Reflections on The Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2011

By Rana DiOrio, Founder

I am attending the largest children’s book fair in the world for the second time. There is so much to say, but once again I will convey only the essential snapshot of this important annual industry event.

Tools of Change. This year, the fair was preceded by an O’Reilly Media conference titled, The World of Storytelling is Changing–Tools of Change and was co-hosted by the Bologna Book Fair organizers to explore publishing in the digital age. I attended along with delegates from 25 other countries. What was most intriguing to me was realizing how far ahead the United States is in integrating digital strategies and media into our business models. The senior most executive at one of Italy’s top publishers admitted in her keynote address that the US is 4-5 years ahead of Italy; and a progressive entrepreneur who founded one of the hottest app development companies in the UK admitted that the US is 1-2 years ahead of the UK in digital advancements in the industry.

My Fantastic, Elastic Brain. Last year, I didn’t even know where to begin at this massive trade show. My learning curve was steep. With the help of ForeWord Reviews, we hired a fabulous foreign rights agent, Sylvia Hayse of Sylvia Hayse Literary Agency, LLC, who followed up on leads generated during the conference last year and secured several translation rights deals for Little Pickle Press. This year, she has 5 titles to market (vs. 2) and has already garnered interest from publishers in Brazil, Denmark, Hungary, Israel, Korea, Romania, and Turkey! With the wealth of knowledge I learned from last year, I set off to identify titles for us to acquire rights to. The process is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. I did, however, manage to find one Australian series and one title from the UK that I hope to acquire. I also had material conversations with mass-market distributors in the US and the UK who expressed an interest in our award-winning What Does It Mean . . . ?® series of books. Moreover, I met an artist agency that represents a very talented array of artists from all over the world. Finally, I met some awe-inspiring artists whose talent humbled me.

Take-away Messages. While I cannot claim these as my own, as they are posted throughout the event, the themes of the Bologna Children's Book Fair are worth conveying to you:

·        Close your eyes

·        See the images

·        Read slowly

·        Savor the wor(l)d

·        Feel the colours

·        See the sound

·        Smell the paper

·        Touch the story

·        Imagine the future

Conclusions. One thing remains eminently clear–the children’s book publishing industry continues to change rapidly. Little Pickle Press is honored to be among those on the vanguard of the innovation.

What Does It Mean To Be Global?

By Dani Greer

It’s the title of the first Little Pickle Press book by Rana DiOrio, but do any of us realize the enormity of the question until disaster strikes? As the natural and man-made emergencies unfold in Japan, we are all learning lessons about being global. The most important, of course, is caring for our fellow humans. Tragedy tends to galvanize us and focus our very best energies to help those in need.

Little Pickle Press, like so many other businesses and individuals, feels compelled to lend support to the people of Japan in some tangible way. For the next month, 20% of the proceeds from any purchases made on our website using LPPJAPAN promo code at checkout will be donated to Mercy Corps. (This is in addition to the 10% that always gets donated to Starlight Children’s Foundation for the What Does It Mean To Be . . . ?® series of books.)

Mercy Corps is a global aid agency engaged in transitional environments that have experienced some sort of shock: natural disaster, economic collapse, or conflict. Aid workers first move as quickly as possible to bring food and supplies to stricken areas.  Later they help in enabling people to rebuild their economy with community-driven and market-led programs. The organization was founded in 1979 as Save the Refugees Fund, a task-force organized by Dan O'Neill in response to the plight of Cambodian refugees fleeing famine, war, and genocide. By 1982, the organization had expanded its work to other countries, was joined by Ellsworth Culver (Mercy Corps co-founder), and was renamed Mercy Corps International to reflect its broader mission.

We hope you join us in helping Mercy Corps bring desperately-needed relief to the people of Japan. Because being global means… "understanding how your actions affect another person’s experience. 

Being global means being a citizen of the world. 

So let's do whatever we can to be global."

http://www.littlepicklepress.com

To learn more about this organization, please visit and connect with Mercy Corps at their online sites:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

To buy books and benefit Mercy Corps, please go to our shopping cart by clicking here.

Mom's Choice Awards

 

Moms make 85% of all buying decisions in a household.

 

The Mom’s Choice Awards® provide a guide for excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. The annual competition gives authors, inventors, companies, parents, and others a chance to vie for recognition from an esteemed panel of judges who rate their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media products and services.

The judges are bound by a strict code of ethics, and the evaluation process uses a propriety methodology in which entries are scored on a number of factors including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal, and cost.

Each year, when the awards are announced, products and services bearing the MCA seal help parents, caregivers, educators, and retailers select quality materials and products for children and families.

Little Pickle Press is pleased to share with you that we have won another MCA honor, this time a gold medal for What Does It Mean To Be Present? in the category of  Children's Picture Books, Audio Books & eBooks (Ages 0-9). Thank you, Mom’s Choice Awards, for our third medal! We are truly thrilled and honored to be recognized again this year.

