One Day I Went Rambling Giveaway!

A shared post with ReaderKidZ.com:

Parents, teachers, and librarians! Take a moment to consider the absolutely charming premise of One Day I Went Rambling, written by Kelly Bennett and illustrated by Terri Murphy, won’t you? If so, you will be ever so glad that you did.

In the story, Zane, the protagonist sees magic in the mundane surrounding him. Pop tops are jeweled rings. Wooden crates hold the daring intrigue of a pirate ship. Nothing is normal. To Zane, everything is fantastical!  And, as life would have it, Zane is surrounded by nay-sayers, peers that poke fun and tease a child who dares to think as a creative individual. Yet, Zane stays true to his individualistic nature, and in turn, influences others to begin to celebrate the wonderful freedom of thinking outside of the boring, common, everyday box.

Kelly and Terri are over-the-top enthusiastic about this important tale. So much so, that they are offering a number of incentives to entice you to climb aboard the Rambling train. One is a discussion/craft guide in which directions for a variety of homemade band instruments are included – instruments that serve as props for a Reader’s Theatre interpretation of this unforgettable story. And, finally, the opportunity to participate in a giveaway! Yes! How wonderful is that? Link away today!

In closing, enjoy an excerpt from Bennett’s and Murphy’s One Day I Went Rambling:

Ahoy, mates, time’s a wasting.

Climb aboard! Let’s sail away!

We’ll explore the world together.

Finding adventure all the way.

The Ultimate Simple Saturday Project

My son shared this inspirational video from Karmatube.com with me. I have to do the same with you. It's a great story about a community's supportive effort to help make a boy's vision of splendor become a reality. In it, a boy named Caine uses every ounce of his imagination and fortitude to create a true-to-life arcade, complete with a fun pass! The video's great. You have to watch.

Caine's story reminds me of when I directed summer art workshops at a lovely Montessori school in Dallas years ago. Weeks before the program began we'd ask parents to donate supplies such as egg cartons, empty cereal boxes, paper towel rolls, milk and jugs and the like. Folks brought in mounds of the stuff. And, man, I wish you could have seen how good-ol kid ingenuity mixed with a little tape and a touch of tempera transformed the cardboard mountain into unicorns, castles, buses, and cars. Good times...No, those times were the best.

I recall the magical feeling in the air as the kids collaborated on their creative projects. Shouts of "I have an idea!" "Yes!" "Try this!" buzzed around the room. Hours passed like seconds. Together we made fond memories I will cherish for a lifetime. I hope the kids, now grown, remember those days in the same way I do.

Thanks, Caine and Karmatube.com, for my stroll down memory lane. 

Keep up the good work!

The sky's the limit for both of you.