Reviews for Books & Magazines
What if you could buy a great gift for your grandchild (something you’ve found on Grandkids Gift Guide, of course!) — make that gift even more special by personalizing it and wrapping it in adventure — and, better, yet — make that special experience last 1 to 2 weeks, and forever in their memories? A new “adventure by mail” service called Giftventure will make that happen for you! All you need to do is go to their website and order a giftventure by choosing an adventure and answering a few short questions about your grandchild to personalize it. Choose a treasure map adventure for kids 4-8, a maze adventure for kids 8-12, or choose from several seasonal/holiday adventures. Their characters include: Captain Percy the Pirate, Fay the Fairy Princess, Gunther the Dragon, and holiday favorites — Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and Cupid. A giftventure includes 3-4 mailers to your granchild sent every three days from the character you choose. The mailers include colorful letters and posters, as well as puzzles and clues leading them to the location of your gift. Simply provide Giftventure with your grandchild’s name and address, location where your gift will be hidden, as well as a favorite toy/game and landmark to be incorporated in their special story. Giftventure will do the rest! If you know you want to give your grandchild a giftventure but don’t know exactly when — or you’re waiting for a special occasion to occur (a birthday, the holidays — or a special visit at your house or theirs!), Giftventure provides two simple options. One option is to have the giftventure mailed to you or your grandchild’s parents as a package, where everything is included, and the letters, etc. can be distributed (by grown-ups) at the most appropriate times. Or you can purchase a Giftventure gift certificate, which can be redeemed by you or your grandchild’s parents at a later date. Once you decide to give a giftventure, all you need is the gift — and you’re only a few clicks away from that! So… let the adventure and the memory-making begin!
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The King of Skittledeedoo (personally signed copy)$15 at Power for Kids |
Award-winning television and film writer Patricia Rust shares with us her passion for children’s literacy in her delightful book, The King of Skittledeedoo. Written for preschoolers to be read to or for early readers (up to age eight) to read to themselves, The King of Skittledeedoo is written entirely in rhyming verse, which is a great way to get children to pay attention to the letter sounds that make up words. The book also introduces children to words they may not recognize yet, such as, “preening,” “amuck,” “girth,” and “beseech,” to name a few. This combination of rhyming verse and new vocabulary words makes The King of Skittledeedoo a perfect book to read aloud to your grandchild, placing emphasis on the rhymes and explaining the definitions of the new words. The King of Skittledeedoo tells the story of a stately king who loses all of his supposed stateliness — his crown, clothes, jewels, etc. — when a tragic fire burns throughout the kingdom. Left with only a towel, he tries to calm his kingdom’s people down by letting them know he is in control, but without his usual garb, his people don’t recognize him. So they put him to the test and ask him to prove he is their king by adding simple numbers and spelling words such as “potatoes,” “mother,” and even, “Skittledeedoo.” When he fails miserably, two children decide to bring him to school, believing that whether or not he is their king, he, like everyone, should know the “three R’s.” The tale ends happily, of course, but we’ll leave it up to you to discover the ending for yourself. The literacy message is clear, yet isn’t preachy. Along with writing for TV and film, Patricia Rust is a contributing writer to the Kids Page of the Los Angeles Times, and is the founder of Power for Kids, a nonprofit organization that helps spread the word about the importance of children’s literacy. You may also recognize the whimsical, cartoon-like illustrations of San Wei Chan, an award-winning animator and illustrator for Warner Brothers Studios, where he worked on beloved shows, such as Looney Tunes. The King of Skittledeedoo, a full-color, hardcover children’s book, makes a nice gift, and when you order from her website (see “Click Here” link below), Patricia Rust is happy to personally inscribe your copy!