If you'd like to learn more about the book, please read a guest review by clicking here. You can read more about the book, view a book trailer, and purchase a copy at the website.

If you already have a copy of What Does It Mean To Be Present? by all means tell us what you think of it by leaving a comment!

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain - The Book Trailer

Our new and fantastic book trailer - click to view:



You can buy the book by clicking here. Wasn't that fun?

Book Review: What Does It Mean To Be Present?

What Does It Mean To Be Present?
Author: Rana DiOrio
Illustrator: Eliza Wheeler
Publisher: Little Pickle Press
ISBN: 978-0-9840806-8-7

By Katy Mooney, Executive Coach and Consultant

What Does It Mean to be Present? is a sweet little book by Rana DiOrio (and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler) packed with a powerful message that is as appropriate for adults as it is for kids – pay attention in the present moment. Period. Simple, right? Simple, yes, but not so easy. Talking while driving, surfing while watching TV, pretending to listen while waiting to talk, planning what’s next before we have experienced now. In a culture that applauds multi-tasking and abhors stillness, we are constantly learning how to avoid truly being with ourselves and, in turn, teaching our children the same. Without even knowing it, we are disconnected – from others, our environment and, most importantly, ourselves.

Being present, though, this insightful book tells us, is not about physical presence, presenting, or gift giving. It’s about listening to yourself and others, noticing the needs of others, focusing on now, being grateful and learning from mistakes. (That’s how you grow, silly!) It’s also about slowing down to fully experience all of the nuance and loveliness within each moment. Life is full of awesomeness if you pay attention.

