What Came First?

Tundra Books
Sandro Natalini

At first glance, I thought this book was intended for younger children. I expected it to be a basic debate of the age old question - What came first, the chicken or the egg? Possibly a humorous look into the explanations of both sides of the argument.

Instead, the book takes a huge step backward to explain the Big Bang theory and the following eras. It goes on to explain the process of evolution and how some creatures have successfully managed to adapt and evolve over the years, while others have become extinct.


There is a lot of information contained in this small book, almost overwhelmingly so. The writing and subject matter seem to be aimed at older children. An excerpt: "Scientists think that the steam from years of volcanic eruptions formed storm clouds loaded with rain. That rain formed enormous expanses of water - the first oceans."


In contrast, the drawings and fonts are more childish. The illustrations are brightly colored, while the fonts vary in size and shape. The result is an unbalanced book that seems like it would have a difficult time finding an ideal audience. It seems that it might work for younger, very intelligent children, who have the ability to understand advanced subjects, but not the average child.

Holiday Gift Sets

Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment

It’s big-time holiday fun with everyone's favorite preschool friends Barney, Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends in special holiday collections of DVD 3-packs. Perfect for gift-giving, young carolers can sing-along to seasonal favorites and enjoy winter-time fun with the Barney Tee-Riffic Holiday Collection Gift Set. Join Bob the Builder and his Can-Do Crew in action-packed winter adventures that show you “having fun is in getting it done” during the holidays in the Bob the Builder: Building Crew Holiday Collection Gift Set. Travel down the tracks for cheery holiday adventures, daring rescues and heart-warming life lessons in the Thomas & Friends: Sodor Friends Holiday Collection Gift Set.

Thomas & Friends Sodor Friends Holiday Collection: There’s fun around every turn in these joyful wintertime adventures! Catch the holiday spirit as Thomas & Friends prepare for the grand opening of the Toy Workshop. Laugh and play along as Percy tries to fool his friends into believing he’s Jack Frost. And hold on tight for some of Thomas’ most thrilling races and rescues in this heartwarming holiday collection.

Barney Tee-Riffic Holiday Collection: Bundle up with your best friend Barney for this special collection of wintertime favorites! Take a musical journey to the North Pole with Barney, BJ, and Baby Bop in Night Before Christmas.” Sing along to your favorite Barney tunes in the fun-filled game show, “Can You Sing That Song?” And join Barney, Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends and more for the magic of “Winter Wonderland” in this magical holiday gift set!

Bob the Builder Building Crew Holiday Collection: Just in time for the holidays, discover why “the fun is in getting it done” in these action-packed, fun-filled adventures! Join Bob and the Can-Do Crew as they rescue their friend from a winter storm in “Bob’s White Christmas.” Then it’s time to build a log cabin and smooth the ice rink for the Winter Games. Finally, come along as Bob and Scoop hunt for buried treasure -- and make some amazing discoveries -- in this one-of-a-kind collection that's the perfect holiday treat for Bob the Builder fans.

Chronicle Books Friends & Family Holiday Sale

Chronicle Books is offering 35% off, plus free ground shipping on all on-line offers. They call it the Friends & Family Holiday Sale - their best sale of the season! Dang, that's a really good sale! Jump on this chance to pick up a few Christmas gifts for the readers in your life. It's not just limited to kids' books - there's a huge selection of cookbooks, art and design titles, craft kits, stationery, puzzles and more!

Use promo code FRIENDS at checkout. The offer ends December 4th.

Eat Fresh Food

Bloomsbury
Rozanne Gold; Photographs by Phil Mansfield

Wow! I really don't know what I was expecting from a teen cookbook, but it sure wasn't this. The fresh ingredients and gorgeous photographs on each page make me want to try nearly every single dish. I'm years away from being a teen - I can only imagine what a great tool this would be for people unaccustomed to making their own meals.

The emphasis of this book is on making sure all the recipes presented are both healthy and delicious. Fruits and vegetables are the real stars here, with a focus on nutrition and flavor. The whole point of the book is to steer teens away from processed foods, to learn to prepare healthy foods that are better for their growing bodies. The result is a very inspiring cookbook that will jump start even the most reluctant or inexperienced cooks.


