Symphony Chooses Barefoot to Bring Stories to Life for Little Ones!

I was thrilled to hear that three Barefoot titles, Hidden Hippo, Elusive Moose, and I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur, have been chosen by the Canton, Ohio Symphony for a series of young children's concerts being given this winter. Launched in 2010, the series known as 'SymphonyLand', introduces young children to the instruments of the orchestra one trio at a time. Last year, the debut year, the Bear series was selected by the Symphony. Clearly, Ohio has some influential Barefoot lovers!

A 'SymphonyLand' journey begins with performances by the string trio, then the woodwind trio followed by the brass trio. The series is complete with a performance by the entire orchestra at the Kinder Concert. Built around a children's storybook, each program incorporates Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and/or Math concepts while engaging young audience members with the beautiful sounds of live music.

"We are so excited to be offering these new programs," says Lisa Boyer, Director of Education for the Canton Symphony. "These books are exquisitely illustrated and our musicians do a fantastic job engaging the children with their fine talents."

If you're in the Canton, Ohio area, or know someone who is, tickets can be purchased online at www.cantonsymphony.org or by calling the Canton Symphony box office at 330-452-2094. More information about Symphonyland is at: http://www.cantonsymphony.org/217.

New for Spring!!!

Though my son is most excited for the upcoming release of the chapter book version of Shakespere's Storybook, Barefoot will be releasing some bright and colorful new books this Spring and Summer! Here's a sneak peek at a few:

Bears Birthday: Join Bear as he celebrates his birthday with a party for all his friends. Learn about birthday activities as the bears hunt for presents, play party games and blow out the candles on a Bear-size birthday cake. PB $6.99 6/1

I Could Be, You Could Be: Join a young boy and girl on thrilling adventures as they imagine themselves as a space-traveling astronaut, a ferocious dragon, a jungle-dwelling monkey and more. The fine line between children's make-believe and the fantastic worlds they create is cleverly portrayed through Barroux s bright landscapes. Includes a mask-making activity at the end! HC $16.99 6/1

Over in the Meadow: This traditional rhyming tale takes children on a counting journey through Jill McDonald s colorful meadow scenes, meeting a variety of busy animal families along the way. Children will relish the vivid descriptions of the animals and their activities, from a bumpy mother toad and her baby basking in the sun to a hairy mother spider and her ten children spinning webs in a den. HC $16.99 4/1

Children of the World Memory Game (Sofie Fatus):
Inspired by the title If You're Happy and You Know It, this memory game utilizes one of the greatest attributes of the book-the adorable children from all over the world-to encourage memory and matching skills. The object of the game is to match the boy and girl pairs according to the traditional dress, country name and colour featured on each card $15.99 3/1