Bright Horizons at University Village Book Fair!

Coming soon!
Bright Horizons at University Village is hosting a Barefoot Books Book Fair!

Two Days Only!

Wednesday, April 15th and Thursday, April 16th

From 4 pm to 6 pm

Upstairs Reception Area

The Teachers are so excited about the upcoming Book Fair! They have created Wish Lists - selections of titles and other products that they would really appreciate having in the classrooms to share with all of the children. If you would like to purchase any items to donate to the classrooms, you will receive a free note card and bookplate to commemorate your family's donation. It's a great idea for a Teacher Appreciation Gift for the upcoming Child Care Provider Appreciation Day on May 8th.

Please remember to place your order at school, via email to BarefootBooks@GMail.com or by phone at 206-619-9623. This will maximize the benefit to your school!

If you want to share Barefoot Books with long distance friends and family, web orders through the link below will also benefit Bright Horizons at University Village, but at a reduced rate due to the method by which they are processed. Here's the link to share with long distance friends and family:

http://www.barefoot-books.com/us/site/pages/home.php?rep_code=US-1002349&eventcode=EV619 (please note that the entire link is necessary to credit Bright Horizons with the order)



You can preview the products from the following Wish Lists at www.BarefootBooksLady.com.

Homebase A
We All Go Traveling By	PB w/CD or HC w/CD	$9.99 $17.99
The Animal Boogie	Paperback w/CD or HC w/CD	$9.99 $16.99
The Farmyard Jamboree	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
Alligator Alphabet	Board Book	$7.99
Counting Cockatoos	Board Book	$7.99
Bear on a Bike	Board Book	$6.99
Bear About Town	Board Book	$6.99
Bear at Work	Board Book	$6.99
Bear’s Busy Family	Board Book	$6.99
Listen, Listen	Lap Book	$14.99
Secret Seahorse	Board Book or Paperback	$6.99 $7.99
Home For a Tiger, Home For a Bear	Hardcover or Paperback	$16.99 $7.99
Sounds Around Town	Hardcover	$16.99
You and Me	Lap Book	$14.99
Homebase B
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush	Paperback w/CD or Hardcover w/CD	$9.99 $16.99
Whole World	Hardcover w/CD	$16.99
We All Go Traveling By	Paperback w/CD or Hardcover w/CD	$9.99 $17.99
Knick Knack Paddy Whack	Paperback w/CD or Hardcover w/CD	$9.99 $16.99
The Gigantic Turnip	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
The Story Tree	Paperback w/CD	$15.99
Creepy Crawly Calypso	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
Animal Playground (Putumayo Music)	Music CD	$15.99
We All Go Traveling By	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
The Journey Home from Grandpa’s	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
Catch That Goat!	Paperback	$7.99
My Granny Went to Market	Paperback	$6.99
Hidden Hippo	Hardcover	$15.99
You and Me	Lap Book	$14.99
Homebase C
The Farmyard Jamboree	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
Knick Knack Paddy Whack	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
The Faerie’s Gift	Hardcover w/CD	$17.99
The Three Billy Goats Gruff	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
The House that Jack Built	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
Jack and the Beanstalk	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
Star Seeker	Hardcover	$16.99
How Big is a Pig?	Board Book	$6.99
Skip Through the Seasons	Hardcover	$16.99
Herb the Vegetarian Dragon	Hardcover	$16.99
Whole World	Hardcover w/CD or Paperback w/CD	$16.99 $9.99
We All Go Traveling By	Hardcover w/CD or Paperback w/CD	$17.99 $9.99
Homebase D
Skip Through the Seasons	Hardcover	$16.99
Alligator Alphabet	Hardcover	$16.99
Counting Cockatoos	Hardcover	$16.99
The Journey Home from Grandpa’s	Hardcover w/CD or Paperback w/CD	$16.99 $9.99
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush	Hardcover w/CD or Paperback w/CD	$16.99 $9.99
Cleo’s Counting Book	Board Book	$6.99
Who Are You?	Board Book	$6.99
I Wish I Were A Pilot	Paperback	$7.99
Animal ABC’s Ring Flash Cards	Ring Flash Cards	$14.99
The Farmyard Jamboree	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
Homebase E
The Story of Divaali	Paperback	$7.99
We’re Riding on a Caravan	Hardcover	$16.99
The Beeman	Hardcover	$16.99
Skip Through the Seasons	Hardcover	$16.99
The Animal Boogie	Hardcover w/CD or Paperback w/CD	$16.99 $9.99
Thesaurus Rex	Paperback	$6.99
The Prince’s Bedtime	Hardcover	$16.99
The Story Tree	Hardcover w/CD	$19.99
The Barefoot Book of Faeries	Paperback w/CD or Hardcover w/CD	$15.99 $19.99
The Barefoot Book of Animal Tales	Paperback w/CD	$16.99
Homebase F
Alligator Alphabet Floor Puzzle	Puzzle	$17.99
Counting Cockatoos Floor Puzzle	Puzzle	$17.99
Our World Floor Puzzle	Puzzle	$17.99
The Story Tree	Hardcover w/CD or Paperback w/CD	$19.99 $15.99
Storytime	Hardcover or Paperback w/CD	$19.99 $15.99
The Gigantic Turnip	Hardcover or Paperback w/CD or Paperback	$16.99 $9.99 $7.99
The Prince’s Bedtime	Hardcover or Paperback w/CD or Paperback	$16.99 $9.99 $7.99
Homebase G
The Beeman	Paperback	$7.99
Star Seeker	Paperback	$7.99
Dragon on the Doorstep	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
Animal Playground (Putumayo Music)	Music CD	$15.99
Motherbridge of Love	Hardcover	$16.99
The Faerie’s Gift	Hardcover w/CD	$17.99
The Princess and the White Bear King	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
The Prince’s Bedtime	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
We’re Sailing to Galapagos	Paperback	$7.99
My Granny Went to Market	Hardcover	$16.99
Homebase H
The Farmyard Jamboree	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
Cleo’s Color Book	Board Book	$6.99
Whole World	Hardcover w/CD	$16.99
The House that Jack Built	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
Knick Knack Paddy Whack	Hardcover w/CD or Paperback w/CD	$16.99 $9.99
Where’s the Cat?	Board Book	$6.99
Who Are You, Baby Kangaroo?	Board Book	$6.99
Skip Through the Seasons	Hardcover	$16.99
Homebase I
The Animal Boogie	Paperback w/CD	$9.99
We All Go Traveling By	Paperback w/CD
Mrs. Moon	Hardcover w/CD	$19.99
Playtime Rhymes for Little People	Hardcover w/CD	$19.99
Knick Knack Paddy Whack	Hardcover w/CD or Paperback w/CD	$16.99 $9.99