In 25 beautifully illustrated pages, Ms. DiOrio’s unique children’s book concisely touts the same profound, ever-relevant message of consciousness that Eckhart Tolle shares with his millions of adult readers in an age-appropriate way for kids: the present moment, now, is all that we have. Ever. So…all together everyone…pause, listen, notice, be grateful, share, and learn. In others words, be present. You, your friends and the world can be richer, fuller and happier when we are present. I know this to be true in my own life and the lives of my executive clients. Try it and see. And if you agree...pass it on!
~~~~~~
To purchase a copy of What Does It Mean to Be Present?, please click here. If you add What Does It Mean To Be Green? or Sofia's Dream to your order and use the LPPGREEN promo code at checkout, you will receive 25% off your entire order.

Bologna Children's Book Fair Reminder

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair, which takes place March 28-31, is the largest children’s book fair in the world. Rana DiOrio, chief executive pickle at Little Pickle Press, will be attending the fair as a participant, a doer, and to forge connections to take Little Pickle Press to the next level of growth and expansion. Here’s what she hopes to accomplish:

• Identify foreign rights partners for our titles.

• Identify titles published in other geographies and/or languages that we may wish to acquire foreign rights to publish in the United States or all English-speaking countries. 

• Identify digital applications partners for our content. 

• Identify and meet with potential content and distribution partners.

• Meet with potential strategic and financial investors.

• Get a sense of where the global industry is moving.

If you care to meet with the Little Pickle Press team regarding any of these topics, we would like to connect with you in Bologna. Please email us in advance. We look forward to meeting you!

Leave No Trace: The Miwoks

By Cameron Crane

When Land Wilson recently mentioned Miwok Indians in his Monday article, I was immediately brought back to a field trip I went on when I was in around the fourth grade. We had been studying California’s history, and had just begun learning about the Miwok people. Our teacher took us to Kule Loklo, a re-created Miwok village in Point Reyes, California. I remember wandering the village in surprise, wondering how it was possible that a culture that existed for thousands of years had seemed to vanish into thin air. If the Miwoks really did live here, I remember thinking, where were their buildings or schools? Where were their roads? How was it possible that I had never seen a trace of Miwok life?

It was not until Land’s article prompted me to research the Miwok tribe that I got my answer: the Miwok people did not want to leave a trace. They people desired to live in harmony with nature, seeing no division between nature, culture, and religion. Instead these existed as one intricate system in everyday life. The Miwok people believed in protecting this system, which meant using the land lightly, leaving no footprint, and giving thanks to nature whenever they utilized its goods. They had a great understanding of the resources available to them, and passed the knowledge of how to nurture these resources to preserve them for future generations. It was because of this knowledge they were able to coexist with nature, without damaging it.

As I reflect back on the wonderful and intricate culture of the Miwok people, I can’t help but wonder what California will look like after we have utilized it for thousands of years. Our footprint will definitely not be invisible, and we can already see that the resources available to future generations will be different- and potentially scarcer- than those we have today.

This month, as we look at different ways to nurture nature, it may be helpful to look for answers from our predecessors. As the Miwok people understood, sometimes it is necessary to take from nature, but we must do it thoughtfully, with respect, and with a commitment to give back. Our relationship with nature has and always will be one of the most important relationships we have. We must preserve it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember that Little Pickle Press books that promote conservation - like What Does It Mean To Be Green? and Sofia's Dream - are a great way to share sound environmental concepts with your children. Don't forget that all of our books are printed and shipped in an environmentally-sustainable manner. It's part of what sets us apart. You can buy these books today and get 25% off with coupon code LPPGREEN at check-out.

Cleaning Up the Dumps

By Land Wilson

I grew up in Marin County and I remember communities actively filling in Bay Area wetlands. One of these areas is now where our local Home Depot resides. As a kid, going to “The Dump” was a fun day trip. At the check-in booth we were given a lollipop and we could help our parents toss garbage over the edge of a steep embankment. The crazy thing is that in the many decades leading up to the 1980’s, there were no hazardous waste collection centers for households. Everything went into landfill.

I have to share that it was my father-in-law, Roger Ahlenius, who was the primary force behind saving Santa Margarita Island, which you can read more about in yesterday's post. At a time when people were steam-rolling ahead with filling the bay, he was out trying to save it. His mark on the world with this little island, in my mind is one of the most honorable achievements a person can accomplish. Today there is even a trail named in his honor.

Let’s face it, future generations are going to want and need tidal marshes restored. I foresee they’ll even want the old toxic dump areas cleaned. Let’s show future generations that we care about the world they’ll inherit by working towards what I refer to as a “zero landfill” lifestyle. Bea Johnson and her family of Mill Valley, CA do a great job demonstrating how this can be accomplished at their Zero Waste Home website. The more we protect nature now, the more our descendants will thank us.

We face extreme environmental challenges, but I am hopeful because humans can be smart. People in large numbers around the world are becoming more aware of how interconnected we are to our ecosystems and how our well-being is tied to a healthy natural world. As the earth becomes more populated, protecting our nature is going to become more vital. Instead of sprawling outwards and building over our nature, let’s sprawl upwards and create beautiful, green, passive energy cities that nourish people. 

Asking the question, “Where will all the nature go?” is a great reminder of our duty to revere and protect the nature we have left.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Land Wilson is the author of Sofia's Dream which is available for purchase by clicking here. 

