MrsK Books: Yuletide Ice Cube Fair by Karen Poth

Friday, November 21, 2014

Yuletide Ice Cube Fair by Karen Poth

Karen Poth

ISBN: 9780310746232

Publisher's Synopsis:

It’s that wonderful time of year again—the Yuletide Ice Cube Fair! It’s a time of festivity and fun as Veggies gather to eat snow cones, slurp slushies, and ice skate on the frozen pond. But the greatest part of all is the Ice Cube Carving Contest! The Veggies are trying to outdo each other in an effort to win the grand prize. But the smallest of all these ice entries is truly the most grand—a carving done by Junior Asparagus. It is a tiny stable with a shepherd on one knee. Young readers discover that it’s not what’s biggest or best that’s most important on Christmas—it’s Jesus.

MrsK's Review:

It's that time of year...Christmas time will once again bring us Heaven's first and everlasting Christmas gift. For one quick moment in time each year children will gather with family and friends to experience God's love. Even those delightfully fun characters from Veggie Tales will celebrate what Christmas means to them.

"The little town was humming. There were children everywhere."

Welcome to the Yuletide Ice Cube Fair! Where everyone can skate on ponds of root beer, where you can "slip and slide" on burlap sacks, and you can sculpt an ice block into what Christmas means to you. What would you carve?

Not only will these color snapping illustrations bring forth the sparkle of the season, but the moments of discussing and judging the ice sculptures is such fun. Our little miss liked the cake and the French Peas design. We delighted in the littlest entry and imagined the lights glowing through the glorious trumpets.

Sharing in the true joy of the season, we anticipate this little book will bring precious memories in continued reading. We are both excited about sharing this tale with all the cousins. I can't wait for their own designs as they create Christmas ice sculpture pictures for their parents!

"May glory be given to God in the highest Heaven!"

Luke 2:14

For this Christmas, spend some fun with this book...
MrsK

So much fun to read, to discuss, to re-read!

Meet the Author:

Throughout her career, Karen Poth has held various positions in the Children's Entertainment Industry including Vice President of Design at Big Idea/VeggieTales, Product Developer at Walt Disney World, CCO of SpringSprang Studio, and Kid's Innovation Strategist at Hallmark Cards. She holds a master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri. She lives with her husband and seven-year-old son in Lenexa, KS.

No comments:

MrsK's Reading Bio

Reading is important! No questions asked, not even a blink of the eye from any student I grew up with. On the first day of the First grade, we were given our first books. Day two we all read aloud, round robin of course. Day three we were place in our first basal, now known as a lit circle group. Books were so important, publishers designed new curriculum so that every student was reading by the end of the first week. These early readers had images that looked like what we could see in the classroom, beyond the classroom, even on the big screen. Reading is important, throughout history every generation has believed that “Reading” opens up the world for endless possibilities.

I adore the 1950’s Dick and Jane books. Actually, most reading specialists and experienced (45+) educators believe that every student learned to read with Dick and Jane. Since these books are being re-issued, I have heard many parents, grandparents, and students claim that Dick and Jane stories of repetition does teach students to read.

Early influences from my mother influenced my desire to read. I would watch her read and we would go on “secret” excursions to the library. The library became my playground. I owned every book I could carry home, of course they needed to be taken back to their home after visiting with me for a week or two. My first book that I could pull off of the library shelf and read was, Father Bear Comes Home. I only saw my dad on Sundays for a few hours. I would pull this beginning reader off of the library shelf every week. Every week I would try to read the first chapter. Every week I got further in the story. My mom would let me check it out, only if I could read it myself (She didn’t like the illustrations therefore she didn’t want to take time to read it to me). One day, I pulled the book from the shelf and when mom came to get me from the children’s corner, I realized that I had read the whole story. I ran to the check out desk and the Librarian KERCHUNKED the checkout card. My mother, brother and neighbors read. My teachers read. We all read aloud all day long in school. The Priest read aloud every day at mass, even in Latin. Everybody in the Doctor’s office read. People on the bus read. Dad’s waiting in their cars as the Mom’s and children grocery shopped, read. In fact, once you could read and write, Sunset Magazine considered you a reader and sent you mail every day.

Reading is important; I’ve spent my life reading. I’ve traveled around the world and into space through books. My favorite genre is whichever book I have open at the time. Children’s Literature is my passion. Book clubbing is one of the best past times, especially if food is involved. In fact my friends of old are in a book club and we are about to embark on a beach trip to “read” and discuss our newest selection.

My “home-run” book story has helped every student find his or her own “home-run” reads. Every year, I have shared my, Father Bear Comes Home, and every year my students have brought in their “home-run” books. That’s the “diving board” into our Lit. Studies.

In “Growing Up Digital,” Tapscott’s insights into the new generations enthusiasm for the Net reminded me of my generation’s enthusiasm for reading, movies, TV, parties and our driving permits. The Net-Generation, as Tapscott describes, “are learning, playing, communicating, working, creating communities, and enforcing a social transformation.”
N-Geners are interactive “techies” who are always looking for a way to “work it” verses the TV Generation of “Baby Boomers” who started out looking for “how it works.” Reading development is tougher today, society moves too fast to invest their “non-working” free time into a book or even “home work.” Since I stepped into my own classroom, I have seen students being told to read, being forced to read, and threatened into reading. Homework is not any longer the vehicle for students to gain their future lifestyles or careers with. Yet, the Internet does create an enthusiasm for learning. Since I have been enrolled in these courses, I have used the computers in every subject. My students are using the newest technology in the classroom because I am giving them investigative sites to use as they learn from each other and books. I agree with Tapscott, in order to bridge the gap with this up and coming generation we must “live and learn with them.”

FTC Required Disclaimer: I receive these books from the publishers. I did not receive monetary compensation for these reviews. These reviews have been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)