Feature Articles: Bookworm

Bookworm

“Johnny Joker” Builds Life and Laugh Skills

By Emmi Kern

Johnny Joker is an assortment of products meant to help children develop their sense of self-esteem and to master important life skills. The materials include books, plushies and interactive games designed to reach kids in ways they understand and enjoy. Johnny Joker books address five categories: This is Me, My Body and Me, My Feelings, You and Me, and World Around Me. These categories cover self-care and hygiene, managing emotions, identifying preferences and talents, interacting with others and much more.

Bookworm

Get the Buzz with the Buzzable Baby Book

By Kelly Lee

When it comes to sharing from the heart, a hand-written note beats email every time. It establishes that the writer feels strongly enough about you to set aside time to put thoughts into words, etching them onto a blank page with endless possibilities. Stacey Valle and Gina Stock, co-founders of Buzzable, LLC, understand how deep the written word speaks to the heart. Their fillable Buzzable Baby Book is the perfect way to provide friends, families, and loved ones the chance to express themselves on that most important of occasions: the baby shower.

Bookworm

The Magnificent Sprinkles Light Up Kids’ Lives

By Kelly Lee

Kids have their own way of looking at their environment, in large part due to their imaginations. For example, in the child’s mind, the terror of the monster in the closet might have been a cute character from a comic book when the lights were on — but now it has changed into a grim ghoul. Families have been challenged by children’s fears, and more than one parent has spent the night sitting up next to an anxious child’s bed. But now parents have a new champion: Vicki Sewell, author and creator of The Magnificent Sprinkles. Sewell just experienced a strong showing at the AmericasMart in Atlanta, where her plush critters and storybook garnered serious attention.

Bookworm

“Johari’s Joy” Celebrates the Power of Friendship

By Kelly Lee

Children’s books need to have engaging characters, an interesting problem… and the ability to wrap everything up in about 30 pages. Author Boots Hensel, a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, really knows how to weave an enchanting tale. Johari’s Joy will delight children and bring parents back for more. The story focuses on the loneliness of two very different creatures — a black rhino and a pig — and on the universal needs for understanding, friendship, and belonging. It touches on the awareness of each creature as an individual with hopes and dreams.

Bookworm

“A Christmas Holiday with the Clauses” Adds Modern Flair to Time-Honored Traditions

By Emmi Kern

When it comes to Christmas holiday books for children, it can seem as though every storyline has been thoroughly explored and that there is nothing new under the tree. It’s a challenge for an author to color outside the lines in order to produce an original story, while at the same time drawing from meaningful elements of traditional Christmas tales. A Christmas Holiday with the Clauses by Cheryl Kelley is a modern take on a holiday fantasy adventure. In it, a young boy goes on an out-of-this-world adventure to the North Pole and finds out that there’s a thin line between reality and imagination.

Bookworm

Variety Truly is the Spice of Life in “I Am Mixed”

By Mari Gold

What does it mean to a child to be bi-racial? Chances are many shoppers know a youngster who fits this bill and will welcome a useful as well as entertaining way to explain what “mixed” really means. Author Garcelle Beauvais, who was born in Haiti and came to the U.S. when she was seven, now lives in Los Angeles with her mixed-race twin sons who inspired her work. Originally, Beauvais enjoyed a robust TV career, including the role of First Lady in the blockbuster hit White House Down. After her on-air success, she turned her attention to writing since she perceived an unmet need. I Am Mixed celebrates the fusion of cultures in mixed-race kids.

Bookworm

“The World Almanac for Kids” Offers Facts Unplugged

By Stephanie Hanlon

When it’s time for that first school report of the year, it might seem strange to guide kids to a real live book. After all, with the proliferation of iPads and Internet search engines, something simple like an almanac might seem like a light rail to Luddite town. The World Almanac for Kids 2014 has changed a bit from the tomes of your youth. Gone are the text-heavy tellings of the year that was and the year to come, the new World Almanac is colorful, engaging and interesting. As holidays approach, encourage gifts without cords by stocking this and other educational volumes to expand our future generation’s minds.

Bookworm

Aye Aye and Fedor Show the Power of Friendship

By Emmi Kern

Stories that feature animal characters are so prevalent in the children’s’ book section that in many libraries, they outnumber books with human protagonists. Kids love animals and always have; they tend to be able to connect to these furry or feathered creatures and identify with their curiosity and innocent view of the world. Kids also may find it easier to face fears and work out moral dilemmas when these challenges are seen through the eyes of a friendly non-human character. The Extraordinary Love Story of Aye Aye and Fedor is a heartwarming story that shows kids how “human” animals can be, and how important it is for us to protect them and their environments.

Bookworm

Imagine Childhood Writes the Book on Boredom Busters

By Stephanie Hanlon

If a parent had a nickel for every time a child said “I’m bored”, they might be rich. Point those parents away from Pinterest and into an actual book. We know, in this day and age of blogs and social media pitting parent against parent for the most creative craft, a simple book seems revolutionary. And maybe it is. Imagine Childhood: 25 Projects that Spark Curiosity and Adventure is like going off the grid. It’s everything whimsical and magical about the world outside electronics, and forces adults to get into a child’s head.