Recently, my daughter asked why a friend's two year-old brother couldn't "act like a cow" without saying moo. I explained that animal sounds are the first way that children start to understand how to define animals. And that's why every …
I've never been a big fan of personalized books. Books on their own can be so magical - why would I need my child worked into the plot somehow? There are a few personalized books for kids that we've reviewed that do the job beautifully, …
Let's be real: a lot of old-school nursery rhymes need some updating. Have you ever really listened to "Billy Boy?" (Hey, guy, she is a young thing and cannot leave her mother. Back off!) The world is simply a different place than when M…
Pam Allyn knows books, and she knows boys; she also knows, as a literacy expert, that for a variety of reasons, our boys are more vulnerable to being left behind academically and succumbing to undesirable behaviors if they're not profici…
Hi. My name is Delilah, and my preschooler is a poetry addict. From Shel Silverstein to Robert Frost, she's as likely to drop a tome in my lap as to beg to watch Tangled for the fiftieth time this week. So when I tell you that she loves …
The tooth fairy made another visit here this weekend, and while we've been pretty satisfied with her---she's only been late twice with three kids---I'm not so happy with how lackadaisical I've been about keeping track of the moments that…
If you've ever read The Pioneer Woman's blog , then you know this woman is slated pretty much to take over the world. With cookbooks, an autobiography, and a TV sitcom in the works, now Ree Drummond has turned her world-conquering master…
My 4-year-old-any-second-now daughter is at the age where she's learned there's more to the world than just home, store, and school. She's asking about the places she can visit after a plane ride or two, and while most of them involve th…
Though they slept through most of the Royal Wedding live coverage, my girls were riveted by the images they watched in the many recaps. And while I was also transfixed by the royal pageantry of it all, I also was quick to talk about some…
Here in Atlanta where I live, the weather has been nice since the beginning of March, which means my kids have already exhausted Hide n' Seek, Freeze Tag, and two entire boxes of sidewalk chalk. So when I saw this book when I was at the …
Just in time for Earth Day on April 22, a new book weaves together all the intricate threads --biology, climate, culture, economics, evolution, food, history, and politic -- that combined, makes up the rich tapestry of our world. And it …
It's a given in most of my kids' story books: Other than the demise of a wicked witch or two, the main characters are going to live until the end of the story. But, I just discovered a timeless, beautiful tale about life--and, yes, its e…
I am used to seeing my kids pushing buttons, laughing delightedly as they zoom around another wii game, or play with their father's tablet. But, let me tell you, I wasn't prepared to see them having the same reaction to a simple three-co…
Ah spring. The birds are chirping, the buds are poking through the soil, and if you ask the sigOth, miniskirts are making appearances on the leggy 20-somethings in our neighborhood. What's not to love? Right in time, I've found a delicio…
March 2 was National Read Across America Day, which is in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday, which I know because Thing 1 and Thing 2 were spotted around my town in bright blue wigs and matching t-shirts. And while I make it a point to read …
"Eyes and ears are much respected, but the butt has been neglected." And so begins the masterful and hilarious The Butt Book , by Artie Bennett, illustrated by Mike Lester. Let's face it, few things are funnier to a little kid (and those…
My five year-old's current vocabulary include words like despondent, haberdashery, and Mezzo-Soprano. Not because she's any sort of verbal genius, but because her grandmother introduced her to one of the most wonderful books for kids I'v…
Those of us who grew up on author S.E. Hinton's books like The Outsiders , Tex , and Rumble Fish , might be interested to know that she's got a new book out for the next generation. Actually, a graphic novel. And if you have a middle gra…
There are a gazillion ABC books out there--plenty of which we feature here. While I believe that as long as you're reading to your child ,you're already doing great, once in a while a book comes along that really stands out from the othe…
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, neither, or both, there's no better gift for kids than the gift of reading. If you don't need a fourth copy of the Velveteen Rabbit to make you cry on your toddler's footy pajamas, try one of th…
Manners books for children may sound a little old-fashioned, but thank goodness they aren't. I've come to realize that children of a certain age love learning rules and getting to understand social construct; my own five year-old thinks …
To say that Sandra Boynton is my favorite children's author is an understatement, (with deep props to Dr. Seuss). But truly, for the first few years of my son's life her chunky children's books were a constant. Her writing is fun, bouncy…
I'm not going to bore you with facts and figures about childhood obesity in America, because we've all heard it before. What I will tell you is that there is little my kids enjoy more than receiving their own mail, and in particular, mag…
I have all sorts of tricks for when I worry too much, because I do worry -- too much and too often. Worrying happens to be a family trait. Unfortunately, that means I have a pint-sized worrier in my own house, and he can't self-medicate …