Please remember, too, that 20% of all Little Pickle Press sales will benefit Mercy Corps and their relief efforts in Japan. Use coupon code LPPJAPAN at check-out and thank you for your generosity.

Where Will All the Nature Go?

By Land Wilson

There is a neighborhood in North San Rafael, California, built around a tidal canal. In one area, the canal circles a delightful open-space park that is full of wildlife: Santa Margarita Island. This picturesque setting is home to three varieties of majestic oaks and eye-catching rock formations. The marshy banks with native reeds and pickle weed plants probably look close to what Miwoks saw centuries ago. Over the years, I’ve spotted countless birds, like Black-Crowned Night Herons, American Coots, Mallards, Marsh Hawks and nesting White Tailed Kites.

In the 1970’s, developers were keen on turning the island into a tennis club with a restaurant and marina development. Debate raged because neighbors wanted to preserve it as public open space. At one point, in a heated county planning meeting, when it looked like the developers were going to get their way, a child stood up and asked, “But where will all the nature go?” The room fell silent. No one knew how to answer.

Nobody knows what went through the minds of the developers, but most anyone with a conscience would agree that there is something wrong with telling a child that nature will just have to find another home. Nature can’t always find another home. Sometimes it is gone for good. What message do we give our youth when our actions imply that if we want something and nature has to go, that’s just what is done?

Many believed that the words of this child turned the tide of this debate. The island and its surrounding tidal marshes were spared, unlike much of the Bay Area’s other marshlands, filled in mostly for short-term private gain over the past two centuries. Thankfully, people today recognize that bay marshes are one of the most biologically productive habitats known on earth. 

The list of why we should revere our tidal marshes is long: 

• They filter pollutants and sediments from upland runoff 
• They provide habitat for fish, invertebrates, reptiles, birds, mammals and oxygen producing plants  
• They provide hatchery and nursery areas for the fish, shellfish and waterfowl that humans eat
• They provide vital stopover points for migrating birds
• They aid in flood control to protect our homes and businesses
• They prevent erosion of our waterfront property
• They provide beautiful vistas for our pleasure

Have you had a similar situation where you live? Please share how your community helped saved wildlife habitat from development.

The Book Store of Your Dreams

When one thinks of a "tattered cover", a book comes to mind - one that is often-enjoyed and well-loved. The same holds true for the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado.

One of the largest independent book stores in the United States, it was purchased by Joyce Meskis in 1974 and made its home in Cherry Creek for 20 years before moving to the historic downtown Lowenstein Theater on Colfax Avenue. The popular bookstore also opened numerous other branches over the years, all providing a cozy and inviting atmosphere to its patrons. 

Long before chain stores offered comfortable chairs and coffee, the Tattered Cover opened its doors and arms to book lovers from every walk of life, and their popularity never waned. Over 400 authors, illustrators, and special guests have visited and spoken at these locations, including Julia Childs, Barack Obama, Isabel Allende, Kurt Vonnegut, and J.K. Rowling.

When Little Pickle Press Director of Sales, Katy Kenney, visited the LoDo Tattered Cover recently, she was thrilled to see a table in the children's section spotlighting What Does It Mean To Be Present? and What Does It Mean To Be Global?

During her visit, Katy met with Judy Bulow, lead buyer for children's books. Judy has been with the Tattered Cover for 22 years. She and her husband moved here from Illinois and raised their family in Denver.  Katy asked Judy what makes TC stand out from other book stores and she said simply. "diversity."

Joining them were two popular TC employees, Jocelyn and Steve, who are the Storytime  leaders at the  Colfax store every Tuesday morning at 10:30.  These two are a dynamic team.  They get upwards of 40 kids per story time session. Katy asked them how they did it and they said, "lots of creativity, activities, music, and snacks!"

Little Pickle Press is so pleased to present the Tattered Cover in our first Featured Bookstore Monthly Review. We are tickled to have our books in the store as well, and completely understand why they recently won the Tickle City Award.

If you are in Denver, we highly encourage you to stop in at any of the Tattered Cover locations and pull up a chair. Tell them Little Pickle Press sent you. You'll be welcome to stay as long as you like, although we don't recommend you hang out so long you turn into a wax figure like this fellow did!

  

Be sure to connect with the Tattered Cover at their various online sites as well: 

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

If you've visited any of the Tattered Cover locations in Denver, by all means tell us about it in the comments. We'd love to know your very favorite thing about the store.

LPP Will Be Attending the CAEYC Conference on March 24th

Little Pickle Press is ever on the look-out for philosophical partnerships, and The California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC) is without question a kindred spirit on many levels. They state on their webpage:

CAEYC envisions a respected professional workforce providing developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive, high-quality, early care and education for all young children achieved through research, education, professional development and advocacy.

Independent affiliate members of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the CAEYC is one of 430 nationwide affiliates, and itself has over 8,000 members. Therefore, it is a vital and influential organization for those involved with the welfare of children and their education at an early age.

One of its major projects, the CAEYC Annual Conference and Expo, is coming up on March 24-26 at the Sacramento Convention Center. This year’s theme is We’re Better Together: Collaborating to Improve the Lives of Children.

Three members of the Little Pickle Press team will be walking the conference for a day with various goals in mind. Here is what each hopes to gain from the experience:

Jenni Kirshman, Sales Associate, Northern California: (1) To identify potential customers; (2) to learn about the state of the art in early childhood education; (3) in particular, I'm looking forward to listening to Dr. Bruce Perry's (http://www.childtrauma.org/images/stories/bios/perry_bio_10.pdf) keynote address.

