Halfmann’s Little Skink’s Tail wins Teachers’ Choice Award for 2009

Janet (Kloeckner) Halfmann

Learning Magazine has awarded Little Skink’s Tail (Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2007) one of fifteen 2009 Teachers’ Choice Awards, and author Janet Halfmann could not be more ecstatic about receiving this coveted distinction.

Janet Halfmann has been writing for children for more than twenty years, and Little Skink’s Tail is her twenty-eighth book. Little Skink was inspired by her granddaughter, whom she enjoys watching play dress-up and pretend. As Janet wrote the book, she pictured her granddaughter putting on and showing off each tail.

"Nothing makes me happier than watching a child read one of my books," said Janet. "Because of the award, I hope many more children have the opportunity to read and enjoy the book. Plus, to win an award judged by classroom teachers is especially satisfying, because they work so closely with children and books everyday."

Teachers’ Choice Awards have been a part of Learning Magazine since 1994. Since that time, the program has grown to become one of the most recognized and prestigious awards in the educational market. It is the only awards program that is exclusively judged by teachers in the classroom! This year, fifteen children’s book winners were chosen, based on their scores from the evaluations done by a panel of teachers across the country. The winners receive a spotlight in the magazine’s special Children’s Book award section, as well as a blue and gold seal distinguishing them as a Children’s Books winner.

According to the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database review of Little Skink’s Tail, "Delightful text, fanciful illustrations, and intriguing page lay-outs fill this book." Little Skink’s Tail is the story of a tiny lizard that is attacked by a crow while searching for breakfast. Luckily, the skink snaps off her tail, and it keeps on wiggling! Readers will enjoy pretending to try on other animals’ tails with Little Skink. (The first is too puffy-fluffy, and another is too stinky.) One day Little Skink gets a big surprise…and she doesn’t have to dream of tails anymore! This book encourages children to be comfortable with themselves as they are and with their own individuality.

The imaginative illustrations are the work of Laurie Allen Klein. Over the last several years, Laurie has worked as the on-staff artist for a marine park, where she does everything from painting life-size sea animal murals, to illustrating children’s activity books. In addition to Little Skink’s Tail, she also illustrated If a Dolphin Were a Fish for Sylvan Dell Publishing, as well as the upcoming 2009 release, Where Should Turtle Be?

Sylvan Dell picture books with science, math and nature themes excite children’s imaginations through fun stories, vibrant artwork and a 3-5 page "For Creative Minds" educational section in the back of each book. But that is just the start…what really makes the books unique, is their tremendous amount of free, online educational material available for cross-curricular learning, including: 30-80 page Teaching Activities, Interactive Reading and Math Quizzes, and much more.

They have 57 authors and illustrators on the Sylvan Dell team and their 35 titles have been honored as nominees, finalists, or winners of more than 50 book awards. Sylvan Dell eBooks, available in English and Spanish, are wonderful for use with in-classroom projection or interactive whiteboards (Smartboards) and are ideal for Spanish language classes and ESL students at all grade levels.

For more information about Little Skink’s Tail or Sylvan Dell Publishing in general, visit the Sylvan Dell Publishing website, www.SylvanDellPublishing.com. For additional inquiries, contact Sara Dobie, Public Relations, at 877-958-2600 or SaraDobie@SylvanDellPublishing.com.