Seasonal Books for Kindergarten 2015

Winter Holiday Books for Preschoolers and Kindergartners

The weather is getting colder. Children are dreaming of snow and the holiday season, and teachers and caregivers are looking for fun, new books to share with their students. These 2015 seasonal books are great for preschoolers and Kindergarten too. Enjoy!

We were given three adorable children's books for review, and they are perfect seasonal books for your little ones. One focuses on the joys of snow, one talks about Yetis, and the other focuses on Hanukkah... and Santa.

The Thing About Yetis is a perfect book for preschoolers.

The Thing About Yetis is Vin Vogel's debut book as author/illustrator. It is an adorable book about a fuzzy Yeti. What's a Yeti to do? Like children, Yetis get bored in the winter months.

If you have cabin fever, you'll need something to do to. After you read the story, grab some paper, markers, and cottonballs and make your own Yeti as a companion book project. Just grab some tracing paper and trace the picture on the book cover or let the kids freehand it.

Make a cottonball Abombinable Snowman Yeti Craft.

What's that you say? You don't have a book to trace? Well, you can get one at the library or buy one on Amazon: The Thing About Yetis*, or (if you are a resident of the U.S.) leave a comment to win your very own copy!

Dear Santa, Love Rachel Rosenstein is a cute book to teach about holiday traditions.

Dear Santa, Love Rachel Rosenstein is written by the actress, Amanda Peet and her friend, Andrea Troyer, with illustrations by Christine Davenier. This is a Santa story with a twist. Rachel Rosenstein's family doesn't celebrate Christmas. 

Published by Double Day, this picture book is full of vibrant illustrations that small children will love. It is cute, funny, and it describes some Jewish traditions. However, be prepared to explain why Santa doesn't visit all children- that can be a tricky subject. 

If you want to have a multi-cultural discussion with companion craft activities this book is a great launching point. Little Rachel runs into some friends who also don't celebrate Christmas. They celebrate Diwali and Chinese New Year. 

Recommended:

Make a Craft for Diwali

Make a Craft for Chinese New Year
Star of David Cookie Cutters*

Star of David Cookies

Max and Marla take many adventures. In this latest Peguin Young Readers picture book, by Alexandra Boiger, Max and his pet owl, Marla, are hopeful Olympians. The limited palette illustrations are primarily beautiful shades of blue that don't even need words. Children of all ages will enjoy the story, but the target audience is for preschoolers ages 3-5.

Life is always about the journey, not the destination!

Winter Holiday Books for Preschoolers.

Recommended:

Owl Crafts for Kids
Make a Snowman Craft for Preschoolers
Craft Snow*
How to Make Fake Snow
Mariah Carey Christmas Book Review

ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Book for Tween Boy: The Last Kids on Earth

Looking for Books for Tweens Who Don't Like to Read

Struggling to find a book your teen (or you) will like to read? "The Last Kids on Earth" by Max Brailler fits the bill. This is the ideal book for tween boys and girls. All we had to do was read the book blurb and our kids were clamoring to be the first one to read it! Want your own copy? Scroll down to find out how. Enjoy!

Book for Tween Boy: The Last Kids on Earth .

The Last Kids on Earth is a chapter book with lots of awesome
illustrations by Douglas Holgate. The illustrations are a great way to convince your reluctant reader to try it. The book is great as a group read for younger kids and a perfect tween read for kids 10-13 years old.

What's it about? Yeah, the title says it all.

Ever since the monster apocalypse hit town, average thirteen year old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he's armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hoards of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack's loyal pet monster, Rover; and Jack's crush, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer! Can he do it? 

Want more? Here's a FREE PRINTABLE COMIC DOWNLOAD.

The Last Kids on Earth Book Review

Here's what Jake has to say about it:

• " I loved this book!" "If they don't make a sequel or a bunch of sequels they are crazy! I can't wait to read more."

