Review: One Wolf Howls by Scotti Cohn

If one wolf howls in the January moonlight, what do two wolves do, or three or four? Young readers will find out in this delightful, informative picture book written by children's author Scotti Cohn and illustrated by Susan Detwiler.

Using rhyming text that children will love, Cohn takes readers on a one-year journey - from month to month - into the world of the wolf. We learn what wolves do in the cold winter months, what they eat, and where they sleep. Children will want to howl right along with the wolves as the story is read aloud, and they'll learn important facts about wolves without even realizing it!

Beautifully detailed, realistic illustrations by Susan Detwiler bring the text to life, making it fun for children to count the wolves among the seasonal backgrounds and foregrounds that show wolves in natural settings.

As with all books published by Sylvan Dell Publishers, the book includes a "For Creative Minds" educational section with activities and fun facts. Additional teaching activities including coloring pages, before and after reading questions, and interactive quizzes are available at the publisher's website.

One Wolf HOWLS is perfect for the home or school library. Children will want to read the book over and over again. Teachers and parents will love the many interesting and challenging ways the book can be used to teach a variety of math and science content.

Title: One Wolf HOWLS
Author: Scotti Cohn
Illustrator: Susan Detwiler
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing (February 10, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1934359920
ISBN-13: 978-1934359921

For more children's book reviews, find out about the National Writing for Children Center at http://www.writingforkidssignup.com and sign up for the weekly newsletter filled with articles, tips, and other information about the world of children's publishing.

Suzanne Lieurance is a fulltime freelance writer, children's author, and the Working Writer's Coach. She is also the founder and director of the National Writing for Children Center and host of Book Bites for Kids, a talk show about children's books that airs LIVE every weekday afternoon at 2:00 CDT on blogtalkradio.com

Guess How Much I Love You By Sam Mcbratney And Illustrated By Anita Jera - A Review

by Karen D. Haney

One of the most treasured childhood stories that has meant so much to so many children around the world is Sam McBratney's GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU? And interestingly, it also means so much to adults as some of us may remember the book from our own childhood. It is a perfect book to read at bedtime, even to very young children. If your child also happens to like bunnies, as most children do, then they will love this even more. The illustrations by Anita Jeram are lovely and look like gentle watercolor paintings.

The story itself is very touching as Little Nutbrown Hare tries to express to Big Nutbrown Hare how much he loves him. But every time Little Nutbrown Hare states an example, Big Nutbrown Hare can top it. In a way, it almost becomes competitive but it is such a gentle tale that I can't imagine any little one taking it that way. It is the kind of heartwarming bedtime story your child will want to hear over and over again. If you are able to get the special issue with the animated story time DVD that is included, your child will enjoy that as well.

However, do remember that nothing can replace a parent reading a good, loving story like this one to their child, especially at bedtime! When Big Nutbrown Hare says at the end "I love you right up to the moon and back", that's time for the goodnight kiss and a peaceful night for your little one!

Karen D. Haney, Author/Developer of BOOKIN' WITH BINGO (http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com), reviews books and interviews authors for her book blog. Reading and writing are her passion.

Review: I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont

by Lori Calabrese

A dab of blue here, a splash of red there, a goopy smear of green . . . everywhere.

Hopefully this book doesn't inspire any of your young readers to emulate the main character, but it will inspire creativity and laughter. Beaumont has rewritten the familiar song, "Oh It Ain't Gonna Rain No More," and turned it into a rebellious, colorful romp. When Mama catches her son "paintin' pictures on the floor/ and the ceiling/ and the walls/ and the curtains/ and the door," she sticks him in the tub and declares, "Ya ain't a-gonna paint no more!"

But a bath can't keep this spirited child down. After being told not to paint the walls, he rescues his hidden paint supplies and discovers something even better to paint--himself. "So I take some red/ and I paint my--head!" Subsequent rhymes move from one body part to the next as he adds gobs of color to different areas. The use of color, shapes, images, and rhyme scheme make this one fun book. There are so many ways to get young readers to interact with this book. Since the last word of each verse comes on the following page, readers can complete the rhyme with each page turn. You can also have them guess which body part is next to be globbed with paint! Kids will roar when you reveal the ending as our masterful painter declares, "But I'm such a nut,/ gonna paint my-/ what?!" You might even get a chuckle, too!

Author: Karen Beaumont
Illustrator: David Catrow
Publisher: Harcourt, 2005
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
ISBN-10: 0152024883

Lori Calabrese is a freelance writer who specializes in parenting and children in both her personal and professional life. Lori's publishing credits include Boys' Life, Odyssey, Appleseeds, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., Stories for Children Magazine, and The Institute of Children's Literature's Rx for Writers. Lori is a graduate of The Institute of Children's Literature and a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. To learn more, please visit http://www.loricalabrese.com

From Boomers to Bloggers - Book Review

by Dan Keller

I just finished reading "From Boomer to Blogger: Success Strategies Across Generations" by Misti Burmeister. As the owner of a job board that caters to teens and college students, I am always looking for new books to read in this niche. I was very impressed with this offering as it covers the topic in a unique and refreshing way.

As the title suggests, this book is about dealing with different generations in the workforce setting. I have worked with many different types of people from a variety of different backgrounds and ages and there are some real differences in how they communicate.

What I like about this book is that the author provides real solutions to help break down barriers and increase communication between more established workers and those that are just entering the workforce. This resource is written is a very easy to understand conversational style. When I picked up the book, I read it from cover to cover. Misti Burmeister is a great story teller and through her stories and real life examples she conveys important lessons and techniques. This book is inspirational and will help those that read it achieve better communication skills in the workplace. I learned a great deal from this book.

In closing, I would recommend this to all high school and college students as a great introduction to the world of work and how to effectively interact with co workers and managers. I would also recommend this to seasoned corporate managers as there are great strategies and insight into dealing with the new generation of workers.

Dan Keller is the CEO of the popular Teen Jobs site and also runs a site that focuses on blogging