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Many people may remember Sesame Street's Grover doing his rendition of "Near" and "Far". While few things may measure up to that beloved favorite, here are some books that can help children have fun while learning about opposites:
And to Name But Just a Few: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue by Laurie Rosenwald
Class Two at the Zoo is written by Julia Jarmin and illustrated by Lynne Chapman. The illustrations are fantastically fun and icky. The class visits the zoo for a field trip but is soon gobbled up by an anaconda. Molly saves the day by propping open it's mouth with a stick and rescues her school mates one-by-one. The story is told in rhyming meter and will have kids giggling.
If you've been confronted with depression at the onset of winter and during it you may be experiencing seasonal affective disorder (S. A. D.). To learn more about this disorder, you might check out Winter Blues: Everything You Need t o Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder (616.85 Ros).
For other books about mental health, continue to browse the 616 section of the Information Library.
THE ALBERT LEA PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL CLOSE AT 5:00 P.M. ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 31 AND REOPEN AT 10:00 A.M. ON JANUARY 02, 2008. WE WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I Want a Hug by John R. Rowe is a sweet story with cute illustrations. Elvis the baby hedgehog is so sad! No one will hug him because he is "bristly as a scrubbing brush" and as "prickly as a pineneedle." Everyone he asks for a hug tells him he is just too prickly! If he could just have a hug he'd be so happy, but no one will hug him. Then he meets Colin the crocodile who just wants a kiss but everyone thinks he is just too ugly!
Elvis overhears Colin asking for just a little kiss and says he'll give him a kiss. Colin is so overjoyed that he gives Elvis a hug. Both Elvis and Colin are so happy.
Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast by Nigella Lawson has fantastically useful and fresh recipes with plenty of great photos to inspire the cook in the reader. The reader should be sure to not be intimidated by the upscale presentations and multinational cuisines - the recipes are very user friendly.
For centuries, people have practiced yoga for improving the body
, clearing the mind and heightening joy. Now your feline friends can, with regular yoga practice, have improved balance, a sleek waistline, more energy, mental clarity and fuller, more luxurious whiskers. Mr. Tillotson was a yoga teacher and noticed his cat mimicking some yoga poses. So, he taught him, and other cats, the ancient discipline.
Cat Yoga: fitness and flexibility for the modern feline by Rick Tillotson
THE ALBERT LEA PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL CLOSE AT 2:00 P.M. ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 24 AND REOPEN AT 10:00 A.M. ON DECEMBER 26. WE WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!!!
If You See a Kitten by John Butler is a fun book to read with a preschooler and features charming pictures of different animals. The story starts with "If you see a cuddly kitten . . . You say 'Ahh!'" and goes on with one word responses for each animal. Children will enjoy having this story read to them and reciting the responses.
Winter is officially upon us with the first day of winter following on December 22 in 2007. Winter solstice marks the beginning of winter, and it's also the shortest day of the year. Because of the earth's tilt, the Northern Hemisphere is as far away from the sun as it can be. Therefore, the first day of winter has the least amount of sunlight.
Solstice means "standing still sun" and has historically been a day for celebration . This tradition started with an ancient fear that the fading light would never return unless humans kept watch and had a huge celebration. Tons of cultures and societies have solstice celebrations. To read about some of the craziest celebration highlights, click on the website below:
Elvis Presley, John Ritter, John Kennedy, John Candy, John Denver, Jon Benet, Elizabeth Glaser
...all people who died too young. People magazine has compiled this book of short stories, accompanied by pictures, that looks back at the lives and deaths of 65 celebrities who died long before their time. Gone Too Soon; remembering 65 celebrities who died too young
Born Standing Up is a memior written by Steve Martin. It explores his past and present, family relationships and talks of his professional career from the personal side. The story starts at his beginnings of performing at Disneyland as a teenager and goes forward from there.
It is written in an insightful and poignant manner - a side only recently shared by Martin, a side unseen in his 80's comedies and stand-up comedy skits.
This title is available as a book or book on cd.
Has your style landed in a rut or do you just want some new ideas? Here are some books to get you in a fresh direction:
Trinny and Susannah Take On America: What Your Clothes Say About You
The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia
Brenda Kinsel's Fashion Makeover: 30 Days to Diva Style
And coming soon: The Meaning of Sunglasses and Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable by Hadley Freeman
"We think that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty." (Mother Teresa)
Mother Teresa's quote begins this compelling photographic journal of the homeless: Finding Grace: The Face of America's Homeless, Photography by Lynn Blodgett. Mr. Blodgett "discovered the grace and dignity in his subjects. He listened to their stories. And in response he has created a social document, at once gorgeous and simple".
Jungle Drums is about a small warthog named Ngiri Mdogo. In the jungle he is the smallest and he is envious of the other animals and their glorious spots and marking. When the time of the jungle beauty contest comes he is saddened by his boring, unremarkable looks. He is given a set of magical wishing drums and plays them into the night and everyone awakes with a surprise. No one looks like they used to - only Ngiri. How did Ngiri's wish turn out?
The story is amusing but it is really the pictures that takes the breath away from the reader. Fun, colorful, intricate they are a delight to look at.
Readers can view Base's website to look at his other artwork.