Leslie Iorillo, Director, Art & Marketing: (1) to identify brand-appropriate partners; and (2) to deepen my knowledge of early childhood education so we can develop products and services that best serve teachers.

Cameron Crane, Marketing Specialist: (1) to meet industry participants; (2) to tweet about developments at the conference and expo; and (3) to have some fun!

If you will be at the conference and would like to meet with these Little Pickle Press representatives about our children's books, please email. Books like What Does It Mean To Be Green? are relevant for children as young as four, and this title is included in our current Spring promotion. Get 25% off with coupon code LPPGREEN at check-out.

Art Collections for Children

Building a Lifelong Passion for Fine Arts and a Real Art Collection for Your Children

By  Laurence Lafforgue, ArtWeLove Founder

Like Rana DiOrio, the founder of Little Pickle Press, and many reading this blog, I am a mom and also an entrepreneur on a mission. I help people make the best of contemporary art part of their lives easily, enjoyably, and affordably. My online store, ArtWeLove.com makes fine art finally collectible. We work with leading contemporary artists – those in museums and galleries around the country – to produce affordable museum-quality limited editions of their works, which everyone can buy off our website for as little as $25.

Recently, I've decided to bring my own experience of being a mother into my venture by creating ArtWeLove for Kids, a selection of kid-friendly art that's not kidding around. This is how I’ve brought my own experience of being a mother into my venture.  It’s with Paloma, my now 2-year old daughter, that I’ve started thinking about ways to engage children with the arts at a young age. Art is a powerful way to foster creativity in children and also a great way to lift their spirits, as testified by the incredible work that an organization like RxArt does to bring contemporary fine art into children’s hospitals.

Very naturally, I found myself wondering what to put on the walls of my daughter’s bedroom, but I did not like the idea of using so-called “children’s art” that wasn’t going to last past Paloma’s 5^th birthday. I began asking myself why should I settle for this when I work with leading contemporary artists to produce affordable limited editions of their work that could last a lifetime? As it turns out, many of these world-renowned artists are parents, too, and have produced engaging, vibrant, and imaginative art with their little ones in mind.

So I began working with some of our artists to select from our collection those prints that would stimulate the brains of little ones, like high-contrast, colorful pieces (especially important for infant brain development), abstract pieces, and illustrations that could provide the backdrop to engaging activities with my daughter.

It was really fun to discover Paloma was really into abstract and conceptual imageries early on, and then started turning to more representational and illustration pieces when she hit two and could start telling herself stories.

The best part is that these editions are all collectible items: exclusive, numbered, paired with a certificate of authenticity. So while I’m decorating my child’s bedroom without breaking the bank, I’m also building a small collection of prints by leading artists for my children that will only appreciate over time. Like good wine, it will all age well, and I can rotate some of these prints in other parts of my home too, because while they work really well for children, they also work as masterpieces all around.  

Last but not least, most of our prints are made with fade-resistant, archival-quality ink and are printed on paper made from tree-free cotton linters salvaged from the textile industry. Because collecting art should also be a responsible and sustainable human activity.

I hope you will enjoy our selection of exclusive photographs and illustrations, and that they provide a vibrant, imaginative way for you and your children to explore story-telling and discover forms and colors.

Creating Special Birthday Memories

By Rana DiOrio, Founder, Little Pickle Press

Maybe it’s because my March 12^th birthday represents a mini-milestone this year, but I’ve been very nostalgic about the happy moments in my childhood and consciously creating them for my children.

When I was a child, my mother used to bring in forsythia branches three weeks before my birthday. Some years they were encased in ice! Over the course of the three weeks, the beautiful yellow blossoms would pop one by one until they were in full bloom on the occasion of my birthday. Until I was old enough to have parties with my friends, my parents would host our entire extended family for a big celebratory dinner. My mom would make a crown reflecting my age, and she always made her signature strawberry shortcake.

As I grew older, my parents hosted friends parties at our home. They always had themes: Clowns, Ice Cream Cones, Mickey Mouse, Rainbows, Winnie the Pooh, etc. The house would be decorated in banners, streamers, and balloons, and my Uncle Frank would make a beautiful centerpiece. Here is a picture of the Victorian themed party...

Then there were the sleepless night sleepover parties . . .

And then there were the “going to the movies with a few friends” parties. I remember on my 10^th birthday, a few of my friends and I saw the original Freaky Friday starring my idol, Jodie Foster. (OK, now you math whizzes may calculate how young I’ll be this year.)

I replicated a similar model with my children. I started with family celebrations at home. Since the kids’ favorite meal is my meatballs and pasta, and it just so happens to be a big hit with our family and friends, that’s what I would serve for dinner. We’d import my mom from RI to make the strawberry shortcake, of course...

At about age 5 (earlier for my youngest, of course), the kids were old enough to have a party with their friends. We’ve enjoyed outings to the Bay Area Discovery Museum, cooking adventures In The Kitchen, tumbling at SF Gymnastics, and being crafty at Doodlebug to name a few...

I think what’s most important is the joy we share with our children. Long after the sugar buzz wears off and the birthday toys are cast aside, it is the laughter and happiness that the children will remember.

I have a friend who does something special for his children’s birthdays. Each year he writes them a detailed, handwritten letter that chronicles the events he has shared with that child the previous year, expresses the pride he feels for the child’s various accomplishments during that year, and foreshadows some of his hopes and dreams for the year ahead. It is a time-consuming and precious gift of love he gives to each of his children on their birthdays.

