As you all know we were excited to be a part of Mother Daughter Book Reviews celebration during Children’s Book Week, and part of that celebration was to have a giveaway right here on JIAB. Readers were encouraged to enter-to-win my book The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to Our Garden.

This book was the “book that started it all” for Audrey Press/Jump Into a Book. 

SO, without further delay the winner of the Fox Diaries is….

Congrats Misty!

SPEAKING OF THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL….

If I had to choose one word to sum up the success of The Fox Diaries, it would have to be Connection.

It was back in 2009 when the foxes first arrived in my yard.  I was just enamored with this special connection I felt with these beautiful animals and the interactions I had with them. It’s as if time stopped, the veil between being human and animal was lifted, and for the first time I viewed both the foxes and myself as sharing the same home, the same world.

When I initially shared the story of my little foxes on my personal blog, thousands of people would show up on Thursdays to check in on our little garden visitors. Through those visits I’ve met so many wonderful people who are equally enchanted at the thought of a fox family living in their yards. Without the foxes, I would have never made such wonderful friendly connections with people from 6 continents.

Our blog visitors, family and friends started asking if I was going to make a book about the foxes. That’s when I looked into publishing and decided I wanted to not only write books but be a publisher. The greatest connection from starting Audrey Press was the reconnection to my mother. Audrey was my mother. She was one of my greatest supporters in life and passed away when my youngest was 4 months old. The first thing I thought of when thinking of a name for the publishing house was Audrey. Mom is with me everyday, through every adventure and creative moment.

One day the doorbell rang and it was the FedEx man with a padded envelope. I wasn’t expecting anything that day but when I opened it, there was that cute little fox looking at me. The moment that book was in my hands I felt success. I didn’t need one more thing to happen. Holding my fox book was enough. Happen it did though, The Fox Diaries has gone onto be a great success and I think it stems from feeling connected to the project and being authentically who I am. More than that I can’t give a reason for the success but I’m grateful for it.

Fast forward to the Spring of 2013.

 

AND not only will you get this wonderful book at the reduced price of $8.95, I will personally sign each copy sold.

Use the coupon code foxspring at checkout HERE and leave a comment below as to how/or who you’d like to the book signed.

But don’t delay. I am only offering this special sale price until May 31st, 2013.

As always, thank you for your support (the foxes say “thank you” too and watch for more fox updates to come!

Want to know more about our “Fox-Filled Spring?” Ask me questions on the comment box below and let me know if you’d like to see more of these delightful creatures who reside in our garden.

The post The Fox Diaries: How It All Began (And the Newest Chapter in the Fox Saga!) appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Don’t have your eCirriculum yet? Click the link below and head over to Nature Nester for more details and ordering info:

Click here to visit A Natural Nester.

The At Home Summer Nature Camp is a creative, affordable alternative to pricey summer camp, this 8-week eCurriculum is packed with ideas and inspiration to keep your kids engaged and happy all summer long. In one easy-to-follow PDF, you receive eight kid-approved themes, each including ideas and tutorials for: outdoor activities, indoor projects, arts & crafts, recipes, field trips, books & media, and more. Every weekly theme is packed with summer nature fun your family can have right in your own backyard!

Jump Into a Book is very proud and excited to be one of the many “Camp Counselors” and bringing fun, enjoyment, and family activity to your upcoming summer.

Themes include: An Edible Garden, The Night Sky, At the Beach, A Spot in the Shade, Ponds & Frogs, Rain Rain, Wildflowers & Bees, and Sun Fun.

Want to see what your Summer Camp activities include? Here’s a sampling:

• A DIY Telescope by Sarah at Imagine Childhood
• Homemade Honey Ice Cream by Ashley at Small Measure
• Raindrop Watercolor Painting by Kara at Simple Kids
• Book & Media Suggestions hand-selected for every theme by Valarie at Jump Into a Book
• Make a Solar Oven by Amy at Mama Scout
• Plant a Pizza Garden by Suz at Slow Family Online
• Pitch a Backyard Tent by Heather at Shivaya Naturals
• Take a Puddle Walk by Debi at Go Explore Nature
• Go on a Farmer’s Market Scavenger Hunt by Shawn at Awesomely Awake
• Kid-Tested Herb & Yogurt Veggie Dip Recipe by Leah at Skill It
• A City Bus Tour Field Trip by Erin at Exhale. Return to Center
• Stock a Nature Study & Play Bag by Gina at Connecting Family & Seoul
• Small World Beach Play by Kat at Creative Playhouse

AND MUCH MORE.