Thank you for supporting the Barefoot Books Book Fair at Bright Horizons at University Village!

My Barefoot Books Website

To visit my personal Barefoot Books Website, please visit: www.MyBarefootBooks.com/JenniferS

EEU Classroom Wish Lists

EEU School Book Fair!
Spirit Week Wednesday
Wednesday, March 25th from 10 am to 3 pm
School Lobby

The EEU Community is invited to shop at the School Book Fair featuring Barefoot Books and more! You can support your child's literacy environment and at school because when you buy books for home, the EEU classrooms earn free books!

EEU Teachers have created Classroom Wish Lists - lists of books that they would greatly appreciate having in the classrooms. If you donate one of these books, you will receive a free Bookplate to write a commemorative message and a free note card to announce your gift to the teachers!

What a great gift idea for Thursday's Teacher Appreciation Day!

Questions? Call Jen Strohl at (206) 619-9623 or email at BarefootBooks@GMail.com

Teacher: Tara Godinho
Classroom: Preschool Room 140
1 - We All Go Traveling By (PB w/CD) $9.99
2 - Alligator Alphabet (HC) $17.99
3 - The Three Billy Goats Gruff (PB w/CD) $9.99
4 - The House that Jack Built (PB w/CD) $9.99
5 - The Gigantic Turnip (HC) $16.99
6 - Jack and the Beanstalk (HC) $16.99
7 - Motherbridge of Love (HC) $16.99
8 - The Beeman (HC) $16.99
9 - We're Sailing to Galapagos (HC) $16.99
10 - Off We Go to Mexico (PB) $7.99

Teachers: Shane Herriott & Ariane Gauvreau
Classroom: Project DATA room 134
1 - I Took the Moon for a Walk (HC) $16.99
2 - Skip Through the Seasons (PB) $7.99
3 - Animal Boogie (HC w/CD) $16.99
4 - I Wish I Were a Pilot (BB) $6.99
5 - Knick Knack Paddy Whack (HC w/CD) $16.99
6 - Bear at Home (PB) $6.99
7 - Catch that Goat! (PB) $7.99

Teacher: Angela Erickson
Classroom: Room 129
1 - Knick Knack Paddy Whack (HC w/CD) $16.99
2 - The Three Billy Goats Gruff (PB w/CD) $9.99
3 - The Real Princess: A Mathematical Tale (HC) $16.99
4 - The Barefoot Book of Monsters (HC) $19.99
5 - Emily's Tiger (HC) $16.99
6 - Shrinking Sam (HC) $16.99
7 - The Tear Thief (HC) $16.99
8 - The Boy Who Grew Flowers (HC) $16.99
9 - Yoga Planet Cards (Cards) $14.99
10 - Catch that Goat! (PB) $7.99