How do you celebrate your children’s birthdays? What is most meaningful to them? And to you? Please share your thoughts with us.

Recipe of the Month: Strawberry Shortcake

By Rana DiOrio

A birthday favorite in the DiOrio family, this recipe is from my mother and sure to be a crowd-pleaser anytime if you can buy fresh berries, but especially when you can get vine-ripened strawberries from the farmers market or your own garden!

Strawberry Shortcake
(for one 9” x 13” pan or two 8” round pans)

Ingredients and preparation for the cake:

3 ½ cups sifted flour
2 ¼ cups sugar
1 ½ tsp. salt
3 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 ½ sticks of butter (room temperature)

• Preheat oven to 350° F
• Sift together all dry ingredients (except sugar) and set aside
• Cream together the butter and sugar
• Mix in eggs and vanilla
• Alternate dry ingredients with milk until blended completely.
• Bake at 350° F for about 35-40 minutes or more, until tester inserted in the center comes out clean
• Cool completely

Ingredients and preparation for the whipped cream:

1 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

• Whip cream in a chilled bowl until almost stiff
• Add sugar and vanilla
• Beat until cream holds peaks

Ingredients for the sauce and assembly instructions:

1 quart of fresh strawberries
2 cups water
1 cup sugar

• Rinse the strawberries
• Hull all of them
• Cut half of them into quarters
• Use half of the cut strawberries to make a sauce with water and sugar
• Spread whipped cream over the top and sides of the sheet cake or between and on the top and sides of the round the layers

NOTE: If you are making a layer cake with two rounds, then put the other half of the quartered strawberries in between the layers. If you are making a sheet cake, use all of the cut strawberries in the sauce.

• Decorate the cake with the whole strawberries
• Refrigerate until you serve

Then enjoy a big slice at the birthday party! What's your favorite kind of birthday cake?

World Read Aloud Day

By Dani Greer

http://www.littlepicklepress.com

The FaceBook event page for World Read Aloud Day states this:

Nearly 1 billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their name. 

Imagine your world without words.

World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology. By raising our voices together on this day we show the world’s children that we support their future: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their words to change the world.

How can you participate in this event? Today, you can spread the word about world literacy by sharing links on your social networks. You can real aloud with your children. You can visit your library for special events they may have there. If you are in the New York City area, you can even join in a 24-hour Read Aloud Marathon in Times Square!

You can and should connect with WRAD in these venues:

The WRAD Blog 

The Facebook Event Page 

Girls Club Blog 

Twitter 

You can donate to their worthy cause by clicking here. 

It’s time to join the global literacy movement! Tell us what your favorite children’s book is in the comments. Then read it aloud to someone today, and be thankful that you can!

Several of our foreign language editions are pictured above. Please visit http://www.littlepicklepress.com for more information and to purchase a copy.

A Simple Lunch From India

Have you thought about some of your favorite recipes from around the world after our post yesterday about eating global cuisine using local foods? I happen to love food from India, and the smell of roasting spices really whets my appetite for the upcoming meal. Some of the spices are considered to be health boons, too, like turmeric which has many benefits and tastes delicious. Indian cooking can be complicated or simple and is often vegetarian, placing it lower on the ecological food chain than meats. (That simply means it takes less resources like time and water to produce.)

Here’s one of my favorite recipes:

Turmeric-Ginger Cauliflower
Recipe by Sai Viswanath

Ingredients 

Photo from foodnetwork.com

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced (leave out for very young children!)
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 head cauliflower (2 1/4 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets
Salt


 Directions 

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a small bowl, mix the oil with the tomato, mustard seeds, jalapeño, ginger and turmeric. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower florets with the flavored oil. Season with salt and spread the cauliflower in an even layer. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and barely tender. Serve hot or at room temperature.

A perfect accompaniment is this recipe for making a refreshing yogurt drink from India called lassi from Vah-Chef. I just use my regular blender instead of the hand blender, and if you need to add sweetener, try a bit of raw agave nectar or local honey. I prefer those sweeteners over refined white sugar.



Now you have a delicious and healthy lunch! How about you? Do you have a special global lunch you enjoy making? Share with us in the comments!

What Does It Mean To Eat Globally?

By Dani Greer

Do you love cooking and eating foods from all over the world? My own tastes for the exotic were cultivated growing up in the military and traveling around the world as a child. Today, just about everything I ever tasted in foreign lands is easy to find in the United States. Whether we go to a restaurant or buy foreign ingredients from specialty shops in any major city, almost all cuisine is available to us at a relatively modest cost.

But about ten years ago, I started to seriously consider the impacts of food miles on the environment, and consciously made an effort to become a “locavore”, or a person who eats most of their food from sources within 100 miles. Because I live in the land-locked dead-center of the U.S., this seriously limits my food choices, especially in the winter months. Even the cheapest supermarket staples like bananas and tuna, I realized, were really luxury items despite costing less than a dollar each. Think about the enormous cost to the environment of getting these two foods to your door, and you’ll realize what I mean. So we had a shift in thinking and changed our ways. Tuna is now a holiday treat (which might appear on the table on Christmas Eve when my family traditionally eats fish), and a banana is no longer a standard ingredient in a daily fruit smoothie. Instead we use homemade yogurt from local cows milk and fruits grown within the state.

