Maria Retana's Books

The Importance of Play in a Child’s Life

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:14:23 +0000

The Importance of Play in a Child's Life

It has been proven that children's brains expand through play, especially when they are allowed to pretend. The child's language, vocabulary, imagination and creativity become part of the experience and therefore part of their lives.

On December 22nd, the Retana family visited the Tucson Children's Museum. My two grandsons were with us that day and everyone had a wonderful time. I want to share some of the pictures of our experience. Plus, I want to share some of the thoughts that were going through our minds as we watched Ari and Miles enjoying themselves.

Here is the family's experience in their own words:

Grandma "Grams" Mimi

Seeing Grandpa Retana enjoying the sand table along with our youngest grandson, Miles, definitely encouraged me to get one for the boys. What a great way for the younger child to learn about touching and creating with sand, so soft, and its texture is very special.

Grandpa Guillermo:

The Tucson Children's Museum was a unique experience for me. Our goal was to spend time with family, especially the grandchildren, Ariel and Miles. I wanted to see their reaction to all the wondeful things housed in the museum. But to my surprise I became a child myself. I wanted to participate, to touch, to push buttons, to run from one place to another, like all the children there. And every adult I saw there was doing the same.
One can say that the museum brought out the inner child in all of us.

The museum gave me ideas as to how be creative at home. It would not required money, only time, time well spent with my grandchildren. As I played and observed the children, I saw what appealed to them. And my guess is that everything did. You see, nothing there could be broken. Children could touch, bang, pound, hit, pull, throw, and anything else one can imagine. They were allowed to scream, jump, run, and make as much noise as possible, all without anyone telling them to be quiet. They had absolute freedom. They were in control. Restrictions were absent. The presence of parents was secondary. I never heard cries nor don't run, don't do this nor that. All I heard was screams mixed with laughter and joy, the joy that only a child can give us.

Play on…

Papa Izak:

It was amazing to see Ari enjoying all of the exhibits. Although Miles is a little too young to fully enjoy everything the museum has to offer, he still took in everything around him and absorbed the experience. My favorite parts were those exhibits where the parents and grandparents could play alongside their children.

At the very end, in the jungle play room I discovered my very favorite part of the day: playing alongside Ari with the snake elevator and fan. The snake was a vertical velcro strip decorated like a snake and arranged on a pulley system with some climbing rope attached. There were small stuffed animals with little pieces of velcro attached to their bellies. Ari and I placed the animals on the strip and then he pulled the rope, making them climb towards the ceiling. At the top is a small celiling fan rotating at a medium speed. When the animals reach the fan they are knocked off the strip and go sailing across the room. Ari enjoyed this part the most and so did I. We spent a wonderful 10 minutes laughing and having so much fun.

I swear I felt like a kid again!

Mama Talia

Several rooms at the Tucson Children's Museum struck a cord with me. One of my favorites was the music room. Our family enjoys gathering at Grams and Gramps house and playing music so I was not surprised when both children and adults alike looked at home in this room. Stepping back and seeing everyone letting go and having fun was great! Many times in that room everyone seemed like a child discovering music for the first time.

I myself had fun going into each room and thinking of the future. Each room was an opportunity for a child to have a first glimpse of what may come 20 years from now. What will my nephew or son become as adults? Will they choose one of the professions displayed at the museum? It was exciting and fun to imagine the little ones in the family exploring what may be their future career!

Ludim

Ari really enjoyed everything, from uncle Izak's puppet show to the giant mouth/tongue they could practice brushing with. To me, the museum was a great experience but it also lacked some things. I would have liked to see more hands-on activities and more exhibits such as space or sports. Overall, we had a great time, and when it comes down to it, we are there for the kids enjoyment.

How does your family play?

Are there any special activities you come back to time after time?

Thanks for sharing!

Welcoming the New Year

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:29:40 +0000

In Cuba, in the 1950's, the New Year was welcomed by making a scarecrow

out of old clothes and magazines and burning it just before midnight.