Good news Jake; the sequel is coming in 2016!

• "I didn't like the idea of having a gigantic monster as the main enemy, but I did like teaming up with your enemies, the apocaplyptic scene, and having to survive as long as you can in a mutated world."

• "If I were writing a book like this, I would probably remove the gigantic monsters. Perhaps, add slightly more danger in it- make them basically nomads. I want more characters!"

• "To survive in a post apocalytpic world, I would gather up all useful supplies in the house and then be a nomad and collect things as I go along."

Want your own copy? Leave a comment below, and you are automatically entered to win. We'll choose a random winner on Oct. 31, 2015. Good luck!

Recommended:


Jake's Journey in Art

The Last Kids on Earth*


*This book was given to us for review, but it is not a sponsored post. All words and opinions are our own.


ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Chitika, Google Adsense, and Social Spark ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Great Read for eReaders: Alicewinks eBook is a modern update to Alice in Wonderland. apps

Did you know it is the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland, the legendary Lewis Carroll children's novel? 

Looking for ebook recommendations for kids? In celebration, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is now a multimedia iBook. Alicewinks brings the timeless illustrations of Alice’s Adventures to life for a new generation. Take a look and check out this interactive media book in iBooks.

Alice Winks is a great ebook recommendation for kids.

The beautiful, early 20th-century pictures include one-hundred and ninety-three original, animated illustrations from twelve different artists, and the images are brought to life by nineteen voice actors. It is more like watching a movie than reading an ebook.

What we love about the book:

• Cultural Immersion. My kids associate Johnny Depp with Alice and Wonderland. While, they love the Cheshire Cat, they thought he was the "Thresher Cat".  With Alicewinks, they learn about classical literature in it's purist form.
• The voice of Alice brings the story to life. Hearing the inflection as she speaks makes some of the subtle humor easier for kids to understand.
• The story is long, but reading the iBook version allows you to pause whenever you like.
•  In May of 2013, Alicewinks received the Kirkus Star for exceptional merit.
• The book is interactive. Kids can easily skip forwarded and back among the pages.
• When I asked the kids if they wanted to skip ahead, they both shouted "no".  Translation = 1-hour of peace and quiet.

"Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it." 

- The Duchess.  

So, what is the moral to this post?  "One story is good until another is told."  The re-telling of Alice in Wonderland in digital format is a great way to share a good, classical story with your kids.

In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland, Alicewinks brings the story’s classic illustrations to life for digital audiences through animated video and rich narration. To download this one of a kind app iBook, click here.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Alicewinks. The opinions and text are all mine.

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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Interested in Amish Life in Lancaster County? We've got a giveaway for Wanda E. Brunstetter's Novels

Do you find Amish life intriguing? There are large populations of Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and many areas of Indiana. Wanda E. Brunstetter writes about the Amish in her series of Lancaster County Saga novels, The Discovery, parts 1-6. You have a chance to win in this giveaway for a preloaded Kindle.

Go to Facebook to download the first chapter for free.

The first book in the series, "Goodbye to Yesterday" focuses on the life of young, Amish couple, Luke and Meredith Stoltzfus. Meredith has a secret she is dying to share with her husband, but after he loses a job she decides to keep her secret. She doesn't want to add to her husband's stress. Over the course of the book, she worries about her husband taking her job and duties as A wife very seriously. Little does she know something is about to happen to her husband. Luke travels to Indiana and meets with trouble along the way. His Amish upbringing has left him a little naive about the ways of people outside of Lancaster County.

I’m excited to be participating in the Discovery Saga online scavenger hunt. For full details on the hunt and how you can participate (and possibly win an Amazon Kindle) please go to the Discovery Saga Scavenger Hunt. 

Okay, Discovery Saga scavenger hunters—the next clue will be posted tomorrow at Rose Knows Coupons. Go visit to find the next word.

