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One of my favorite children’s book publishers is Sylvan Dell. Not only are their books beautiful, but educational! Each book comes with a "For Creative Minds" section full of additional materials, crafts and activities, all of which are checked for scientific accuracy.

Here are a few new ones which would make wonderful holiday presents:

Turtles in My Sandbox, written by Jennifer Keats Curtis and illustrated by Emanuel Schongut. For ages 4-8, this is a wonderful book for children who love sea life or turtles. When a mother diamondback terrapin lays eggs in a young girl’s sandbox, the girl becomes a “turtle-sitter” to help the babies safely hatch. She raises the teeny hatchlings until they become big enough to fend for themselves in the wild. Then, with the help of experts, she releases them. Along the way, she learns about these unique animals and that she has made an important contribution to their survival. The “For Creative Minds" section includes terrapin fun facts and a turtle habitat craft.

For ages two to eight, Water Beds - Sleeping in the Ocean, is another wonderful book about sea life. How do marine mammals - animals that breathe air - sleep in the deep waters of the ocean? Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean answers this question. Youngsters meet ten marine mammals, including sea otters and bottlenose dolphins, manatees and harbor seals, humpback whales and walruses, and learn about each animal’s unique habits.

Although the brief portraits are based on up-to-date scientific research, author Gail Langer Karwoski weaves the facts into simple, poetic language. Connie McLennan’s rich oil paintings capture the ocean’s habitats and its appealing creatures. The story invites children to drift into a peaceful sleep on the gentle waves of imagination. This book was awarded the Learning Magazine 2007 Teacher’s Choice Award and the 2005 Moms’ Choice Award. It’s also a 2005 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award Finalist.

Finally, for the holidays there’s Christmas Eve Blizzard. This has become a holiday favorite around my home, and a book that I’ll pack away with the ornaments to enjoy year after year with my children. It’s a tender story of a beautiful cardinal who is trapped in the snow until a young boy rescues him. Nicholas places more importance on caring for the injured bird than in decorating the Christmas tree or opening his gifts on Christmas morning. Christmas Eve Blizzard will truly touch your heart.

The “For Creative Minds" section contains information on how to make your backyard into a bird-happy habitat, several simple bird-feeder crafts, “cardinal numbers,” math games, and information on what to do if you find an injured bird. For ages six to 10, the book is a 2005 Henry Bergh Award Finalist, NAIBA nominee, and a Book Sense Picks Nominee.

All Sylvan Dell Publishing books can be purchased on Amazon.com, directly through the Sylvan Del Publishing site, or you can use the BookSense Bookstore Locator to find a bookstore near you that sells these titles.

Technorati tags: children’s books, Christmas, presents

With Hanukkah come three book recommendations. The first two are Beni’s Family Treasury for the Jewish Holidays and its companion cookbook, Beni’s Family Cookbook for the Jewish Holidays. These are great books for all families, Jewish or not.

For ages 4 to 8, Beni’s Family Treasury for the Jewish Holidays is a wonderful way to tell children about the different Jewish holidays. This Treasure combines five of Jane Breskin Zalben’s beloved Beni stories (Happy New Year, Beni; Leo & Blossom’s Sukkah; Beni’s First Chanukah; Goldie’s Purim; and Happy Passover, Rosie). They are brought together in a holiday collection that can be enjoyed throughout the year.

Beni, Sara, Mama, Papa, cousins Rosie and Max, and all of their family and friends celebrate the holidays with warmth and humor. This special edition has a glossary of Jewish terms, and includes a ribbon marker and nameplate. It’s beautifully illustrated and sure to be a favorite with your children.

My father was Jewish. But it was my French Catholic mother whose chicken soup and chopped liver (and all those trips to Norman’s Deli in Redbank, NJ) brought ethnic Jewish food to life. In Beni’s Family Cookbook for the Jewish Holidays it’s all here - recipes for challah, matzoh balls, knishes, latkas, blintzes, and baklava. Boy how I miss this kind of food, a cuisine that’s completely foreign to my California raised husband.

