Children’s book about pit bull raises more than $55k on Kickstarter

The power of crowd funding…

Global News

TORONTO — A Kickstarter campaign for a children’s book about a pit bull has raised more than twice its $27,500 goal.

Galunker, an illustrated rhyming book by Toronto writer Douglas Anthony Cooper and artist Dula Yavne, is about a pit bull rescued from a dog fighting ring who wants to find a nice home but faces various threats.

Cooper and Yavne also use the book to address breed-specific legislation that targets pit bulls.

“The book includes an essay at the end, aimed at parents,” reads a description on the Kickstarter page. “We refer to the latest studies, in order to separate science from superstition. This essay will help parents make informed decisions before introducing ANY dog into the family home.”

The crowd-funding campaign to publish and promote the book has collected more than $55,000 from more than 1,000 backers.

It hit its target in the first three days…

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Zap Zap Fractions Makes Learning Math Fun

Mathematics the fun way

TechCrunch

Zap Zap Fractions is an iPad and iPhone math app for children that manages to be both instructional and beautiful. When I saw the game demoed by its creators, Malaysia-based Visual Math Studio, at the recent Echelon event, I was impressed by its illustrations of aliens and spaceships, as well as its entertainment value. The concept behind the game, which teaches kids the basics of fractions, was inspired by a Calvin and Hobbes comic.

“When Calvin was in class, he couldn’t relate with what was being taught, so he started daydreaming about the teacher being a fat alien,” says Joann Soon, content developer of Visual Math Studio. “He would make learning fun through his imagination. That was his coping mechanism.”

“We came up with lines like ‘is math alien to you?’ and from there we took the visuals,” she adds.

Visual Math Studio is made up of Soon, designer…

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Ninja Man Drafted To Speak On “Life and Death” In Trinidad

Violence

life-sound

DownSound recording artist Ninja Man recently went to Trinidad to give a speech in regards to the upliftment and inspiration of youths involved in violence on the Caribbean island.

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Read to Children Beginning at Birth

this is something to be encouraged

R & R...Readers and Reference

The American Academy of Pediatrics will announce a new policy directing doctors to tell parents to read aloud to their infants from birth.

Per the New York Times, “With the increased recognition that an important part of brain development occurs within the first three years of a child’s life, and that reading to children enhances vocabulary and other important communication skills, the group, which represents 62,000 pediatricians across the country, is asking its members to become powerful advocates for reading aloud, every time a baby visits the doctor.”

Reading, talking and singing are all considered important in increasing the number of words children hear and know at the earliest ages, creating distinct advantages when they begin school.

This should be reason enough to visit your local library.

Click here for the entire New York Times article.

– posted by Ed, Reference Services

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Cocoa Extract May Influence Alzheimer’s Disease Mechanisms

great news

Food Safety Europa

A new study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai shows mechanisms behind cocoa’s benefit which may lead to new treatments or dietary regimens.

A specific preparation of cocoa-extract called Lavado may reduce damage to nerve pathways seen in Alzheimer’s disease patients’ brai…
Read more Cocoa Extract May Influence Alzheimer’s Disease Mechanisms

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Chocolate Truffles and Waving at the Queen

lovinghomemade

Homemade chocolate truffles

Homemade truffles are very easy to make but always seem quite impressive. They are perfect for the end of a meal or as a gift. I made these for a lunch with friends for Royal Ascot week.

Royal Ascot, if you haven’t heard of it, is one of the most important horse racing events in the calendar. It lasts for a week and is “Royal” because the Queen attends every day. She leaves Windsor Castle by car and is driven through the Great Park where she and the most important members of her party get into the horse-driven carriages that they take to the racecourse. Waving at the Queen as she passes in her carriage has become a tradition: I look forward to it every year. It almost makes up for a week of chaos and traffic nightmares! My friend Vana organises a lunch for the mums…

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Sexuality & Sexual Orientation