*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
And I mean ballet all day, every day.
I truly don’t think that my daughter is going to be a prima ballerina one day, but the joy that ballet brings to her life right now is indescribable. She pirouettes throughout the house, in the yard, at the store, whenever the mood strikes her and will invariably ask to wear some sort of ballet outfit at some point in the day. We change a lot. We recently found The Ballet Brigade on YouTube and visit my sister just so that she can watch the newest episodes of On Pointe on Disney+. I think our Leap! and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms DVDs are wearing out, though one plus is that she was introduced to Andrea Bocelli, who sings Fall On Me with his son at the end of the movie and now loves dancing to his mellow tenor tones. But what truly tops it all right now are books. Ballet books to be exact.
Until my daughter started asking for more books with ballet themes, I didn’t realize how many were out there. Fiction, non-fiction, sticker, coloring, you name it and they are there and many now reside in our home. Of course, my passion for books fans the flames and I’m a sucker for a well-illustrated rhyming tome such as the Miss Lina’s Ballerinas book series by Grace Maccarone. And what child can embrace ballet and not know of that famous mouse from across the pond, Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird? If you’re a fan of You’ve Got Mail (can’t even count how many times I’ve watched it), you should be aware of Ballet Shoes, one of the shoe books by Noel Streatfeild, which just had a revival reprinting, as a matter of fact.
As an Usborne Books & More Independent Consultant, I am thrilled that they have ballet themed titles because I absolutely adore their books. Not just the quality of the books themselves, but the illustrations and stories as well. UBAM offers ballet stories, a musical book and, of course, a few sticker books (one of UBAM’s specialties). Can’t go wrong with Usborne and Kane Miller books, so if you need to find a consultant, look no further! ? You can see UBAM's selection of ballet themed titles on our new Ballet Books list.
A few other ballet books we think deserve a moment in the spotlight... 
B is for Ballet: A Dance Alphabet by John Robert Allman.
Presented by the American Ballet Theatre, this new, slightly oversized picture book provides ballet enthusiasts of all ages with a wealth of information through rhyming text and eye-catching illustrations. While I occasionally find myself stumbling through the rhymes because of certain ballet terms and names (gotta work on my French and Russian pronunciations), the book is still such a joy to read aloud and learn from. Included in the back are lists of terminology, famous ballets, choreographers and dancers. 
Boys Dance! by John Robert Allman
Ballet isn't just about ballerinas in pretty pink tutus and pointe shoes. Ballet is for boys too. After all, what would a ballet be without its men? Can you really have Cinderella without the Prince? Who would awaken Princess Aurora without Prince Désiré?! Thankfully the American Ballet Theatre knows the value of boys who love to dance and have created this delightful story just for them. Through lively, rhyming text, this story highlights the dedication, hard work, and strength it takes to be dancer. At the end, you'll find interviews with male dancers of the American Ballet Theatre that offer a firsthand look at what it's like to be a boy who loves ballet. 
Bunheads by Misty Copeland
Copeland is featured in the movie The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, a favorite film in our household, so when I saw that this book was written by the famous ballerina, I knew we had to read it ourselves. My daughter was captivated by the story, with its detailed descriptions of the ballet, Coppelia, as well as the supportive friendships amongst the young dancers in the story. If you do not have access to a copy of Bunheads, you can actually hear Misty Copeland herself read it on YouTube thanks to PBS. 
Ella Bella Ballerina series by James Mayhew
Young Ella Bella attends Madame Rosa's ballet class at the old theatre, a magical place where anything can happen. When Ella Bella opens Madame Rosa's enchanted music box, she finds herself whisked off into the stories of famous ballets: Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Swan Lake, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Nutcracker and The Magic Toyshop. Each title in this series more charming than the last, with whimsical illustrations that perfectly capture the beauty of each ballet. 
Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle
A mutual love of dance has the power to inspire and encourage lasting friendships, but even the best friendships take a bit of work. This wordless book from the extremely talented Molly Idle is not specifically about ballet, although the dance that Flora and her new flamingo friend engage in, after some practice, is certainly as graceful and elegant as the best pas de deux. 
Swine Lake by James Marshall
Swine Lake...get it? A down-on-his-luck, hungry Big Bad Wolf happens to acquire tickets to the Boarshoi Ballet's performance of Swine Lake. Sitting in his private theatre box, the wolf makes plans to dine on the performers, but as he watches the pigs prance across the stage, he finds himself completely captivated with the ballet. The wit and humor in this story are incomparable and appealing to readers of all ages, and the vocabulary is absolutely superb, but what else would you except from such a duo as James Marshall and Maurice Sendak? 