Teacher: Laura Brady
Classroom: Room 136
1 - My Daddy is a Pretzel (HC) $16.99
2 - Whole World (HC w/CD) $16.99
3 - My Granny Went to Market (HC) $16.99
4 - Animal Boogie (HC w/CD) $16.99
5 - I Wish I Were a Pilot (BB) $6.99
6 - Catch that Goat! (PB) $7.99
7 - I Took the Moon for a Walk (HC) $16.99
8 - Knick Knack Paddy Whack (HC w/CD) $16.99
9 - Who Are You? (BB) $6.99
10 - I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur (HC) $15.99

Teachers: Carolyn & Beth
Classrooms: ITC rooms 105 & 103
1- How Big is a Pig? (BB) $6.99
2 - How Loud is a Lion? (BB) $6.99
3 - Zoe and Her Zebra (BB) $6.99
4 - Cleo's Alphabet Book (BB) $6.99
5 - Cleo's Counting Book (BB) $6.99
6 - Where's the Cat? (BB) $6.99
7 - Who Are You? (BB) $6.99
8 - I WIsh I Were a Pilot (BB) $6.99
9 - Hidden Hippo (HC) $15.99

Teachers: Jordan Taitingfong & Dave Calhoun
Classroom: ECEAP Room 144
1 - The Great Race (PB) $7.99
2 - Yoga Planet (Cards) $14.99
3 - African Animals ABC (PB) $7.99
4 - The Barefoot Book of Monsters (HC) $19.99
5 - Shopping with Dad (HC) $16.99
6 - I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur (BB) $6.99

Teacher: Jessica Kendrick
Classroom: Room 135
1 - Shopping with Dad (HC) $16.99
2 - The Barefoot Book of Monsters (HC) $19.99
3 - The Real Princess: A Mathematical Tale (HC) $16.99
4 - The Story Tree (PB w/CD) $15.99
5 - The Three Billy Goats Gruff (PB w/CD) $9.99
6 - Storytime: Tales for Sharing (PB w/CD) $15.99
7 - Port Side Pirates (HC w/CD) $16.99
8 - Walking Through the Jungle (PB w/CD) $9.99
9 - Animal Boogie (HC w/CD) $9.99
10 - I Wish I Were a Pilot (PB) $7.99
11 - We All Go Traveling By (HC w/CD) $17.99
12 - I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur (HC) $15.99
13 - The Gigantic Turnip (PB w/CD) $9.99
14 - My Daddy is a Pretzel (HC) $16.99
15 - Yoga Pretzels (Cards) $14.99
16 - Zig Zag Zebra (Activity Book) $6.99
17 - Dotty Spotty Doodles (Activity Book) $6.99

More Favorite Children's Books

In addition to The Story Tree and Tales of Wisdom and Wonder, Mama Panya's Pancakes by Mary and Rich Chamberlin is one of our family favorites. The story teaches a wonderful lesson about the gift of sharing while encompassing a theme about community and offering cultural exposure to Kenya. With informational end notes, this story is well worth the investment in hardcover at $16.99, but is a tremendous bargain in paperback at $7.99 since you're likely to read it for several years.

One of my favorite stories to read with small and large groups of children is The Gigantic Turnip, illustrated for Barefoot Books by Niamh Sharkey. Children will giggle delightfully when you carefully deliver the story's repetitive lines "pulled, heaved, tugged, and yanked" referring to the attempt to harvest the last turnip. The hilarity of so many animals trying to pull out one turnip is sure to please. The story offers many themes including planting a garden, patience and teamwork. But the story's conclusion offers a powerful message still relevant for today's children - one person's contribution can make a huge difference!

Sing-along stories from Barefoot are FUN! This is a product niche where Barefoot really offers something different from other publishers. Check out titles such as Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award-winner The Animal Boogie; Creepy Crawly Calypso which not only introduces children to fun bugs, but also the sounds of each instrument in a calypso band; Port Side Pirates - a personal favorite since the book is dedicated me and my boys in honor of our contributions to it's development; and Magic Train Ride which leaves the station for a journey filled adventure that is sure to inspire children's imaginations! View the rest of the sing along story collection from Barefoot here.

Have you adopted a child into your family or know someone who has? Then you'll want to share Motherbridge of Love with them. This book is breathtaking. The illustrations, the text...I get chills when I read it because of how beautiful it is.

New this Fall is our long-awaited, already award-winning book about King Arthur, entitled Arthur of Albion. Illustrated in meticulous detail and written by one of the most world reknown experts in Arthurian Legend, this book offers text that is both engaging for more mature readers and yet age appropriate for readers ages 6 and up. It's a must have for anyone who yearns for the glory and intrigue of Camelot.