I love exotic spices in cooking, and if you learned about Marco Polo and the Silk Road in history class, you know that beyond salt and locally grown herbs, spices like black pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric (which makes your mustard yellow) were once highly prized imported treasures from Southeast Asia, and should be viewed in the same way today, at least when we put our eco-conscious hats on.

Some imports like spices, coffee, and chocolate are not foods I’d easily give up, so at my house we’ve devised a personal “Marco Polo” scheme in our kitchen. We try to grow or buy 80% of our food locally and seasonally, and put our long-distance food dollars into items we simply cannot grow here which include almost all spices. This way, we can still enjoy the flavors of the world at home using unique recipes, but without buying common staple foods that have been shipped from thousands of miles away. It’s all a matter of choosing recipes using foods we share with other cuisines. After all, foods like eggs, potatoes, cauliflower, yogurt, and beans, to name just a few, are eaten all over the world, but can be obtained locally almost everywhere. Just a few spices can spark up dishes using these ingredients and make you feel as though you’ve traveled to the Orient or to France, depending on which spice you’ve used. Add a little ethnic music, and voila, you’re at a Mediterranean café in spirit (and stomach!) if not in reality.

While we’re talking about global foods, we would like to share with you an event happening in Sausalito, California, on March 16^th. It’s a cooking class presented in collaboration with ITK Culinary and Little Pickle Press called, What Does It Mean To Eat Globally? You’ll learn how to introduce new flavors and foods to children, as well as various cooking techniques. Learn how to create a global experience in your kitchen! For more information, click here or call 415.331.8766.

All participants of the class as well as you, dear blog readers, can start your global experience with Rana DiOrio's book, What Does It Mean To Be Global?, and get 25% off your entire purchase by using coupon code LPPITK at check-out.

What about your family? Do you enjoy global menus at home? What are your favorite cultures? Tomorrow we’ll share a few favorite recipes from around the world.

The Curious Garden Book Review

Book review by Kara Petersen

The Curious Garden

By Peter Brown

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8

• Hardcover: 40 pages

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1, 2009)

• Language: English

• ISBN-10: 0316015474

• ISBN-13: 978-0316015479

• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.5 x 11.2 inches

The Story:

The first time I heard of author/illustrator Peter Brown was when I stumbled upon this book, The Curious Garden. I was drawn to Brown’s fifth book because of the real life inspiration he drew from New York’s Highline train. As a lover of both public transportation and gardens, I was immediately attracted to this particular story. This is the tale of Liam whose curiosity and love of the outdoors lead him to a special discovery. When he finds a few plants growing over the tracks of an abandoned railway he knows he must help. Liam learns how to garden as he helps the plants grow. This story has two main characters, Liam and the Garden. It is fun to watch the development of the characters as both grow, figuratively and literally. What really stands out to me is the seamless integration of nature and city—reminding us even amongst brick and steel we are never very far from nature. This important lesson is illustrated further by the passing of the seasons. Little Liam doesn’t worry during winter when he is unable to spend time with his garden, instead he prepares for its arrival again in spring. When spring returns, Liam realizes he has cultivated more than a just a few plants as the Garden spreads throughout the city uniting nature with the people and creating community as it brings everyone together.

The Artwork:

Brown who is a graduate of the Art Center of Design in Pasadena, CA illustrated as well as wrote this story. The illustrations were done in acrylic and gouache on board. They are magnificent. The colors brighten as Liam’s garden grows, transforming the pages much in the way the garden transforms the city. The color palette is vibrant while still maintaining a soft quality. Brown’s strategic placement of the color red for Liam’s hair and rain boots and the door to his first garden are delightful clues to the reader. I also loved the music notes coming out of Liam’s mouth so the reader sees him singing to his garden even though it is not conveyed in the text. The multiple pictorial spreads without any text are very strong on their own and provide the reader with a quiet moment to let a creative garden bloom in their own mind.

The Passion:

The passion for nature and the outdoors jumps out at the reader from the beginning. Liam loves being outside—even on drizzly days, loving nature in all of its forms. The text and illustrations work beautifully together to remind us that nature is everywhere and we are a part of it.

The Message:

Nature reminds us of old and forgotten things and can make them new again. In the Author’s Note, Brown poses the questions to the reader: What would happen if an entire city decided to truly cooperate with nature? How would that city change? How would it all begin? We can all apply these questions to our own lives. With Earth Day just around the corner these are perfect questions to discuss with your little pickles.

The Conclusion: 

Buy or borrow this book and read it to your little pickles while they are planting their own garden. 

Tell us what gardening plans you have with your children this Spring. Please share by leaving a comment!

Nature Nurture and Slow Teaching

A New Brand of Summer Camp by Linda Constant

For years now, I have struggled with how to define Nature Nurture.  Being a “slow” learner myself, I just found out about the Slow Parenting and Slow Food movement.  With the proverbial light bulb going off above my head, I thought, “that’s it!” Nature Nurture is the intentional demonstration of Slow Teaching.  

Award-winning Canadian journalist and author Carl Honoré (In Praise of Slowness: How A Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of Speed about the Slow Movement and Under Pressure: Rescuing Our Children from the Culture of Hyper-Parenting) promotes a more relaxed and more hands-off technique for raising and educating children: Slow Parenting. 

At Nature Nurture Summer Camp (ages 3-10) we pay close attention to the age, stage and developmental style of each child.  As the lead teacher models a slow and purposeful manner of speaking and walking, children take her cue.  And then again, maybe not.  While Johnny was ready to run down Grasshopper Hill outside our castle-looking building (San Francisco’s Presidio Main Post Chapel), another child, Sandy, wanted to stop and see where the ant on the sidewalk was crawling to. Taking time and making time for each of them in our three hour drop-off class, Johnny and Sandy felt respected, heard, and more important to them, got  to do what they wanted… and at their own pace.   

