Review of The Labyrinth, a Lima Bear book

The Labyrinth is the latest in the Lima Bear series of books by the father-son team of Thomas and Peter Weck. From the very beginning, this book is quite different from their other ones. It opens with a poem and has more verse spread throughout. Good rhymes are lacking in modern children's literature. Rhyming is so important to help with their phonemic awareness and reading skills. Also, the print is different, actually looking like the words. For example, "twists and turns" is printed in squiggly letters. "Cheered" is printed in an arch. I like how it is adding a visual component, to help the children better understand the feelings implied by those words.



In this story, King Limalot is getting too old to continue ruling his kingdom. He has no sons, so he decides to crown his daughter, Belinda Bean, Queen of Beandom. Mean ol' Bean isn't happy, though, because he wants to be king. So, he quickly hatches a plan to lure Queen Belinda into the nearby labyrinth to see the magic flower garden at its center. Once there, he would quickly flee, and leave her behind to be lost forever.

Unfortunately for him, our hero from other books, L. Joe Bean, uncovers the dastardly plot and flips the tables on Mean ol' Bean. Belinda is saved from the labyrinth, but Mean ol' Bean gets stuck there. After a few days, L. Joe Bean takes pity on him and promises to rescue him if he can promise to be good again.

This book is cute, as are all of the other ones in the series. I love the illustrations. Everything shows a great deal of imagination, which children will love. One particular aspect I like about this book is that L. Joe Bean is nice to Mean ol' Bean, even though he is a despicable creature. It shows that you still need to be kind to those who are awful. Sometimes they just need a little kindness to help them remember how to be kind, themselves.

I haven't yet had a chance to share this with my students. Unfortunately, my complimentary review copy appeared on my porch on our last day of school. I know, however, that when we reconvene in the fall, they will love this one as much as the first three in the series.



I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Excerpt from The Labyrinth, a Lima Bear book

The Labyrinth is the fourth book in the Lima Bear series. I can't wait to get back to school to share this installment with my students.

Blurb:

Princess Belinda Bean has just been given the throne by her elderly father, and she is now the Queen and Ruler of Beandom. . Everyone in the kingdom is happy about this except jealous Mean ol' Bean who wants to be King.

After luring Belinda Bean into a tricky labyrinth, Mean ol' Bean runs into a problem. L. Joe Bean, the Wiseman of Beandom, has discovered his scheme! What will happen to the Queen, L. Joe Bean, and Mean ol' Bean?


Excerpt from The Labyrinth:

Oh, Mean ol' Bean
How he did scheme.
To be rid of the Queen
That was his dream.  

 About Lima Bear® Press
 
Lima Bear® Press has a very straightforward mission: to publish children’s stories that are engaging, imaginative, and humorous while each carries an important life message such as tolerance, honesty, courage, etc.

For children who are not yet readers, these stories are an easy read by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and family friends. Lima Bear® Press strives to make the stories entertaining and meaningful both to those who listen as well as to those who read them aloud.

For children who are readers, the authors crafted the stories, through both text and illustration, so that they are fun to read, while, at the same time, striving to introduce young minds to new expressions and new vocabulary in a way that is readily understood. 

Lima Bear Press feels they will have achieved their mission when they help children who listen to and/or read their books become eager readers throughout their lives. 

In the Lima Bear stories, the basic characters appear and reappear. Each character has a distinct
personality that shines through in every story.

Learn more at LimaBearPress.com. Their books are distributed to bookstores and libraries nationwide
by Small Press United (from IPG). Or call 800-888-4741 for more information. 

'Reading WITH, Not TO, Your Child' Article by Thomas Weck

Thomas Weck is the author of the Lima Bear series of books that my students so adored reading over the past year. In this article, he shows parents how to productively engage their children in the reading experience.


Reading with, Not to, Your Child

By Thomas Weck

Reading a book to your child is a great way to help your child learn. Sometimes, though, simply reading the words on the page may not be stimulating enough. Some of the time your child might be perfectly content to sit and listen; on other days, he may not be able to keep one foot still! Do not fret. Your child can get his learning and keep his energy at a high level, too!  The trick is to read with your child.

Start with the old standby--reading. Once the story has begun to unfold, ask your child some questions before moving onto the next page. Use questions that will encourage interaction. For example: * Point to some of the pictures on the page and see if your child can describe what the illustrations show. Is the main character revealed on the first page? Can you tell where the story takes place? Is it daytime or nighttime as the story begins? Do you think it will be the same at the end of the story? (And no peeking ahead is allowed!) * Have your child try to reason how a picture on the page relates to the story. For example, you could ask, "Why does the candle droop?" Could it be that it is because it has been burning for a long time? * Identify specific words used in the story as a teachable moment. Are some words written in a different way from the rest of the words? Are some bigger? Smaller? In a different color? Ask your child to guess why. Have your child say the special words in the story in the way he thinks the author intended for them to be read. Talk about how the words could be said differently to express a different emotion.

Are you getting a sense for how easy reading interactively can be? By reading in this way, your child is part of the reading time, too! Enjoy watching your child's excitement as he/she figures out the answers to your questions and comes up with unique ways to add to or change the story. Encourage your child to ask questions of you too. Prompt your child to come up with the questions for you by announcing, "on the next page, it is Daddy's turn to answer YOUR questions." The possibilities are endless for ways that you can read interactively with your child.

If it isn't naptime or bedtime, have your child act out part of the story, or make up a song or dance to retell the story to you after you have finished. If your child has a lot of stuffed animals and they are the same type as in the story, let the teddy bear dance around or climb up the pillows and let the dog bark, etc. Try to come up with new ways every time you read a book. Happy reading!

Thomas Weck is the author/creator of the *Lima Bear Stories. Originally made-up bedtime stories he told his four children, the Lima Bear tales resurfaced when Weck's son Peter had children. Peter remembered the stories and wanted to have his father write them down so that he could share them with his children. Father and son took it one step further and created Lima Bear Press to produce the stories as books that children everywhere can enjoy. The first three titles in this award-winning series were released in 2011: The Megasaurus, How Back-Back Got His Name, and The Cave Monster. The books are not only fun and funny with great illustrations, they also have an underlying message such as such as tolerance, honesty, courage, etc. Additionally, each book has an Extend the Learning and an Activity section at the end where children can become active participants in the story experience. More books in the series will be released in 2012. Learn more at  LimaBearPress.com.

Review of The Cave Monster, a Lima Bear book

The Cave Monster is the third book in the Lima Bear series. Again, I shared this with my students, ages 3-6, who greatly enjoyed it. It is recommended for children ages 4-8.

In this book, Lima Bear is eagerly waiting for his cousin, L. Joe Bean to arrive for a visit. Before he makes it, though, he is kidnapped by a cave monster! The other animal friends, Whistle-Toe, Maskamal and Back-Back vow to help Lima Bear rescue his cousin. They work together on their plan to overcome the cave monster and get back their friend. The lesson in this book is that when individuals are afraid, they can band together to find courage.


Out of the three books, I like this one the least. Some of my younger students were frightened by the cave monster, which is why this book is recommended for those just a little older. My students found it amusing, though, even those who were a little scared. I do like how the characters work together to find their courage and to solve their problems. Teamwork is always a good lesson for kids. It is still a cute story. The illustrations are adorable.

As in all of the other books, there are discussion questions and activities for adults and children to share. This book can lead to another thematic unit.


I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Excerpt from The Cave Monster, a Lima Bear book

The Cave Monster is the third book in the Lima Bear series by Thomas Weck and his son Peter Weck. This series was a big hit in my early childhood classroom.

Blurb: 

Oh no! L. Joe Bean, Lima Bear's cousin, has been captured by the Cave Monster. Lima Bear and his friends must enter the Black Cave to try to save L. Joe Bean.

Venturing into a new place, especially if it is potentially scary--like a dark basement or somewhere unknown--is not something most children would choose to do, and certainly not alone. That is the situation the animal friends face in The Cave Monster.

All 4-8 year olds will love following along as Whistle-Toe (the rabbit), Maskamal (the raccoon), Back-Back (the opossum), and Lima Bear (a tiny bean-shaped bear) come up with a plan to save Lima Bear's cousin. Bringing along the thing each one thinks might be the most useful--a tiny sword, a rustic bow & arrow, a red flag and a canteen of water--the band of friends tentatively approaches the scary cave.

Will their ideas go according to plan? Will they get to L. Joe Bean in time? Will they save themselves?

The take-away message of this book is friends, individually afraid, find courage when acting together.  


Excerpt from The Cave Monster

Back-Back stood next to a tree. He waved the red flag at the tree pretending it was the Cave Monster. Maskamal stood a few steps away, pulled the string of the bow as far back as he could and took aim.

The bow went 'Twa-a-a-ang'. The arrow fell out and landed on Maskamal's foot. "Um...," said Lima Bear, "you are going to have to be awfully close to the Cave Monster to hit him with that bow and arrow."

About Lima Bear® Press
 
Lima Bear® Press has a very straightforward mission: to publish children’s stories that are engaging, imaginative, and humorous while each carries an important life message such as tolerance, honesty, courage, etc.

For children who are not yet readers, these stories are an easy read by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and family friends. Lima Bear® Press strives to make the stories entertaining and meaningful both to those who listen as well as to those who read them aloud.

For children who are readers, the authors crafted the stories, through both text and illustration, so that they are fun to read, while, at the same time, striving to introduce young minds to new expressions and new vocabulary in a way that is readily understood. 

Lima Bear Press feels they will have achieved their mission when they help children who listen to and/or read their books become eager readers throughout their lives. 

In the Lima Bear stories, the basic characters appear and reappear. Each character has a distinct
personality that shines through in every story.

Learn more at LimaBearPress.com. Their books are distributed to bookstores and libraries nationwide
by Small Press United (from IPG). Or call 800-888-4741 for more information. 

Meet Thomas Weck, Peter Weck, and Len DiSalvo, Creators of the Lima Bear Series

The Lima Bear series of books is an award-winning series that has become a favorite in my classroom. Meet the father-son author team of Thomas and Peter Weck, as well as illustrator Len DiSalvo.

Meet the Authors

Thomas Weck is a creative and captivating national award-winning author of children’s books. He has traveled extensively in the U.S. and in foreign countries including teaching children through the Peace Corps. With four children of his own and a passion for observing children’s behavior, he has distilled these  observations into stories that excite the imagination of young minds amidst peals of laughter and learning. The Megasaurus was the first title in the exciting Lima Bear Series, which was followed by How Back-Back Got His Name, The Cave Monster, and The Labyrinth. Watch for more.


Peter Weck grew up enjoying the wonderful stories his father told about Lima Bear and his friends. Now that he is the father of three young girls, he has teamed up with his father to capture these and other stories in print. Peter’s goal is to help children foster a love for creating, reading, and listening to stories. He currently serves on the board of the Menlo Park Library Foundation and is CEO of StoryJumper, a web-based company that enables anyone to create and illustrate children’s stories.




Meet the Illustrator

Len DiSalvo is an illustrator and animator for a wide range of print projects
and award-winning computer games. He currently teaches illustration and
animation at the Art Center Design College in Tucson, AZ.








About Lima Bear® Press

Lima Bear® Press has a very straightforward mission: to publish children’s stories that are engaging, imaginative, and humorous while each carries an important life message such as tolerance, honesty, courage, etc.

For children who are not yet readers, these stories are an easy read by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and family friends. Lima Bear® Press strives to make the stories entertaining and meaningful both to those who listen as well as to those who read them aloud.

For children who are readers, the authors crafted the stories, through both text and illustration, so that they are fun to read, while, at the same time, striving to introduce young minds to new expressions and new vocabulary in a way that is readily understood.

Lima Bear Press feels they will have achieved their mission when they help children who listen to and/or
read their books become eager readers throughout their lives.

In the Lima Bear stories, the basic characters appear and reappear. Each character has a distinct personality that shines through in every story.

Learn more at LimaBearPress.com. Their books are distributed to bookstores and libraries nationwide by Small Press United (from IPG). Or call 800-888-4741 for more information.

Review of How Back-Back Got His Name, a Lima Bear book

How Back-Back Got His Name is the second book in the Lima Bear series. It's yet another picture book that I shared with my students, who range in age from 3-6. They loved this one, too!


Plumpton, the opossum, wakes up his friends because he is having an EEE-mergency! He was brushing his fur and all of a sudden, his back was gone! Lima Bear and Whistle-Toe, the rabbit, go find Maskamal, the raccoon, to help them find Plumpton's back.

The friends come up with all kinds of ways to try to find Plumpton's back, managing to just get themselves into all kinds of trouble. They have to work together to solve their own EEE-mergencies. They learn the importance of teamwork. A more valuable lesson is that people who appear to be different, often have their own special talents.

I really enjoyed this book. I love the lessons being taught about teamwork and how it is okay to be different. There is also a lesson about it not being okay to hunt and trap animals.

The end of the book has activities for adults to do with children, whether in the classroom or at home. It includes several discussion questions, as well as a fun science lesson and several language arts lessons. Reading this simple children's book for ages 4-8 can easily turn into a thematic unit. Check it out.


I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Excerpt from How Back-Back Got His Name, a Lima Bear

Thomas Weck and Peter Weck created an award-winning series about a group of adorable creatures known as the Lima Bears. My students, ages 3-6, absolutely loved this series when I shared it with them. The second book in the series is How Back-Back Got His Name.

Blurb:

Can you imagine what it would be like to lose your back!!? Well, that is exactly what happens to Plumpton, the Opossum. Lima Bear and his clever friends become detectives searching for this missing back.

Follow them as they try new and different ways of thinking to solve the mystery. See how they band together to protect each other in times of danger! Will they ever find Plumpton's back?

The take-away message: The tolerance of differences in others yields benefits 







Here is an excerpt from How Back-Back Got His Name.

One cool autumn morning, Lima Bear lay sleeping in his tiny walnut-shell bed in the hollow of an oak tree.He looked a bit like a lima bean with his round green belly and short arms and legs all snuggled up in his bed.

"Wake up, Lima Bear! Wake UP!!!"

"Oh my!" Lima Bear exclaimed. He jumped out of bed and ran to the door.

Whistle-Toe the rabbit held out a note for Lima Bear to read.

Help! I have an EEE-mergency! Plumpton

Whistle-Toe and Lima Bear rushed to see their friend, Plumpton the opossum.

At Plumpton's house, Lima Bear asked, "What's the EEE-mergency?"

"I've lost something," Plumpton sobbed. "I...I was brushing my fur this morning and when I turned around to look in the mirror, my b-b-back was GONE!"

Plumpton turned around, and disappeared!

"Aaaa-MAAAY-zing!" Whistle-Toe gasped.

Plumpton sniffled loudly, and turned back toward his friends.

Lima Bear said, "Don't worry, Plumpton. We'll help you find your back! Hmm... I think we'll need more help. Let.s get Maskamal, too."...

About Lima Bear® Press
 
Lima Bear® Press has a very straightforward mission: to publish children’s stories that are engaging, imaginative, and humorous while each carries an important life message such as tolerance, honesty, courage, etc.

For children who are not yet readers, these stories are an easy read by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and family friends. Lima Bear® Press strives to make the stories entertaining and meaningful both to those who listen as well as to those who read them aloud.

For children who are readers, the authors crafted the stories, through both text and illustration, so that they are fun to read, while, at the same time, striving to introduce young minds to new expressions and new vocabulary in a way that is readily understood. 

Lima Bear Press feels they will have achieved their mission when they help children who listen to and/or read their books become eager readers throughout their lives. 

In the Lima Bear stories, the basic characters appear and reappear. Each character has a distinct
personality that shines through in every story.

Learn more at LimaBearPress.com. Their books are distributed to bookstores and libraries nationwide
by Small Press United (from IPG). Or call 800-888-4741 for more information. 

Review of The Megasaurus, a Lima Bear book

The Megasaurus is the first book in a series of picture books about a little group of bears who are the same size and shape as beans. It's know as "The Lima Bear Series," based on stories that Thomas Weck used to tell his children. Father and son teamed up to bring these stories to life for all children.

I was a little apprehensive about sharing the books in my classroom. The stories are a little long for my 3 year-olds, but some of the 4's and most of the 5's were able to sit through it without a problem. The books are actually recommended for the 4-8 year-old range. I didn't need to worry, because the kids loved them.


In The Megasaurus, the little kingdom of Beandom is in trouble. A monster, known as a Megasaurus, loved to eat beans and was heading their way! The king wants to know what to do, so he calls upon his trusted advisors. Each one of them comes up with a plan, only to have little L. Joe Bean, a servant's son, tell them that their plan isn't going to work. He has an even better plan, if only the kind would listen to him. The wise owls laugh at little L. Joe Bean, but King Limalot hears what he has to say. After the three owls' plans fail, the king decides to give L. Joe Bean's plan a chance. To everyone's relief, it works and the Megasaurus is gone forever.

I was a little worried that the prospect of a monster coming to eat the little bears would scare some of the children. Instead, they were impressed by the dinosaur-like creature. If they were scared at all, it didn't last long. The Montessorian in me had a hard time with tactics like shooting the monster with arrows, but I quickly got over that.

The story has a good message to it - don't discount the little guy, because he may have something valuable to say. Kids can feel empowered by the little bean characters. The goal of the Lima Bear Press is to bring positive messages to children through their stories. I think the Wecks are able to accomplish this.

The back of the book has activities for parents and teachers to do with children after reading the story. There are discussion questions, as well as art projects, a math lesson and a phonics activity. This provides a good springboard for even more learning from the story. It's worth a read. My students requested it over and over again.


I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Excerpt from The Megasaurus, a Lima Bear book

The Lima Bean series of picture books for kids was extremely popular in my classroom when I introduced them. Over the next four weeks, I will feature one book a week through an excerpt and review. I will also share other wise words and tidbits about the series and its creators.

This week I am featuring The Megasaurus, the first book in the series.

Blurb:

Who will save Beandom from the Megasaurus? What’s the King of Beandom to do? The tiny, multicolored beanshaped bears of Beandom are under attack by a monster. Who will save Beandom?

Can the king’s wisest advisors find a solution? Howl the Owl thinks they can tempt the monster with pancakes. Towel the Owl thinks they can drive the monster away with bows and arrows. Vowel the Owl thinks a good strong rock wall will keep their kingdom safe from the Megasaurus. But L. Joe Bean, an
ordinary tiny bear, has another idea — one that is a little “outside the box”. Which approach will work?


Excerpt from The Megasaurus

King Limalot was in trouble. His tiny once-happy Beandom was in trouble. In fact, all of the tiny bean-shaped bears in his Beandom were in trouble, too. Whether they were green like lima beans, or red like pinto beans, they were all in terrible trouble.

There was a monster in Beandom. Tall as the tallest trees, it was so big that it made the earth tremble with each pounding step, and the trees sway when it roared. Its teeth were longer than a man's hand. It was a Megasaurus and its favorite food was BEANS!... 

About Lima Bear® Press
 
Lima Bear® Press has a very straightforward mission: to publish children’s stories that are engaging, imaginative, and humorous while each carries an important life message such as tolerance, honesty, courage, etc.

For children who are not yet readers, these stories are an easy read by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and family friends. Lima Bear® Press strives to make the stories entertaining and meaningful both to those who listen as well as to those who read them aloud.

For children who are readers, the authors crafted the stories, through both text and illustration, so that they are fun to read, while, at the same time, striving to introduce young minds to new expressions and new vocabulary in a way that is readily understood. 

Lima Bear Press feels they will have achieved their mission when they help children who listen to and/or read their books become eager readers throughout their lives. 

In the Lima Bear stories, the basic characters appear and reappear. Each character has a distinct
personality that shines through in every story.

Learn more at LimaBearPress.com. Their books are distributed to bookstores and libraries nationwide
by Small Press United (from IPG). Or call 800-888-4741 for more information.