Great Children's Literature: Mbutu's Mangos

Mbutu's Mangos by Zaccai Free and illustrated by Vidya Vasudevan is another excellent book by Solar Publishing (see My Mom Hugs Trees). The story is a reflection of Zaccai's experiences living in Central America, in which he learned about "plants, people, and the simple life". … [Read more...]

Great Children's Literature: My Mom Hugs Trees

I have to admit, I am a mom who hugs trees. There's even a black and white self-portrait of me hugging a cedar tree in my mother's house. Since before my children were born, I have hiked to a sacred yew tree on my land, hugged it, and said my prayers several times a … [Read more...]

Great Children's Literature: My Daddy is a Pretzel

I love this book! Well, maybe I am a little biased, since I love yoga, but I think the simple text of this book intermixed with yoga poses is genius. Written by Baron Baptiste and illustrated by Sophie Fatus, My Daddy is a Pretzel: Yoga for Parents and Kids introduces some … [Read more...]

Great Children’s Literature: A Forest of Stories

A Forest of Stories, by Rina Singh and Helen Cann, is a collection of "magical tree tales from around the world." These folktales reign from China, Guatemala, Japan, India, Nigeria, Israel, and Morocco. As Rina explains in the introduction to A Forest of Stories, Trees are here … [Read more...]

Children's Literature: Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon

My daughter is a vegetarian, a choice she made on her own as a four-year-old. I am a vegetarian, but her father eats fish and the rare locally-grown beef. As a toddler, we let her make her own food choices, as I figured her body would tell her what healthy choices she … [Read more...]