UPDATE: Congrats to Kaiya, the winner of Knut and Mama Zen, winner of The Cake Thief! Your names were drawn by my kids this morning. I will put in the mail to you on Monday. Thanks to everyone who responded.

I have two fantastic kids’ books for you guys. If interested in either or both, just leave a comment or send an email (jessica dot mcfadden at g mail dot com) and I’ll throw your name into the big yellow Bob the Builder hat.

Knut: How one little polar bear captivated the world
by children’s author Craig Hatkoff and his two daughters Juliana and Isabella, and Dr. Gerald R. Uhlich, CEO of Zoo Berlin
This is the tale of Knut, the first polar bear cub born at the Berlin Zoo in more than thirty years and the zookeeper, Thomas Dorflein, who nurtured him, slept with him and loved the little bear so that he would thrive. Born to a rescued circus bear, Knut depended on the parenting of the zoo, and his story won the hearts of millions. The hardcover keepsake book has beautiful photography of the fluffy white bear that children of all ages will adore. If you have a Hans de Beer “Little Polar Bear” lover in your house, this will be a winner. The non-fiction text is written at a third grade reading level.

The Cake Thief written and illustrated by Sally O. Lee
Gorgeous oil paintings tell the story of Clarence, a town thief who specializes in swiping cakes, and an important lesson he learns about giving and friendship. Midwest Book Review says, “The story is lively, the simple text is superbly enhanced by the whimsical art style. The result is a welcome and recommended addition to family, school, and community library picturebook collections for young children.”

My children and I love to bake and paint and so this book was a huge hit at our house. I really had to restrain myself from pocketing this one. Explore more of Ms. Lee’s books and art for children at her website Lee Publishing, and kids will enjoy the free coloring pages and print-out crafts at her kids’ site, Lucy’s Toy Box.

Thank you to Ms. Lee and Turtle Pond for the generous copies for A Parent in Silver Spring readers.

To parents in Silver Spring and beyond, may your weekend be full of books, animals and cake!