French For Cats

May 6, 2012 in Books for Exploring World Languages, French, Humorous by Roberta | No comments

To start out our exploration of books useful for introducing young people to world languages, let’s take a look at two little books that are sure to spark an interest in French:  French for Cats: All the French Your Cat Will Ever Need and Advanced French for Exceptional Cats: Sophisticated French for a Cat as Smart as Yours by Henry Beard (and John Boswell) and illustrated by Gary Zamchick. Both books are written in English and French with a lighthearted humor that is sure to warm the hearts of cat lovers and language lovers alike.

Both are little books, only roughly four by six inches, but they pack a big dose of laughs. Just to be clear, there is a bit of “potty” (well, litterbox) humor and referenced to being neutered, so the reader range is probably mature middle grade to young adult.

The illustrations are pen and ink cartoons with watercolor, in keeping with the light tone of the books.

Example of text:

What I do
Ce Que Je Fais

I meow
Je miaule

I purr
Je ronronne

I sleep
Je dors

If you own cats, you know about that last one. :-)

French for Cats works as a fun introduction to vocabulary for beginners and a brush up for more advanced speakers. Advanced French for Exceptional Cats even has a mini-session in grammar.

To get you in the mood, here is a video of another French cat, Henrí. Although the humor of the video is more subtle than the books, it still makes me laugh out loud. Look for videos like this one to hear French being spoken.

Although the first editions were printed in the 1990′s, the books were bestsellers and were reprinted, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a copy.

French for Cats: All the French Your Cat Will Ever Need by Henry Beard, John Boswell and illustrated by Gary Zamchick

Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Villard; 1 edition (October 8, 1991)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 067940676X
ISBN-13: 978-0679406761

Advanced French for Exceptional Cats:  Sophisticated French for a Cat as Smart as Yours by Henry Beard and illustrated by Gary Zamchick

Publisher: Villard; First Edition 2nd edition (October 27, 1992)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0679417648
ISBN-13: 978-0679417644

Tags: , , ,

Books for Exploring World Languages

May 5, 2012 in Books for Exploring World Languages by Roberta | No comments

Today we’re revealing a new logo and a whole new world of books to explore here at Wrapped in Foil.

Why study world languages? The reasons and benefits for picking up a bilingual book, or a book written in another world language, are many.

1. It’s good for your brain

Neurobiologists are beginning to uncover a wealth of different benefits for studying a second languages. Young children who are bilingual show an enhanced ability to concentrate, which may have to do with increased development of the working memory. In older adults, learning a second language may stave off the onset of dementia. Scientists have even found that adults who have learned a second language have denser gray matter; their brains are changed structurally.

2. Early exposure is beneficial to learning a language

Evidence is mounting that the earlier a child is exposed to second language, the more likely he or she will be able to become fluent in that language.

3. Studying languages is a graduation requirement

Many colleges require that potential students to have studied at least two and up to four years of languages in high school.

How does a student decide which language to study if they have had little exposure, if they never heard or seen any other languages besides their home language? Other than taking the same classes as their friends, it may be difficult for a student to decide which one fits his or her needs and personality best. Exposure to a variety of bilingual books may help students figure out where their interests lie and concentrate their studies more effectively.

4. Employers value bilingual employees, as well as those who are knowledgeable of other cultures.

Being able to communicate effectively with customers from a diversity of backgrounds is a valuable ability in many of fields of work.

5. Opens up opportunities for travel and working in other countries.

Let’s face it, knowing a second language can lead to a variety of opportunities. The first step to opening that door may be a simple as opening a book!

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Where to find out more about the benefits to the brain:
Learning languages ‘boosts brain’ from the BBC
The Bilingual Brain
Second Language Translates Into Clearer Thinking

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Home in the Cave by Janet Halfmann

May 2, 2012 in Picture book- fiction by Roberta | No comments

Janet Halfmann has been a popular author here at Wrapped In Foil. She has a new picture book out, Home in the Cave, illustrated by Shennen Bersani, published by Sylvan Dell. It fills the niche for young readers who prefer reading fiction, yet benefit from facts and details of nonfiction. The best part is the book comes with a free teaching activity guide (51 pages!), available for download at Sylvan Dell.

The story follows main character Baby Bat, who isn’t sure he wants to learn how to fly because it will mean leaving the safety of his cave. Through an accident, he meets Pluribus Packrat. Pluribus shows him all the amazing cave creatures that depend on bats for their existence. Will Baby Bat find the courage to fly out to find food outside the cave and keep the food web going?

