Book Giveaway

As M's parents we have learned how to use her interests to facilitate communication and speech.  These days we appreciate the incredible progress that she has made and her rich vocabulary that is ever-increasing.  Now we have added another book to our shelf to help engage her in discussions, but more on that in a moment.

By no means are we the only parents who have become our child's "therapist" and teacher.  From my experience it seems that almost all parents seek to bring out the best in their children.  Recently I have gotten to know Tara, a former teacher and special educator. She is also the creator of Books by Tara.  She has a powerful story to tell.  (Click the link to read her account; below is just a quick summary.)

Tara's youngest son, Jake, has severe autism.  Jake also pays great attention to details in pictures...details often ignored by others' eyes.  They would look at a picture for a great deal of time, and sometimes he would respond to her casual comments about photos.  Each time he would say a word like, "box" or "head" there would be cause for celebration.  (Boy, I can relate to that!!)  Tara said, "An interesting photo can be a powerful interactive tool and language promoter if used in a fun, relaxed way. I wanted more."  

So after years of creating interactive books from magazines and calendars for Jake, Tara got a camera, and her first book, HOLES, was born!  (Click the link to see inside the book!)

Tara provided the book WATER for us to review.   Children love water!  Both our 3 and 1 year olds love to watch, touch, and play in water.   Even THIS water from the book!

This book brings water into our laps and lets us explore and discuss water in different, yet familiar environments...while staying cozy and dry.  Some of our favorite pictures are the washing machine, the hose, and the double rainbow!

Books By Tara feature 19 pages of 8x10 colorful pictures with great details.  I like the spiral bound glossy pages; it allows us to look at two pictures at once, or we have the option to focus on just one. The real life images are enticing to all.  WATER begins with a poem and then each page of the book allows you to just focus on the image.  (Not all books follow this format.)  Tara offers extension ideas and questions for her books.  Though I use it one-on-one with our children, the images are large enough to use in any classroom setting for story prompts and discussion.  

To see all the titles and purchasing information, go to Books By Tara!  

TO ENTER:

~Sign up for the Books By Tara newsletter.  (Click link.)  You will automatically be entered into a monthly drawing for a free book!  Leave a comment telling me you entered!  I get the newsletter, and have never felt the need to unsubscribe, but you could if wish.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

After signing up for Tara's newsletter, you can earn extra entries.  Leave a separate comment for each!

~Tell me which book you would like if you win and who you would give it to. ~ 1 entry

~Follow my blog using Google Friends Connect (the follow button). ~ 1 entry per blog


Giveaway ends Sunday, February 14 at 7 pm (EST).  I'll post the winner on Monday!