Barefoot Books Review and Giveaway

One of the things I love and look forward to the most about motherhood is sharing my love of books. Nothing can compare to the tense little face of a child eager to find out what will happen on the next page. 

At nearly 20 months Oliver is already an avid reader. Since about 12 months he has been able to select specific titles off of the shelf when asked, and can 'read' to friends and toys by signing and making sound effects for the stories he knows the best. 

Books are the easiest way I know to introduce children to new concepts, and to connect them with the big wide world around them. Books give us the freedom to live in a world that is anything we want it to be, and the opportunity to see the world from many different views.  Barefoot Books is a company that really gets this.

Started by two moms who, like me, were eager to provide their children with books that would engage and capture their imaginations, Barefoot Books has a great selection of stories that are bold, colourful, beautiful, and foster connection with our environment, community, and the world.

When I opened our package from Barefoot Books containing 3 titles for our review and heard Oliver's squeals of delight I just knew that the titles they sent us would become instant favourites!

Bear About Town by Stella Blackstone and illustrated by Debbie Harter is a simple repeating story (which kids LOVE) about all of the places in his community the main character goes throughout the week. 

What really makes this story great are the small details. Each page holds so much action and Oliver really loves to point out all of the little details, from cookies at Grandma's Bakery to bees at Sunny Park, fun new details seem to emerge upon every reading. 

Listen, Listen by Phillis Gershator and illustrated by Alison Jay is a story about the changing seasons, a perfect book to receive in the spring! It focuses on all the things that you can hear throughout the year. At the moment Oliver seems to be more interested in onomatopoeia then actual words, so the focus on sounds makes it great fun for us to read.

The art in this book is by far my favorite of any picture book we own. It is full of interesting perspectives and warm colours, and each picture has this amazing crackled effect which makes each page look like the epic stories depicted on ancient Grecian urns. 

Kid's Kitchen: 40 Fun and Healthy Recipes To Make And Share by Fiona Bird and illustrated by Roberta Areson is a book I requested specifically for my niece, Celeste, who is often disappointed that Oliver and her little brother, Charlie, take up so much of our time together when I baby-sit. To make it up to her we scheduled a date to work on a project together, this project was so much fun that it will get it's own post next week! So watch this space!

We also took a moment to check out some of Barefoot Books free multi-media offerings. The YouTube channel was our favourite, it was full of colourful animations and catchy songs for Oliver to boogie to. There's even one about pirates. We like pirates! There is also a great collection of crafts, activities, and online story books, and a podcast that you can subscribe to!

Barefoot Books has generously offered to give away an item of choice to one of our readers. I couldn't be more excited about all that Barefoot Books has to offer. For any age group, any interest, and any occasion, it seems that Barefoot Books has a little bit of everything for everyone.

The prize: 

One lucky reader will get to choose any item they want off the Barefoot Books online catalogue!

The Rules: 

To enter you must be either an American or Canadian resident (Sorry to our readers from other parts other parts of the world!)  You must also have a valid street address for shipping as the prize cannot be sent to a PO box.

To enter, you must complete the mandatory entry step listed below. Any bonus entries you complete will not count if you don't do the first one!

You must leave a separate comment for each entry step you complete in order for them all to count.

As always, be sure to leave an e-mail address or some other way for us to get in touch with you if you win. 

The contest will run Monday May 16th to Sunday June 5th. The winner will be contacted as well as posted here and on the Connected Mom Facebook page on Monday the 6th. If we don't here back from our winner within 48 hours we will chose another from the remaining eligible entries.

Entries:

1)    (Mandatory!) Go to the Barefoot Books online catalogue and tell us which title you think your family would love! (If you win, this title will be your prize unless otherwise stated when you contact us to claim your prize!)

2)    "Like" The Connected Mom and Barefoot Books on Facebook and update your staus to tell your friends about this giveaway. (Please tag us in your status update so we know you have completed this step)

3)    Follow both @theconnectedmom and @livebarefoot on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. (Please @mention us in your tweet so we know you have completed this step)

4)    Follow us publicly through Google friend connect.

5)    Tell us in the comments, if there were a Barefoot Books storybook about your child, what catchy title would it have?

Good luck everyone and don't forget to read with your children today!