Merry Christmas, Peeps!

Couldn't imagine a jollier holiday greeting than this illustration by our own Carol Baicker-McKee.  

My Mother's Day Picture Book Picks

by Marcy Collier

As I read my Mother's Day cards and get ready to make brunch for our family, I contemplate what I'll write for my post tomorrow. In my older son's card, he listed reading as one of his favorite activities that we do together. I can remember years ago, Andrea (in our Route 19 group) told me "keep reading to your kids," especially after they have learned to read well on their own. Studies show that kids who continue to have a parent read to them regularly will become even stronger readers. I really believe this, and from reading to the boys from a very early age, they both love to read.

There are so many great books on our shelves, but I'll share three of my top picture book picks.




http://www.amazon.com/Mimi-Carol-Baicker-McKee/dp/B004E3XDYY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336916731&sr=8-1

I remember when Carol used to bring little Mimi in a hat box to show our group various poses of her. When Mimi came out a few years ago, I fell in love with her all over again and so did my younger son. Mimi is by far one of his favorite books. The repetition and the search for Frank is delightful. We also have the tradition that when Mimi gets belly zerberts before bed, we also have to exchange belly zerberts (at least 20). Mimi is one of those books that you can read over and over again and never grow tired of it. Thanks Carol, for such an awesome book and for also answering questions like, "Can you please ask Carol how she made..." (the banana, the yogurt cup, bubbles, etc.).



http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1416968482/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

I bought First Day by Joan Rankin years ago at a conference, and it has also been a regular bedtime story. Haybillybun is not sure he wants to go to Yappy Puppy Play school. Haybillybun tries to get his mom to go to school for him. From the silly names of the students to mom sneaking around the school to rescue her darling boy, it is a charming read for preschoolers.




http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Bot-Ame-Dyckman/dp/0375867562

Our newest favorite story is Boy + Bot written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. I had the pleasure of meeting Ame last year at the NJ SCBWI conference. When I heard that her book was out, I had to buy it for my robot-obsessed five-year old. When a boy and a robot meet in the woods, they immediately hit it off. But when Bot gets turned off, the boy is afraid his new friend might be sick. The usual remedies don't work. But when the boy falls asleep and Bot powers up, he is afraid the boy is ill. This is a book that you can read over and over again. I'm sure you'll also fall in love with it!

Happy Mother's Day!

Best Baby Shower Gift

By Susan Chapek

Invite a kidlit writer to a Baby Shower, and you know what the gift will be: a classic picture book.

We all have our favorites. GOODNIGHT, MOON; GOODNIGHT, GORILLA; TEN LITTLE FINGERS AND TEN LITTLE TOES. . . . Everybody knows them; everybody loves them; everybody else is going to give the same books. Why not bring a new classic?

Here's the one I always bring:

With a handful of rhyming words (sleep, peep, creep, leap, heap…), Julie Stiegemeyer tells a big bedtime story. And Rt 19's own Carol Baicker-McKee provides the perfect illustrations—cuddly, colorful, and funny. One Amazon review notes that they make her little boy giggle until he hiccups.

CHEEP! CHEEP! isn't a board book, but its stiff, glossy cover and thick pages are sturdy enough for baby and toddler handling. (If it's not on your bookstore shelf today, offer a gentle hint to your bookseller to order more copies.)

For a baby shower near the holidays, be sure to add this sequel:

CHEEP! CHEEP! is only the first of several collaborations by Julie and Carol. (Watch for MONSTER CAKE, coming soon to make the pre-K crowd giggle.)

Carol and Julie first teamed up while they were part of a particularly fertile kidlit writers group that met weekly in the Peters' Township Library. Under Pat Easton's leadership, that group saw Cynthia Cotten, Millie Flanagan, and Julie Stiegemeyer—plus Rt19's own Dave Amaditz, Carol Baicker-McKee, Cynthia Light Brown, Kitty Griffin, Andrea Perry, and Judy Press—publish, and publish more.

Every writers group makes its own chemistry, but that group—from about 1996 to 2004—rose to the level of alchemy, I think. Many of us have moved far away, but we still cherish the memories and are nourished by the friendships.