Jump Into a Book will be reviewing, sharing, and jumping into 8 different kidlit books (one every week) for endless fun and activities that can be enjoyed as a family. We are so looking forward to sharing this amazing event with our readers and their families. These bookjumps will take place right here on JIAB so check back or be sure and subscribe via email to stay up-to-date with the action.

The At Home Summer Nature Camp is $39.99 for all 8 weeks – that’s just under $5 a week people!

If you have grabbed your e-Curriculum yet I highly recommend hopping on board and “jumping” into the fun Click the link below for details and ordering information. Welcome to Nature Summer Camp!

Click here to visit A Natural Nester.

The post IT’S TIME! The At Home Summer Nature Camp eCurriculum has Begun! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

It Friday App-y Hour! Appy Hour Book Apps for Kids is a recurring feature where we share great finds in the realm of entertaining and educational book apps for kids. This week I discovered a delightful book from Little Pickle Press and Kite Readers called Ripple’s Effect.

Ripple’s Effect by Shawn Achor and Amy Blankson with beautiful illustrations by Cecilia Rebora is a look at how one little dolphin can change the world for so many around her.

Recently moved to a new water aquarium , Ripple tries to get the lay of the land or sea, I should say, when the biggest, meanest shark you could ever imagine, scared, bullied and sometimes even ate the other fish.

Determined not to live a life in fear, Ripple started creating fun for herself and all the others by spinning, twirling, and creating bubbles.

It’s not long before Ripples becomes the sharks new target. It’s the trainer, however, who shares a deep truth with Ripples that “Dolphins were made to play and laugh and smile. ”

Soon Ripples spreads her sense of fun to the whole aquarium that even the shark’s friends were asking “Why do the have all the fun?”

Snark the Shark , feeling threatened by all the happiness, tries to stop it with his usual tactics but Ripple does something very unexpected, she issues a challenge: look each other in the eye for one minute while smiling. 

Did Snark the shark smile? You’ll just have to read this kind and gentile book to find out.

iBooks: http://kyte.ws/nk-ripple
Amazon: http://amzn.to/10ItVut
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/12yjGMi

NOTE: Another fun fact about Ripple’s Effect is that authors Amy Blankson and Shawn Achor are brother and sister!

Shawn is the founder of Good Think, Inc and is also the author of The Happiness Advantage. Amy is a positive leadership consultant and is a mother of three. Shawn and Amy collaborated on Ripple’s Effect and are hoping it will inspire young people to make a positive difference in their world.

Something To Do:

Take the Challenge

Can you look someone in the eye for one minute while smiling without laughing ? I bet you can’t but you’ll sure have a good time trying.

Another version of this challenge is to look someone in the eye for one minute or longer without smiling and see if you can get them to crack. The first one to laugh “loses” . Usually everyone ends up laughing and you forget who laughed first. 

Both versions bring great joy into the day.

Dolphin Bananas

It’s time for dolphin bananas!

I promise you’ll never want to eat banana the normal way again. You’ll always want them “dophin-ized.”

Supplies:

• Bananas
• Whole Cloves
• Red or Green Seedless Grapes
• Knife
• Tray or plate

Take a banana, Cut off the bulky part of the tip.

Slice the tip in half towards the banana to make the mouth.

Put a clove on either side of the head for the eyes.

Cut the bottom of the banana so the dolphin can stand in the grapes.

Spread out the grapes onto a tray or plate and stand up your dolphins.

 A healthy AND fun summer snack!

The post Appy Hour Book Apps for Kids: Ripple’s Effect by Shawn Achor and Amy Blankson appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Leo Lionni, an internationally known designer, illustrator, and graphic artist, was born in Holland and lived in Italy until he came to the United States in 1939. He was the recipient of the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was honored posthumously in 2007 with the Society of Illustrators’ Lifetime Achievement Award. His picture books are distinguished by their enduring moral themes, graphic simplicity and brilliant use of collage, and include four Caldecott Honor Books: Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Hailed as “a master of the simple fable” by the Chicago Tribune, he died in 1999 at the age of 89.-Amazon

Our winsome friend the inch worm is such a talent.

He can measure anything under the sun, from a robin’s tail,

a toucans’ beak, a hummingbird,…

…and many more ultimate measures. But when a nightingale threatens to eat him before breakfast unless he can measure her song, the inch worm’s wit saves the day and his life.