Another book that brings it all back is Talking with My Mouth Full: Crab Cakes, Bundt Cakes, and Other Kitchen Stories by Bonny Wolf, NPR’s Weekend Edition food commentator. I swear her recipe for chopped liver is the same my mom used to make except my mom used beef instead of chicken livers. For some reason my dad thought it was healthier. You gotta laugh.

Like Bonny, I love various cuisines, from Mexican, to Asian, to typical American holiday meals. If you love food, you’ll adore the book and the entire family love the recipes. This book is for grownups, but a teenager who loves to cook and may be planning a culinary career would enjoy it, too.

Technorati tags: children’s books, Hanukkah, recipes, food

Hunukkah begins tonight at sunset. I’ll be discussing some Hanukkah books, activies and of course, recipes next week, but let’s begin the holiday with a recipe.

What better way to celebrate it than by making latkes? After all you don’t have to be Jewish to love potato pancakes. However, you need to be able to eat eggs and flour, two ingredients that my gluten-free MIL and my egg allergic daughter can’t eat.

Luckily I there are some teriffic people in the blogosphere, like Ysa Leigh, who are allergy challenged and love to share good recipes. She left this recipe for egg free latkes as a comment at my cooking blog, This Mama Cooks!

Potato Latkes
Taken from The VoluptuousVegan: More Than 200 Sinfully Delicious Recipes for Meatless, Eggless, and Dairy-Free Meals

Ingredients:

1. 2 large russet potatoes
2. ½ cup unbleached white flour (substitute rice flour for those allergic to wheat)
3. ½ tsp baking powder
4. 1½ tsp salt
5. black pepper
6. 1 cup minced onion
7. ½ cup grated carrot
8. ½ cup thinly sliced green onions
9. 2 Tbsp soy milk (we’ll substitute regular milk since Lucie can’t have soy)
10. canola oil for frying

Directions:

1. Grate one potato, and finely chop the other (or grate them all). Put the potatoes in a strainer over a bowl and let the drain for ten minutes, then squeeze them to get the remaining liquid out.
2. Let the liquid sit for a few minutes to let the starch settle to the bottom, then pour the liquid out and mix the starch into the potatoes.
3. Add the other ingredients.
4. Heat some canola oil in a pan over medium-high heat, and fry a flattened patty of the potato mixture. Fry until the edges are golden, then flip and fry some more. Put them on paper towels to drain.
5. Serve with apple sauce (and for you non-vegans, sour cream).

Technorati tags: children’s books, Hanukkah, recipes, food

On days you’ve had it up to here with Dora or Mickey, how about trying another type of childrens’ video? Auryn Inc. brings you two wonderful choices, Almond Blossoms: A Vincent Van Gogh Story and In Winter Still: A Claude Monet Story. Both are $7.99 (or you can buy the set for $12.99) and can be ordered on or downloaded from the Auryn Inc. site.

In Winter Still, Claude Monet’s selfish gardener decides to block the children from playing in Monet’s gardens at Giverny, a relentless winter curse falls upon the estate. The ceaseless winter devastates Monet, bringing his painting to an end. It is not until a mysterious and brave boy has the courage to enter the garden that winter finally disappears. The gardener is fired and Monet returns to painting in his beautiful gardens and lily ponds with the company of the village children. Years pass and Monet often wonders about the small little boy who saved his garden. Eventually, the boy returns and Monet is able to paint in paradise. The story is based on Oscar Wilde’s short story "The Selfish Giant."

