Most of you must have gotten the "send one book, get 36 back" invitation in your Facebook Timeline, while I still believe that books are still the best way to nurture the kids' imagination, and sending one book to a kid is always, always a good idea no matter which way or scheme you're giving it to them, I personally just dread the idea of receiving 36 books! I know that mathematically speaking receiving 36 books is not a guarantee but as of the moment the house can't contain any more books. So I'm not ignoring my friends tagging me it's just that I have this #bayareaproblem and I'm one of the San Francisco residents who lives in a shoe.
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| our small book case, more inside the cabinet, inside the kids' ottoman and in the garage |
I used to buy books for the kids, from Barnes and Noble, Library book sale and garage sales until I realized I don't live in a typical american 1 acre house. But I didn't give up books completely, instead I made use of the public library. Before, I'd bring the kids there and let them choose books to take home but when dinosaurs are coming out of my ears already, I thought it's high time that I put variety on the topics I read to them.
That's how I learned to use our online library system, where I start by going to Barnes and Noble, take note of the latest or recommended children's books, OR getting book tips from mommy blogs then search the book title thru the online card catalog and place a hold on the book. Then after a few days the library will just send me an email when he book is ready for pick up. All for FREE and no need to make space on our already crowded bookshelf.
Which brings me to my main purpose of writing this blog: to recommend the book Madeline. If you're one of the moms who is searching for the next good book for your kid. I found this through I Can Teach My Child blog who also wrote about activities you can do after reading. It's not only a nice children's story but I also enjoyed reminiscing my time in Paris because the book showed many popular spots in the unforgettable city. Plus it's written in such a way that you can discuss many topics like Parts of the Body, Math (e.g. counting the 12 girls in two lines, 6 girls per line, 12 minus one when Madeline was in hospital) and even French geography and culture (e.g. they eat bread not rice).
Here's how my little one enjoyed the book and the activities after reading it.
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| color Madeline and point the different parts of her body |
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| Create Duplo Eiffel Tower |
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| yatta! |
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| put your hands on both your ears, and hop along the straight line |
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| where is Paris? |
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| "travelling" from San Francisco to Paris |
References for the activities:
