Archive for October 2011
From Shelley’s Frankenstein to the Addams Family and the “Fame Monster” that is Lady Gaga, Halloween has inspired popular culture for ages. Children and parents alike can’t help but wonder at the mystery surrounding All Hallows Eve, and we couldn’t resist looking further into its origins…no matter how scary they may be. So grab your candy corn and read on for Halloween folklore and history!
Thank you to everyone who left a comment and entered the contest, we loved hearing from you! Congratulations to Maureen Lee, our winner. This contest is now closed, please stay tuned for more!
This week’s podcast comes from Tales of Mystery and Magic and is a West African folktale. In “The Hunter’s Five Sons,” a hunter goes out into the woods to hunt but does not return. A month after his disappearance, his wife and four of his sons slowly begin to forget about him. Be sure to tune in to see what becomes of the hunter and his family, and read on for a chance to win!
Get in the Halloween spirit with these delicious, spooky recipes from the creator of Kids’ Kitchen, Fiona Bird. These simple-to-follow and healthy-to-eat dishes are the perfect treats to serve guests at your Halloween party!
Treat yourself and the young music-lovers in your life to the latest animated video in our collection! Multi-talented SteveSongs is the author and performer of The Shape Song Swingalong, a colorful, fun-filled adventure in learning how to draw with basic shapes. We asked SteveSongs a few quick questions to learn more about him and the story behind this new Barefoot book.
The lights of the shop have been turned down, the chefs have gone home from the cafe, and the office staff have closed their computers. But the day is not over: every Tuesday evening, Jo Kelsey runs a pilates class for adults in our first floor studio. And every other Tuesday, Vic and I run workshops for aspiring illustrators and writers. Here are some photographs from last week’s Tuesday activities, and here are seven tips that came out of the writing workshop:
Thank you to everyone who left a comment and entered the contest, we loved hearing from you! Congratulations to Emily Smith, our winner. This contest is now closed, please stay tuned for more!
This week’s podcast comes from The Barefoot Book of Dance Stories and is based on a poem by Robert Burns. In ‘Tam O’Shanter,’ a young farmer sees a bright light shining through the windows of a haunted church. When he takes a peek inside, he discovers a group of witches dancing the Scottish Reel. Be sure to tune in to see if the witches find out he is spying on them, and read on for a chance to win!
Today, we’re excited to share more about our new Monster Stories series with you. Our Young Fiction Editor, Katie Livesey, recently visited a class of six-year-olds and read The Terrible Chenoo: A Story from North America to them. Read on for the children’s reaction to this fun, colourful tale, as well as Katie’s reasons why our Early Readers are the perfect tool to hone early literacy skills. In her words…
Do you have young children in your life?
Do you live or play in and around the greater Boston, MA area?
If you answered yes to both of these questions, have we got some fun in store for you! We’re pleased to announce the launch of our Concord Studio Facebook page.
Every now and again, we embark on a project which is quite ambitious. A current example of this is Robin of the Greenwood. We capered merrily into the greenwood to tell of this great English outlaw, inspired by the spirit of liberty he represents. Before long, we had a gripping text by David Calcutt, who went back to the ballads of Robin Hood, some of which were first recorded in the fourteen century. Then we invited Grahame Baker-Smith to take on the not insignificant challenge of illustrating a large-format gift book that runs to over 100 pages.
Thank you to everyone who left a comment and entered the contest, we loved hearing from you! Congratulations to Mary Steel, our winner. This contest is now closed, please stay tuned for more!
This week’s podcast comes from The Barefoot Book of Giants, Ghosts and Goblins and is an old story originally told by wandering storytellers from Scotland. In ‘The Lass Who Couldn’t Be Frightened,’ a young woman lives alone in the forest with her dog and cat. Although she has many suitors, she claims she doesn’t need a husband to take care of her because she isn’t afraid of anything. Be sure to tune in to find out what she is secretly frightened of, and read on for a chance to win!
