What’s in a name? If you are my young daughter, not so much. In her world, playing the name game is a piece of cake because what you see is typically what you get. Case in point: Her stuffed dinosaur’s name is Dino; her fuzzy black lab = Blackie; her plastic fish-shaped bath toy, Fishy; and her life-sized plush monkey, you guessed it–Monks. Of course, not all kids are able to slap a moniker on a prized possession as quickly and easily as my kid does. In fact, for some children, the task of naming a beloved toy is serious … Continue reading →

There’s nothing quite like a package full of pink to beat the summer blues. Enter Pinkalicious: Pink-a-Rama. The new box set filled with five fabulous Pinkalicious titles is the perfect addition to a family vacation. Whether you are traveling by air, land or sea, the collection of Level One, I Can Read stories by Victoria Kann couldn’t be easier to tote. Not only can your pretty princess escape to the world of Pinkalicious during a family getaway, she can do so in style. Pink-a-Rama comes packaged in a sturdy box with Velcro closures and a hot pink handle. Inside the … Continue reading →

Some book title, huh? It takes guts to bestow such a lofty label on your debut work, but there seems to be a method behind Dallas Clayton’s madness. Clayton penned and illustrated the psychedelic children’s picture book about dreaming big, and there’s no doubt he has equally high expectations for its future. At first glance, An Awesome Book! appears to be a sweet bedtime story, which encourages young readers to never stop dreaming, or perhaps, more importantly, never allow anyone to limit their visions. However, as pint-sized bookworms dig deeper into the 64-page explosion of colorful images and whimsical wording, … Continue reading →

Looking for a way to rev up your kid’s summer vacation? Have him go along for the ride when a burly blue freight train challenges a hot little red sports car to a cross-country race. The high-octane adventure is detailed in Kate and Jim McMullan’s colorful literary creation: I’m Fast! The race begins in Sacramento, California, and ends in Chicago, Illinois. In between young readers are treated to a series of twists and turns through the desert the mountains, urban jungles and country passes where herds of cattle aren’t keen about moo-ving off of train tracks. Despite having to haul … Continue reading →

Summer and learning. For most kids, the two don’t go hand in hand. Fortunately, if you disguise the lessons with a fun-filled feline adventure, you can likely avoid summer brain drain. That’s where Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons comes in handy. The eye-popping picture book written by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean combines reading, math, music and slew of helpful life skills in a delightful tale featuring a laid-back cat with a passion for wearing button-down shirts. Thanks to Pete’s panache for crafting catchy tunes your kids won’t even realize they are getting schooled in … Continue reading →

Talk about middle child syndrome. And you thought the Duggar family had issues. Chloe Bunny was born smack in the middle of 10 older brothers and sisters and 10 younger ones. Don’t worry; the carrot-loving clan is not making their debut on “21 Bunnies and Counting;” rather, they’re fodder for a funny bunny tale, Chloe, by New York Times bestselling author Peter McCarty. In McCarty’s latest literary venture, Daddy Bunny surprises his bustling brood with a new TV. The entire Bunny clan makes a beeline for the electronic entertainment option, save for Chloe and baby Bridget. Young Chloe is not … Continue reading →

Have you ever considered swapping out your kid for a dinosaur? Surprisingly, you might not notice a huge difference between the two if the preposterous proposition became reality. Dig into Dini Dinosaur and you’ll see why. The new children’s book by penned by Karen Beaumont gives young readers a sneak peek into the daily routine of a dinosaur Mommy and her mischievous offspring. Thanks to playful, eye-popping pictures masterfully crafted by illustrator Daniel Roode, kids of all ages will find themselves drawn to this delightful dinosaur family complete with young Dini who loves to dig in the dirt. After successfully … 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 →