by Marjorie Priceman

Take a fun filled romp around the world and see apple pie in a whole new way. When the market is closed, the young heroine go directly to the sources for the necessary ingredients, be it England, France, or Sri Lanka, and still makes it home in time to make her pie. Apple pie may be the typical American dessert, but this book shows us that it's flavors of the world that make it so delicious. This is the tastiest geography lesson we've ever come across!

In this Issue

• Apple Parachute Action Painting
• Watching and Learning - Apple Pie Ingredients
• Apple Hand Pies
• Off the Shelf Shop - Apples

This week's picks are inspired by Zephyr Takes Flight. They're high flying, triple-loop-de-loop spectacular! These and all our picks can be seen on the Off the Shelf Shop Pinterest Board. Enjoy! 

We spotted this Airplane Cape and immediately thought of Zephyr- somehow donning a cape unlocks the imagination and all sorts of adventures become possible! 

This colorful wooden airplane puzzle works equally well as a toy and a decorative work of art. Shop Gigglery has several puzzles to choose from including this giraffe pair  or some Elmer-esque elephants. 

For action-packed play, this beautiful airplane is the perfect choice! Propellers spin as the plane is rolled lets young aviators' imaginations soar. Here's a video of the plane in action: 

We're not sure which one we fell in love with first, the shop or the toy. That's right, this Red Baron airplane is made in the Kringle Workshops! Start by admiring this biplane and contine on to the other wonderful treasures created the Kringle Elf himself!

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We are very excited about our finds this week as we celebrate The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson.  These and all our picks can be seen on the Off the Shelf Shop Pinterest Board. Enjoy! 

We love this carved Wood Whale toy and everything else in shop Baumstammbuch. Especially fascinating are wooden books made out of a single tree trunk with removable figures. 

Shop willowynn has both a Blue Whale Soft Toy and a Snail Fabric Sculpture that would be perfect for acting out the story or other ocean adventures.

Make colorful snail trails or pictures of ocean adventures with Snail Crayons from CraftedColors.

Wouldn't this Knitted Snails Mobile from CraftsStudio be a great addition to a reading nook to inspire dreams of big adventures?

This Wooden Whale from ThePineNuts would be a friendly fellow to add to a reading nook or play area.

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This week's Off the Shelf Shop celebrates baseball and Bats at the Ballgame. These and all our picks can be seen on the Off the Shelf Shop Pinterest Board. Enjoy!

This bright and cheery print with the lyrics of Take Me Out to the Ballgame is available from 5x7 to 18x24 inches. You can even order your print customized with your favorite team instead of 'home team'!

How clever is this baseball-theme book storage? Shop with Compassion donates 100% of profits to support 6 children through Compassion International. With over 40 fabric options to choose from, you can find the perfect option for your young reader's ever increasing book collection. 

With a long list of scents to choose from (including Birthday Cake or Fudge Brownie!) these baseball soaps might make even the dirtiest players hop into the tub at bath-time!  

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P.S. We have no affiliation with these sites and receive no compensation for featuring the products. 

We're back with another Off the Shelf Shop, this time for Chengdu Could Not, Would Not Fall Asleep. Extend story time and bring the book alive with these enchanting products. 

This Panda Stamp from shop Nuukk captures all the charm of Saltzberg's illustrations and reminds me of the artwork on the back flap of Chengdu! 

Handmade and perfect for cuddling, this adorable Panda Hand Puppet is sure to bring Chengdu's story alive. Shop Coldham Cuddlies also features a variety of puppets, plush toys, and slippers all handmade from vintage and modern patterns.  More panda picks include a Panda Doll and these Panda Slippers that can be custom made for you or young reader! Also check out the shop's blog!

Know of an item that fits with Chengdu? Let us know in the comments!

P.S. We have no affiliation with these sites and receive no compensation for featuring the products.

Hello there! Hope you are having a lovely summer so far...As we prepare for the upcoming holiday weekend we thought we would collect a few books from our archive to celebrate the joyful days of sunshine and warm, juicy berries. In addition we are including Off the Shelf Shop with some berry book-inspired toys and treasures. You might also enjoy Red, White, and Blue Cornbread and Hooray for the Red White and Blue Painting to help you celebrate Independence Day. 

Happy 4th of July from Off the Shelf!

Berry Books

Read about Sal's adventure's picking blueberries with her mother in Blueberries for Sal and then make your own blueberry yogurt pops and blueberry paint. 

Jamberry is a book full of berry-licious silly rhyming fun. We creating a recipe for Whole Wheat Jamberry Crumble Bars and a Pop Art Jamberry art activity to go along with this fun read.  

Who will end up with the tasty prize in The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear? Read and find out, then try making Red Ripe Strawberry Sandwiches with Whipped Cream Cheese and a Little Mouse Mask! 

Berry Recipes

Blueberry Buckle Cake

Bewitching Blueberry Pancakes

L is for Lemon-Blueberry Pancakes

Berry Smear

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Raspberry Sherbet

Blueberry Yogurt Pops

Berry Art Activities

Blueberry Paint

Magic Blueberry Art

Off the Shelf Shop 

Bring all the berry books to life with these Felt Food Berries for imaginative play. Shop CreationbyM has amazing felt foods: how about a banana or a tangerine that you can actually peel?!

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Hi friends,

Off the Shelf Shop is a new feature we are trying to help further the adventures found in our books of the week. From toys to art supplies to gardening kits, the items we find and share can help you continue the fun with your young reader! Let us know what you think  or if you have any suggestions for items or shops we should check out. 

This week's items help young readers use their imagination to explore color and the great outdoors, just like Liza in A Day with No Crayons! 

This field sketchbook set includes a sketchbook, two graphite pencils, a kneading eraser, a blending tool, and a sandpaper pencil sharpener, all stored in a roll-up pouch. What better way to get kids to slow down a really see their surroundings? Shop Cake in the Morn also features a variety of flannel, wood, and felt toys like this Where the Wild Things Are Felt Story.

The Backyard Box contains 30 wooden coins printed with 60 prompts for child-led outdoor exploration and creative play- perfect year-round boredom busters! The Idea Box Kids features 20 different idea boxes with themes such as the Wiggle Box, the Lunch Box, and the Adventure Box. 

P.S. We have no affiliation with these sites and receive no compensation for featuring the products.