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Once in a while a book comes around that can change the direction of a child’s life. Three Cups, a new children’s book based on a true story, has the potential to do just that. Mark St. Germain retells the story of the present a boy received from his parents for his fifth birthday… a present, his parents explained, that would “take him on many adventures.” As he proceeds to unwrap 3 old coffee cups from his family’s kitchen cabinet, he is at first disappointed and confused. But then his parents give him the second part of his gift — his first weekly allowance — and the adventure begins! His parents help him divide his allowance into 3 cups — one for saving, one for spending, and one to use towards a charity of his choice. As the weeks go on, the cups fill and it’s time to put the money from each cup to use. The money in the saving cup gets deposited in the bank “to keep it safe” and “make it grow.” The money in the spending cup eventually pays for a new baseball glove and a present for his little sister. At first, he has a hard time figuring out what to do with the money collected in the charity cup, because, he thought, “there were so many people who needed help,” and his charity cup was “so small.” But his parents assured him there were “a hundred things,” and even “a hundred times a hundred things,” that he could do with the money. He settled on buying eight cans of soup for his school’s food drive, and helped his teacher make deliveries to needy families. As the boy grows, so does the amount of his allowance, and the money placed in each cup. And, then, when he’s old enough to work, he continues the tradition, helping to pay for his own college and helping many more people through charity. The lessons in Three Cups are simple and classic and do not read as preachy. Instead, they make up an engaging story that will encourage children and families to easily put the principles into practice. The gorgeous illustrations by April Willy perfectly suit the book. She has a way of accurately capturing the feelings the boy has throughout the entire Three Cups learning process — disappointment, inquisitiveness, excitement and pride. Of course, Three Cups is a perfect gift for your grandchildren — for you to read with them and to help instill the principles it so eloquently suggests. Three Cheers for Three Cups!
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The Day that Came to Play $39.95 at Flattenme |
Flattenme has done it again with another fantastic addition to its personalized storybook series — this time babies (and their readers) are the lucky audience! Similar to the original Flattenme books personalized for 2-4 and 4-7 year-olds, your tiniest grandchild’s photo is expertly superimposed onto the rhyming pages of a magically illustrated adventure that you might imagine to be played out in a perfectly choreographed baby dream. Alongside your grandchild’s likeness (and name), you’ll be treated to a perfect sunrise, puffy clouds, rainbows, castles and a moss-covered bed — and let’s not forget a smiling cow, winking cat and red balloon wearing a hat! This visual enchantment is Flattenme’s strength — pages your eyes will never tire of, nor will your grandchild’s. Simply upload or mail a photo of your grandchild to Flattenme (see FAQ page for details) and they’ll do the rest! Since we last reviewed Flattenme’s original books, they’ve won more awards and have been featured on several national television shows — well-deserved kudos!
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We’re convinced that the best way to learn new concepts is to make games out of them. Whizizzle Phonics Games are a fun and effective way for children ages 4 and older to learn to read — and a wonderful way for you to be involved in the process. Each card deck (decks 1-3 and 4-6 are sold as 2 separate sets) teaches different sounds. For instance, Game 1 teaches short vowel sounds in consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words — “leg,” “sad,” “cup,” etc. The game-playing rules are similar to other card deck games. Each player is dealt 7 cards that include “word” cards and “action” cards — such as “Leap Frog,” which means the next player’s turn is skipped, or “Turn Around,” which reverses the direction of play. There is a draw pile and a discard pile. The person whose turn it is must choose a card from his or her own hand to match the vowel or consonant sounds on the card face-up on the discard pile. For instance, if the card on the discard pile features the word “red,” your grandchild can choose to match it with a card that features the words, “rag” (the beginning sound), “pen” (the middle sound), or “dad” (the ending sound). The word and the sound they’re matching (vs. the letter) must be uttered to complete the turn. An “action” card can also be played if there is no matching “word” card, or to simply make things more interesting. It’s fun, portable, and one more way to help your grandchild learn to read. Play it and watch what happens!
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Joy is the Greatest Gift, the first in a new series of inspirational children’s books by Focus Friends, intends to teach young children to appreciate and find happiness in the people and things around them, and spread this joy to others. Joy is the Greatest Gift simplifies concepts found in countless books for adults who want to live more fulfilling lives, allowing them to be understood and implemented by young children (ages 2-9). The author recognizes that like adults, children can experience times of sadness and anger, and though they can not necessarily change the circumstances prompting those feelings, they can be encouraged to recognize and embrace the things that make them happy or “joyful” every day. In essence, it introduces the power of positive thinking. All of the outdoor and indoor delights are highlighted — flower gardens, butterflies, puddles and starlit skies — as well as favorite toys, snacks and cozy naps. And, of course, the powers of positive relationships are emphasized, including those with parents, grandparents, and good friends. Joy is the Greatest Gift is a 32 page, 9 x 11 hardcover book with a jacket, and is beautifully illustrated by an award-winning artist. In addition to this book about beauty and joy, the company plans to publish more books with “focused messages,” such as appreciation, wisdom and inspiration.
