Books and Stories
Great Green Reads for Earth Day
April 07, 2009
Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd and books are a great way to introduce children to the idea of living "greener lives." Here are a few good choices for your Earth Day reading.
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. This is the original ecological warning book for kiddos. Dr. Seuss understood that we were headed down a dangerous path long ago. Start your reading here.
The New 50 Things Kids Can Do To save the Earth. This book educates kids about the threats facing our planet and gives them tons of great tips and projects ideas that they can do themselves. I like the empowering message of this book.
Curious George Plants a Tree by H.A. Rey. This book tells the tale of Curious George's overzealous efforts at recycling (stealing all of his neighbors newspapers from their doormats). Kids will love all of the things there are to love about Curious George and his mischievous ways and adults will love the tips and positive message about working together to help the environment.
What Can You Do With an Old Red Shoe: An Green Activity Book About Reuse by Anna Alter. This book is another great choice for empowering kids to get up and do something to help the environment. Projects include melting down old crayons into drawing cubes and reusing that old shower curtain as an apron.
Read about the challenges facing our environment, discuss how your family can make a difference and then put those plans into action.
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Reading List: Favorite Christmas Books
December 12, 2008
There are a few books (other than the obligatory telling of The Night Before Christmas ) that we return to every holiday season -- our own Christmas classics. Olivia Helps With Christmas by Ian Falconer. We just adore this sassy little pig at our house and her adventures at Christmas time is a favorite. Ian Falconer tells a sweet story about how Olivia spends Christmas with her family. Read more...
Reading List: Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
December 08, 2008
With the snow on the ground, now seems like a perfect time to head to the library with snow in mind as the inspiration for a wintery reading list. These are some of our favorite tales about the enchanting white stuff. Emmett's Snowball by Ned Miller. This is the tale of a boy and his really, really big snowball. The kiddos will love the charming illustrations. Snowmen At Night by Read more...
Holiday Giving Guide: Five More Books We Love
December 04, 2008
Still shopping? Me too. The Savvy Source has some great suggestions for the little book worms on your list. Last week, I posted about five of my family's favorites. But I couldn't stop there. Here are five more book recommendations. The Princess and the Pea My daughter loves this story. And I love the particularly beautiful illustrations in Lauren Child's version. A must-have for Read more...
Winter Wonderland at the Morton Arboretum
December 04, 2008
The Morton Arboretum is a wonderful resource for young families in the summertime -- and in the winter too. I swear, it is. You just have to bundle up a bit, but there is still tons of family-friendly activities to enjoy. The Morton Arboretum is hosting their annual Winter Wonderland starting this month and running through March. Highlights include the Holiday Railroad that runs along Read more...
Must Reads for Cooking with the Kiddos
November 26, 2008
Some of you foodies out there may already be familiar with cook book author Mollie Katzen from her very popular The New Moosewood Cookbook -- all vegetarian recipes -- very yummy. But she is also the author of three excellent cookbooks geared towards young children. Her approach to cooking is so practical and fun that your kids will want to get in the kitchen and help you with dinner. Read more...
Books Essential to Chicago Kids
November 25, 2008
I don't know about you, but I am a life-long Chicagoan and I love it here (maybe a little bit less in the winter, but I still love it). I hope that my children grow up feeling the same way about their hometown. If you are looking to teach your little one about our great city, I have a few book suggestions that will introduce them to some popular Chicago landmarks and institutions. Read more...
Holiday Giving Guide: Five Books We Love
November 24, 2008
It is holiday shopping time. If you have a lot of little ones on your list, you can't go wrong giving a book. Savvy Source has an awesome Toys and Books section where they have done a lot of the hard work for you and selected some excellent options. Here are a few of our favorites. (1) How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague We love this book at bedtime -- Read more...
Book-a-Mania!
November 20, 2008
In light of the fact that this month is all about books here at Savvy Source , I had to mention a great event coming up this weekend (plus it is my favorite kind of family event -- a free one). The Chicago Public Library is hosting Book-A-Mania! at the Harold Washington Library on November 22nd from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The event includes the opportunity to meets authors and illustrators Read more...