A simple colorful story which will be read again and again. Get your copy of Inch by Inch HERE.

Something To Do:

Let’s Make an Inch Worm

Supplies:

• Scissors
• Foam Sheets in various colors
• Hole Puncher
• colored pipe cleaners
• very small pom-poms for the head
• small wiggly eyes

1.  Cut the foam into 1/2 inch strips.
2. Fold the strip back and forth into an accordion fold.
3. Punch a hole through each square of the foam sheet. I punched a hole individually and lined it up best that I could.
4.  Thread the pipe cleaner through the holes.                               
5. Fold pipe stem cleaner up on each end to keep the foam pieces folded. Fold the tail end over and  Cut off the excess as needed. 
6. Glue on pom-poms to one end , holding until almost dry.
7. Glue on the eyes onto the pom-pom ball. 

Here’s a fun Toe Caterpillar Leaf Rub craft from Hey Mom, Chocolate Milk. How cute is this?!

See you at Summer Camp!

The post Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni: Book Jump and Craft Activities appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

 It’s Children’s Book Week!

Children’s Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading.

Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, commemorative events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes — wherever young readers and books connect!

In honor of Children’s Book Week Mother Daughter Book Reviews has joined forces with Youth Literature Reviews to host a fun Blog Hop in honor of Children’s Book Week. Together, these two amazing bloggers have created a dynamic and engaged community of children’s books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists, as well as parents seeking out their next great read.

During this next week, children’s book or teen literature bloggers, authors and publishers who desire to share copies of a fabulous book are joining together in a fun and educational giveaway(s) for fabulous children/teen’s books, gift cards, cash, or other prizes. What better way to celebrate Children’s Book Week?

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

(See extended blog hop list below)

AND…we are having a GIVEAWAY!

My book The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to Our Garden was the “book that started it all” for Audrey Press/Jump Into a Book.

From forest to front yard, have a rare glimpse into the private lives of a momma fox and her four baby kits. Watch in awe as these baby foxes learn to navigate this wild and wonderful world, discovering equally its danger and treasures. Come and meet Momma Rennie and her little fox family and share with them this magical journey called life.

This 80 page hard cover book is magically illustrated by award-winning illustrator and book designer Roscoe Welply and is the perfect book for your Summer Reading Book Shelf.

ENTER TO WIN your own copy of The Fox Diaries: The Year The Foxes Came to Our Garden. One lucky winner will win a copy and the giveaway ends May 19th at midnight ET.

Disclaimers for the Giveaway:

• *Must be 18 years or older to enter
• *One entry per household.
• *Staff and family members of Audrey Press are not eligible.
• *Grand Prize winner has 48 hours to claim prize
• Winner must have mail service in their area.
• Participants in this giveaway may receive future emails from Jump Into a Book
• By entering you give us permission to use your name and profile information to announce as a winner. If you want to know who won, the winner’s name will be announced on Twitter/Facebook as soon as possible.
• The winner will chosen via Random.org and will be announced on May 20th, 2013. Winner has 48 hours to respond and claim prize or a new winner will be selected.

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

More Giveaways HERE!

This is a Blog Hop!(With prizes and Giveaways!)

1.
~Mother Daughter Book Reviews (WW)
2.
~Youth Literature Reviews (US/CAN)
3.
~Cover Reveal + Book Giveaway + $30 Gift card (WW)
4.
~Jemima Pett – Princelings of the East Giveaway (WW)
5.
~Jump into a Book “The Fox Diaries” (WW)
6.
~The Blue Daisy Book & Amazon Gift Card Giveaway (US)
7.
~J. R. Barker
8.
~The Tale of The Slimy Spitball (Madison and GA)
9.
~Kinxs Book Nook (US)
10.
~CREATE WITH JOY (WW)
11.
~Diane Estrella @ Thats What Im Here For. . . . (US)
12.
~Books for Kids (WW)
13.
~PragmaticMom (US/CAN)
14.
~The Measured Mom (US)
15.
~Cover Reveal & Giveaway – The Fallen Pharaoh (Quest 3) (WW)
16.
~The Ninja Librarian (WW)
17.
~Snacks for Max (US)
18.
~All Done Monkey (WW)
19.
~Anastacia Writes – Book Giveaway! (US)
20.
Mary @ SweepingMe (INT)
21.
~Author Crystal Marcos (INT)
22.
Bowtie Brownlee Goes to School
23.
~Muse It Up Publishing Books for Tweens (WW)
24.
~Suzannes Thoughts for the Day
25.
~Palace of Twelve Pillars US/CAN
26.
~Guiltless Reading (INT)
27.
~The Cellophane Queen (WW)
28.
~Kidsmomo (US)
29.
~The Story of a Writer (WW)
30.
~Kid Lit Reviews (US)