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We love the simple premise of Family Talk and Grandparent Talk — card deck games with questions that provide the perfect spark for conversations among family members and peers. The games include 100 diverse question cards clipped together and small enough to bring anywhere where it might be helpful and enjoyable to pass time or become lost in memorable conversation. The questions have been developed for ages four and up — the younger set will need help reading the cards, of course. In Family Talk, questions are as simple as, “What is your favorite color?” or can get as detailed as, “What is one of the most important things your parents taught you?” Grandparent Talk is designed to help deepen intergenerational relationships among family members and keep family history alive. Questions range from: “Did you have your own bedroom growing up?” and “Who was your favorite teacher and why?” to “Are you afraid of anything?” and “What do you think about kids today?” Writing about this makes me want to turn back time to play this game with my own grandparents. Both games (as well as a Family Talk 2 version) come in the portable clip format or in a tabletop jar format. The Founder of Around the Table Games is a working mom who enjoyed learning all she could about her grandparents and great grandparents — and who knows how today’s busy lifestyles can prevent us from enjoying these types of valuable interactions. The games are great gifts for kids and their families, or for yourself — to keep at your home for when your grandchildren visit. Your “talks” will never be the same again!
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My Heritage Book is a meaningful personalized children’s book that helps you share your family’s heritage with your grandchild. Much research, work and heart have gone into these beautifully illustrated and descriptive pages, which can be personalized throughout with your grandchild’s name. Each book has an introduction about Americans originating from different places, and space to fill in a family tree and special family traditions. Also included is a letter from you, the person giving the book as a gift and keepsake to your grandchild. Over 50 countries have been researched (a list is included on their website), with more being added constantly. You can choose up to four countries to be discussed in each book, with each country being given an equal number of pages. There’s a sample book on the website that includes pages and illustrations on Italy and Columbia, to give you an idea of the writing and illustrative style, as well as the reading level. There’s even a glossary included at the end of each book! Of course, nothing beats time together with your grandchild, discussing your family’s heritage in person — why not use this as a discussion piece during those special visits. And if you can’t be with your grandchild as much as you’d like, My Heritage Book is a creative way to help strengthen connections whether you’re in the next town or another time zone.
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Gallop! Scanimation Picture Book$10.15 at Amazon.com |
We’ve already spent hours staring at the pages of this new children’s book, trying to figure out how the animals move in such a vividly realistic way. What I assume to be some type of “special effect,” is a new patented technology called, scanimation. I’ll call it eye candy! Apparently, the copies of Gallop!, by Rufus Butler Seder, were flying off the shelves this past holiday season and our daughter was the lucky recipient of one of these books. It’s not so much a storybook, but rather, a gazing book. When you move the pages opposite the image pages, they activate the scanimation. A horse gallops (hence, the book’s title), an eagle soars, a cat leaps, a turtle swims, etc. The book certainly grabs the attention of young children (3-8), and would make a great car trip or restaurant distraction. A wonderful little gift, for sure — and fun for parents and grandparents, too!
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“This is Bear’s house and this is the key. Open the door and what do you see?” Both of our kids can recite this entire book on the spot, as can my husband and I. Bear at Home is one in a series of “Bear” infant and toddler books published and sold by Barefoot Books, a publishing house focused on quality, creativity and cultural diversity. The “Bear” series, which also includes Bear About Town, Bear’s Busy Family, Bear in Sunshine, Bear in a Square, and Bear on a Bike, are simple rhyming books that surprisingly cast an immediate spell on babies, toddlers, parents and grandparents, drawing them in time and time again. One of the things that makes Bear at Home and all of Barefoot Books’ titles so alluring yet comforting are the vibrantly colored illustrations, which, at the same time, are simple, and somehow familiar. Babies and toddlers love them. When reading this to my kids, I’d often joke that I would love to live in Bear’s house! Bear’s house, with “big cozy chairs,” and “walls painted bright” seems to be the kind of safe, fun place where we all want our children and grandchildren to be.
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