Almond Blossoms is inspired by O. Henry’s classic short story, "The Last Leaf" and is set within some of Vincent Van Gogh’s most stunning paintings. It is a story about the friendship between a self conscious young Marguerite Gachet and a struggling outcast, Vincent Van Gogh. When Marguerite’s mother falls ill, she must turn to Van Gogh’s friendship and paintings for solace. Marguerite’s despair deepens as she watches her mother lose hope. Together, they watch from the hospital window, as the last clinging blossoms fall from the beautiful almond tree, seemingly signaling that the end is near. But Vincent Van Gogh’s faith in the healing power of the human spirit leads him to paint his greatest masterpiece that will save Marguerite’s mother’s life.

The videos are Dove Foundation family approved. (The Dove Foundation mission is to encourage and promote the creation, production, distribution and consumption of wholesome family entertainment.) They also - unofficially - carry the Nichols family seal of approval. My family loved watching them. Even my husband was enchanted by the beautiful animation and sweet stories. We just wish they were longer.

These would be a wonderful gift in combination with a children’s art book, like Usborne’s The Children’s Book of Art. Over 30 of the world’s best-known, best-loved pictures have been chosen for this fascinating introduction to art for children. There are lots of facts about the artists and their lives, and how they created their work, to help beginners understand what art is and why people think it is important. There are also Internet links to recommended websites where you can view lots more pictures, play art games and create your own art online.

Technorati tags: children’s books, Christmas, art

Still looking for kid friendly cookbooks for holiday presents? How about one of these:

The Pampered Chef® Let’s Eat! cookbook - I love the stand-up easel design. It makes it so much easier to use and wish adult cookbooks came in this format. The cover is laminated and the pages are stain-resistant.

Favorite Brand Name: Silly Snacks - I got an older version of this fun cookbook at the Scholastic bookfair at school. The current one will introduce your finicky little eater to healthier eating habits. This jam-packed collection offers countless innovative ideas for turning vegetables, fruits, and other less popular foods into silly snacks your kids will actually eat.

Usborne Farmyard Tales Children’s Cookbook - Of course we have to have a literary cookbook in the list! This one is a favorite from Usborne Books and is part of the Farmyard Tales collection. Join Poppy, Sam and Mrs. Boot in the kitchen at Apple Tree Farm, and follow the step-by-step instructions to make delicious cakes, cookies and other tasty dishes. Everything is simple to prepare, fun to cook and good to eat. For ages 6 and up.

Finally, there’s Maurice Sendak’s Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months. While not a cookbook, it does celebrate the monthly virtues of chicken soup with rice:

In December
I will be
a baubled bangle
Christmas Tree
with soup bowls
draped all over me.
Merry once
merry twice
merry chicken soup
rice.

During this hectic holiday season, try this recipe for chicken soup with rice from Epicurious.com. It uses rotisserie chicken, which cuts down considerably on cooking time. This would be nice with latkes for Hanukkah, or on a cold winter night after Christmas caroling.

Chicken Soup with Rice
Makes 6 to 8 servings (2 quarts)

Ingredients:

1. 1 (2-lb) rotisserie chicken
2. 3 celery ribs
3. 1 medium onion, quartered and left unpeeled
4. 6 fresh parsley sprigs plus
5. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6. 2 fresh thyme sprigs
7. 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
8. 10 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (80 fl oz)
9. 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
10. 1/2 cup long-grain rice, rinsed

Directions:

1. Remove meat from chicken, reserving skin and bones. Coarsely chop 1 celery rib and put in a 6- to 8-quart pot along with chicken bones and skin, onion, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and chicken broth. Simmer, partially covered, 1 hour.
2. While broth is simmering, shred about half of chicken meat into 1-inch-long pieces (about 1/4 inch thick) to yield 1 1/2 cups meat, reserving remaining meat for another use. Cut remaining 2 celery ribs into 1/4-inch dice.
3. Pour chicken broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing hard on solids with back of a ladle and then discarding them. Skim fat from surface of broth.
4. Return strained broth to pot, then add carrots, diced celery, and rice and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and rice is very soft, about 30 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken and chopped parsley.

Technorati tags: children’s books, cookbooks, chicken soup, presents