If you give a mouse a pumpkin… he’s going to make pie? Pancakes? Donuts? Cookies? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong. Wrong book, right series. The oh-so right collection of If You Give A… books is growing, just in time for Halloween. It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse! features the same feisty rodent from the award-winning children’s classic, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie; however, the story doesn’t employ the same trademark circular format used in the popular series. Not that young readers will miss it. The colorful board book has its own Halloween-themed hook that will keep your kids at the … Continue reading →

What do Three Billy Goats Gruff and Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet have in common? Believe it or not; an important lesson in parenting. Allow me to explain. A few months ago, my daughter’s second grade class decided to put on a play. Yup. Three Billy Goats Gruff. Tryouts were held and my seven-year-old did her best to score the part she had her heart set on: Baby Goat. Fortunately, I had enough time to emotionally prepare her in case she didn’t get the coveted role. “That’s okay, Mommy,” she reasoned “if I don’t get to be the Baby … Continue reading →

Where do your kids think pancakes come from? A box? Your pantry? A non-stick griddle? IHOP? Thanks to Food Network chef Tyler Florence your pancake-loving preschoolers–and the rest of the family–can now get a crash course on the true origins of the humble flapjack. The celebrity chef recently added children’s book author to his resume with his debut page-turner, Tyler Makes Pancakes! The perfectly penned picture book is a delicious read with its age appropriate dialogue and kid-friendly illustrations. However, more than just making you hungry for a stack of piping hot pancakes, the book teaches young readers where popular … Continue reading →

You won’t be seeing my daughter on American Idol any time soon. Make that, ever. My 7-year-old possesses a litany of incredible talents; however, singing is not one of them. I know. I know. How dare I make such a stinging comment about my own flesh and blood. Calm down. It’s called reality. And it doesn’t mean that I don’t allow her to exercise her vocal chords. Nor does it mean that I cringe whenever she feels the urge to make like Miley Cyrus or the kids on Curious George. Rather, I am simply not a parent who is disillusioned … Continue reading →

The economy, job growth, health care, contraception, and foreign policy don’t mean much to first and second graders. However, give them the chance to vote on whether or not they can run in school hallways, eat ice cream sandwiches for lunch or take a field trip to the circus, and all of a sudden, learning about elections, voting, and democracy is cool, yo. Score another win for Amelia Bedelia. The pint-sized politico channels her inner activist in Amelia Bedelia’s First Vote. If you are looking for a light summer story that’s heavy on humor and will surely help prevent seasonal … Continue reading →

Forget about the triple chocolate covered strawberries, sugary conversation hearts, and double-dipped fudge truffles; if you really want to sink your teeth into an extra sweet treat this Valentine’s Day head to the book store. That’s where you’ll find one of the most heartwarming Love Day reads around: Hugs from Pearl. Pearl is a hugging machine. Problem is she’s also a porcupine. While Pearl loves doling out sweet squeezes to her young classmates, they don’t always appreciate being on the receiving end of hugs that hurt. Fortunately, Pearl is a proactive porcupine. She keeps Band-Aids on hand in case her … Continue reading →

If you give a dog a donut… you might end up with a nasty stain on your carpet. But in the wonderful world of children’s books, if you give a pooch a pastry with a hole in the middle, you get hours of reading fun. If You Give a Dog a Donut is lucky 13 for the famed writing/illustrating team of Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. The duo is the mastermind behind the uber-popular and irresistibly delicious If You Give… series, which my 7-year-old daughter devours every chance she gets. In fact, we own the entire collection of If You … Continue reading →

Dig into a doggone hilarious book that’s fit for the entire family. Marley’s Storybook Treasury contains six I Can Read! stories detailing the mischievous misadventures of the playful pooch your kids may recognize from the big screen. In this literary treasure trove, author John Grogan and illustrator Richard Cowdrey fill 192 pages with laugh-out-loud tales of Marley’s life in suburbia. Young readers will have a blast getting lost in this richly illustrated action-packed book loaded with colorful pictures that come alive with each turn of the page. Marley means well, but that doesn’t make life with the crazy canine any … Continue reading →