Included in the back of the book is a section called “For Creative Minds.” It gives a lot more information about caves and the animals that live in them. There are quizzes, such as distinguishing living things from non-living. On the following two-page spread is a hands-on activity about bat echolocation, a compare and contrast activity looking at bats, birds and humans, and an open-ended discussion of whether bats are good or bad.

For staunch fans of fiction, Home in the Cave is a way to stretch their wings into stories with an informational slant. Backed by tons of educational materials, it has benefits for fans of nonfiction as well.

Related posts about Janet Halfmann’s books:

Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing (February 10, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1607185229
ISBN-13: 978-1607185222

Electronic copy of the book was provided for review purposes.

Tags: , ,

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle

May 2, 2012 in Biography, Nonfiction, Science by Roberta | 2 comments

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by author/illustrator Claire A. Nivola is a lovely new picture book biography of a pioneer of in the field of ocean studies.

If you have never heard of Sylvia Earle, she is a scientist and conservationist whose goals in life have been to delve deeply into the oceans and learn as much as she can, and then share her passion and knowledge with others. As Nivola quotes in her extensive Author’s Note in the back matter, Earle realizes, “You can’t care if you don’t know.”

As so appropriate for a children’s book, after a brief introduction to the immenseness and importance of the ocean, Nivola describes Earle’s childhood. Sylvia Earle spent her early years on a farm in New Jersey, where she began to study all the living things around her. If she had stayed there, things might have turned out very differently. Instead, when Sylvia and her family moved to Clearwater, Florida when she was twelve. Suddenly, she had a beautiful ocean to explore right in her own backyard. Her life was changed forever.

Nivola has allowed her subject to tell her own story without excessive crafting. Nivola’s delicate and whimsical watercolors are lovely, and they rise to a new level in the underwater scenes, where Sylvia becomes a sea creature herself.

Life in the Ocean is will be a hit with children who are interested in oceans, in science, in history and/or in conservation. The incredible story of Sylvia Earle’s life is sure to inspire future explorers.

Adults who are interested in learning more about Sylvia Earle, should try her TED presentation or the Mission Blue website.

If you’d like to learn more about Claire Nivola, Seven Impossible Things has a fascinating author interview.

Other reviews of Life in the Ocean may be found at:

Jean Little Library

Shelf-employed

The Nonfiction Detectives

Included in a list of biographies of 20th Century Women Scientists at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (March 13, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0374380686
ISBN-13: 978-0374380687

Book was provided by my local library.

Tags: , ,

Capstone Action-Adventure Books Contest

April 24, 2012 in Writing by Roberta | No comments

Have you seen any of the books in the action-adventure, sci-fi book series Tony Hawk’s 900 Revolution, for example Drop In: Volume One by Donald Lemke and illustrated by Caio Majado? Filled with extreme sports and extreme action, these books have a graphic novel feel.

Capstone held a student writing contest inviting students to create a unique and inspiring character to be the next member of the Revolution team, a group of teens on a quest to find the remaining pieces of Tony Hawk’s shattered skateboard. This week they announced the finalists and are encouraging students to vote for their favorite. Voting runs through May 4, 2012, with the winner revealed May 11.

The finalists are:

•  Allison Wehrman, a 4th grader at Parkview Center School, Roseville, Minn.

•  Autumn Bray, a 7th grader at Meisler Middle School, Metairie, La.

•  Ayman Slamani, a 6th grader at Springfield Estates Elementary School, Alexandria, Va.

•  Elijah E. Foster, a 4th grader at Tri-City Elementary School in Springfield, Ill.

•  Lauren Johnson, a 5th grader at Rowland Elementary School in Victoria, Texas

The top five finalists will receive a Tony Hawk autographed copy of Impulse: Volume Two.The winning character will appear as part of the Revolution in a Tony Hawk’s 900 Revolution book available August 2013. The winner will also receive a trip to Tony Hawk’s Stand Up for Skateparks 2012 event in Beverly Hills and a VIP pass to meet Tony Hawk in person.

The five finalists were selected from entries nationwide featuring dozens of different sports. Descriptions of the finalists’ characters, as well as professionally-illustrated renderings of the characters are available at www.TonyHawkReadingRevolution.com.

What a great way to motivate those reluctant readers (and writers) out there!

(Based on a News Release by Jennifer Glidden, Capstone PR Manager)

Tags:

« Older entries