As Carl Honoré says, “the slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace.  It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed”.  Geared with two teachers to each group of six children, we are always ready to break into smaller groups and meet the needs of the children, whether that means fast, medium, or slow.

As any summer camp experience should be, we have plenty of fun while we savor the hours and minutes.  There is no plan that must be adhered to.  At Nature Nurture, the essence of a go-with-the-flow type of slow teaching starts first thing Monday morning and continues throughout the week.  Like the Slow Philosophy, Nature Nurture is about quality over quantity.   Feel free to check us out on the web www.naturenurture.com or call me at (415) 342-4040 to find out more about our Summer Camp and Slow Teaching Style.  Comments, tips or otherwise related to my first blogging effort are also welcome!

My parting message and gift to you and your family is a friendly reminder to slow down, take the time, make the time, give you and your child the gift of going slow and savoring whatever you are doing, wherever you are, as often as possible. 
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Little Pickle Press suggests What Does It Mean To Be Green and Sofia's Dream to get your little pickles in tune with caring for nature. Click here for more information and to view the book trailers.

eNewsletter

Growing up today, our kids are learning to socially interact in person and electronically via text and the Internet. Therefore, it’s important to start at an early age helping them build good character and personal connection skills.

Nature Nurture, an early childhood education program based in San Francisco, couples teaching kindness and good character with time spent in nature. Preschoolers learn to care about themselves, others, nature, and our Earth, their home. “Teaching a young child to honor all living things is as easy as the ABCs. They want to learn and are so open at this age. It is fun and connects them to the earth,” says Nature Nurture founder Linda Constant.

Kindness is the key. Amazing research by Dr. Wayne Dyer reveals that “kindness increases our levels of serotonin, which makes us feel happy and at ease, and strengthens our immune systems.” What a wonderful state to be with your family!

With Spring upon us, enjoy some time outdoors with your kids and find ways to be kind to all living things. Even a purposeful walk down the sidewalk can reveal opportunities to practice good character. Nature is everywhere!

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Move like nature, slowly. Every time you allow yourself to slow down you are likely more aware of your intention and kindness. Model assuredness, and that all is well. You have nothing else to do. (Leave your smartphone behind!)

• Model kindness. Get down on your child’s level and look in the eye when speaking with him or her.

• Don’t stomp on that bug! Move a worm on the sidewalk out of harm’s way. Build a “nest” for the bugs and butterflies with grass, sticks, and flowers.

• Dirt contains lots of possibilities. Make designs or draw letters with a stick. Dig for worms and bugs. Don’t want to get dirty? It’s okay. Lay a blanket on the grass and quietly observe.

• Turn over large rocks or leaves in a damp area. More than likely something is living underneath it. After taking a peek, roll that rock back over the way you found it. Kind of like ‘clean-up time’…when you take something out, it’s nice to put it back.

• Apologize if you communicate in an unkind manner. Keep it simple and clear. For example, “I am sorry I spoke in an unkind manner to you when I asked you to pick up your toys”. Teaching children to handle life challenges effectively and with integrity is important work. As they learn to care about how they are treated, and how they act, children begin developing the seeds of intention while building character muscle memory.

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Nature Nurture combines a passion for the natural world with philosophy of teaching children about kindness. With a unique outdoor classroom - the Presidio National Forest - kids spend time happily being in nature. Whether exploring trails, wide-open spaces, or scouring mud for worms and building "dirt-day" cakes, the children become active learners in the art of being kind to nature, others, and themselves. Small groups allow for individual attention, teaching manners and behavior with patience, respect and humor. Summer Camp registrations open now for ages 3-10 years at the website http://www.naturenurture.com.

More Connections at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2011

By Rana DiOrio, Founder

During our visit to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair we also hope to forge connections with other partners in many arenas. Yesterday we outlined strategic book partners. I would also like to connect with investment partners and here are the possibilities to explore:

Identify and meet with potential content and distribution partners. As a rapidly-growing company we are always seeking alliances with partners who will help us to scale. Right now, we are most interested in partners who can help us to: (1) expand our global reach and distribution; (2) monetize our content in other mediums (such as movie rights or webisodes); and (3) obtain DTC (Direct To Consumer) customers.

Meet with potential strategic and financial investors. To date, Little Pickle Press has been individually-funded and closely held. We have been approached recently by interested outside investors, and we are at the point where we are receptive to accepting capital or other resources from an investor or investors who will accelerate our growth while supporting our mission and values. If you are one such interested strategic or financial investor, please send me an email at rana@littlepicklepress.com.

Get a sense of where the global industry is moving. We are in an industry where the only constant is change—rapid change at that. The single best way to ascertain which way the currents are shifting is to dive into the middle of the biggest event of the industry to feel it for myself. Fortunately, I am a strong swimmer, and our company is dynamic and able to adapt as necessary to navigate the turbulent waters of this industry that is in the process of reinventing itself. Little Pickle Press remains on the vanguard of the innovation and is keeping its head above the chop.

I welcome your perspective. If you will be at the conference and would like to meet with me, please send me an email.