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What to Expect Book Trilogy Giveaway for Pin it! Online Scavenger Hunt on Pinterest

We do this fun, interactive scavenger hunt over on Pinterest. Each week, a group of "pinners" search for keywords relating to Preschool Curriculum Ideas. We have a very active group of preschool teachers and mommy bloggers playing. You can follow and get great ideas or request to join as a collaborative pinner. If you join, the board will show up on your Pinterest page and you can pin directly to the scavenger hunt.

This week's winner is Dawn Marelli, a preschool teacher. Follow her on Pinterest to keep up with the many great ideas for the classroom!

For a complete list of rules of the game, join our Facebook Forum. This is a great place to chat with other preschool teachers and crafty bloggers to share ideas. You can also keep in touch with the blog on Facebook ~ Kids Creative Chaos.

Each week, we give away a surprise to the person who received the most re-pins on their image/post. This week's winner won a fabulous trilogy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" books. The old stand by is there with updates, as well as, "What to Expect in the First Year" and "What to Expect Before You're Expecting."  Visit their website for a full list of available books, info for your pregnancy, and even to chat with other moms. Keep in touch with What to Expect on Facebook too!

Special Thanks to them for sponsoring this post and our weekly giveaway.

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What to Expect When You're Expecting Book Giveaway

You've probably heard of the book, "What to Expect When You're Expecting", but did you know they have a website with pregnancy and parenting tips? It's a great resource for New-Moms-to-be. You can track your babies growth, see celebrity moms, and find Mommy Blogs about pregnancy and parenting.

Follow @whattoexpect on Twitter and Facebook/WhatToExpectWhenYoureExpecting 

Check back next week for your chance to win the trilogy! 

Pre-Pregnancy

You're Expecting

The First Year

We'll be giving away copies on our next Pin it! Online Scavenger Hunt on Pinterest.
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History of Play-doh Inspiration for Bloggers

History of Play-Doh: Play Dough

Have you seen The High Calling's Weekly E-newsletter? I was asked to visit the site and give a review. Yeah, I usually dread doing reviews. I have to find something positive to write about it whether I like it or not. I dread it so much, I've actually gone back and respectfully declined when I didn't like the material. Not this one; I loved the story on the history of Play-Doh. Enjoy!

Make Salt Dough at home

Inspirational Play-doh?
Click the image by Dennis Brekke to read more from, The Weekly High Calling.

Hooray! I love this newsletter. It's an inspiration for all people but especially for bloggers, writers, and dreamers. The very first post I stumbled on had me hooked! Someone certainly guided my hand to click on the link. It led me straight to a post about Play-doh.

What you don't know about Play-doh will truly surprise and inspire you. Of course, I love Play-doh; so I had to read more.

How to make play dough at home

So, I scrolled down and clicked on this title for another post:  Don't Mistake Doing What You Love With Doing What's Important. 

Well, someone had given me this advice about a year ago and it resonated. I had to read the article. Awesome. The author, Bradley J. Moore, weighs his options and decides he has done what is best for his family. Who knows where the other path may have lead. 

The newsletter is full of conversations about work, life, and God. Each post in the e-newsletter was inspirational, relevant, and well written. I hope you enjoy it too!

I have been compensated for this post.*

Recommended:

Homemade Clay Recipe













ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Book Review: My Big Bottom Blessing by Teasi Cannon

Angie's Corner                                               Book Review: Teasi (pronounced Tee See) Cannon has a master's degree in pastoral counseling from Liberty Theological Seminary and is a sought-after speaker who loves to help women remember who they are in Christ. "My Big Bottom Blessing" is available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble in paperback or for your Kindle or Nook.

