The Emperor’s New Clothes

by Carol8 Comments
Yeah, I know I talked about The Emperor's New Clothes back in February, but this times it's a musical version, script, lyrics and music by Dave and Jean Perry, performed at our local Center of Music and Art. Amber was there every day last week for Drama Camp and Friday night was their performance. The kids all did a great job. It was a funny show, cute with a bunch of laugh-out loud moments. Amber was one of the sister tailors, with lots of lines and solos, all of which she remembered. Of course, she was wonderful, but I might be a little biased....
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Game Night – Treehouse

by Carol3 Comments
Treehouse Designer: Andrew Looney Manufacturer: Looney Labs Year: 2006 Playing time: 20 minutes Ages: 8 and up Players: 2 - 4 Last weekend, as we were on our way out the door to the fireworks, David said to grab a game to take with us, something to play while we waited on the sidewalk the hour or so before the explosions started. So, what game to bring? There were only four of us, set-up had to be easy, it had to be one David could carry in his pocket, and it couldn't be something that would blow away, since it was an outdoor, pretty crowded area. Treehouse was perfect. All the pieces come in a small tube. The game can take up a small area and wind is not an issues, unlike with cards. It consists of of plastic pyramids and a die. In the initial set up, one set of three pyramids is set up as the "House," the black set in...
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Rainbow-walker

by Carol5 Comments
Last week, I talked about the real Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman. Today, we're looking at the legend he left behind. I read "Rainbow-walker" in American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg, although I'm sure there are many versions of the story available. While the story does focus on Johnny's love of apple trees and his mission to plant orchards west of Pittsburgh and help others do the same, his love of animals struck me most. He heals them and talks to them. They are his friends and companions during his trek through the wilderness. On days when he found no settlers or friendly Indians to spend the night with, he slept out in the open with a fox or raccoon curled up beside him to keep him warm. One of the animals he healed, a large black wolf, became his friend, followed him constantly as they both grew older. I have to admit to bawling during the part of the story when the...
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Green Pieces by Drew Aquilina

by Carol3 Comments
Green Pieces: Green From the Pond Up by Drew Aquilina This is a collection of cartoon strips set in a pond where led by a claustrophobic turtle named Iggman, the action picks up once humans leave the scene.  Iggy and his friends including an annoying dragonfly, Radic, an omnipotent techno-bullfrog, Cabby, and a rogue raccoon, Roc, give us an entertaining perspective on nature. While for me the cartoons were not laugh-out loud funny, I may be in the minority, and I certainly see the value of the collection. It's a fun way of incresnig awareness about the environment, of teaching kids, and adults, to respect nature, seeing the world from the viewpoint of these quirky characters. Laughing and learning are a great combo. And the strips are amusing. I especially loved Iggy; he and his shell manage to get into all kinds of situations. Publish date: September 4, 2010 197 pages [tweetmeme source=”carolsnotebook” only_single=false http://carolsnotebook.com/2010/07/07/green-pieces-by-drew-aquilina/] I received my advance review copy from the...
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