to the song so we can sing them correctly with the CD.

I truly love this book and accompanying CD! I highly recommend you add it to your Christmas children's book collection (you should also buy the other books in the series!).

Have you taught your children traditional Christmas carols?

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The Best Christmas Carol DVD Version :: The Muppet Christmas Carol

One of our favorite family Christmas traditions is to read aloud A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It's a small book and quick to read but the best part comes AFTER we've finished the book.

That's when we watch The Muppet Christmas Carol.

I LOVE this movie. The Muppets add a touch of humor to the story. (Light the lamp, not the rat!) They also keep the ghosts from getting too scary so my kids aren't afraid when watching the video.

I always enjoy Michael Caine's acting. His version of Scrooge makes you dislike him while also feeling sorry for him. You see just how much of life Scrooge has missed out on in his pursuit of wealth.

The Muppet Christmas Carol is my favorite version of Dickens' classic Christmas story. I highly recommend every family own a copy of the DVD and watch it each December!!

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Lift the Flap Nativity Board Book

It seems like most Christmas children's books are targeted at school-aged children. Toddlers and preschoolers need good Christmas books, too! They're out there; just harder to find.

One of our favorite toddler or preschooler Christmas picture book is Lift the Flap Nativity board book (our other favorite is a board book version of Gingerbread Baby).

The author uses simple but engaging words to tell the story of the birth of Jesus. She includes the angel's visit to Mary, the crowded inn, staying in a barn, the shepherds and the wise men.

Samuel, my 3 year old, enjoys lifting each flap to see what's underneath. Even though he's read this book a million times (slight exaggeration) he HAS to lift every flap. Since this is a board book I don't worry about Sam damaging any of the flaps, so he's free to look at the book anytime he wants.

I'm always looking for more good Christmas children's books. Do you have any recommendations for toddler or preschooler books?

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The Visit of the Wise Men

The traditional American celebration of Christmas includes a variety of characters and themes from Santa to sugar cookies to the three Wise Men. I try to include as much of that variety in our Christmas activities and books as possible.

One of my favorite Christmas children's books is The Visit of the Wise Men by Martha Jander. Jander tells the story of the Wise Men with beautiful rhyming text but it's the illustrations that I love about this book.

Each picture is rich in color and detail. The furnishings, clothing and people have a middle eastern feel to them. That seems appropriate since Jesus was born in ancient Israel - not America.

I appreciate that The Visit of the Wise Men helps my children visualize a culture very different from our own.

The Visit of the Wise Men is a great book to add to your Christmas children's book collection!

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One Wintry Night

"The first Christmas happened almost 2,000 years ago," she began...But the story doesn't begin there. I couldn't have because the angel called Jesus a 'savior,' or a rescuer. Someone must have been in trouble.

To find out about it, we have to jump into a time machine and go back before Mary and Joseph were born..." - One Wintry Night

One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham takes the Jesse Tree concept and puts in children's book form. 

I love One Wintry Night because it sets the birth of Jesus in the context of the entire biblical story. As you read the book, you learn that God had been working down through time, all leading up to the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

One Wintry Night is not a quick read. It is 70 pages long and divided into 11 chapters. The illustrations are magnificent and definitely capture a child's attention. I like to read this book over a several days. It's great to use with a Jesse Tree or even in place of a Jesse tree.

I highly recommend you purchase One Wintry Night to read with your children!

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The Best Gingerbread Man Children's Book

What is the best Gingerbread Boy children's book?

No doubt about it, Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett is the best!

Matti and his mom are baking gingerbread men when Matti peeks into the oven before the required 8 minutes are up. With the oven door open, out pops a gingerbread baby. (He's a baby because he didn't cook long enough to be a man.)

The sassy gingerbread baby then takes the entire neighborhood on a run through the town and into the woods.

Who will catch him?!

You won't read any spoilers here, but I will say this book goes perfectly with our graham cracker gingerbread HOUSE activity.

Jan Brett's illustrations are what makes this book terrific. In her usual style, the focal point of the page carries the storyline but around the main illustrations are windows into what's happening elsewhere in the story.

So even though the gingerbread baby is leading us on a chase all over the countryside we see hints at what Matti is doing back at the house to catch the gingerbread baby.

We love reading this book aloud. I always give the gingerbread baby a sassy voice. It's a fun book to read while you eat your graham cracker gingerbread house, fill in coloring pages, or complete another activity from Jan Brett's website.

What's YOUR favorite gingerbread man book?

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Why are candy canes striped?

Have you ever wondered why candy canes have stripes and are shaped like a shepherd's staff or the letter "J"? We wonder about things like that at my house which is why I included the answer in my Christmas activity plan.

According to The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg the "J" stands for Jesus. The shepherd's staff is because the shepherds were the first to find out about Jesus' birth. The stripes are because Jesus was beaten. The red and white colors are because "his blood washes away our sins, making us white and pure as snow."

I love how The Legend of the Candy Cane takes a simple item from Christmas and creates a special story around it. After reading this book my children will always think of Jesus and our faith when they see a candy cane.

I think that's a good thing.

I like to pair reading our Christmas children's books aloud with an activity. In this case I recommend two activities: The Legend of the Candy Cane Coloring Book and making candy cane reindeer ornaments.

The Legend of the Candy Cane Coloring Book is only 15 pages long. The drawings are simple for even a preschooler to color. It also includes a version of the legend. (This is NOT the same product line as the Walburg book.)

The directions for candy cane reindeer ornaments are quick and easy for kids 8 and up. You can include a copy of the legend with the reindeer for a small gift of present topper.

Did you know why candy canes have stripes? 

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Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember

If you can only buy one Thanksgiving book then Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember by Barbara Rainey is the one to get!

Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember shares the story of the Pilgrims and their first Thanksgiving feast. It also briefly tells how our current Thanksgiving holiday came to exist.

My favorite feature of A Time to Remember is that you can read the entire story or you can read the large print for a shorter version. This means if you have older children or teenagers you read the more detailed version but if you have little guys (like I do) you read the shorter, less-detailed version. It's like having 2 books in one!

With beautiful full-color photographs this is so much more than a coffee table book. It's a family tradition you'll enjoy reading every year.

Be sure to like Stephanie's Mommy Brain on Facebook where I'm sharing more Thanksgiving tips and links throughout November.  

 More Thanksgiving Kids Activities and Books Posts