Book Review: My Big Bottom Blessing

My Big Bottom Blessing

How Hating My Body Led to Loving My Life

Published by Worthy Publishing~2012

I reviewed this book for Handlebar Marketing. Once I saw the title and what it was about I couldn't wait to read it. This was a very easy and thought provoking read. Ms. Cannon talks about her struggle with the self defeating thoughts she had dealing with her body image and weight while trying to live a Christian life.  It contaminated her everyday life because she chose to believe those thoughts. Then one day, while away at a Christian seminar with her husband, she was able to realize her actual true self worth and started fighting back at the self defeating thoughts, slowly diminishing them from her thought process.

While not everyone has to deal with weight issues, I feel a lot people have those same self defeating thoughts in their life about something; I know I do. This book asks the hard questions. At the end of each section is a questionnaire that gives you a process so you can start thinking more positively about yourself and start quieting those thoughts that can hold you back and contaminate your life. This will be a book I keep on hand for my daughter as she is reaching the age when she will start to compare herself to other girls and I want her to be able to accept what she looks like and how she is with a positive outlook instead of a negative one.

"Same Life, New Story" by Jan Silvious

'Change Your Perspective to Change Your Life'
"A 10-Week Bible Study for Women"

Published by Thomas Nelson Book Publishers, 2010

Jan Silvious is a professional life coach and Christian author.  Silvious writes in a conversational, easy to read style.  Her book, "Same Life, New Story" is an excellent book for women's bible study groups.  Inside you'll find reflective questions for group discussions and journaling prompts. 

Each chapter discusses a different woman from the Bible.  As you read about her struggles and her story, the author guides you to face your own.  Learn to overcome the past and re-write your personal history.

This is a very easy read.  You'll feel as if you are talking to a cherished friend.  Jan teaches the importance of bouncing back.  Women can perservere through resilience. She reminds us to laugh.  "You may not be a natural wit, but everyone can learn to laugh, and laughter is a huge part of reframing or bouncing back." Don't get stuck in a rut - keep moving forward.  I recommend this book to all women who struggle to find themselves.  Get a group of friends together, start a book club, and start building your new stories today.

Find what lies within you- your story is yet to be told!  Learn more about Jan Silvious at http://www.jansilvious.com/ or follow her on Twitter @jksilvious




Find more books like this @ http://www.booksneeze.com/

"On This Day in Christian History" by Robert J. Morgan Book Review

Here is my first review for Book Sneeze, but it wasn't my first choice. T

he book I had hoped to review wasn't available. So, because I find history intriguing, I decided to give this one a shot, fully expecting to find it too preachy for my liking.

"On This Day in Christian History" is a day by day devotional. Each day an historical event in Christianity is listed under the date it took place. It's easy to read the entire book in a weekend but for those with busy lives it makes a great start to everyday. Events are summed up neatly on one page.

Book review for Book Sneeze.

Although the book is about Christianity, it is in no way preachy, denominational, or exclusive. The stories are about inspiring saints, martyrs, and heroes who went above and beyond after facing difficult choices. A-ha moments abound as we learn about amazing facts that we often take for granted. For Example, Isaac Watts, a small child, liked to rhyme:  "There was a mouse for want of stairs/Ran up a rope to say his prayers".

Later, young Isaac grumbled about the songs at church. His father basically said, 'If you think you can do better than King James- write your own songs'. And, that is exactly what Isaac Watts did. Perhaps you recognize some of them: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", "O God Our Help in Ages Past", and "Joy to the World".

At the bottom of each page is a passage from the Bible that relates to the narrative. Isaac's page lists (Colossians 3:16-17)  With thankful hearts, sing psalms,hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Each day is a neatly pre-packaged history lesson, a prepared hot topic to discuss with homeschoolers, debate in classes, or discuss at the dinner table. Christian or not, if you like history, you will enjoy "On This Day".

Book Sneeze provided me with this copy for review. I'd be happy to share the love. Become a follower here, at http://www.loralangston.com/, and comment on this post to be entered into a drawing. The lucky winner gets my copy!

Join Book Sneeze to enjoy a beautiful, unread book of your choosing.

Or Click here to purchase this book at Amazon.