* * *

By the way, one of Julie Stiegemeyer's specialties is making the most of the fewest words. Check out her series of church-time board books THINGS I SEE IN CHURCH, THINGS I DO IN CHURCH, THINGS I SEE AT BAPTISM, and the rest. They are wise and charming diversions for the toddler in your pew.)

* * *

NOTE: The birth of a sibling is a common picture-book theme, but the newcomer is usually portrayed (however humorously) as a monster or usurper. In CHEEP! CHEEP!, by contrast, the older sib is the star of the story, the birth is an exciting discovery, and the newcomer a welcome addition to the snuggly group.

Now that's a bedtime story that won't lead to nightmares.

So if there's an older pre-K sibling in the expectant family--especially one who's been the "only" child so far--then wrap CHEEP! CHEEP! up as a shower gift for the soon-to-be Big Brother or Big Sister.

Potty Training Season

by Marcy Collier

As the summer season approaches, so does the season of potty training. Yes, potty training. Talk about spring showers. Now you’re thinking, have I come to the right blog? Isn’t this a blog about writing? Hang on, you’ll see the tie in. If you’re a mother, you’ve learned patience, right?

I have received tons of great motherly (and fatherly) advice from my fellow Route 19 writers. But one of our members in particular has been my “go to” person for parenting advice. I was fortunate enough to meet Carol in a writing group when I was potty training my first child. At the time, Carol was the potty training expert for Nick Jr. magazine. Every Monday after group, I’d corner Carol with my potty training questions. With Carol’s expert help, I learned some greats tips on how to potty train my kids.

1. Summer is the best time to train your child because it’s easier for him to pull his pants up and down. For a while, I let my son wear only underwear and a long shirt to make it easier for him to use the potty.

2. Wear regular underwear. I made the mistake of wearing pulling ups on my son. He couldn’t feel when he wet himself, or he’d ask if he was wearing a pull-up and then go to the bathroom in his diaper. When I trained my second child, I wore underwear on him from the start and kept a change of clothes ready in case of accidents.

3. Allow your child to help buy new underwear. If he wants to wear the picture of a superhero in the front, let him.

4. Don’t push your child to potty train if he doesn’t seem ready or doesn’t show interest. My first child refused to try until he turned three. When we visited preschool, the teacher told him he had to be potty trained to attend. That incentive encouraged him to try.

5. Keep the potty close. Make it easy and convenient for him to use. Many times a child gets distracted with play and forgets he needs to go. Our potty stayed in my family room at home and next to my desk on a waterproof floor mat at work. If you have a dog, get to the potty before he does or train your child to close the lid immediately. Trust me on this one.

6. Find an easy to clean potty. The first potty I bought for my son had a detachable splash guard and a cushioned seat. It was hard to clean and the pee guard always fell in the pot before he finished. When I potty trained my younger son, I bought a simple, easy to clean potty that my son picked at the store. I LOVED the froggy potty. It had two pieces, a built in splash guard and was a snap to sanitize and clean.

7. Use small rewards right after your child uses the potty. M&M’s worked great for my sons.

I want to thank my friend Carol for all of her motherly advice and wish her and my fellow Route 19 writers a happy Mother’s Day!

Dr. Carol Baicker-McKee holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and has done an awesome job of raising her own three children. If you have children, Carol’s parenting books are a must have. The Preschooler Problem Solver sits on my night stand for quick and easy reference.

The Preschooler Problem Solver

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dbaby-products&field-keywords=the+preschooler+problem+solver

FussBusters at Home: Strategies and Games for Smoothing the Rough Spots in Your Preschooler's Day

http://www.amazon.com/FussBusters-Home-Strategies-Smoothing-Preschoolers/dp/1561452629/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2

Fussbusters on the Go: Strategies and Games for Stress-Free Outings, Errands, and Vacations With Your Preschooler

http://www.amazon.com/Fussbusters-Strategies-Stress-Free-Vacations-Preschooler/dp/1561452637/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_4

Froggy Potty link and reviews

http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Precious-Planet-Froggy-Friend/dp/B001GQ2RW6