HAVE A HEART...DONATE A BOOK!

"A Book is a gift you can open again and again." -Garrison Keillor

Even the youngest child knows that a HEART symbolizes love and that Valentine's Day is about sharing it! This holiday is a perfect chance to help our kids put "love of neighbor" into action!

BookEnds was founded in 1998 by an 8 year-old boy who independently led his school class in a book drive to build a much-needed library at a home for abused children. His simple act of generosity was the inspiration and model for BookEnds, where kids can recycle gently-used children's books to provide under-served children in the greater Los Angeles area the opportunity to read.

If you have books that need a new home - or if your child would like to donate a favorite for a child less fortunate - click here for more information.  Feeling ambitious? Organize a book drive for your church or school through BookEnds.

Are you donating?  I'm sending BOOKENDS two read aloud books that I know will be "loved".  What will you send?
ACORN'S STORY by Valerie Greeley (a favorite!)

WOLVES IN YELLOWSTONE by Randy Houk (A Benefactory Book)  This will be a 2-for-1 donation!  The Humane Society gets proceeds from the sale of this book.

Another Giving Company:  BETTER WORLD BOOKS ("the Online Bookstore With a Soul") - when you buy your books from them, look who you help!

POP-UPS GALORE!

The book I've decided to highlight for Valentine's Day is by Robert Sabuda. This American author/illustrator is literally a paper engineer!  On his website he even shares some fun pop-up projects your kids can make themselves! But first, I'd like to show you one of Sabuda's non pop-up books, SAINT VALENTINE, that is illustrated with beautiful mosaics he cut from paper...it's a beautiful read aloud for ages 6-9.

In ancient Rome there lived a gentle and humble man named Valentine. He was a physician, but he was also a Christian priest whose life and freedom were in constant danger in a city of people who believed in so many gods, not just one. So Valentine tended to his patients in the daytime, but he prayed for them only at night.
One day a jailer from the emperor's prison appeared at Valentine's door with his small child, a girl who was blind. Knowing the difficulty of curing blindness, Valentine vowed to do his best, and over the weeks of treatment and prayer the three became fast friends. But even his friendship with the jailer could not save Valentine when the Roman soldier came to imprison him.
(Amazon Product Description)

Robert Sabuda's specialty: "Pop-up Books"...

As I said, his website has a treasure trove of fun pop-up projects your child can make - from ANIMALS to STAR WARS (and of course a few for VALENTINE'S DAY). Scroll down to watch a video of his newest 3-D book, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (if you're able, I suggest trying to watch it in full screen).

BOOKS with pop-ups by Robert Sabuda:
(Note:  these books are very delicate, and not intended for children under 3)
THE CHRISTMAS ALPHABET
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
WINTER'S TALE
COOKIE COUNT: A TASTY POP-UP
THE MOVABLE MOTHER GOOSE
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
YOUNG NATURALIST'S POP-UP HANDBOOK: BEETLES
YOUNG NATURALIST'S POP-UP HANDBOOK: BUTTERFLIES
AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL
ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: DINOSAURS
ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA:  SHARKS AND OTHER MONSTERS


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Enjoy Robert Sabuda's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.