It symbolized deleting the previous year.

Also, families honor the tradition of eating twelve big juicy green grapes.

Each grape representing one month of the New Year and the

hope for a rainy season and therefore a good harvest.

Do you know of other interesting ways people in the US (or other countries) welcome the New Year?

Thanks for sharing.

My Mother’s Voice

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:08:20 +0000

My Mother's Voice

Izak Last

When I was a child my parents both read to me on a regular basis. I am thankful that they took the time to do so, it certainly has helped my cognitive abilities in nearly immeasurable ways. Today, I am an avid reader, devouring fiction and non-fiction titles alike. I have a healthy appetite for literature that includes classics, sci-fi, fantasy, and even young adult novels and children’s books. I attribute my interest in such a wide range of books to my mother who kept me interested in reading as I entered my teens and began to discover more complicated and involved works.

I have my mother to thank for another gift she gave me through reading: her reading voice. Today, every time I hear her read aloud, I know that her voice played a very special role, not only in my childhood but in my mind’s journey from infant to adult. When I hear my mother read aloud I hear my own reading voice echoing back through all the hours she spent reading to me over the years. The timing of her words, the emphasis placed on certain syllables, and the pauses she places in her sentences are all elements that show through in my voice.

Reading to my son:

I also have a sense that the way that I view and understand the world was directly influenced by the hours of reading my mother gave me, a cherished gift. Also, the titles she selected for me had a profound influence on the knowledge I would attain as a child and young adult. As a simple example of this I point to the Tintin series by Hergé In this series of comic style novels, the adventurer Tintin travels around the world solving mysteries and fighting bad guys. I learned a lot about geography and the world in general through the pages of these incredible books. I must have read each one no less than ten times, always enjoying new little hidden treasures along the way.

Tintin book covers:

The wonderful thing about reading to a child is that they inherit things from you that, although seemingly intangible, are incredibly important. The love of reading, a voice of their own, a unique perspective on the world are some of the many benefits that come with reading to your children. As I read to my son and imagine reading to my future children, I know that their grandmother’s voice is reaching down to them through me. Although she may not have intended to give her grandchildren her voice, she certainly meant to help me find mine. In doing so, she also made sure that reading would be a part of her family line for generations to come.

My son preparing to hear his mother read him a story.

Will her voice become his own?

What did your parents read to you? Are your reading habits, voice, and world view influenced by it?

Holiday Goodies

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:44:18 +0000

One way to remember your childhood during the holidays is through the sharing of memories.

Such memories are preserved by sharing a recipe of a dessert (or any special dish) that your family has enjoyed throughout the generations.

Here is mine:

Cuban Christmas Cookies

Torticas de Navidad

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups corn flakes lightly crushed into small pieces, NOT crumbs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1 jar maraschino cherries

Preparation instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F

Use an electric mixture to cream the butter and sugar together in a small bowl. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed sugar and mix well. Use a spatula to gently fold in the walnuts, raisins and maraschino cherries.

Baking instructions:

Take a teaspoon of dough and roll it in the corn flakes. Place the cookies on a greased pan. Put one maraschino cherry in the center of each cookie. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes approximately two dozen cookies.

Please share yours! Thanks!

The Pig That Is Not A Pig

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:49:58 +0000

Are javelinas pigs? No they are not. Here are some interesting facts about javelinas:

-They might look somewhat like a domestic pig but they are quite different.

-They belong to a different family in nature and they have a special scientific name: Collared Peccary.

-A javelina can weight between 50 and 84 pounds while pigs weigh in between 200 and 1000 pounds!

-Mama javelina has 1-3 piglings, once a year, while a mama pig can have many piglets, several times per year.

-A mama javelina feeds her babies standing while a mama pig feeds her babies laying on her side.

-A javelina has three toes on each foot, the pig has four.

-Believe it or not, hippos are the closest relatives of pigs, not javelinas.

I want to hear about the encounters with Javelina's you may have had in the past!

