reading

McDonald’s Happy Meals Encourage Reading with Fun New Books-Giveaway

November 8, 2013 by Kathryn 120 Comments

Almost every child gets excited about a McDonald’s Canada Happy Meal, and between now and November 14, 2013, you can get excited about Happy Meals too, because each one now comes with one of four charming children’s books! As a huge literacy advocate, I was so excited about this new program and my boys, both of whom love reading, were just as delighted.

I received all four of the books to review along with a few McDonald’s goodies. I liked the fact that the books had positive messages about eating healthy or exploring the world, while still being lots of fun. Doddi the Dodo Goes to Orlando was my personal favourite. The story of a Dodo that gets lost on the yearly migration to Orlando and ends up touring the world was fun, fresh and had a clever ending. Plus it helped get my boys asking questions about other countries! [Read more…]

Teach My All-in-One Kits for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers Build Valuable Early Learning Skills-Giveaway

May 22, 2013 by Kathryn 130 Comments

I am a big believer in the importance of reading and math. Zackary and I used to spend lots of time playing with letters and numbers, talking about the ways they go together and building some of the early learning skills that would lead to reading, writing and mathematics proficiency in the future. Now, at three-years-old, Benjamin is reaching that same age when building some basic early learning skills will help him in the future.

Teach My is a Canadian-based company started by momtrepreneur Christy Cook that specializes in helping children build those important early-learning skills. I first learned about the original Teach My Toddler kits during a feature on my favourite show, Dragon’s Den, back in 2008. Since then, the company has expanded its line of early learning kits to include a Teach My Baby kit and a Teach My Preschooler kit as well as offering individual learning kits for reading, writing, numbers, letters and more.

teachy my preschooler kit [Read more…]

Chirp Magazine is Turning Fifteen and Your Child Could Win Presents to Celebrate-Giveaway

October 9, 2012 by Kathryn 92 Comments

chirp magazine When I was a child, my Mom helped to begin my lifelong love of reading before I even started school. From spending time reading storybooks out loud to me every night to making sure that there were always colourful books out for me to look at, I learned early on that reading was something wonderful and magical. But one of my very favourite introductions to the world of reading was my subscription to the great magazines from Owlkids. From Chirp magazine for preschoolers to OWL magazine for older children, every child in our family had an age-appropriate subscription to a magazine that they loved.

Chirp has been introducing preschool children to the world of reading for fifteen years now and this October, it’s the little bird’s birthday! But the presents are for your child with Chirp’s Birthday Contest! Between now and October 31, 2012, children between two and six can draw a picture of Chirp and send it along with a completed entry form to Owlkids. They’ll be entered to win a Chirp Birthday Prize Pack containing a birthday prize pack and loot bags for fifteen friends! [Read more…]

Doully Tales: If you’ve ever loved a dog by Cindy Blanchette Provides Laughter and Insight-Giveaway

May 9, 2012 by Kathryn 38 Comments

When I was a child, we had a dog named Tippy. He was a rambunctious and mischevious black and white darling and as far as I was concerned, he was the most beautiful dog in the world. My heart broke a bit when he died.

doully tales cover art There’s something special about dogs, and the ones with the most personality are the ones that we usually love the most. But have you ever wondered what’s going through the head of that ingeniously disobedient darling of yours when you look at him? Cindy Blanchette has, and that’s what motivated her to turn the life of her beloved Australian Shepard Doully into a novel told from his point of view. Here’s a brief synopsis of the book:

If you have ever loved a dog, this book is for you. It is based on a true story about the author’s dog, Doully, an Australian Shepherd who came into her life as an eight-week-old puppy. He was adventuresome and mischievous. The story is told from his point of view, which is quite different from his owner’s point of view. You will laugh at his silly antics, and relate to the owner’s hardships when dealing with his behaviour issues. He tells his tales about each chapter in his life, from the obedience ring to the herding arena. Some offer comedy and some offer sadness but, if you have ever loved a dog, you will relate to these tales. [Read more…]