Barefoot Books Hosts Story Times With Free Podcast

Barefoot Books Hosts Story Times With Free Podcast

Join Us at www.barefootbooks.com/podcast to Explore Timeless Tales

Today, Barefoot Books, the award-winning independent children’s book publisher, launched The Barefoot Books Podcast at www.barefootbooks.com/podcast, offering families, teachers, and librarians free story times from its collection of books. The weekly podcast features a diverse selection of award-winning children's stories and songs by Barefoot authors and performers. Playfully narrated by celebrated actors, with songs by well-known children’s musicians, the podcasts provide a way for adults and children to listen to stories during family time, before naps, in the classroom, on trips, and whenever a good story is needed.

The Barefoot Books Podcast kicks off with the legendary springtime tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, narrated by Richard Hope and available starting today. Upcoming podcasts will become available each Wednesday and include:

·  The Real Princess, A Mathemagical Tale: Practice your math skills while enjoying this quirky take on "The Princess and the Pea.” Read by actress Juliet Stevenson.

·  The Prince's Bedtime: Meet a young prince who refuses to go to sleep! The entire kingdom comes out to lend a hand in this rhyming bedtime adventure. Narrated by actor Jim Broadbent.

·  The Animal Boogie: Can you boogie? Down in the Indian jungle, the children and animals are learning to leap, stomp, shake and flap while meeting different jungle creatures. Sung by Fred Penner, this podcast will be available in both audio and video formats.

“We are excited to provide a new opportunity for families, teachers, and librarians to share favorite Barefoot Books stories with children through the podcasts,” said Barefoot Books Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, Tessa Strickland. “The podcasts offer an easy and fun way for people to enjoy some of the most popular stories on the Barefoot program, while stimulating their curiosity and opening their minds to the world.”

How to Tune In

All that is needed to tune in to The Barefoot Books Podcast is a computer with Internet access and a speaker, or an MP3 or MP4 player. The podcasts are available on iTunes and at www.barefootbooks.com/podcast. Families can choose from new or archived selections, as well as subscribe through iTunes to be sure to catch each week’s episode. Reviews will be available on the Barefoot Books Facebook Fan page.

About Barefoot Books

Barefoot Books is an independent publisher, with offices in Cambridge, USA and Bath, UK, that specializes in carefully crafted books, gifts and digital content that help children on their journey to becoming happy, engaged members of the global community. Since 1992, Barefoot Books has published more than 400 titles that use timeless stories and captivating illustrations to tap into the wisdom of many cultures, while never forgetting that childhood is a time for fun. Barefoot Books are available online, through booksellers, and its community of Ambassadors. For more information, visit www.barefootbooks.com.  

Anniversaries - A busy day in history

March 31st has an interesting collection of anniversaries. On March 31st in 1732 composer Franz Joseph Haydn was born. I remember going to visit his birthplace when I was ten years old and then hearing some of his music performed in Vienna. It was a wonderful opportunity to get a sense of what Haydn's world was like. To this day I still love his music, in particular the The Farewell Symphony. I have reviewed a wonderful book about this piece of music here on Through the Looking Glass Book Review. You can hear part of the symphony below as performed in 2009 by the Youth Artists Symphony.




The next anniversary of note is the birthday of Cesar Chavez, the labor leader who changed the lives of countless farm workers in America. You can see the books I have reviewed about Chavez here.

Last but by no means least, on this day in 1889 the Eiffel Tower was completed. I have reviewed an excellent book about this much loved piece of architecture here on the Through the Looking Glass Website. This wonderful has come to epitomize France and many people cannot think of France or Paris without thinking almost immediately of the Eiffel Tower.

Happy Passover

Happy Passover and best wishes from Through the Looking Glass Book Review

You can view the books I have reviewed about Passover on the Through the Looking Glass Passover feature page.

A review for Women's History Month - Fannie Farmer cooks up a storm

I read the book reviewed below many years ago, and yet I still remember it with great fondness. Reading the book reminded me that women have brought about change in many ways. Some have done so in big ways that made them front page news, like Amelia Earhart example. Then there are those women who have brought about change in big but quiet ways, like Fannie Farmer. I grew up with a Fannie Farmer cookbook and made my first very flat cake (I forgot to put in something vital) using one of her recipes. I know that when my daughter is ready is strike out on her own, I will give her (among other things) a set of basic tools in a tool box, a sewing kit, some wonderful fabrics for making cushions and curtains, a set of Jane Austen novels, and a Fannie Farmer cookbook.

Fannie in the Kitchen

Deborah Hopkinson

Pictures by Nancy Carpenter

Picture Book

Ages 5 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2001, 0-689-81965-X

   Marcia is most annoyed. Her mother has told her that they are getting a new cook, someone who will be “mother’s helper.” Why should they need such a person when Marcia herself is her mother’s helper? Marcia sincerely hopes, therefore, that the new cook, Fannie Farmer, is going to be terrible. No such luck though. Fannie is an excellent cook, and she is soon teaching Marci some of her kitchen wisdom. It must be noted however that Marci does not always succeed in her culinary exploits and there are some food disasters which Fannie has to help her sort out.

   Not surprisingly Marcia finds herself getting very fond of Fannie, and since her mother is so busy with the new baby, the little girl spends a lot of time in the kitchen, watching and learning. Marcia wishes very much that she knew all of the wonderful cooking secrets that lie in Fannie’s head. When she tells Fannie this, the red-headed cooking wonder comes up with the idea of writing down all the things she knows in a book; the secrets, the tips, the recipes.

   Soon word gets around about the book that Fannie has created, and everyone wants to use it, not just Marcia. It would seem that Fannie Farmer has something very special to offer the world.

   Deborah Hopkinson has created a delicious story about a woman who changed the way thousands of women cook. Fannie made it possible for just about anyone to learn how to cook by developing the first real recipes with exact measurements of ingredients. Her book is still widely used today by cooks of all ages.

   At the back of the book the author gives us a more detailed biography of Fannie and she includes one of Fannie’s famous recipes.

   With great creativity the illustrator combines eighteenth century engravings and her own pen and ink and watercolor illustrations to create one of a kind artwork that gives the reader a sense of the times and that is visually intriguing and unique.

An Anniversary - Harry Houdini's Birthday

On this day in 1874 a very singular person came into the world. His name was Erik Weiss, but when he was a young man he took on a different name, a name that he felt would better suit his career as a performer; he called himself Harry Houdini.

Houdini began his career as a magician, but he soon focused his energies on developing exciting escape acts. He broke out of handcuffs, jumped off bridges with chains wrapped around him, and he was even able to escape from a milk can full of water. No one knew how he did these amazing feats, and he was soon famous all around the world.

I have reviewed a selection of books about Houdini, which you can view here on the TLLG website. I particularly liked The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick. In this title, Selznick beautifully combines fact and fiction to give readers a story that is both fascinating and thought provoking.

For young readers who like a good mystery there are the Houdini and Nate Mysteries. In these titles, a young boy - with Harry Houdini's help - solves some thrilling and often dangerous mysteries.