Tallulah's Tutu by Marilyn Singer
Tallulah just knows she will be a great ballerina, if only she had a tutu! She attends her first ballet class and learns the basic positions and does very well. At the end of class she is sure she will finally get a tutu, but sadly, her hopes are dashed when all she receives is praise and a hug from her teacher. This does not go over well with our friend Tallulah. Now, many parents will say they dislike this book because of Tallulah's rather bratty reaction to not receiving the tutu she so longs for, but I find that her reaction, like those of other characters such as Fancy Nancy, provides a teachable moment and, in the end, Tallulah does learn the value of patience and that the rewards are that much sweeter when you put in the hard work to earn them.
For more ballet books, check out our new list and don’t forget to search your local library and bookstore.
**A quick note: many ballet books may seem beyond your little one, what with their unique vocabulary, but remember, a child’s listening comprehension far exceeds their reading comprehension in their early years, so spend some snuggle time with your dancer by reading to them.**
I’m so glad that my daughter’s been able to get back to actual in-person ballet classes and her ballet wardrobe continues to grow as well, thanks to her grandmother who even found ballet underwear! Who knew? Though she’s only five, I feel that it’s important to indulge a child’s passions when you can for every experience not only adds to their wealth of background knowledge, but also adds to the wonderful well-rounded adult that they will eventually become. I’m just glad that she chose quiet ballet and not tap. Sorry tap parents.
“Life without ballet would be pointeless.”
Dance On!
-Kate @ BTBL Author
We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 5) for Kate, and two sons (now 3 and 1) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.
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*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
Today marks the start of a new week, at the beginning of a new year, which means getting off to a fresh start working toward goals, completing chores and all that jazz. But for us this has been one of the Mondayest Mondays in the history of Mondays.
Our plan was a simple one. Get back to business, specifically school business, after the holiday break and take care of a few household chores. Great. No problem. We got this! Everything was off to a fine start. My daughter was fully engaged, reading our morning message on the board all by herself, being 100% attentive during storytime and making no fuss about working in her workbook. It was a homeschooler’s dream morning. So, I thought I would attend to a couple quick chores of my own while she was getting her work done. My plan? Touch up a few spots of chipped paint around the house from taking down holiday decorations. Nothing strenuous. Shouldn’t take too long. Oh…how wrong I was. Life is just full of little surprises. The gallon of paint had been sitting down in the basement since its last use, so I picked it up to give it a good shake to make sure the paint was nicely mixed up. Turns out I shook it a bit too well, when the lid opened up and a river of paint began to flow out onto the dining table. At my exclamation of surprise, my daughter came running in to see what had happened and thankfully jumped into action when I said I needed paper towels, STAT! In the process of cleaning up the mess we managed to create an even bigger mess as paint magically appeared on every surface we neared, including ourselves. (Thankfully I was still in the middle of laundry.) Each time I turned around I swear there was another smear of paint…on the edge of the table, the chairs, the counter, the handle of the dishwasher, the kitchen towels…you name it, there was a drop of paint on it…EXCEPT the floor. Miraculously, the rug was spared. Things can only get better from here, right? HA! Sure. While getting dinner ready, the bacon stuck to the non-stick pan. Bacon! In a non-stick pan! STUCK?! Is that even possible??? I assure you it is entirely possible, it happens and it’s messy.
All these little bumps in our day made me think of the classic story, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst and the wise words at the end of the story:
It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
My mom says some days are like that.
Well, when that thought popped into my mind, I of course had to pull out our copy of the book to share with my daughter, which sparked an impromptu storytime of books about having a not-so-good day.
Moral of this long story?
Sometimes your day may not go quite as you had hoped or expected it to. Messes happen, but they can be cleaned up. Days like these make for some great stories to laugh about later and they can lead to some spectacular reading inspiration too.
Anywho…happy Monday, friends. We wish you a very happy Monday ?
-Kate @ BTBL Author
We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 5) for Kate, and two sons (now 3 and 1) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.
*Note: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
Today marks the second day of National Family Literacy Month. This is a month that has been designated to bringing attention to getting the whole family involved in bringing literacy to the forefront. Study after study has shown that reading aloud is the most important activity that you can engage in with your children to prepare them for reading on their own and to raising a future reader, opening a plethora of future possibilities.
Reading aloud is best started right from the beginning with infants, giving them the opportunity to listen to your voice as you read stories and looking at illustrations but if you didn’t start reading to your child when they were an infant, there is no better time like the present to begin. Reading aloud to your child will help with vocabulary, writing skills, memory, attention span and builds background knowledge, giving them an understanding of their world and also teaching empathy. Don’t forget to read with feeling and excitement, using different voices when possible. Look at the illustrations together and see if they hold clues to the story, characters and subsequent outcome. Be sure to make it a fun experience that builds curiosity so that children will gain a fondness for books and don’t forget to share books from your childhood as well.
If you aren’t sure what to read, check with your local bookseller, library or check out ourbook lists. Some of our go-to read alouds include:
Remember that National Family Literacy Month includes the entire family and that reading aloud is not enjoyable and beneficial for children alone. Adult children reading to their aging parents, adults reading to other adults and even beginning readers reading to others to gain confidence should all be included this month and beyond. Reading is a gift, meant to be shared.
Happy reading!
-Kate @ BTBL Author
We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 5) for Kate, and two sons (now 2 and 1) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.
*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
We’re back with a week filled with yummy book suggestions and ideas. This week we are featuring the works of Laura Numeroff. You may not recognize her name right off but we are sure that you will know her books or at least their titles. This week we are specifically featuring:
There are several more fantastic books in this series. We have chosen to focus on certain of the food related titles as part of our Bookworm Bakers division.
**If you don’t have the actual book at home, read alouds can be found on YouTube**
These books are always a fun read and what we like to do with them is to actually make the food that the book features. Books and baking seem to go together and getting kids in the kitchen is not only educational but also builds life skills. Cooking with young children aids in hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Cooking can also be used for patterning, sequencing and basic math skills. Children who help with cooking and baking also gain confidence, a sense of pride and accomplishment and learn about responsibility, not to mention the social and creative aspect of cooking together. If you aren’t prepared or into cooking and baking, have kids make the featured food from paper, felt or other craft supplies. You can also include math skills by having your child(ren) count out chocolate chips, sprinkles etc., double or half a real recipe or figure out how many cookies, cupcakes etc. each member of your family will get to make it even.
To make things even easier on yourself and to offer more fun options to your child, visit Mouse’s website. There you can be introduced to all the characters, see a list of all the books and find related activities and games. You can even watch the animated series on Amazon Prime Video, which my daughter absolutely fell in love with since she is already familiar with the characters. Read the books or watch a read aloud online and then check out the animated series. It will be a fun addition to the books.
Happy reading and baking!
-Kate @ BTBL
Follow us on Instagram (@btbliteracy) to keep up with the books we're reading and activities we're doing.
Author
We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 4) for Kate, and two sons (now 1 and a newborn) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children. “Education is meaningless without manners.”
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Etiquette is a set of rules that a society follows that allows people to get along and avoid conflict. The rules of etiquette are the guiding codes that enable us to practice manners with common sense and a generosity of spirit. A polite child becomes a well-liked child who gets noticed in a positive way.
To raise a polite, kind, well-liked child, teach them to:
- Always say “please” when asking for something (also “yes please.”)
- Say “thank you” when receiving something or after visiting another home (also “no thank you.”)
- Say “bless you” after someone sneezes.
- Don’t interrupt when others are speaking.
- Don’t talk back or make excuses.
- Say “excuse me” to gain someone’s attention, to leave a group, to get around someone in their way and after a burp or a sneeze.
- Keep opinions to yourself. As the saying goes, “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
- Be respectful in word and deed. In other words, be kind to others through your actions and don’t use foul language.
- Always show respect for others. You don’t have to like everyone but you do have to respect them.
- No teasing or bullying EVER! Accept everyone for who they are, differences and all.
- Be patient and attentive, especially when someone else is speaking (listening to a teacher, at church, during a performance, etc.) Though they may be bored, teach them it is polite to feign interest so that when they are performing or speaking, others will be polite in turn.
- Hold the door for people behind you.
- Offer to help others and understand that “a good deed is its own reward” and that others need not always reciprocate.
August, considered the Sunday of summer. Enjoy the last hurrah by continuing to bond with your children visiting parks, museums, nature centers and the beach. Look for opportunities where you can broaden their horizon and build background knowledge and remember that when you can’t take a trip, read a book to bring another world to life.
This final month of summer we celebrate...
2nd: National Coloring Book Day - Break out the crayons, markers, colored pencils, paints or whatever coloring tool you prefer on this day. Find coloring pages that feature favorite characters or in some way apply to the stories you have read aloud recently.
9th: Book Lovers Day - Turn your child into a book lover by reading daily and offering a variety of titles.
10th: National S’mores Day - Celebrate this auspicious day by not only enjoying s’mores but by reading as well. A fun title to consider is The Marshmallow Incident by Judi Barrett.
25th: National Park Service created in 1916 - Enjoy a walk through a park and take the time to appreciate nature. Bring along a guide such as Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail or Backpack Explorer: Beach Walk if you decide to go the lake or ocean.
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Author/Illustrator Lane Smith’s Birthday - Read one of Lane Smith’s many great titles to your child. Perhaps start with It’s a Little Book and then It’s a Book.
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“Breathe in that sweetness that hovers in August.”
Denise Levertov
Happy reading and playing!
-Kate @ BTBL
-Kate @ BTBL
Author
We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 3) for Kate, a son (now 1) and another little boy expected this year for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.
Author
We are mom Sandra and daughters Amanda and Kate, all with backgrounds in literacy and education, who want to share our philosophy of taking the basics of life; books, simple toys that encourage play, imagination and creativity, and using cooking and baking to teach math and real life skills to raise happy, inquisitive children. Join us in exploring the old and the new and sifting through the myriad of research to consider what is best for our children.
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