The post It’s Children’s Book Week! Join us for a KidLit Blog Hop (and a Giveaway!) appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

As usual, during my weekly on-line travels, I have happened upon some great, fun, and inspiring stories from fellow bloggers. So in honor of Mother’s Day, here’s some of my top picks:

 http://kyte.ws/ecards-mom

We LOVED this Tissue Paper Flowers for Mother’s Day and Spring craft tutorial from the amazing Suz Lipman at Slow Parenting.

Our friend Shannon Kinney-Duh from A Free Spirit Life has a gorgeous course coming this summer called Mothering With Heart. AND there’s a special Mother’s Day discount as well!

Loving fully, finding beauty in the struggle, embracing your intuition, expressing your creativity, being aware of your children’s changing needs, making space for what matters most to you, and building the courage to live your authentic life  - that’s what mothering with heart is all about.

Sparkle Crafts also has a  fun mother’s day trivia jar! Get the details and the templates for this great gift idea HERE.

And lastly, what better way to spend time with mom than to be outside together. We feel this should be a “year-around” thing as well, not just something reserved for Mother’s Day.

With that in mind A Natural Nester has created this amazing At Home Summer Camp eCirriculum and this on-line ecurriculum is your guide to a fun, affordable summer spent exploring your own backyard. This will be coming in very handy for parents since school will be ending just within a few weeks!

This 8-week eCurriculum is packed with ideas and inspiration to keep kids engaged and happy all summer long. It offers 8 kid-approved themes with outdoor activities, indoor projects, arts & crafts, recipes, field trip ideas, book & media suggestions, and more.

The e-curriculum available for download on May 20th, is a full-color PDF that can be read on a computer screen, tablet, or printed out. Designed for children ages 5-11, it is fun and easily-adaptable for all ages! May 20th will be here before you know it. Go HERE to Register and save your spot at “Summer Camp” ASAP!

**This link is an affiliate link

The post Weekend Links: The Mother’s Day Edition appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

I don’t know where you live, but where I live Spring came very late this year and it is still cold and rainy. We’re ready to see the sun. I know many of our friends in the Midwest United States feel the same way.

What if we could bake bread in the shape of the sun and coax it to come out ? That’s exactly what happens in Elisa Kleven’s book Sun Bread.

Today we’re jumping into this edible read as part of our A Natural Nester At Home Summer Camp Summer series.

This very inventive tale with its bouncy rhymes makes for a family classic like no other.

Winter’s chill has set in and spring cannot be found. It’s been gray for days and the sun hasn’t been anywhere. The baker especially misses the sun and sets out to bring some warmth to her gloomy town by baking a sun bread, as golden and glorious as the sun in the sky. As the bread bakes, it’s smell wafts through the town bringing everyone to the bakery to share in its goodness. Even the sun itself had to join in. 

I have to confess that for this blog post I actually baked sun bread yesterday and you know what ?  It works !!

Not only did it bring out the sun but it also brought  two of my children home from college with some of their friends. As we sat around the table eating our warm sun bread with butter, everyone mentioned they had all read this book as a small child. They could recite parts of the rhymes, they remembered the colorful and engaging illustrations and everyone felt that they had recaptured their childhood together while sitting there remembering this book. Since many of them had read this book in school, they never got to actually eat Sun Bread…… until now.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t think there is any better recommendation of a book becoming a classic than this.

Since this book works so well at bringing out the sun, my copy of Sun Bread is now being mailed off to my friend Becky in Minnesota where the snow has finally stopped falling but now the spring rains won’t let up.

May it bring your family much warmth, yummy bread, fantastic memories, and something to talk about years later.

“The sun shines not on us but in us.” –John Muir

Something To Do: A Fun Sun Bread Recipe

The recipe for sun bread is provided in the book. I needed to make some adjustments to it and will write my version for you here. Remember flour and yeast are very fickle things. The same recipe will react differently depending on which part of the country you’re baking your bread in. Please feel free to add flour or water as needed.

