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Book Bits, Part 2
Book Reviews from GeoParent
by Michelle Pearson
GeoParent is always on the lookout for a good read! Whether you're looking for the perfect picture book for your toddler, a good parenting resource or fun ways to incorporate books and reading into your daily activities, check in with us each month for the latest. Read part one.
Classic book
First Forest
By John Gile
Illustrated by Tom Heflin
John Gile Communicatons
ISBN 0-910941-01-7
List Price: $13.95
Originally written as a bedtime story for his children, Illinois native John Gile wove this tale of vicious greed and tender spirituality in 1989.
The Tree Maker created the trees with great care -- making sure each one had what it needed to grow. He let each tree choose what it would become and the woods were a happy, peaceful place.
One day, greed overtook one tree and he stretched his limbs to catch more of the sun's rays. Soon, other trees followed suit. They pushed and shoved, knocking smaller trees out of the way, breaking branches, blocking sunlight for those close to the ground. And when the Tree Maker returned, he found a twisted and barren scene where his beloved forest had been. And so, the Tree Maker begins the task of bringing his trees back to life, punishing those who would be so spiteful, but ultimately forgiving all.
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In the tradition of Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, Gile's story teaches appreciation for others, forgiveness, and generosity without being overly preachy. Heflin's illustrations are light and expressive and tell the tale as much as Gile's rhyming text.
Parent/child resource
Attachment Parenting: Instinctive Care for Your Baby and Young Child
By Katie Allison Granju with Betsy Kennedy, R.N., M.S.N
Introduction by William Sears, M.D.
Pocket Books
ISBN 0-671-02762-X
Retail Price $12.95
Granju is quickly becoming known as an attachment parenting expert, despite the fact that she is not a nurse or a doctor. Her qualifications, however, probably make her more of an expert than most. She is a mother who is passionate about this form of parenting and in educating others about its benefits.
Sidebars throughout the book offer resources that every parent will turn to again and again: Internet sources, organizations, e-mail lists, publications and more. Other experts offer their advice in articles on breastfeeding, attachment parenting a preemie, breastfeeding multiples, weaning from the family bed, and more.
From explaining exactly what attachment parenting is and planning for it during your pregnancy to the family bed, breastfeeding, and practicing attachment parenting techniques once you've returned to work, Granju has
produced a book that will undoubtedly become the definitive guide in the field.
This month's activity
Each month, Book Bits provides you with an activity you can enjoy with your children based on one of the reviewed books.
Learning to appreciate nature (The First Forest)
After reading The First Forest, go on a walk with your child. Pay special attention to the trees in the area and talk about the different cycles that trees go through each year. Ask your child what would happen
if the trees didn't get enough light to grow. Talk about how trees help the environment by providing shelter for animals and shade for flowers.
In the fall, allow your child to take some leaves home that have fallen and let them press them in a book to keep.
Links, information and more for you
 Book Bits, Part 1
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About the author: Michelle Pearson ia a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in numerous local newspapers, Chicago Parent and Country Back Roads as well as various online publications. She often writes articles on family and parenting issues with a special interest in work-at-home moms and issues that affect women in both their work and personal lives. You can email Michelle at stoneyknoll@lrnet1.com.
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