Laughing Out Loud: Favorite Funny Stories
November 18, 2008
I love that my kids have a sense of humor now. Nothing is cuter than seeing your little one get the joke for the first time. Because it is just so darn enjoyable to watch them belly laugh, I think that it is a good idea to have a decent collection of funny tales on hand. These are some of our funny faves. Bendemolina (or the Girl Who Wore a Pot on Her Head) by Jan Slepian is a great book. Our Read more...
Best Bedtime Reads
November 17, 2008
There really is nothing quite like a cuddly bed time story, is there? These are some of the favorites at our house. (1) Mommy's Best Kisses by Margaret Anastas and Susan Winter. This story is just sweetness from start to finish (and my kids love it when I kiss their head, elbows, knees, etc. as we read) (2) Goodnight, Goodnight Sleepyhead by Ruth Krauss with the most lovely decorations from Read more...
Calling All Readers: Great Children's Book Stores
November 11, 2008
Chicago is full of wonderful resources for new readers -- from free story times at the Chicago Public Library to the reading area available in the Family Tent at Millennium Park during the summer months. In such a large city, I don't pretend to be able to cover all of the wonderful story times out there (and your favorites are Read more...
Ghoulishly Good Reads: Recommendations for Halloween Books
October 10, 2008
If your house is anything like our house, the anticipation for Halloween has been building for awhile now. We have been talking about costume choices since, well, lastHalloween and we dug our pumpkin decorations out weeks ago. If you are looking to get your group into the Halloween spirit, head down to your local library to check out some ghoulishly good reads. These are some of our Read more...
Imaginary Friends
September 18, 2008
From what I can tell, it seems like imaginary friends are the very best kind of friends to have. An imaginary friend is always there when you need him. He is flexible and lets you do what you want to do (I've never heard of an imaginary friend not sharing). And when you are done with him -- Poof! -- he is gone as fast as he arrived. My daughter Ellie has an imaginary Read more...
Back-To-School Reading List
August 29, 2008
Heading back to school or starting preschool for the first time is a big transition (how is that for an understatement?). Sending our little ones off alone for the first time can be almost as hard on them as it is on us parents. Some kids seem ready to go off and conquer the preschool world, while others would rather stick close to Mom and Dad. Either way, parents need to talk to Read more...
Summer Reading Lists: Food to Grow On
August 14, 2008
I have written before about creating reading lists around certain themes . This is a super easy way to teach your little ones about a specific subject, plus it makes a routine trip to the public library so much more interesting. The theme of this reading list is vegetable gardens. Check out some of these books to help your child make the connection between the seeds we put in Read more...
Ayyy Matey!: Resources for Little Pirates in Chicago
August 07, 2008
Do you have a sea-faring, swashbuckling sailor in your house? Why not indulge his or her love for the pirate life by having a Pirate's Day around town? Here are a few ideas to get your planning started. Read Like a Pirate. Check out some pirate reading from your local library for inspiration. Good selections include How I Became A Pirate by Melinda Long, the 2007 Read more...
Dinner Table Destinations: China and the Olympics
August 04, 2008
You probably aren't planning on bringing the whole family to Beijing for the Summer Games. But there is no need to travel across the world to introduce your little ones to foreign cultures and customs. Turn dinnertime into an opportunity to teach your preschoolers a little bit about China and the tradition of the Olympics. What's For Dinner? The first step in your dinner table Read more...
Dinner Table Destinations: Eat and Learn
July 22, 2008
Not planning on bringing the whole family to China for the Olympics this year? Does the thought of dragging your brood to Mexico make you want to down three or four margaritas? Most kids won't step foot in a foreign country until they are much older - but that doesn't mean that our little ones don't want (and need) to know about the world outside of the good ol' USA. Take advantage of Read more...
Great Summer Reads: What books are on your list?