There’s one more thing before I share the recipe. You can just make Sun Bread without reading the book and it will taste wonderful, but the real magic happens when  you bake Sun Bread after you read the book.  The bread tastes completely different, almost enchanted !!

Happy Sun Bread Recipe

2013-05-10 07:58:17

Serves 4

A fun and tasty treat to help chase the dark clouds away and coax out the sun.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

2 hr

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

2 hr

607 calories

71 g

247 g

29 g

16 g

16 g

181 g

78 g

10 g

1 g

10 g

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

181g

Servings

4

Amount Per Serving

Calories 607

Calories from Fat 253

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 29g

44%

Saturated Fat 16g

81%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 247mg

82%

Sodium 78mg

3%

Total Carbohydrates 71g

24%

Dietary Fiber 3g

12%

Sugars 10g

Protein 16g

Vitamin A

20%

Vitamin C

0%

Calcium

5%

Iron

10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Does this look wrong?

Ingredients

Mix Well

3 eggs

3 tablespoons of sugar

Combine

2 1/2 cups of sifted all purpose flour

1 stick of melted butter

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat well.

In a small bowl combine

2 packages of dry yeast

3 tablespoons of water

1/8 tsp of sugar

Instructions

Let the yeast mixture stand for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.

Add the yeast mixture to the batter and stir well. I used my kitchen aid for this but you can also do it by hand perfectly well. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be very smooth, and oily looking.

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled.

Punch down the dough, knead for a few minutes, then separate into two portions.

To form the sun's face, shape one portion of dough into a round, somewhat flattened ball, then place on a large greased baking sheet or use parchment paper. With your finger's or a well greased wooden spoon punch in two deep holes for eyes, and a big smile for the mouth. These have to be deep or else they holes will close during rising and baking. Make a nose out of a little piece of dough, rolled into a ball.

To make the sun's rays roll one half of the remaining dough into four long snakes. Starting at one end of each snake, curl it into a snail and place at the top, bottom, and two sides of the sun. Shape the rest of the dough into puffy triangle and place them in-between the snail pieces. Firmly attach all pieces to the sun center using a pastry brush and water. Egg white also works.

Cover the sun and let it rise again in a warm place for about an hour.

Preheat your over to 400 degrees. Bake the sun bread for 20 minutes but watch it carefully. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean the bread is done.

Notes

Remember flour and yeast are very fickle things. The same recipe will react differently depending on which part of the country you’re baking your bread in. Please feel free to add flour or water as needed

By Valarie Budayr

Adapted from from Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven

beta

calories

607

fat

29g

protein

16g

carbs

71g

more

Adapted from from Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven

Jump Into A Book http://www.jumpintoabook.com/

 Enjoy!

Like I mentioned previously in this post, A Natural Nester has created this amazing At Home Summer Camp eCirriculum and this on-line ecurriculum is your guide to a fun, affordable summer spent exploring your own backyard. This will be coming in very handy for parents since school will be ending just within a few weeks!

Jump Into a Book is proud to be a part of the hugely anticipated Natural Nester Home Summer Camp e-Curriculum For  8 weeks we will be a part of this huge event created and hosted by Liz from A Natural Nester.

This 8-week eCurriculum is packed with ideas and inspiration to keep kids engaged and happy all summer long. It offers 8 kid-approved themes with outdoor activities, indoor projects, arts & crafts, recipes, field trip ideas, book & media suggestions, and more. Jump Into a Book is proud to be a “camp counselor” for this event and during the 8 weeks we will be hosting exciting book jumps and activities right here on JIAB.

The e-curriculum available for download on May 20th, is a full-color PDF that can be read on a computer screen, tablet, or printed out. Designed for children ages 5-11, it is fun and easily adaptable for all ages! May 20th will be here before you know it. Register and save your spot at “Summer Camp” ASAP!

The post Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven and Happy Sun Bread Recipe appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

In this elegant read, we ventured into the world and land of India, the God Krishna, and Hinduism in the book The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna by author/illustrator Demi.

When a peaceful kingdom is overtaken by an evil demon, the gods send the child Krishna to the rescue. Hidden amongst the poor and peaceful cow herds, his amazing powers can’t stay hidden from the evil demon king for long. Soon he is under attack from giant birds, a whirlwind demon, and a snake eight miles long. The question is, will Krishna be able to defeat the evil demon king and save the people from his terrible reign? 