Finally, I just gave a set of the new Yoga Planet cards to my son's school today because they are phenomenal! Just like the Yoga Pretzels that coordinate with My Daddy is a Pretzel, the cards are useful for teachers and parents interested in providing relaxation tools to their students and children. But these cards go beyond simple instruction of yoga poses and group activities. These cards inspire kids to be environmentally aware by relating the card topic to an earthly element such as air and water.

Tell me your favorite Barefoot Book!

Eastside Mothers and More!

This is a wonderful organization that brings women in our community together in a variety of ways that offer opportunities to be more than just "so-and-so's mom." I was a member for several years during which I tremendously benefitted as a person from my involvement. Unfortunately, I no longer have the time available to remain active but I want to continue to support the current members.

Just in time for this month's meeting about Early Literacy, I have an incredible offer to share! For purchases made through the link below that automatically encodes a special 30% discount offer* off everything available online through my Barefoot Books website, I will donate 15% of the product purchase prices back to Eastside Mothers and More. Feel free to email or call for product recommendations!

Link to 30% discount offer* and Eastside Mothers and More:
http://www.barefoot-books.com/us/site/pages/home.php?rep_code=US-1002349&username=JenniferS&spec_code=SCLB30&eventcode=EV127

*30% discount offer ends on November 3, 2008

Living Barefoot!

How do you "live barefoot?" My family "lives barefoot" in a number of ways. To me, living barefoot means helping other families in my community find books that their children will bond with, learn from and embrace with love so that they become lifelong readers. I get filled with exuberance when parents share a story with me about how a Barefoot Book impacted their child.

I found my first story from my youngest son's bonds with two books: Bear on a Bike and We All Go Traveling By. For the first ten and a half months that I was a Barefoot Books Stallholder, my son chose these two books as his bedtime books almost every night. I think it's pretty incredible that any book can engage a two year old child so consistently for so long. The illustrations in the whole Bear series are so colorful and rich with intricate details that we still continue to find ways to interact with this book. We often count the fish in the river as Bear rides on a raft and we always look for the rabbit on the island where magic star fruits grow.

Maybe it was the music from Traveling By or maybe it was the fact that my youngest is "transportation" fanatic. We made up our own motions to go with the sounds of all the featured modes of transportation, right down to the two purple shoes! This is another one of those books that I have repeatedly given as a gift, mostly for children aged 2 to 4 years, and always accompanied by much gratitude.

How has a Barefoot Book or other book impacted your child? Tell me!

Favorite Children's Books

We all have our own favorite children's book. It may be the one that your Grandma read to you as a child or it may be that one that makes your child giggle relentlessly when you read it. Most of my favorite children's books and my son's favorite ones are from Barefoot Books. I'd like to share our favorites with you...

The Story Tree - With its engaging stories and funky illustrations, this book is so meticulously designed you won't even realize some of the features that make it so great because they are so naturally presented. When my children were just 4 and 2 years old and my husband was still on the road every week, I successfully used this book in my efforts to try to give each of my boys some special one on one "Mommy-time" at the end of the day. My oldest son would sit on his bed and follow along with the book while the audio book CD played. While the CD was playing, my younger son got his special Mommy time in his room. Sometimes I spent 10 minutes with him, sometimes 30. No matter when I was done with the younger one and walked into my older son's room, he was always on the right page of this book even though the CD did not have page turner bells.

That's not all though. When my youngest grew old enough to enjoy this book, starting at around 3 and a half, he taught me that he learned how to use a Table of Contents because of this book. A key element of the illustrations from each story is presented alongside the story titles in the Table of Contents. The art and story are matched so well that it is clear to the reader which story is being represented.

And, earlier this year, I gave a copy of this book to my son's first grade teacher. She would play the story CD for the class during classroom quiet times. She shared with me that the children just loved the book - they would beg for her to play the CD and share the book during "free choice" times.

The Story Tree is a great introduction to Barefoot Books for children aged 3 to 7 years. I've given this book as a gift countless times. Every time I do, the recipient asks for more from Barefoot Books!

Tales of Wisdom and Wonder - Is your child ready for a little more out of his story? This one delivers! Somewhere around 6 years old, children who have consistently been read to may start wanting a little bit more from a story, like a surprise ending. The tales in "Wisdom and Wonder" will satisfy that desire - they all have a gripping plot twist wrapped around a life lesson that surprises and delights the reader. Our favorite story is "The White Rat." Without entirely revealing the plot, this story teaches us about our true inner selves. My kids and I can listen to it over and over again without getting tired of it.

According to a new customer of mine, this book turned her 9 year old daughter, who was not at all interested in reading, into an avid and voracious reader. Sometimes, if children aren't finding "nutritious" reading, they lose interest altogether. I like to compare it to feeding your child potato chips at every meal. They'll like it at first, but eventually their bodies will tell them it's just not desirable anymore and they won't want to eat them. Same thing with books - if a child isn't offered quality literature, they may lose interest in reading because they don't feel the benefit from meaningless reading material.