The recipes are segmented into seven chapters: (1) Bread, Butter & Breakfast; (2) Bowls: Soups & Pasta; (3) Sandwiches, Burgers & Pizza; (4) Salads, Big & Small; (5) Dinner Specials with Vegetables; (5) Side Dishes and (6) Desserts & Drinks. I like that the dishes really cover a lot of ground. Some are very simple, like the Tower of Peaches, while others are slightly more complex and involved, such as Crepes with Fresh Blueberry Sauce. There are comforting, down home dishes (Loaf of Whole Wheat Bread) and the slightly more exotic (Asian Summer Rolls.) There are comforting soups, great big sandwiches, lovely breads and tasty desserts.

The cooking directions and explanations are so straightforward that anyone could pick up this book and follow a recipe start to finish. And at the end, I'm confident you would have a beautiful, impressive dish chock full of fresh ingredients!


Some of the recipes I would have passed right by if it weren't for the delectable photos. Definitely, I would have flipped right past Overnight Vegetable Tabbouleh, but the photo stopped me in my tracks. Chicken Parm with Roasted Grape Tomatoes (pictures below) immediately was marked as must try, even without reading the ingredients. I don't care what's in it - based on the photo alone I know I will be eating it. The same holds true for dozens of dishes; they look so fresh and appetizing that it makes me want to ravage the produce aisles immediately so that I can begin cooking.


This book is an absolutely wonderful way to entice your kids into the kitchen and get them helping with the preparation of some very healthy food. Teaching your children to cook with vegetables, fruits and grains is one of the very best things you can do for them. All the recipes were prepared and tasted by an actual team of teenagers. If they can do it, so can you and your family! This week, we will be trying the Carrot Ginger Tomato Soup and the Silver Dollar Potato Pancakes.

Stanley's Beauty Contest

Kids Can Press
Linda Bailey; Illustrations by Bill Slavin

Without his knowledge or consent, Stanley's "people" have entered him in a beauty contest. He is rudely awakened quite early one morning and given the royal treatment - bath, banana shampoo (yuck!), blow dry and sparkly new collar.

Stanley howls his best Aroooooo! as protest, but to no avail. He is unceremoniously dumped into the backseat of the car, without his breakfast. At the dog park, Stanley finds his friends Alice, Nutsy and Gassy Jack. One big sniff tells him he isn't the only one who smells funny. Gassy Jack smells like sweet pea, but I'm guessing with a name like that, that sweet smell is fleeting.


There are three contests lined up: Fastest Dog, Best Tricks and Most Beautiful Dog. None of the dogs particularly want to compete, but the prizes happen to be the best smelling treats on Earth. Stanley's nose and belly tell him he just has to win one. Sadly, Stanley doesn't even come close to winning a single contest. He does, however, find himself standing right next to the unguarded treat table .....



Consequently, there is a little incident involving Stanley, the treat table and thirty-seven other dogs in one big puppy pile-up. It is complete chaos, and every perfectly groomed dog has their their fur matted and ribbons ripped. And boy, is it FUN! Stanley goes home knowing he had a great day, even if he isn't the world's Most Beautiful Dog.


Stanley brings a lot of personality and life to this story. It's a great tale full of fun doggy action. In my opinion, one of the best detail is the names of his canine companions. I wonder what in the world made the author choose Nutsy and Gassy Jack? Pretty gosh darned funny and I'm glad she did! Get ready for a rolling good time with Stanley and his hilariously named pals as they cause mayhem in the dog park.

If you enjoy Stanley's Beauty Contest, you are in for a triple treat! He also stars in three other books from Kids Can Press.

For Just One Day

Chronicle Books
Laura Leuck; Illustrations by Marc Boutavant

Some of my favorite books are those that plant an idea into the mind of a child and really get the imagination racing. I love to see the wheels turning and hear the wild thoughts that burst forth. After reading this, every child will come up with half a dozen animals they would like to be transformed into!

The entire book is built on a simple premise with great execution. Just one question with nine unique responses: If you could be an animal for just one day, what would you be and why? The answers are produced in both beautiful and comical illustrations.


The little boy telling the story has one heck of an imagination. If he could swim the Nile, he would be be a creeping crocodile. But not just any croc, you know. This one wears a tiny red hat and has the sharpest, snapping smile.


Many of the animals pictured have taken on some of the human characteristics or appearances. The rabbit hops along in a striped shirt and green overalls, while the porcupine lazes back, writing in her journal. The illustrations are bright and clever, and altogether very enjoyable.


The only question remaining after reading this book is - what will your kids come up with? In addition to the animals mentioned here, ours wanted to be a gorilla, a one-humped camel and a slow-moving turtle. The very last page includes a little surprise - a shiny mirror that reflects back the most special someone in the whole world.

