Talking about children's books and films. Useful information for parents.
19 Feb 2013 1 Comment
in Books, books 6+, books 7+ Tags: American history, animals, autobiography, farming, history, hunting, nature, pioneer life, seasons
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
HarperCollins, 1932
238 pp. – 13 chapters
Age: 6 + (read to); 7+ (independent reading)
Interests: history, pioneer life, farming, autobiography, seasons, nature
Also by this author: continuing in the series – Farmer Boy, Little House on the Prairie, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake
Next: Caddie Woodlawn, Sarah Plain and Tall; and picture books – Abraham Lincoln, Ox-Cart Man
30 Jan 2013 3 Comments
in Books, books 3+ Tags: animals, bad behavior, bears, crime, mystery, rabbits
by Jon Klassen
Candlewick Press, 2011
33 pp.
Age: 3+
Interests: animals, mystery, crime and punishment, bears and rabbits
Also by this author: This is Not My Hat
30 Jan 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 2+ Tags: animals, dealing with change, family, separation
text by Audrey Penn
illustrations by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak
Tanglewood Press, 1993
30 pp.
Age: 2+
Interests: animals, family, raccoons, school, dealing with change, separation
29 Jan 2013 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 3+ Tags: adventure, animals, Canada, cats, dogs, nature, pets, wilderness survival
Released: 1963
Rated: G
Length: 80 min
Age: 3+
Scary Factor: various dangerous situations for animals are rather tamely presented, not disturbing at all, and no notable injuries are sustained; cat is swept away in river but later rescued; a man shoots at dog rummaging in garbage can, but mainly to scare him away; cat is chased by a lynx but escapes
Interests: pets, cats, dogs, wilderness, nature, Canada, adventure
Next: read the book The Incredible Journey
23 Jan 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 7+, books 9+, Canadian books Tags: adventure, animals, Canada, cats, dogs, pets, wilderness survival
by Sheila Burnford
Hodder and Stoughton, 1961
127 pp. – 11 chapters
Age: read to – 7+ independent reading – 9+?
Interests: pets, cats, dogs, wilderness, adventure
Next: 1963 Disney movie The Incredible Journey
27 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Ballet, Classical Music, Introduction to..., Movies, movies 3+, movies 5+, Parenting Tags: animals, birds, devil, dinosaurs, fairies, fish, flowers, Magic, music, myths, space, wizard
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Released: 1940
Rated: G
Length: 120 – 124 min. (varies depending on what version you have)
Age: some parts 3+, others 5+ (see below) Commonsense Media sez: 6 +
Scary Factor: Mickey attacks renegade broom with an axe and savagely chops it to bits; battle to the death between two dinosaurs; a gigantic devil rises over a mountain commanding a host of demons, the dead rise from their graves
Also: some modest (dare I say artful) nudity among fairies and mythological creatures; much wine drunk by very tipsy god Bacchus
Interests: classical music, fairies, mythology, dinosaurs, ballet
Next: the movie Fantasia 2000; live symphony concerts for children; Nutcracker ballet live or movie version
More
28 Aug 2012 2 Comments
in Movies, movies 5+ Tags: animals, death, deer, environment, forest, nature, seasons, weather, winter
Released: 1942
Rated: G
Length: 70 min.
Age: 5+ (commonsense media says 5+ too)
Scary Factor/Violence: one antler-slamming battle between Bambi and another stag; terror-stricken animals flee a large forest fire; a scary fight with vicious hunting dogs; gunshots are heard but deaths occur offscreen
Intense Scenes: death of Bambi’s mother (see full review for description)
Interests: animals, forest, nature, seasons, deer
Next: book Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson
15 Jun 2012 1 Comment
in Books, books 6+ Tags: animals, zoo
GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER -1992
by Anthony Browne
Farrar, Straus and Giroux: 1992
24 pp.
Age: 6+
Interests: animals, zoos, animal welfare
Also by this author: Gorilla
21 May 2012 1 Comment
in Books, books 2+ Tags: animals, bears, bedtime, night, single parent
GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 1988
Martin Waddell, text
Barbara Firth, illustrations
Candlewick Press, 1988
30 pp.
Age: 2+
Interests: bears, night, bedtime, dark, fears, single parent
18 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Books, books 3+ Tags: animals, grandparents, nature, ocean, whales
GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 1990
Dyan Sheldon, text
Gary Blythe, illustrations
Hutchinson Children’s Books, 1990
24 pp.
Age: 3 +
Interests: whales, ocean, grandparents, animals, nature
Rarest Kind of Best 