Using intricate borders, and colorfully engaging illustrations, Demi weaves together a tale of intrigue, mystery, awe, and wonder as we watch Krishna accomplish many amazing feats. He lifts a mountain with one finger as well as swallows a forest fire in one gulp. He danced on the head of a fire-breathing poisonous snake making its poison and fire disappear. Author Demi opens a window into the world of Krishna for all to see.

The sheer beauty of this book captivated us as we were transported into the world of the demon kings, Krishna, and his solutions to complex problems.

Krishna, at the end of many trials and tribulations, leaves us with these words:

“Everything I have done has been for the peace of the world. For my sake, fill the days and nights of your life with love for all beings. Rejoice, for I shall always be with you in my thoughts.”

The rest of his time here on earth finds Krishna traveling far and wide helping all of humankind and showing them how to live together in peace and joy.

Somethings to Do

Though we’ve had several Hindu friends from India throughout the years, we actually knew very little about the god Krishna and Hinduism. We used the book The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna as an invitation to meet the Hindu world. Our first stop was to have a closer look at this religion and the people who practice it.

Hinduism

Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion. Traces of the religion can be found as far back as 10,000 B.C. . The Hindu scriptures The Rig Veda, were composed around 6500 B.C. Though there are many variations in their tenets of belief, these are the 4 which make-up the essence of the religion.

• Dharma (Ethics and Duties)
• Samsara (Reincarnation and Re-Birth)
• Karma (Right Action. The idea of what goes around comes around.
• Moksha ( Liberation from the cycle of Reincarnation)

Hinduism is a polytheistic religion meaning they have more than one god. Hinduism believes that there is only one supreme Absolute god called Brahman. All of the thousands of Hindu gods and goddesses worshiped are actually aspects of the god Brahman. The Hindu texts are written in a language called Sanskrit. Their major texts are the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata which is Krishna’s story.

Krishna

Krishna is the 8th reincarnation of the god Vishnu and one of the most popular gods in Hinduism. Krishna means the All Attractive One, the Unique Supreme Personality. The Hindus believe in holding the essence of consciousness of Krishna through, yoga, knowledge, meditation, and religion. Hindi The sacred Hindu texts are written in Sanskrit . Sanskrit is the written language and the spoken language is called Hindi. Want to try your hand at Hindi ? Be sure to try to speak a few phrases as well as write a few phrases.

Hindi

The sacred Hindu texts are written in Sanskrit but the spoken version of that is called Hindi. Let’s try a little for ourselves! Be sure to try both speaking and writing.

Yoga

Nowadays yoga is such a popular form of exercise and fitness, but did you know that it comes from Hinduism ? During a yoga session, one puts their bodies in different poses to create a balance between one’s mind, their body, and their spirit. Incorporated into Yoga are moments of meditation and deep breathing.

I found this really fun video series called Cosmic Kids Yoga. It entertained us for quite a while and the kids keep asking if they can watch the next episode.

From Positively Positive and  Jodi Komitor is a great article on the Top 10 Benefits of Yoga for Children.

(photo by positivelypositive)

Celebrations

Happy Janmashtami – Krishna Janmashtami or better known as Happy Birthday Lord Krishna

This holiday is celebrated throughout India and Hindu communities around the world. Krishna’s birthday falls in August or September each year.

During the celebration skits are performed recreating the many feats of Krishna. Take the book The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna and reenact the many adventures of Lord Krishna. Here’s a wonderful video of holiday skits being performed by kids from Southern California. May it give you some great ideas for your reenactment.

People decorate their homes, temples, and streets with very colorful decorations and lights.

( photo by incultureParent)

Here’s a lantern/Deepan tutorial for you to celebrate and decorate your home with Janmashtami .

During Janmashtami, silver coins are given out. Download and Make this lovely gift box or this gift bag and fill it with silver chocolate coins.

The holiday is welcomed with sweet dishes prepared with Krishna’s favorite ingredients Milk & Curds

Til ki Kheer (Sesame Pudding)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup or 100 gm White Sesame Seeds
1/4 cup or 100 gm shredded coconut fresh or dry
1 Cup 40 gm Sugar
1 tbsp Raisins
1 tbsp Cashew nuts broken and soaked in warm water
4-5 no Green Cardamom
1 ltr Full cream milk
1 can Condensed milk

Preparation :
1. Dry roast the sesame seeds and then crush them. Keep aside.

