My kids and I love a good farmers’ market but it was during our vacation to Kauai and we really sought them out in search of fruit. It was here that we sampled many exotic fruits as well as unusual varieties of bananas, pineapples, and papayas. These almost daily excursions reminded us of how nice…
Author: Pragmatic Mom
Family Challenge: 8 Mile (Death Defying) Hike
Our friends, the Bengos, waited 17 years before returning to Kauai where they lived before kids. They wanted to bring their children back when the youngest was old enough to do the Kalalau hike. This is a 2 mile hike to a beach and then an additional 2 mile hike to a spectacular waterfall, totally…
Interview Questions for Joyce Wan
I’ll be at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival in a few weeks and I’ll be interviewing three authors there on behalf of KidLitTV: Phil Bildner, Sandra Neil Wallace, and Joyce Wan. Today, I’m researching Joyce Wan. Let’s get started! Award-winning author-illustrator, Joyce Wan, designed her first greeting card when she was in first grade for a…
12 Children’s Books about Claude Monet and an Art Project
One of my favorite museums in Paris is the Musée de l’Orangerie which features 360-degree views of Monet’s Water Lilies. Specially created for this space, there are 4 paintings in each of the two oval-shaped rooms that curve with the walls. I think that they depict the four seasons of Monet’s water lily pond but…
University of Chicago Visit
I was really surprised by our University of Chicago visit. I expected the campus to be more urban and be spread out into the city. Instead, it has gorgeous Neo-Gothic architecture with a defined campus. It reminded me a lot of UCLA because both have large quads surrounded by beautiful old buildings. We sat in…
Interview Questions for Sandra Neil Wallace
I’m thrilled to be going to my first Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival where I will be representing How To Coach Girls and Sumo Joe. I’m also interviewing three authors on behalf of KidLitTV: Phil Bildner, Sandra Neil Wallace, and Joyce Wan. Today, I’m preparing for my interview with Sandra Neil Wallace. I met Sandra Neil…
5 Great Halloween Picture Books
I think the Holy Grail of Halloween picture books is the classic, Room on a Broom, which combines so many delightful elements into a Halloween-themed book: counting, friendship, humor, and a search for missing objects. Room on a Broom by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler These Halloween picture books have some of these elements. What…







