The story of the good Samaritan is a family favorite so I knew I was going to enjoy this African twist!  I didn’t mention anything before I sat down to read Sikulu & Harambe to the girls, I LOVE when they get things themselves.  Boy 2001 was in the room playing with legos and when I started reading I could see a sense of knowing rush over him.  He hustled over to see the pictures.

After reading the story we talked about it for a while, the kids loved that the heroes were animals, especially the spider with the bangles!  This is a story that gently gets kids thinking about service to other people.  It’s not preachy but gets the point across!  Most kids know what it feels like to need help and not get it so they can immediately relate to the lady’s unanswered cries.

There are wonderful elements of African culture and life weaved into the story.  Girl2004 was fascinated that people do their laundry in the river and at the same time they play hide-and-seek!  Books are a great way to take your kids to a far away land… Sikulu and Harambe are sure to become favorites so be sure to check out the plush animals available at the website.  The illustrations and writing, simply put, is excellent!  The drawings are gentle and the story is simple but powerful making it a great choice for all children.

Sikulu and Harambe has great info for kids!  Topics include:

• Zambia and Africa more generally
• animals like elephants, spiders, hippopatamus, yellow-billed stork
• Ku-omboka ceremony
• Lozi people
• Zambezi River

Sikulu & Harambe by Kunle Oguneye.  Illustrations by Bruce McCorkindale.

I have a really cute vid of girl2006 putting this book on our bookshelves! I need to get it on the web, sooo cute.  She loves putting her books on her shelf, sometimes if she’s lost interest in a book while I’m reading she’ll try to close it in my hands to put it away.  I guess it’s a habit only a mother could find cute.  I should note that she does not do that when I’m reading Sikulu and Harambe, she likes me to define all the words in the glossary!

Enjoy this book with the special children in your life.

Every mom I know looks around her home some days and thinks of a three ring circus.  The daring stunts, costumes and animal tricks are just part of it. 

Still, with all of that, the actual circus is a MUST do event for most families and when i think of the circus, I think of Ringling Bros.  Every good family field trip of course starts with gauging children’s interest.  Girl2006 had some fun looking through a Ringling Bros.  picture book.  It’s looks like a souvenir program but it reads like a story which I really like!

The interest is there but can you afford it?  If money has held you back from attending The Greatest Show On Earth, don’t let it!  This may be the best time ever to visit the circus.  We have put off our circus aspirations in the past because of the price tag!  Take your family to the circus for only $44!  That is true value, I just wish there was a show near me!  $44 includes the All Access Pre-show, a fun opportunity to meet circus performers and dress up in clown costumes, which happens one hour before each performance.

The Ringling Bros. website has a lot of good information and will get your kids in the mood to go to the circus!  Visit www.ticketmaster.com to use the MOM promo code. 

Here’s a good description of the offers:

MOM code Offer #1:

Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code “MOM” at select ticketing channels**. Offer good on all performances, minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Circus Celebrity Seating, Front Row and VIP seating or combinable with other offers.  Other Restrictions May Apply.

MOM code Offer #2:

A select amount of Front Row and VIP seats have been reserved for you to buy before they go on sale to the public – just enter the code “MOM” when purchasing those seats.

Dates and cities where families can use the national MOM discount code this spring are as follows:

• Newark/East Rutherford/Uniondale/NYC
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
  March 5 – April 13
  Offer not valid on performances from April 10 – 13 at Madison Square Garden
• Washington D.C./ Fairfax, VA/ Baltimore, MD
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
  March 18-April 19
• Philadelphia
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
  May 13-May 25
• Phoenix
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
  June 24-June 28
• Houston
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
  July 15-July 26
• Anaheim/LA/Ontario
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
  July 8-August 2
• San Francisco 
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
  August 12-August 23
• Dallas/Ft Worth
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
  July 29-August 16
• Sacramento
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
  August 27-August 30
• Kansas City
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
  September 16-September 20

We had some fun dressing up with our clown noses! Girl2006 has officially adopted the Ringling Bros. book, she will NOT put it down!

Girl 2004:  Hey! Let’s Join the Circus!