2. Pour milk in a sauce pan and boil for 10 minutes. Stir continuously.

3. Then add condensed milk and stir and cook for another 8-10 minutes.

4. Now put crushed cardamoms and sugar. Stir continuously.

5. Add roasted sesame seeds and shredded coconut. Keep on stirring. Cook for 10-12 minutes.

6. Pour in a serving dish and garnish with raisins and cashew nuts.

Coloring Pages

Demi has created two beautiful coloring pages from The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna

Click here for the first, which is a large (8.5″ x 11″, 258k) image of Krishna playing his flute. This coloring page should be fun for even young children to try—Remember, Krishna’s skin color is blue!

Click here for the second coloring page (8.5″ x 11″, 456k). It will be more challenging because it has numerous dancing Krishnas and cow maids (gopis),which are smaller and probably need a more precise hand and colored pencils or fine-point markers.

Wisdom Tales Giveaway

I think I’ll refer to this giveaway as 15 x 15. Wisdom Tales Press will be giving away 15 copies to 15 lucky winners of The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna on May 15th. The contest is being hosted on GoodReads and is for US residents only. Don’t Miss This !!! You can enter here.

Again we thank our sponsor Wisdom Tales Press for sharing The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna with us. We learned so much and had a great time doing it together.  Happy Reading !!!

The post The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna by Demi appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

So when you embark upon At Home Summer Nature Camp’s “Sun Fun” week, or “Ponds & Frogs” week, all you have to do is take our handy list with you to your local library or hit up Amazon for some quick shopping.

The first book jump in our contribution to the At-Home Summer Nature Camp Series is available now, so head on over and jump into The Bee Tree, plus get a game, a craft, recipes, and more – all about bees. Then, bookmark the post to enjoy this summer along with Wildflowers & Bees week of the nature camp.

BUT, we have one very special perk for those of you who have, or who are signing up for Natural Nester’s At Home Nature Summer Camp….

The chance to WIN all the books you will need for Jump Into a Book’s portion of the Summer Camp!

******* A “Nature Camp Book Bundle” Giveaway! *******

The post An On-line Nature-based Summer Camp and a BIG Book Giveaway! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Spring is in the air (FINALLY). Blossoms are blooming there’s even some activity in our fox den (more on that later).

As the bees start to buzz and the birds start hopping about, I’ve noticed a whole slew of delightful bloggers sharing wonderful nature-based activities. Just in time for summer vacation too. Here’s some of my favorites:

I introduced you to Relentlessly Fun during our The Bee Tree book jump and activity. I still love her creative look at bees, Hexagons, and Honeycombs…all out of toilet paper rolls. Relentlessly Fun has so many fun activities for kids including this incredibly clever The Grasshead Family project!

At JDaniel4′sMom they are enjoying the Read.Explore.Learn series, and  this week made a cute weather headband.

I absolutely LOVE this Daisy Fairy Crown from Nature and Play. Precious!

Earth Day has passed but kids need to be mindful of preserving the earth year-around. I love this article from Go Explore Nature on 7 Ways Kids Can Help Save Trees.

Like I mentioned before, school will be out before you know it. The hectic schedule of the school year is replaced by a more leisurely pace and chance to explore and learn.

A Natural Nester has created this amazing At Home Summer Camp eCirriculum and this on-line ecurriculum is your guide to a fun, affordable summer spent exploring your own backyard!

Jump Into a Book is proud to be a part of the hugely anticipated Natural Nester Home Summer Camp e-Curriculum For  8 weeks we will be a part of this huge event created and hosted by Liz from A Natural Nester.

This 8-week eCurriculum is packed with ideas and inspiration to keep kids engaged and happy all summer long. It offers 8 kid-approved themes with outdoor activities, indoor projects, arts & crafts, recipes, field trip ideas, book & media suggestions, and more. Jump Into a Book is proud to be a “camp counselor” for this event and during the 8 weeks we will be hosting exciting book jumps and activities right here on JIAB.

The e-curriculum available for download on May 20th, is a full-color PDF that can be read on a computer screen, tablet, or printed out. Designed for children ages 5-11, it is fun and easily-adaptable for all ages! May 20th will be here before you know it. Register and save your spot at “Summer Camp” ASAP!

The post Weekend Links: The Nature Lovers Edition appeared first on Jump Into A Book.