Posted on by cindyindigo

Spanish Summer Language Fun


May is speeding by. Soon summer will be here and school vacation. 

What a perfect time to relax in the shade and read some new stories.
Or try a new language.
Look at the photo of Holly my dog enjoying Cinco de Mayo earlier this month.
What fun it would be to write a story about Holly dancing the day away! You could include some Spanish words into your story.
Do you know the Spanish word for dog?
perro
day=dia
danced=baila

The dog danced the day away = Baila el perro el dia fuera.

The sentence is arranged a little differently in Spanish with “danced” (baila) coming in front of “the dog” (el perro).
Can you find the words for “the day”?
Right! el dia
And that means fuera is the word for “away.”
Try this free online English to Spanish translation site.
Type in a word or a sentence. The translator will transform your sentence for you.
Can you translate this sentence yourself?
El perro es blanco.

You already know what el perro means from above.
Change the “e” to an “i” in es and you’ll have the translation for this word.
And your final clue: blanco is the Spanish word for the color of Holly’s fur.
Hasta la vista!
Posted on by cindyindigo

Children’s Book Week

Sorry it’s halfway through the week already before I had the chance to remind you about CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK. Click on the link and you’ll find a great bookmark you can print. 

Since 1919, Children’s Book Week has been celebrated in the United States. Schools, libraries, publishers, bookstores and of course, children enjoy this special week, highlighting books and reading.
Click here if you want to help choose the next Children’s Choice Book Awards
or here to see the 2008 winners’ list.
What great children’s books have I been reading this week?
The title says it all for this poetry how-to book. Discover your inner poet when you take this book out for a spin.
These poems are totally out-of-sight! The author shares some star-worthy poems and gives insight into poetry lingo.
When is a poem also a picture? If you don’t know, you’ll want to dive into this whirl of words.
HOW TO TALK TO YOUR DOG by Jean Craighead George
The author explains dog walk, talk, and body language. You’ll decipher your dog’s messages in a flash. Fun and informative.
HERO CAT by Eileen Spinelli
Don’t miss this sweet picture book highlighting a mother cat’s heroic efforts to save her young kittens from a fire. This book is based on a true story. Both the artwork and writing are wonderful.
OK. Now it’s YOUR turn. What incredible children’s books have you been reading???
Posted on by cindyindigo

Best of Stories For Children Magazine

It’s been a rainy day here today–lots of clouds, lightning, thunder and RAIN! But it finally seems to be stopping and a bit of sun is peeking through. Hopefully, it will dry out  for the weekend. 

My poor dog Holly hates thunderstorms. They scare her something awful. So this seems to be a good time for a happy announcement.
I have been notified by publisher, Virginia Grenier, that my short story, “BF’s & Butterflies,” has been chosen from the 2008 STORIES FOR CHILDREN MAGAZINE to be included in their Best of Stories for Children Magazine Volume 2! 
Woo-hoo! News like that is sure to make the sun keep shining. I’ll keep you posted when I find out more about the projected publication date. In the meantime, visit their site for the latest in great stories, articles, crafts and more for children. And here’s the link for Volume 1.
Posted on by cindyindigo

Children’s Illustrated Art Museum and iKids

Exciting News


A new Children’s Illustrated Art Museum opened right here in St. Louis, Missouri this past weekend.
And it features Guardian Angel Publishing artists. Click on the link to see some photos.
More excitement for GAP–
Lynda Burch, publisher of GAP, recently released the company’s first picture book to iKids Play for iPhone applications.
Maybe We Are Flamingoes by Safari Sue Thurman and illustrated by Kevin Scott Collier is now available for use through Apple iTunes. Kids can color, paint, and read along with the story using the touch screen technology. This new application provides an alternative to gaming for children. The users can also order print copies of the book through their iPhones.
More GAP books will be launched soon for iPhones and iPods in the iKids Read and iKids Story
applications.
Wow! Even more opportunities for children to explore the world of words and art. 
Posted on by cindyindigo

Green Facts for the Last Day of April


I hope you’ve had a great April. On this last day, here are a few facts on the environment from a local library fact sheet which might surprise you.

  • recycling just ONE aluminum can save enough energy to equal a half gallon of gas
  • 2,500,000 plastic bottles–that’s how many bottles Americans use in an HOUR.
  • 40% of the waste produced in the world is made by us Americans

Some things you can do right now to help:

  • reuse plastic bags or switch to paper bags (over 1,000,000 sea creatures are killed each year by plastic garbage in the ocean)
  • change the most frequently used light bulbs in your home to incandescent ones (electricity for lighting could be cut by 50%)
  • recycle paper (in 2007 in the U.S. more than 56% of the paper used was recycled)

Working together we can make a difference.

Posted on by cindyindigo

National Library Week, National Poetry Month, Earth Day, and More

This has been a busy week. It’s NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK, so I certainly hope you’ve visited your local library at least once this week. I’m reading Elise Broach’s fun mystery story for middle grade readers called, MASTERPIECE. A cockroach named Marvin is the main character. He has an amazing talent which takes him on an adventurous quest. Click on the link and hear the author read from the book.

And it still POETRY MONTH. I’ve been writing a poem a day. How about you? One of my favorite young adult novels is written in free verse poetry–OUT OF THE DUST by Karen Hesse. Or another free verse novel, this one a middle grade read by Sharon Creech, is LOVE THAT DOG. This story is wonderful also.
Monday, April 20, is EARTH DAY. Here are 3 suggestions for green activities:
  • cut two minutes off your morning shower to conserve water
  • pick up trash in your neighborhood
  • plant a tree or some wildflower seeds

What else can you think of do? 

Last, but not least, I invite you to visit MY LIGHT magazine for the April issue which features my article on St. Catherine of Siena, a 14th century young adult celebrity. 
Posted on by cindyindigo

GOOD FRIDAY Remembrances

As we celebrate this holy day and reflect on Christ’s death, we take time to remember special people in our lives who are no longer with us. Our dear family members and friends who have passed on. And, perhaps, some special saints in heaven whom we admire.

I have been reading many of the writings of Blessed Mother Teresa lately. She stresses that we need to see Christ in everyone–and to treat each person as Christ. The little things we do for others become big things in God’s eyes. 
Whatever you do to the least of them, that you do to me.

If you would like to read about another of my favorite saints, click on this link to MY LIGHT magazine. There you will find an article I wrote on St. Catherine of Siena–a very interesting and amazing saint from the 14th century.
Posted on by cindyindigo

Holy Thursday and Passover as Told to Children



Today is a very holy day in both the Christian and Jewish faiths.

Christians celebrate Jesus’ Last Supper–the meal he shared with his followers on the night before he died. The feast Jesus and his friends were celebrating was Passover.
Passover is a special time when the Jewish people remember how God helped them leave the slavery of Egypt. God convinced Pharaoh to release all the Jewish people after a terrible tenth plaque killed the first born sons of all the Egyptians. The Jewish first born were spared because God had instructed the Jews to mark their homes in a special way. The Angel of Death “passed over” all their houses and their first born were spared. The Jewish people share a special Passover meal each year to remember God’s love for them.
During the Passover meal at The Last Supper, Jesus told his followers he would become their bread–broken and shared for them. In THE JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE by Sally Lloyd-Jones; illustrated by Jago and published by Zonderkiz, the author retells this and many other Bible stories in beautiful poetic words. The Bible stories come alive with Jago’s pastel portraits and scenes. What a wonderful way to celebrate this holy day–reading the Bible story.