Mary K.'s blog

Friday Funday! The Snowy Day is 50 Years Old!

January 6, 2012 - 4:57pm — Mary K.

Did you know that the Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats was published 50 years ago? No? Neither did I! But I guess it MUST be true, as I'm almost 41 and I LOVED the book as a child.

The Fascinating World of Baby Brains: Facts Every Parent Should Know!

December 26, 2011 - 9:00pm — Mary K.

From Live Science comes "11 Facts Every Parent Should Know About Their Baby's Brain," and needless to say, many of them have to do with language learning and early literacy. This is a great introduction to brain development in babies that you may wish to share with parents, or use to sharpen your own knowledge and find some tips to share with parents! Why is a baby's perception more like a lantern, while an adult's is like a flashlight?

Friday Funday! Daniel Handler Interviews Strangers About "Why We Broke Up"

December 22, 2011 - 9:00pm — Mary K.

Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), author of such gems as the Series of Unfortunate Events...um...series and The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming, has teamed up with illustrator Maira Kalman on Why We Broke Up.

Friday Funday: The Night Before Christmas, Illustrated by Jan Brett with Soundtrack by the Boston Pops

December 9, 2011 - 5:03pm — Mary K.

Jan Brett, prolific author of gloriously illustrated picture books like The Mitten and Berlioz the Bear, has re-released

Friday Funday! Kidlit Book Trailers

November 18, 2011 - 2:44pm — Mary K.

Boy, Dianne de las Casas has been busy lately! First, she creates Picture Book Month, that we are currently celebrating (remember last week's Friday Funday?). Now, she's created a website where we can watch book trailers for kids' books. Become a member, and you can upload videos too, or join groups and discuss them!

Friday Funday! Celebrate Picture Book Month with Peter Brown

November 11, 2011 - 4:21pm — Mary K.

In honor of Picture Book Month (a celebration of the literacy and the magic of picture books created by author Dianne de las Casas), Etsy asked author Peter Brown (of Children Make Terrible Pets fame) to compile his favorite videos about picture books.

Friday Funday! Uncovered Cover Art

November 4, 2011 - 9:00am — Mary K.

Have you ever wanted to re-do a kids' book cover? Have you ever looked at an old, but well-loved title, and thought "wow, I'm sure I could get more kids to read this if they just updated the cover!"? Well, Uncovered Cover Art allows artists to do just that. Artists submit their re-imagined covers of well-known children's books and not only do we get to enjoy them, but the artists might have their art seen by a publishing house!

Occupy The Classroom: The Case for Early Childhood Education

October 31, 2011 - 11:51am — Mary K.

In light of the Occupy Wall Street movement that has taken over the country, many pundits are weighing in on how to solve the problem of economic inequality. In this Op-Ed piece from the New York Times, Nicholas Kristof makes a case for his solution: "...the single step that would do the most to reduce inequality has nothing to do with finance at all.

Friday Funday: Book Trailers!

September 1, 2011 - 9:00pm — Mary K.

One of the newer promotional tools publishers are using to get the word out about their new books are video trailers. Just like movie trailers, book trailers give you a taste of the story and characters, often with some animation and the author's own words. School librarian Mr.

Friday Funday: Sesame Street Pinball Animation Redone in 3D!

August 26, 2011 - 9:25am — Mary K.

Remember that short video we used to see on Sesame Street that helped us learn to count up to the number 12 while watching a funky animation about a pinball? The one with the Pointer Sisters soundtrack? This one?: