I had the opportunity to review Amy Blevin’s excellent e-book – Listening to Learn! Using Audio Files in Your Homeschool - in February, l am so pleased to have a copy to give to one blessed reader anywhere worldwide!  I can’t say enough about it; now that we have high speed internet and family iPods we’ve ALL benefitted from the addition of audio books and other resources incorporated throughout the day.  To get the low-down you can read my complete review here.

Listening to Learn will help you:

• Learn how to use audio files in your homeschool to double, triple, or quadruple your student productivity.
• Discover how easy it is to download and use a free podcast.
• Learn where to find quality audio supplements for any subject and any age group.
• Refill your own cup using audio files designed to encourage Mom on her journey.
• Learn how to fit more audio into your day with sample schedules.

You can pick up your copy for $14.95 today!

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter visit Amy at Bow of Bronze and leave a comment letting me know why you’d like to read this title.

For additional entries:

1. Subscribe to this blog for updates – see the left hand sidebar. Leave an additional comment letting me know you’ve subscribed (or if you already subscribe).

2. Write a post on your blog promoting and linking to this contest. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

3. Add the Quiverfull Family button (see the code box in the right hand sidebar under BUTTON UP!) to your blog’s sidebar. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

4. Digg, Stumble or otherwise share this post on a social networking site.  Leave an additional comment indicating how you shared this post.

5. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/quivermamma

Each additional step taken counts for 1 additional entry.  A total of 6 entries are available if you complete all of these steps.

The contest will close at 12 a.m. MST on Saturday, May 16th, 2009. One winner will be randomly drawn for the e-book on Sunday, May 17th, 2009 and notified by email. Please fill your email address in the comment form when you are completing your comment so that I can contact you.  The winner must respond with a mailing address within 72 hours of my email, or a new winner will be chosen.  This contest is open worldwide, and the prize will be delivered electronically.

I look forward to seeing God bless a special reader with this e-book.  Thanks for entering!

Queen Vernita is the benevolent ruler of the Kingdom of Oceaneer. To stave off her loneliness she invites one friend to visit her home for one month each. Beginning in January and moving through December, she and her friends engage in a variety of light-hearted, fun-filled and seasonally appropriate activities as the months, days contained in each month and days of the week are taught to young children.

Author Dawn Menge draws upon her experience with special needs populations and interest in instructional techniques to form the basis for Queen Vernita’s Visitors, a colourful, whimsical introduction into the yearly cycle we are most familiar with in calendar form. By presenting the flow of time in a repetitive, story format, abstract calendar-based concepts are more easily absorbed by young children.

After setting the stage by counting each month and laying the groundwork for the visit of Queen Vernita’s friends, a repetitive and soothingly predictable pattern is begun. Each month is presented in a two-page spread, with a full-colour illustration on the left panel and the simple text on the right. The following quote demonstrates the form in which each month’s information is conveyed along with repeating the days of the week:

“In January she invited Debbie. Debbie stayed from January 1st to January 31st. Queen Vernita loved her visit with Debbie.
“On Mondays, they played jolly jump rope.
“On Tuesdays, they played juggling jacks.
“On Wednesdays, they played four square.”

If some of the listed activities seem nonsensical, it may be due to the fact that the twelve characters who visit with the Queen throughout the year are based upon Menge’s own circle of family and friends. Doubtless, some of these activities are favourites of her loved ones and inside references to pleasurable times spent together.

The art is whimsical and seasonally appropriate. In keeping with the fantastical world of castles perched on cliffs and royalty, the costumes are generally reminiscent of earlier times, with long flowing gowns, full length cloaks and men in tights. Modern swimsuits are depicted in one illustration. The backgroud colour on the text pages coordinates with a main colour in the illustration, contributing to a whimsical, lively appearance throughout.

What charm the title has is detracted from by the rather sloppy illustrations of Bobbi Switzer. No matter how colourful, I have yet to be won over to the thick black outlines and simplistic, two-dimensional internal shading that are reminiscent of the spray paint feature on the classic “Paint” program. When paired with inconsistent drawings of the main character (at times appearing young, at others old, black eyes in all but two illustrations in which they are blue), and proportion issues (hands and head size vary wildly and are at times far too large), aesthetically discerning readers will be disappointed and possibly annoyed. To be fair, there are select illustrations where these concerns are not present; if only every one had been as carefully executed.

My three-year-old wandered off part way through the reading, but my six-year-old stayed until the end. She’s currently working on learning her calendar facts, and as such Queen Vernita meets her needs. Young students may benefit from exposure to this work as a supplementary aid to learning calendar facts. However, I’m hesitant to recommend it in any but the direst situations due to lack of professional quality illustrations.

CLICK HERE TO BUY AT AMAZON!

Publisher Info:

Title: Queen Vernita’s Visitors
Author: Dawn Menge
Format: Paperback, 36 pages
Publisher: Outskirts Press (April 9, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1598007149
ISBN-13: 978-1598007145