Coquette Maman

Book Review: Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers

Her Right Foot
By Dave Eggers, Illustrated by Shawn Harris
Published by: Chronicle Books
ISBN-10: 1452162816
Age Range: 6-9 years old
104 Pages, Hardcover
$17.99 on Amazon

Most of us know author Dave Eggers' novels for adults, but he really does have an amazing way with words for kids. In his new children's book, Her Right Foot, Eggers tells the story of the Statue of Liberty noticing that the statue's right foot is mid-stride, moving forward. It's a poignant book for our politically entrenched time sharing the history of our country's beloved icon. The Statue of Liberty was a symbol of freedom for all of the immigrants who came by boat to Ellis Island from 1892-1954 where the port in NY Harbor and the statue greeted those who decided to start a new life in America.

My daughter Chloe is half-French and attends a bilingual school. She is just starting to learn more American history this school year and this book is definitely helping her understand how the history of the United States as a melting pot of nationalities. She loves how this story brings together two countries: France and the United States. There are those who don't realize that the statue was designed and built in France. That the smaller replicas that Bartholdi built that is mentioned it he book are all around Paris today –– one smaller one more famous on the Ile aux Cygnes in the 15th Arrondissement.

Eggers' fun, conversational style makes the book really enjoyable to read. Instead of bombarding kids with just plain o' facts, he writes the book in such a clever way. He bring awareness to how important it is that our country, built on immigrants, continues to allow immigrants to enter the U.S. It's what the Statue of Liberty represents.

Illustrator Shawn Harris did an incredible job with bringing the story to life with his images. His detailed process is fascinating. Harris first creates the image digitally and then uses that as a frame for his cut paper pieces which he colors by hand. He then photographs the finish result. You can see his detailed process in an interview on The Children's Book Review site. The look is amazing because I love being able to see the tactile handiwork in the pages of the book. The cut paper pieces bring depth to the overall page.

In this time of political rhetoric, Her Left Foot is such an incredible, timely book that explains how the Statue of Liberty needs to keep moving forward –– to help all immigrants reach their land of freedom. This book will be one of those gifts that will be treasured and read over and over again for many years. I hope it becomes a new classic.

Here are more interiors inside the book:

There's a contest for kids 12 years old or younger happening now on herrightfoot.com. Visit the site for more details. The contest has been extended to December 31st.

Purchase Her Right Foot on Amazon.

Review book provided by Chronicle Books

App Review: Toca Life: Office

Kids can take themselves to work with the new Toca Life: Office app ($2.99 at App Store | Google Play | Amazon) that's just landed today from Toca Boca. Sure there's laptops and printers, but don't forget, this is Toca Boca land where amazing adventures are always on hand. I love these exploratory games because the kids are just free to use their imagination and play.

There are thirty-five new characters that are all diverse and really, really cute – including the little hamsters which are Chloe's favorite. There are costumes in different locations so you can turn any character into a superhero!

There are also six locations kids can explore: bank, office, rooftop, courthouse, apartment and daycare.

I love that you can put on little wigs on the characters in the courthouse.

Of course, Chloe is always obsessed with figuring out the little secrets. Here you can enter in the "secret code" on the desk to open up a vault for a superhero costume!

The bank is really cool. You can keep all the valuables safe and set the alarm.

At the end of the work day, you can fly home on a helicopter!

This is such a detailed and immersive game that Chloe loved exploring every minute of it! And like all Toca Boca games, I love that there is no in-app advertising. It's all open-ended fun for kids!

Watch the trailer here:

Buy Toca Life: Office at the App Store, Google Play or Amazon.

If your kid is as obsessed with Toca Boca cuteness as mine is, there's a new Toca Boca line at Target featuring backpacks, lunch bags and clothing for boys and girls.

Review App provided by Toca Boca

Erin Condren Hardbound LifePlanner + New Fine Tip Pen Markers

While shopping on Amazon the other day, I happened to find that there were quite a few Erin Condren products for sale that included prime shipping. One thing that really caught my eye was the Erin Condren 2017-2018 Hardbound LifePlanner 8 X10 Midcentury Circles Colorful ($16.99 on Amazon). I was a huge fan of the LifePlanner for two years but I just didn't like how bulky the coil made everything and how hard it was to write on Wednesdays because of that coil. I purchased a Small Hardbound LifePlanner in the Cherry Blossom color with Rose Gold edges. The horizontal format was a great way for me to use it as a daily writing journal since I thought the area wasn't too big so I didn't have pressure to write so much each day. Instead, I have been using it as my daily planner but I've realized it's too small for me to plan in. I never take my planner out of the house so I needed something bigger with more room. I also missed the vertical boxes of Erin Condren. Now I can go back to using my small hardbound as a writing journal.

These hardbound planners look like the ones EC sells at Staples. The cover prints are lively and fun, rather than the solid color versions she sells on her own web site. You can find the 8X10 and the 5X8 versions but not all of them are in stock and the prices vary. Luckily, I love the Midcentury Circles design with it's silver foil on the cover and inside. I love that this was the lowest priced large hardbound planner for sale! I couldn't believe I paid $16.99 for it! The book itself isn't too thick and you can plan in it right away as it goes from the last part of 2017 and includes the whole year of 2018.

Here's some shots inside of the monthly view and the weekly vertical view. Each month is a different color.

Now, let's get to markers. These hardbound LifePlanners do not have the new thicker paper that the coiled versions have. I had a few issues of markers bleeding through the pages. I decided to pick up the Micro-Line Ultra-Fine Point Ink Pens ($19.99 on Amazon). These do not bleed through! Depending on which thickness you use, you might have some "ghosting" on the other side but I haven't had any pen color leak through significantly on the other side.

If you are a planner lover like me and have always wanted to try the Erin Condren LifePlanner, this is a great price to try it out. The Hardbound Large Planners retail for $35 on the Erin Condren site and for $34.99 at Staples.

Happy Planning!

Shop the Erin Condren 2017-2018 Hardbound LifePlanner 8 X10 Midcentury Circles on Amazon.