National Book Lovers Day

August 9 is National Book Lovers Day. I think we should extend that and make it at least Book Lovers Week, or maybe have August be Book Lovers Month! What do you think?

There definitely should be time set aside for children to read if they can, or be read to if they are too young to read, each day. It's so important for children to develop that love of reading when they are young.

Take time to read some books today,
a restful break from work and play.
Books are great for learning and fun,
so be a book lover and grab a good one!

International Children's Book Day

Did you know that April 2 is International Children's Book Day? I just learned that myself. It has been celebrated for over 40 years on the birth date of Hans Christian Andersen to encourage the love of books and reading in children. There are so many wonderful children's books published around the world, and this is a great day to share a variety of books with the children in your life!

My husband, Tom, helped me make a short video of us sharing an excerpt from Animal Sound Mix-up, which we do for readings at preschools, children's museum, for our grandchildren, etc. I posted it on Facebook, and it was much enjoyed. Perhaps you'd like to join in the fun too. It was suggested that Tom might find a job doing his animal sounds. What do you think?

(See an excerpt from Animal Sound Mix-up and illustrations on my Children's website.)

Children's Book Recommendations

Do you have young children, grandchildren or other young children that you want to find quality books to give? I though it might be helpful to you to have some recommendations. It helps me in finding good books for my three young grandsons. It's so important to develop a love for books and reading at an early age. My first grader is well above average on his reading and has always loved books. The kindergartner is coming along great with his learning to read and is fascinated by books. The three year old has trouble keeping his attention on a book unless it's very short and exciting. Need to work more on that one!

Here is a list of books on Amazon that I highly recommend. I've also mentioned some others on this blog, One Pelican at a Time, Signs of Trouble, NO MORE GUNK! and OUCH, SUNBURN! Of course, I can't fail to mention my own Animal Sound Mix-up!

Do you know of any books for young children you'd like to recommend? Please feel free to share them!

Meet Me in St. Louis

Recently I went to St. Louis for a gathering of Guardian Angel Publishing authors and illustrators and enjoyed meeting others and the special events. We participated in events at the St. Louis Children's Illustrated Art Museum and Border's bookstore. It was a great experience meeting fellow authors and illustrators and sharing my new book, Animal Sound Mix-up. I especially enjoyed reading to the children, seeing their reactions and letting them share their thoughts. You can see the Guardian Angel 2010 Arch Angel Award and more pictures on my Children's Books and Poems site.

After leaving St. Louis, we traveled on to visit our daughter and family. It's always such a special time together with family, and the three little grandsons aged 6, 5 and 3 make for an exciting visit! Isn't it a joy to see young children enjoying books and learning?