Raf

Boyds Mills Press
Anke de Vries & Charlotte Dematons

If your children have never developed an attachment to a special blanket or stuffed animal, consider yourself lucky. There is nothing like that panic when you can't find that special item, as you are ripping the house apart room by room. We have a tattered blanket at our house that holds as many magical soothing qualities as it does patches.

Raf (it took me a minute to realize when the name originated, duh) and Ben are the very best of friends. The pair go everywhere together, until one day when Raf completely disappears. Although Ben searches every nook and cranny, his best friend is nowhere to be found. Ben is heartbroken.


The very next day a postcard addressed to Benjamin clatters into the mailbox. Raf has been found ... in Africa? It seems Raf is traveling! Five more postcards arrive, detailing the wonderful adventures he is experiencing. Ben reads of Raf floating through crowds of flamingos, bathing with a group of elephants, swinging on vines with monkeys and visiting a pack of (much taller) giraffes. The very last postcard announces that Raf is on his way home, weary from his travels.


I like how simple the set up is. Each page features a new postcard from Raf. Behind the postcard is a two page spread of his location. Although the illustrations are mostly scenery, if readers peer very closely, they may spot Raf. A nice plus is the humor injected into the postcard info - Raf's narrative of his journey is definitely appealing to kids.


At first I thought this was the smartest idea ever to wean a child from his childhood attachment. But then Raf shows up at the end, which squashes that theory. It makes me wonder about the story behind the story though. Did Ben's parents pull a switcheroo with the beloved stuffed kangaroo, or take him away for washing? In any case, if we ever have an incident with our blankie, I'll pulling out a stack of postcards and following Raf's lead.

Who Wants to Be a Poodle - I Don't.

Candlewick Press
Lauren Child

I have always loved Lauren Child's style. From her wild and frequent patterns selections to her use of assorted fonts, her style exhibits a particularly lovely sense of whimsy. Geometric black and white print drapes meet abstract pink walls and green cabbage print wallpaper. The effect is definitely striking rather than jarring.

I particularly like this book because the main character is the divinely glamorous Mademoiselle Verity Brulee, who lives in a sumptuous apartment and likes everything to be "just so." Of course, being a lady of leisure means her hobbies include shoe shopping and ... more shoe shopping. Of course, her dog is a fluffy little white poodle, named Trixie Twinkle Toes Trot-a-Lot Delight. Unfortunately, Trixie is not the sort of dog who appreciates her name or living in the lap of luxury.

Trixie may not look the part, with her fluffy white coats and perfectly poofed tail, but she craves a life of adventure! Her dream is to prance through puddles, not to be sprayed by perfume. Trixie is being squashed by her life and finally decides she must take action. After reading (I guess this dog can read) an article titled "How to Change Your Dog Image," she feels emboldened to take action.

Trixie puts her plan into action by becoming dangerous and daring. She catches fleas and chews the neighbors newspaper. She slides straight down the banister and leaps onto the chandelier. Finally, Trixie runs through the raindrops and dives into the deepest puddle to save a smaller dog. Suddenly, Verity Burlee sees her pooch in a new light and understands what Trixie needs. And from then on, the pair are sure to venture outside every day that it rains.


The story is cute, but it's Child's illustrations that steal the show. I love the pairings of flowers with checks and the mad jumble of each page. Your eye won't know where to look first - it's a virtual playground of pattern and font. And the book has a wonderful happy ending with Trixie being able to convey to her owner what will make her feel alive.

Check out the fun games associated with this book.

Art House Volume 1: Basic Shapes and Animals

Art House

Creating art is a treasured activity at our house. No, we don't have the finest materials stocked, but we do have plenty of crayons, markers and plain paper. Occasionally, we run into bouts of frustration because "I don't KNOW how to draw a rhinoceros!"

The Art House DVD series teaches children ages three and up how to draw using basic shapes – squares, circles, triangles, etc. – as a base to illustrate almost anything. But more than that, it serves as a helping hand in letting a child become accustomed to the process of creativity. The Art House series nurtures young minds and offers parents a chance to create art with their child even if neither have any experience in drawing.

In Art House Volume 1: Basic Shapes and Animals, your children will learn to draw fish, dogs, monkeys, birds, dinosaurs and more. Engaging kids with bright, bold animation, original music and fun live-action visuals, this program is both interactive and plenty of fun. Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions help young viewers create simple drawings of their very own.

The Art House DVD series uses energetic songs and animation to reinforce this simple artistic principle: everything around you is made up of basic shapes and when you learn to draw those, you can draw anything!