Please feel free to leave questions on the topic and I will be happy to answer them.

Follow the links below for a free coloring page for kids and my javelina book!

Enjoy a FREE javelina coloring page

The Pig That Is Not A Pig

Never Too Soon to Read to Your Baby

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:18:48 +0000

Start Reading to your Baby Today!

You don’t have to wait for your baby to get be a certain age to begin

reading children’s books to him or her.

Start now!

They will benefit from the images, sounds, and pattern of your voice.

The image above is my son-in-law reading to my grandson Miles at 1 month old.

The book is full of musical instruments, bright colors, and animal-like characters.

At what age did you start reading to your children? Which are some of their favorite books?

Bison Workshop

admin — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:49:32 +0000

American Bison … Making a comeback!.. Where are they now?

Students will be transported to a time when the bison roamed the Great Plains by the millions. We will learn how they were inextricably interwoven with the lives of the Native American people. We will take an up close look at Bison today… learn what they look like, what they eat, where they live, and how they are used. Together we will learn a Bison song composed by Mrs. Retana and Mrs. Rhoads.

Offered in Spanish, English, or both!
Recommended for grades Pre-K and K
Duration: 15-30 minutes
Media: Visual and Hands-on activities

Spring Festival at the San Pedro House

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:58:11 +0000

On May 7, 2011 the San Pedro House in Hereford, AZ sponsored a Spring Festival to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day.

María Retana was the featured author at the event,
presenting from 10:00 am until 2:00 p.m.

There were activities for kids that blended in with the stories that Mrs. Retana read. the titles offered were: The Pig that is not a pig/El cerdo que no es cerdo, Born into the pack/Nacer en la manada and The Mystic Call/La llamada mística.

Enjoy the pictures below:

Reading and Book signing at The Boys and Girls Club of Bisbee, AZ.

admin — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:02:20 +0000

On June 29, 2011 Mrs. Retana delivered a reading of and signed her books for 34 Boys and Girls Club summer program members in Bisbee, AZ. She was happy to see some of her former students from Greenway Elementary in the audience. They behaved wonderfully for her, had great comments and shared interesting anecdotes about the javelina. Enjoy the pictures below.

The Bison: Symbol of Native American Culture

admin — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 16:16:32 +0000

On Tuesday, June 14, 2011 author Maria Retana and her illustrator Pat Pollock Rhoads visited the Buffalo Company Ranch in Buckeye, AZ they conducted research on the Bison which symbolizes the Native American Culture. They we were transported to the time when the bison roamed the Great Plains by the millions. As a result of their experience, a story for children’s ages 2-6 and a workshop for preschoolers and kindergarten students will be available in the next few months.

Mrs. Retana graciously shares:

Pat Pollock Rhoads’ imagination and talent was not diminished by the 103 degrees temperature while sketching and observing the size of the bison. They weigh up to 2,000 lbs and reach 11′ in length. The cover for our bison e-book story is going to be very colorful. Pat says she envisioned ALL the colors she used when creating her sample illustrations, I did not see them but who dares argue with an artist!?

Maria Retana's Books

The Importance of Play in a Child’s Life

Welcoming the New Year

My Mother’s Voice

Holiday Goodies

The Pig That Is Not A Pig

Enjoy a FREE javelina coloring page

The Pig That Is Not A Pig

Never Too Soon to Read to Your Baby

Start Reading to your Baby Today!

Bison Workshop

American Bison … Making a comeback!.. Where are they now?

Offered in Spanish, English, or both! Recommended for grades Pre-K and K Duration: 15-30 minutes Media: Visual and Hands-on activities

Spring Festival at the San Pedro House

Enjoy the pictures below:

Reading and Book signing at The Boys and Girls Club of Bisbee, AZ.

The Bison: Symbol of Native American Culture

Mrs. Retana graciously shares:

Offered in Spanish, English, or both!
Recommended for grades Pre-K and K
Duration: 15-30 minutes
Media: Visual and Hands-on activities