July 15, 2008
We have books, books everywhere around our house some are our own, others belong to the library or are on loan from friends. If you are looking to spice up your bedtime reading routine, sort through the books in your house and create your own 'summer reading list. Include books that are even tangentially related to summer -- think road trips, turtles, boats, barbeques. What does Read more...
Diggers, Bulldozers, and Backhoes, Oh My!
June 16, 2008
As I have mentioned before, my little guy adores all things transportation-related with a special love for construction vehicles. Luckily for him, Chicago is full of traffic-causing, headache-inducing construction everywhere we turn. These are a few of our favorite activities when we are in the mood for cranes and dump trucks. Onsite Inspections. Is a new house or condo going Read more...
The Chicago Park District: What's Not to Love?
June 12, 2008
Since we are amongst friends, I am going to share my number one Chicago parenting resource secret. Come closer. Promise not to tell everyone you know? The Chicago Park District is hands-down the best place to go for quality, affordable children's programming in the city. Surprised? But wait, you do need to know a few tips to make the Chicago Park District work for your family. Read more...
Summer Reading
June 06, 2008
School is out (or almost out). It's official -- summer is here! While I am basking in that initial happy summer rush and planning all of our pool outings and outdoor excursions, I am also keeping in mind that we need to make some time to practice the reading and writing skills that my daughter learned during the school year. And what better place to start than the Summer Reading Program at Read more...
Whatcha Doing This Weekend? (June 7th-8th)
June 04, 2008
From time to time, I am going to give you a heads up about great local kid's events that you may or may not know about. Particularly in the summer, Chicago has great (and often free) family activities nearly every single weekend. Here is what is on our family schedule for this coming weekend. Wicker Park Kid's Karnival. How does face painting, jumping houses, inflatable obstacle Read more...
Top 5 Things to Do in Chicago on a Rainy Day
May 27, 2008
On rainy days, my Grandma used to say, Today isn't fit to stay home. She was right. The rain may tempt you to stay warm and cozy in your house. Don't do it. You will end up with a bunch of stir-crazy, bored kids. Instead, grab your rain boots and slickers and try one of these rainy-day activities. Visit a Conservatory. It may be raining outside but it is always beautiful inside Read more...
Book Nooks for Tots: Best Story Times and Reading Rooms
May 19, 2008
Rain or shine, story time is always a good activity for preschoolers. Even better? A story time that also includes a craft, activity, or snack and is super inexpensive or free (yeah!). Here are a few spots to catch a good story. The library scene. Lots of branches of the Chicago Public Library have free story times for toddlers and preschoolers. At the Bucktown-Wicker Park Read more...
How to be A Princess for a Day
May 16, 2008
When I started researching this topic, I came across some pretty indulgent princess activities for your preschooler (for example, a shocking variety of princess camps). The truth is I would never take my daughter to an activity like that so I don't want to make those recommendations to you. Yes, we do the requisite Disney princess obsession at our house. And sure, my Read more...
More of Our Favorite Activities and Things to Do in chicago
Creatures & Critters:
Our Urban Jungle
Do, Re, Mi! Places to Hear, Sing & Play a Tune
Artistic Endeavors:
Our Favorite Art Venues
Room to Run:
Run, Jump & Wiggle Outdoors
Rainy & Quiet Days:
Cozy & Crazy Indoor Fun
A Sense of History:
Our City's Stories
Tot's Science Fair:
Science & Nature Sites
Splash, Spray, Play! Local Spots to Get Wet
The Most Fun in Life Is Free!
The Best of... Our Top Can't-Live-Without Spots
The Voice of Being Savvy chicago:
Caitlin Giles
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Favorite chicago Lists
- Books Essential to Chicago Kids
- The Local Lingo
- It Takes Two: Things That Are More Fun With a Friend
- Ice Cream in Chicago
- Dinner Table Destinations: Eat and Learn
- Signs of Summer
- 5 Best Ways to Enjoy Millennium Park
- Ways to Learn About Math in the Windy City
- Hey Kid, You Got the Time?
- 99 Things To Do in Chicago Before Your Child Grows Up
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